Riley Sager meets Agatha Christie is the vibe of this book and I loved it!

I don't know if it was just the train setting or the time period but it was like a Christie novel but full of Riley Sager's signature twists that were so twisty I think I have whiplash.

The story follows Anna in her quest to get justice for her family by confronting the people responsible for their deaths (directly and indirectly) which would be straightforward... if not for all the pesky murders.

Definitely recommend if you're a fan of locked room mysteries!

A fast paced book, quite entertaining. While reaching halfway through the book I realized who the killer was and yet found it interesting to proceed to the end. There were a couple of unexpected twists. I completed the book in a sitting, a book that got me out of reading slump. Some parts were bit farfetched but I enjoyed it. Overall it's a good quick read book. I thank netgalley and hodder and Stoughton for the eARC copy.

In a plot reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express, six people find themselves tricked into taking a non-stop train from Philadelphia to Chicago by a woman out for revenge.

After the loss of her brother and father twelve years ago, Anna Matheson is hell-bent on revenge against those involved in the fatal crash of one of her father’s trains.

However, there are other people on the train with their own agenda, and when the first person is killed, Anna realises her plan is unravelling.

This is not Sager’s strongest book and the closed room thriller and Christie-esque plot have been done multiple times. I prefer some of his other titles, especially Home Before Dark.

Sager does it again. This time setting his novel in pre war America this book keeps you hooked from page one. No surprises in the amount of twist and turns that Sager puts into this book whete you think you have worked everything out but yet again get proved wrong. A master piece in thriller and mystery genere this is a mystery read if 2025.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s giving murder mystery, it’s giving Agatha Christie and I’m here for it!

I loved the pacing of this book, it felt like a race against the clock and I felt myself reading faster because of it - not a bad thing, I devoured it. I also love how in depth you get to know the characters by understanding their whereabouts and their motives!

Another one of Riley Sagers books that I’ve loved. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

With a Vengeance is a fast-paced, twist-filled thriller with solid suspense, entertaining, if a bit familiar.

I have read a few of Riley Sagers books and I think this is the best to date. It had Murder on the orient express vibes for me and the book kept me intrigued all the way through. Just when you think you may understand what is happening another plot twist is thrown in and this then follows through the book. The book has a historic feel as set in earlier times and everyone could be a possible suspect. I would definitely recommend this read and would like to thank netgalley for this chance to read the ARC.

Not my favourite sager book but was a good popcorn binge and will still recommend, just didn’t love it - nothing seems to hit the spot quite like lock every door!

I have read several books by the author and enjoyed so when I started reading ‘With a vengeance’ I was quite surprised as it is locked room mystery.
It’s 1954 Anna Matheson has invited 6 people on an overnight train from Philadelphia to Chicago. These 6 people were responsible for killing her family twelve years previously. Where her father was arrested for something, he didn’t do and ended up in prison. But someone killed him while he was in castrated. She has now got the evidence that her father was innocent and will give it to the FBI in Chicago as soon as they get there. But her plan is not as plain sailing as she predicted and the six people are being murdered one by one. Who is the killer and what is their motive?
I can confess I didn’t read the blurb before I requested this. What could go wrong? It is a book by Riley Sager. He never disappoints. Although this was a different style of writing from this author. I found it to be highly entertaining read. With its claustrophobic setting on a train during winter and hours before it stops. There is a lot of tension and twists and turns. The characters were well developed and kept you guessing to find out who the killer is. The only downside I felt the ending a bit flat tying up the ends of the story. 4 stars from me.

I was really disappointed with this :( it was such a good premise and I love a locked in mystery but this just didn’t do it for me. If it was shorter maybe I would have liked it more but it was just very repetitive and the characters were two-dimensional. I’d say the last 30% of the book was a bit more fast paced and I enjoyed it but again, still a bit too repetitive and drawn out.
Cover idea but the execution wasn’t quite there.

A satisfying tale of retribution and twists worthy of helter-skelter. I wasn’t sure if revealing the reason how they were all connected at the beginning would hinder the plot but the murders and false steps kept me entertained.

The claustrophobic setting is such an enticing premise, and Sager really delivered with his latest novel. With a Vengeance is a fast-paced, high octane filled thriller, with a real emotional core as one woman yearns for the life stolen from her brother. It puts a spin on the Murder on the Orient Express plot, that while all the passengers contribute to the murder, this time they're going to pay. It becomes a survive the night story with sooo many twists, just when you think you've got a handle on it, the rug is pulled out from under you. My only gripe is with the third person perspective, specifically for Anna - the emotion was slightly too distanced, so I would've preferred a slightly closer narrative. Still, I had a great time reading and will always look forward to his next book.

I was pleased to receive an ARC of With a Vengeance, and as a long-time fan of Sager’s work, I was intrigued to see him take on a historical, locked-room style setting. This one’s set in 1954 aboard an overnight train from Philadelphia to Chicago, and he absolutely makes the most of that setting: confined, glamorous, and unsettling in equal measure.

The story follows Anna Matheson, a war widow who lures six people onto the train—individuals she believes are responsible for her husband’s death. But before she can reveal her reasons, someone turns up dead, and what starts as a calculated mission becomes a desperate bid for survival.

Sager really leans into the claustrophobia of the moving train—the narrow corridors, closed compartments, and inescapable atmosphere work brilliantly to create rising tension. There are clear nods to classic Golden Age mysteries, but this still has the pacing and modern twistiness fans will expect. The writing is slick, the structure tight, and the red herrings land well.

That said, not all of the supporting characters felt fully fleshed out, and there were moments where the plot stretched believability slightly. But Anna is a strong, determined protagonist, and the final third of the book barrels forward with excellent It’s a strong return to form—stylish, unsettling, and full of satisfying reveals. One to recommend to fans of Murder on the Orient Express, locked-room puzzles, or vintage thrillers with teeth.

Anna's family was destroyed by six people and she has now engineered for them all to be aboard a train set for Chicago so that she can extract her revenge. However, as deaths start to happen Anna's plan starts to spin out of control and she realises that there may be another person on board that wants their revenge too.

I love locked room mysteries and the fact this all happens on a train that isn't intending to stop until it reaches its destination was gripping. I loved that we learnt the back story to each character and why they took part in the plot against Arthur Matheson. There were lots of twists and turns which kept me on edge until the very last second.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

With a Vengeance has a strong premise and delivers some suspense, especially with the closed train setting that adds to the tension. I was intrigued by Anna’s character and her quest for justice.

That said, some parts felt repetitive, and a few of the twists were so over the top they pulled me out of the story. The ending, while dramatic, didn’t quite land for me. It felt rushed and a bit too convenient.

Still, it’s an somewhat entertaining read overall, just not as tightly written as some of Sager’s earlier work.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson's family. Twelve years later, she's orchestrated a plan to bring them to justice. Under false pretenses, Anna lures them onto a luxury overnight train from Philadelphia to Chicago, intending to confront them, extract confessions, and hand them over to the authorities waiting at the final stop. Justice, long delayed, is finally within reach.

But when one of the passengers is murdered, Anna’s plan begins to unravel. Someone else on board is seeking revenge - and won’t stop until everyone is dead. As the train hurtles toward its destination, Anna must track the killer and protect the very people she despises. To destroy her enemies, she must first save them, even if it puts her own life on the line.

I love a locked-room thriller—or in this case, a "locked train" mystery. There's something about the confined setting and lack of escape that really heightens the tension and drama. This was an easy, addictive read, with the countdown to the train’s final stop adding a great sense of urgency that kept the pages turning.

The story played out like a movie in my mind - this would make one hell of a film. The grand, claustrophobic setting of the luxury train is practically a character in itself: isolated, elegant, and the perfect backdrop for murder. The “but how could it have been done?” element gave me strong Murder in Paradise vibes, which I really enjoyed.

I liked Anna, our main character - despite some questionable choices, I was rooting for her throughout. She’s forced into a fascinating moral dilemma: protecting the very people she wants to see punished. While the supporting characters were less fleshed out and mostly served the plot, they were distinct enough that I had no trouble keeping track.

This is my fourth Riley Sager, and it felt like a departure from his usual style - leaning more into classic Agatha Christie territory. Home Before Dark remains my favorite, but this was great fun.

Far-fetched? Yes. A twist or two too many? Probably. But a lot of fun nonetheless. A really enjoyable bit of escapism.

A huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

Mind the plot twist!

I was lucky enough to receive a proof copy of With a Vengeance via NetGalley, and I can confidently say Riley Sager is my favourite mystery/thriller writer right now - and this might just be his best yet.

Set aboard a golden-age American train, this locked-room mystery oozes glamour and danger in equal measure. It gave me serious Murder on the Orient Express vibes, but with Sager’s signature style: cinematic, character-driven, and filled with deliciously clever twists.

I found the backstories genuinely compelling - I was hooked trying to figure out how all the characters were connected, and loved the slow trickle of revelations from different perspectives. The unknown element introduced midway through deepened the mystery in such a satisfying way, and the wartime backstory gave the whole plot real weight and urgency.

There’s brilliant foreshadowing, expertly timed reveals, and enough red herrings to keep you second-guessing right until the final page. I loved it. Sager is the king of the twist - and he proves it once again here.

Does Riley Sager ever miss? Deeply intriguing thrills combined with complex and difficult protagonists have made Riley a must read. This one is as equally exciting!

Thank You for the opportunity to read this book.

This one had so much potential, being a Sager book, but something was missing. It was atmospheric and had the right amount of mystery, but I just couldn’t understand why the protagonist insisted on hand-delivering the accused when she had ample proof and could’ve simply shown it. Also, there were moments where her wandering alone on the train felt forced—like it was done just to make something happen. Not one of Sager’s best for me, but still worth a read.

This wasn't a typical Riley Sagar book for me. Highly enjoyable but a lot different to his usual writing.