I'm unable to read this book as the formatting is terrible. There are special symbols instead of letters and missing letters altogether. I was really looking forward to reading this and am now completely unable to

This locked room mystery, set on a train, has plenty of red herrings and twists, and a whole heap of revenge.

It was set in the 1950s with a perfect plan that goes awry and falls apart, piece by piece. I found all of the characters fairly one dimensional and therefore found it difficult to connect with, and be rooting for, any of them. Some of the twists were predictable but the ones I didn’t see coming really took me by surprise. The pace was fairly slow and the writing didn’t really grab me, it was just like reading a report or an account of what happened.

Those twists that I didn’t call saved it though, an enjoyable read overall.

⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Riley Sager and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC of this book.

3.5 stars rounded down.
So... when I finished this book. When I had navigated all the twists and turns, obfuscation, blind alleys, red herrings, and all the other tropes designed to dupe a reader, I actually sat back and thought about the format in which this book was delivered. I realised how "ready for the screen" it could be... I do wonder... I also wondered how many of the Agatha Christie books were paid homage to during the making of this production... But I will leave you to ponder both of these for yourself...
We start in the past, in 1942 when six people destroyed Anna Matheson's family. Again leaving you to discover the warts and all about that. But back in the present, 12 years later and the same six people have been invited to ride from Philadelphia to Chicago, non stop, on a luxury train. The journey lasting 14 hours (2 hours per episode for a TV series maybe) each hour sectioned off in the book which flits between past and present as it introduces the characters along the way. These six are joined by Anna and her assistant, the only other person on the train being the driver. Or is it...?
And this is where you need to go in as blind as you can to discover all the twists and turns for yourself. Suffice to say you will either have a blast, roll your eyes, or shout at the author for cheating you. Or all of the above. Oh and you may ponder things that really don't quite make as much sense as you'd like.
All that said, it was a relatively quick read, albeit a wee bit repetitive and took me a while to really get into. Maybe it's cos I couldn't fully invest in any of the characters, not even poor hard done by Anna who did start to really annoy me.
That said, apart from the parallels between this and Christie, the author did a fair job of tying it all together to form a new story. Some of the cracks did show though and it got a bit messy in places, especially with all the obfuscation and wool-pulling he did along the way. I have numerous examples but spoilers prevent me from spelling them all out. I'd love to see the plotting chart he created for this one to try and keep it all on track (see what I did there... train... track... #notsorry).
Finally... that ending... a twist to far and too all neatly tied up? Maybe... It definitely didn't leave me as satisfied as I would have liked to have been.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Riley Sager has created another whodunit with multiple twists and suspects. Aboard the Phoenix train, traveling from Philadelphia to Chicago, are six suspects and Anna. She has lured them aboard with invitations, but little do they know she will deliver them to authorities at the end of the journey for the downfall of her family. In 1942, Anna's family was destroyed and twelve years later she sought justice. Nothing goes as planned. One of the passengers is murdered because someone else must be seeking revenge. As Anna hunts for the killer, she must protect the ones she despises for her justice. It becomes complicated and there isn't anywhere to go or without knowing who is the killer, she suspects them all.
"One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge."
Quite entertaining and mysterious. I love Riley Sager. I'm not a fan of train books, but he set it up well. It is fast paced, which is a plus.

A fast-paced thriller set on a non-stop night train in the late 1950s where everyone has a possible motive to kill their fellow passengers? Sign me up! This locked room murder mystery has twists aplenty and multiple POVs to keep things interesting. This was - in typical Sager style - an extremely easy read and I'd recommend it to anyone who's enjoyed their previous books.

Riley Sager is a master of misdirection whose novels have so many twists and turns that they make you giddy! This one is no exception. The setting: a luxury train, the cast: a group of individuals invited onboard by an unknown person, the plot: will everybody still be alive by the time they reach their destination, and if not, who's the murderer and why?
I have always enjoyed Riley Sager's novels and I am glad that I stuck with this one to the end. However I felt that this book got off to a very slow start, and I was struggling at around 30% of the way through. By the time we got to the halfway point it was getting interesting, and the final 30% was excellent with all the unexpected twists that the author is known for. I always judge this style of novel on whether I saw the reveals coming, and I totally didn't!! If you love surprises, and enjoy a good old fashioned whodunnit, then this is for you.

The tension in this book was so good, it had me gripped right away. The high stakes and atmosphere kept me on edge, with every twist making the story even more intense.

🚂 Twelve years after her family was torn apart, Anna is ready to settle the score. She’s tracked down the six people responsible and lured them onto a nonstop train to Chicago, where law enforcement agents are waiting for them. But her carefully crafted plan shatters when a man is murdered on board. Trapped on a moving train with dangerous enemies and a killer on the loose, Anna must race against time to uncover the truth.

🚂 Pick this up if you like/ don’t mind:
📌 historical thriller/ locked room mystery
📌 whodunnit
📌 slow burn/ action packed
📌 quick read/ binge worthy
📌 Agatha Christie vibes
📌 multiple POVs
📌 plot that keeps you guessing
📌 spooky/ paranormal element/ atmospheric
📌 “unlikeable” characters
📌 how far will you go in the name of vengeance?

🚂 Riley Sager has always been a hit or miss author for me. His last book “the only one left” was an easy five star read. But then this book came along and personally shipped me to disappointment island, one way ticket. It started off pretty good. But then it just slowly spiralled into a loop of repetition and meh. Honestly, at times it didn’t even feel like Sager wrote it. There were twists and turns, but sadly, they didn’t land with the impact I was hoping for.

🚂 Did I hate it? No. Did I like it? Also no. It just didn’t work for me. Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange of an honest opinion.

With a Vengeance is Riley Sager channeling Agatha Christie! It's set on a train, that has no stops, limited riders, and a character with revenge on the mind! I loved the trapped feeling that Sager created in this book. Once the riders boarded and the train departed from the station, there was no way off the train!!! Plus, this book had a very nostalgic feel as it is set around 1954, a time where riders got dressed up to ride!

Anna Matheson’s family was destroyed in every way imaginable in 1942 with the help of six people. Fourteen years later, she has invited the six people she holds responsible to take a train from Philadelphia to Chicago. They have no idea who has invited them to ride the train, but all have been lured by her handwritten messages on the back of the invitations! As the train makes its way toward Chicago, a passenger is dead! Anna is not responsible. All she wanted was confessions from all of them, but someone on board is a killer!!!!!

The search is soon on to catch a killer before anyone else turns up dead! But whodunit? Who is the killer and who will be next?????? The book soon becomes a cat-and-mouse game where anyone could be the killer. All the passengers have something to hide, all are suspects, and nowhere on board is safe!

I enjoyed the vibe of this book. It does have a very old movie feel to it. I could see this playing out in my mind. As I mentioned, all the characters have secrets and have done something which brought about the downfall of Anna's family. I also enjoyed how Riley Sager showed how Anna's guest for revenge and retribution affected her life. How it was so consuming it was all she had to hold onto. I found this to be very well done.

I enjoyed the atmosphere, the train setting, the cast of characters, the nostalgic feel, the tension, shocking twists, and the mystery in this book.

Twelve years after six people destroyed Anna’s family, she is ready for retribution. Anna has lured those responsible on a luxury non stop, overnight train to Chicago with the goal to get them to confess to their crimes. But her plans are derailed when someone on the train is murdered and it becomes clear she isn’t the only one who is out for revenge.

Having read a few books by this author and enjoying them I was looking forward to picking up this one. This one took me by surprise and I cannot say overly in a good way. The writing style and genre ended up being quite different to this author’s previous books and more of a golden age, Agatha Christie style mystery, with undercurrents of Murder On The Orient Express. Even though I enjoyed the locked room mystery and the setting, I did find it quite predictable as this trope has been done quite a few times.

I enjoyed the mystery element, however felt a bit let down with the lack of suspense and big twists I come to expect now from this author. I enjoyed discovering the characters, but found there was a large number to try and distinguish between. I felt that although it started interesting enough, the plot then started to drag and it was a slow ride to get to the end. I appreciate this author trying something different and I can see some readers really enjoying this, especially those who like a classic, cosy mystery, however for me this was not a favourite by this author, likely due to the style of the story. Even though this wasn’t for me, I would not be put off reading more by this author as I know I have really enjoyed some of his others. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC. With A Vengeance is a revenge thriller which centres around the machinations of Anna Matheson. Twelve years after her family was destroyed by an extremely convoluted conspiracy, Anna has lured the six people responsible onto a non-stop luxury train to Chicago. Over the course of fourteen hours she plans to confront these people and, after allowing them to stew in their own guilt for a bit, hand them over to the FBI. Unfortunately the plan goes awry pretty quickly when Anna’s targets start dying, depriving her of the chance to savour her revenge. My main problem with this book was less the increasingly outlandish twists and turns (not gonna even touch the plot holes) and more the way the author talks down to the reader. My pet hate is when authors spell everything out as if I’m incapable of doing any sort of critical thinking and this book was full of that. Definitely not for me.

This book was not for me; I ended up skim reading just to find out what happened. It didn’t like the way the story opened, it is very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel in that way, but I don’t like that style of writing, I found that I didn’t care about any of the characters and didn’t really care what happened to them. I was looking for a thriller and I found this to be old fashioned and far fetched.

I hope this doesn’t come across the wrong way I’m super grateful to have been accepted for this early!!

But unfortunately I think I have to wait for it to come out physically as there’s also of errors within the first 2/3 pages (#$!) as examples words aren’t spelt correctly.

I’m still super grateful I just love Riley Sagers books and really want to love this one but the random stuff on the page is throwing me off so I’d rather wait!

*rating is not based on the book!!*

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that delivers exactly what fans have come to expect—suspense, misdirection, and a protagonist you’re never quite sure you trust. The setup is tense from the start, with Sager expertly ratcheting up the stakes chapter by chapter.

The narrative unfolds with slick pacing and just enough reveals to keep the pages turning fast. While some twists feel familiar, they’re executed with enough style and confidence to still land. The atmosphere is moody and cinematic, and the dialogue crackles with tension throughout.

The ending packs a punch, tying up loose ends without feeling too neat. With a Vengeance is classic Sager—sharp, suspenseful, and satisfying. A solid 4-star read for thriller lovers looking for a fast, absorbing escape.

In the beginning, the book gave me vibe like Murder on the orient express but then the book took a different turn. Imagine twists with buried truth. In 1942, Anna’s family was destroyed and now, twelve years later, Anna wants to get to the bottom of it. So, she invites people who had part in her father’s demise. She invites them to confront each of them and find out the truth but something else happens and she finds herself at a perilous place. The truth is twisted. The ending was so unpredictable. I didn’t guess the twists at the end.

Thanks to the Publisher

This is Riley Sager’s latest thriller due to be released in July, and it’s set on a train. Our main character is a woman whose family fell victim of a conspiracy that leaves our protagonist as the sole surviving member of her family. She invites a group of characters on a trip, each of whom have been involved somehow in instigating the worst thing that has ever happened to our protagonist. Is she out for justice, or is she out for revenge?
It's a clear nod to other books that have been set on trains (think Murder on the Orient Express), and I was expecting a fast paced, twisty good time.
Unfortunately, this is another Riley Sager that ultimately fell quite flat for me. None of the twists surprised me, and the whole premise felt kind of thin, like a watered down version of the works that it was clearly inspired by.
I don't expect huge character growth, or beautiful writing when I'm reading a thriller. I'm just out for a good time. But sadly, for me, this one was not it. It’s not the worst thing I’ve read, but it definitely didn’t deliver on the suspense or entertainment factor that I expected or wanted.

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

A journey unlike any other—once you board, there's no turning back!
With a Vengeance is a completely new and different compared to Riley Sager’s past mystery novels.

The train setting totally gave me Agatha Christie's locked-room mystery vibes. Being stuck on a train with criminals for 13 hours? Talk about intense! The tension and suspense were definitely there.

Right from the start, the story hooks you in. And let me tell you—this book is a master of deception! Just when you think you’ve cracked the case, another twist shatters your theories😂

Now, Riley Sager is undeniably skilled at crafting unexpected twists, but With a Vengeance packs in a lot of them. Thriller lovers might find some predictable, while others will catch them completely off guard.
The fast pacing keeps the momentum high, though by the end, the rapid-fire revelations can feel slightly overwhelming.

Overall, it was an enjoyable mystery thriller, especially if you can overlook a few unbelievable moments and familiar tropes.
I had a great time reading this, just as I have with Sager’s previous books, so I’ll definitely be looking forward to whatever he has in store next!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: death, murder, blood, confinement, gun violence, suicide

Interesting premise of a revenge/justice plan, by drawing all of the characters to a mystery invite on a train (Sheldon Cooper would have loved it!) a mixture of a vengeance plan mixed with a cosy mystery. It was outstandingly done, it made you suspect everyone until they died. Very twisty and honestly I didn’t have a clue, which for me is a sign of a really good thriller!

I want to preface this by saying I am a big fan of Riley Sager and he has got some great thrillers in his back catalogue but this sadly is not one of them. I found it to be quite a slow paced mystery with little payoff. It felt longer than it was and with the locked door mystery element to it I didn’t get invested in any of the characters so to be honest didn’t really care for what was happening to them! I prefer a punchier fast paced thriller like his earlier books but sadly the last few he’s written haven’t been my favourites.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Riley Sager and have devoured everything he's written but I'm so sad because this one was a miss for me.

I'm not sure whether it was the time it was set, in the nineteen forties, but it was so much like murder on the orient express and I do enjoy that style but I found it difficult to care for the characters. The only one I had empathy for was Anna, looking for revenge by luring her enemies onto an overnight train ride where the police will be waiting for them in Chicago.

It seems to be difficult to keep the people she needs to confess their guilt alive because someone else has other plans.

It pains me to say this one dragged for me but I'll absolutely read another of Riley's because I love his books, this one was just not as entertaining as his others.

A locked room mystery set on a train! Sign me up.
I can always guarantee Riley Sager to write a book that keeps me guessing and entertained. They don’t always land 100% for me, but I always have a good time.

I enjoyed reading this one however!

Thank you for my copy.