Anna Matheson is the sole surviving member of the Matheson family and she is out for revenge. Gathering the six people responsible for the deaths of her family is the easy part. Getting their confessions turns out to be harder than she expected - especially when one of them ends up dead.

With a Vengeance takes its time getting warmed up as we are introduced to all of the characters and the parts they played in the Matheson family’s demise. Once the action picks up, you really do feel like you’re barreling towards Chicago and racing against the clock. One thing I love about Sager’s book is how descriptive he is with his settings and how he really creates an ambiance. While I was reading it felt like I was watching an old timey movie unfold because I could visualize everything so well. It really added to my enjoyment of this book.

I hope Sager will continue to play around with different genres outside of horror as I think he does it well. The locked room/train plot has been done before, but Sager’s twist on the story will keep you guessing and entertained the the whole way through. The man loves a plot twist and some of them I did not see coming. While this wasn’t my favorite Sager novel, it was far from my least and I will continue to read his books in the future.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for a review copy.

I'm not even sure where to begin. For some reason, I thought this book was a horror. I went into it expecting horror, and it turned out to be more of a murder mystery/thriller. I'm not really sure how I feel about it.

I got through the first 40% not really liking the story and not really sure where the heck it was going. I wasn’t enjoying the characters much, and I didn’t love that the whole thing took place on a train. After the 50% mark, it started to pick up a little more, and by that point, I was invested enough to finish.

I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil any of the plot twists. I will say the author did a really good job of keeping me guessing. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong.

Overall, I’m still a little unsure how I feel. It had its moments, and I’m glad I stuck with it, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. If you're into slow-burn thrillers with a few good twists, it might be worth checking out.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
This started off slow for me but I think that's because in the beginning we're just getting to know the characters and the background for why they're all there. I think when we got the reveal of why they were all gathered and the the first murder it really picked up for me and despite there only being a few options on who the killer might be, I never figured it out lol. This actually ended up being a fun whodunit with interesting characters and though this storyline feels like it's been done before, I still enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC!

Riley Sager’s “With a Vengeance” is a tense thriller that blends classic whodunit elements with the author’s signature psychological suspense — all while aboard a luxury 1950s train bound for Chicago.

As a fan of Sager’s previous work, this was certainly a unique addition to his lineup. Less of a horror, more of a classic Agatha-Christie-esque thriller/mystery. In my personal opinion, this isn’t a knock on WaV, but just something to note for readers that might expect the same tone as his other novels. Overall an enjoyable read that kept me guessing, as always!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love Riley Sager's books and this did not disappoint. This was a little different than some of his others but I enjoyed the setting and the plot.

When Anna’s family is destroyed by a group of six individuals, she swears that she will get her revenge in the newest release from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, With a Vengeance (Riley Sager, Penguin Random House, 2025). Sager uses this novel to deviate from his usual eerie vibe, and instead creates a Murder on the Orient Express type thriller with the political and social intrigue of post World War II tensions.

In order to avenge her family and clear her father’s name, Anna invites the six people responsible for their downfall onto what was once her family’s beloved train, The Philadelphia Phoenix, for a non-stop thirteen hour journey from Philadelphia to Chicago. While she does not intend to harm them in any capacity, and instead trap them until they can be arrested upon their arrival, others on the train have a different fate in mind. As the bodies begin to drop, Anna no longer knows who she can trust, or if any of them will make it off of the train alive.

As an avid fan of Sager’s I have been eagerly waiting for this release since it was first announced and am sad to say that I was slightly let down. It took me a while to get into the story itself, something that I don’t tend to experience when reading Sager’s books, and because of this I was also not entirely inclined to pick it up during the earlier chapters. I think the size of the cast of characters we read from partially contributed to that, because as the number of perspectives decreased throughout the book, the more invested I became.

Overall, I found the book to be fast-paced and entertaining when I was able to sit down for longer chunks of time. The atmosphere and setting really shone through in this novel, emphasizing the haze of hatred, suspense, and relational tensions present throughout the story. As is typical for Sager, the twists unfolded in a skillful and shocking manner, making the reader believe they have figured out whodunit only to pull the rug out from under us.

I truly think that the root of my issues with this novel simply comes from the fact that I did not feel like the book was written by Sager. For the most part, Sager’s novels tend to emanate a constant sense of eeriness and terror that I didn’t experience while reading this one. I don’t think that authors should not venture out and try other genres or styles than they usually write. However, I do think that I held a certain expectation for this book going into it, and was for that reason let down.

With a Vengeance is overall an entertaining read that forces the reader to ponder what they would do in Anna’s (and the other’s) situation. Sager will keep you guessing and counting down the hours left on this bloody crossing of revenge.

4.5 stars rounded up

Oh how I loved this book. I had no idea what to expect as it was my first time with a Riley Sager book. Safe to say, I’m a fan.

The plot was so good. So different, unusual and impossible to keep everything straight in the best way possible. So many secrets revealed when they are needed to move the story forward. However, the story is all over the place, just like life. It’s not scary and not tense, just a good book that kept me engaged and interested.

Advanced reader copy provided by Dutton but all opinions are my own.

And once again, a must-read for the year from Riley Sager! I LOVE Sager's takes on horror, and going full-on locked train thriller/murder mystery (with just a little hint of the greatest film of all time, CLUE) wasn't what I expected - but I loved it. It's thrilling, it's got a bit of dark humor, and I think it's screaming for a filmed adaptation. Unexpected and great!

3.5 stars, rounded up. This one is more of a departure for Riley Sager, but you can still feel the movie-inspired vibes from this one, and there's clear homage to classic mysteries that is well done. I liked this one a lot and think that what we get to know about the characters was interesting, but it wasn't quite enough.

This was quite a departure from Riley Sager's usual book. I found the mystery on a train premise really compelling and the plot was engaging but I had a difficult time connecting to the characters due to the switching POV's.

I was really excited to read Riley Sager's twist on a golden age locked room mystery. Unfortunately, this book is so generic, anyone could have written it. It was a solid story, I guess. Not particularly thrilling. And every twist was an homage to a classic; unfortunately, that made every twist predictable and hackneyed. Overall, this didn't "feel" like a Riley Sager; it didn't have enough of his unique spin on a genre. Ultimately, if I were going to read a bland golden age mystery, there's plenty more to choose from. And if you want to read a Riley Sager, there's plenty more of those to choose from too.

I will always read Riley Sager. I’ve been a fan since the beginning, since Quincy became a final girl. Having said that, With a Vengeance is underwhelming, like I’ve read this plot before. Even the twists and reveals fall flat, and it felt like Sager was just throwing plot twists to see what might stick. Locked room thrillers are normally my favorite trope, but this one just left me wanting more.

Anna doesn’t just want revenge for the death of her brother and the destruction of her family, she wants vengeance for her and the families of the other soldiers killed in a tragic train crash over a decade ago. Luckily for her, Anna’s aunt has damning information about the masterminds behind the incident delivered directly to her after her death. With this knowledge, Anna embarks on the train ride of her life—13 hours with the six people responsible for killing her brother, framing her father, and leaving her emotionally vulnerable.

This novel is unlike anything else I’ve read from Riley Sager. The historical element threw me at first, but the twists and turns are well done and kept me reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Geoup Dutton for the ARC!

This was so different from anything Riley has written and it took me by surprise. I loved "locked door" thrillers and this one upped it a level with them all being together on a train with a countdown for arrival. I was hooked!!!  Anna the MC is on a revenge mission for her parents and brother who all died horrible deaths. There are so many other characters with their own motives and  the twists towards the end were CRAZZZZY! I immersive read this one and it was a blast!. The audiobook is narrated by Erin Bennett. I have not listened to anything by her but she was fantastic and made me root for Anna!

whomp whomp. - man was I ready for another Sager story, but maybe not a thriller that’s wrapped up in 24 hours. This one fell flat, characters aren’t as developed, and a plot that seems pretty similar imo with holes left opened. I also felt like it didn’t really pick up until the 85% percent mark - while others would have probably dnf’ed or given up. At least I finished!

Thank you PRHAudio and PRH for my copy!

A period piece with a revenge plot at its heart and many players all invited on a train journey. This was a puzzling premise with twists and turns and reveals you won’t see coming, but will enjoy them unfolding until the last page.

Really enjoyed this locker room mystery set on a moving train. This was different than all of Riley Sager's past books but I definitely recommend it. The beginning started off a little slow for me but I stayed on the train and went along for the ride and ended up enjoying the adventure. The characters at first were hard to distinguish amongst eachother but I was able to separate them after not too long which helped me get out of a "too many characters slump". I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys a historical locked room mystery similar to Murder on the Orient Express.

Unfortunately, this one didn't grab me like previous Sager books. I don't know if it's because of the fact it was more of a Christie-esque locked door mystery, or if there were just too many things happening at once with not many likeable characters to root for, but I just didn't connect with this mystery. I appreciate that he tried something new outside of what I usually expect from him, but it was a miss for me overall.

The first 2/3 of this book was following a predictable plot line similar to several other population murder mysteries like And Then There Were None and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect. Things started to turn for the better and there was one twist I absolutely didn't see coming, but I think i just wanted something a smidgen more original. Still a fun, quick read, and as usual with Riley Sager, a lot of moving pieces that make it difficult till pin down the bad guy.

Although this doesn't feel like a typical Riley Sager novel, it's still gripping in its suspense and there are enough twists and turns in this locked room mystery to keep you constantly guessing. With a Vengeance is a taut, fast-paced thriller that masterfully blends suspense, psychological tension, and gripping twists. Sager delivers a compelling protagonist and a plot that keeps readers guessing until the final page. With sharp writing and a chilling atmosphere, this novel is a must-read for fans of smart, twisty thrillers.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this digital e-arc.*