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.

This murder mystery takes place in 1954. We follow Anna Matheson, 12 years after her life was shattered as she prepares to confront the six people responsible. Trapping them overnight aboard a luxurious train from Philadelphia to Chicago, she plans to expose their crimes. However, when one of the passengers is found murdered, Anna finds herself playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

This is the first book I've read by Riley Sager and I really enjoyed. I thought I had figured out the plot halfway through, but then was hit by twist after twist!

A recommended read for fans of Riley Sager and of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for kindly providing me with this eARC.

Riley Sager is one of my favorite murder mystery/ thriller writer and I have finished all his book already ( audiobooks too ) His writing has this way to setup the premise of the mystery and then solely keeps peel off one layer after another and you wanna keep reading.

When I read the blurb it immediately reminded me of the iconic ‘ Murder on the Orient Express ‘ and that immediately made me interested to read it.

It’s 1942, and we have six people on the train who had destroyed Anna’s life and she is back for revenge. Anna is the one that lured these people on an overnight train ride under false pretense.

Anna’s plan is completely derailed when one of the passenger is murdered. It’s very clear that someone else is also out for blood but who could that be?

Even though Anna wants to destroy her enemies but she can’t just let them die before doing that so she decides to get to the bottom of this and we gets deep into the mystery!

I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait for the audiobook to get released too! Thanks NetGalley and publisher again for this early copy!

Now It wasn’t my favourite book from this author but I still couldn’t stop reading and I thoroughly enjoyed every page! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Starts off well with a locked room (train) mystery. If you can accept the absurdity of using a very long train journey as a means to confront the people who have wronged you and to watch them squirm, then the book is quite enjoyable and the first few twists are believable. The dialogue is good and the characters, while not deeply drawn, are varied and easily distinguishable.

Unfortunately as we reach the end of the book, it takes a turn for the farcical with dead people possibly not dead after all and the number of unknown people apparently roaming about this train defies belief. The very end is surely just wishful thinking as I imagine the job which falls into Annie's lap (no spoilers) is very unlikely to have been offered to her in the way it was.

Overall disappointing.

Riley Sager’s books are often hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, it became obvious quite early on that 'With A Vengeance' would land in the latter category.

Anna has a plan. But even the best laid plans have a tendency to go wrong. She has invited six guests onto a train ride to Chicago. Not just any guests, though. These six are responsible for causing a train crash that killed a lot of people during the Second World War, including Anna’s brother. Anna’s father owned the train company and was sentenced to prison - where he died - which in turn caused Anna’s mother to take her own life. In one fell swoop, Anna lost her entire family and now she’s out for revenge.

The first quarter of the revenge tale is all about introductions to the various cast members who have done a horrible wrong. Personally, I found this took way too long and also became slightly repetitive. Supposedly, this story is set in the 1950s but it never really feels that way. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it lacks any atmosphere at all. Considering there’s a blizzard, that’s saying something.

A locked room mystery on a train has been done before, and much better than it is done here. This cast of characters failed to convince me. They all came across as extremely stereotypical. I don’t need characters to be likeable to enjoy a story but there does need to be something that will make me become invested in what’s going on, and that was sorely lacking here. I couldn’t muster an ounce of care as to what would happen to any of them. Even Anna, whom the reader should surely get behind, didn’t win me over at all.

The entire “mission” seemed utterly ridiculous, and became even more so with each chapter, losing plausibility along the way and causing me to make me roll my eyes on more than on occasion. I could list several examples but since they’d be spoilers I shall refrain from doing that. 

Despite twists - so many of them - that were surely meant to bedazzle and confuse the reader, and a convoluted plot, I found it rather obvious where to lay the blame for these murders. My determination not to throw in the towel with this book wasn’t even rewarded with a surprising conclusion. Disappointed? Yes. But more so, annoyed at myself for giving Sager the benefit of the doubt and thinking he would still pull something brilliant out of the bag.

I don’t like writing a review like this but I honestly can’t find anything positive to say about 'With A Vengeance'. If you want to read a brilliant locked room mystery set on a train, pick up “Murder on the Orient Express”. Agatha Christie did it so much better.

3.5 rounded up for goodreads and netgalley.
It was quite an enjoyable read. It was also quite different from the author’s other books because of its historical aspect, and I liked that. The cast of characters is not very likeable but each character has a backstory and it was interesting to find them out along the way. Some relationship dynamics are also fleshed out but I thought the romantic undertones were unnecessary. But the plot was solid and full of twists. I would absolutely recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Devoured this one. Riley Sager is one of my favourite auto buy authors. I love Riley's work and this proves why. I was absolutely excited to read this one and couldn't put this down till the end.

This is a locked room mystery that also has a bit of Christie touch for fans of the golden era of thrillers. The characters are well written and I love the premise of vengeance. It has several underlying themes of love, loss, grief and family. I really felt for the lead and her loss. You find yourself rooting for her. It also has a good support character arc.

The book kept me guessing. Told in multiple perspectives the narrative is engrossing. The twists and red herrings are amazing and had me gripped until the end. The setup is fantastic and I can imagine this in a movie or series format too. Absolutely recommend!

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

With a Vengeance is a gripping, high-stakes thriller set against the atmospheric backdrop of a luxury train in 1954. Riley Sager crafts a darkly compelling tale of justice, betrayal and the lengths one woman will go to for the truth.

Anna Matheson’s life was shattered in 1942. Now, twelve years later, she’s ready to confront the six people responsible. Her carefully plotted plan brings them all aboard a lavish overnight train from Philadelphia to Chicago, where she intends to expose their crimes and deliver them into the hands of justice. But when one of the passengers is found murdered, Anna’s pursuit of truth descends into a tense game of survival.

Sager ratchets up the suspense with every mile, weaving classic locked-room mystery elements into a taut psychological drama. As secrets unravel and the body count rises, Anna must face the ultimate question: how far will she go for retribution — and who can she really trust when even her enemies are in danger?

Fast-paced, tightly plotted and brimming with twists, With a Vengeance is a deliciously retro revenge tale with a razor-sharp edge.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Riley Sager has some amazing thrillers, The Only One Left being my favourite followed closely by Home Before Dark. This new thriller resides more on the side of their more average thrillers unfortunately. A fun plot but a lacklustre execution makes this book a SHEIN version of Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express. The characters were flat and the plot twists were bordering on cliche.

Thank you so much for this ARC! I had some very high hopes for this book before starting it because I really enjoyed other books by this author before. However, this book was more of a murder mystery than actual thriller, which was what I was hoping for and expecting. That threw me off a bit to be honest and why I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked. The writing style is still very good and I flew through it though.

Was thrilled to be accepted to read a Riley Sager ARC.
Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book.
The era just wasn’t my thing. It’s hard not to compare it to Murder on the Orient Express.
Two fake deaths which were just too unbelievable was one of the annoyances. More than one murderer, what are the chances?
I did enjoy the last 10%, the build up and the big reveal (although predicted) picked up the pace and was more exciting which, for me, sadly lacked in the rest of the book. But was the excitement purely because I knew my boredom of reading it was coming to an end? Quite possibly.
Gutted to give this a 3/5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley UK and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity.