Published by Dutton, Hodder & Stoughton Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
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.
*My book from NetGalley did have some issues with symbols being used for letters on almost every page which made reading this book a little frustrating at times.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
