I obtained a evaluate copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluate and all opinions are my very own.

With A Vengeance by Riley Sager

Mogsy’s Score (General): 3 of 5 stars

Style: Thriller, Thriller

Collection: Stand Alone

Writer: Penguin Audio (June 10, 2025)

Size: 10 hrs and 40 minutes

Writer Data: Web site | Twitter

Narrators: Erin Bennett

With A Vengeance is my sixth Riley Sager novel, so you can say I had a good suggestion of what to anticipate. To make certain, there was a killer thriller and loads of plot twists—and but, there was nonetheless one component that managed to catch me off guard, and that was the historic fiction angle. Set within the 1950’s and centered round a doomed group of passengers aboard a luxurious rail line, this one gave me extra classic noir vibes than his typical modern-day thrillers. Whereas I appreciated the shift in setting and tone, it did take a little bit of an adjustment.

As I discussed earlier than, the majority of the novel takes place on a prepare, with the story unfolding over a tightly compressed timeline that may be measured in hours as a substitute of days. The principle character is a younger lady named Anna Matheson, as soon as the privileged daughter of a celebrated railway magnate till a devastating scandal shattered her household. Twelve years later, Anna invitations the six individuals she blames for her household’s downfall onto the Philadelphia Phoenix, a state-of-the-art passenger prepare that her father’s firm had helped develop earlier than a rival enterprise proprietor framed him for against the law he didn’t commit. That conspiracy had led to a cascade of tragic incidents—first, the loss of life of Anna’s brother, then her father’s arrest and subsequent killing in jail, and eventually, her mom’s suicide, leaving Anna to be raised by a distant relative till she got here of age.

Which implies that Anna has had loads of time to grieve—and to plot her revenge. She’d carried out her plan meticulously, utilizing what little assets she had left to ship out fastidiously crafted invites, purchase out all of the tickets to make sure that the prepare would run with no different passengers, and to bribe the engineers to ensure a continuous journey to Chicago. Her aim? To confront the six and make sure that their comeuppance will probably be ready on the finish of the road, with FBI brokers at their vacation spot to take them into custody. However as she quickly finds out, determined individuals generally tend to behave unpredictably and dangerously when cornered. As tensions rise amongst her six targets and the fact of what’s coming begins to set in, it seems that not less than one among them is keen to do something—even kill—to keep away from being uncovered and arrested. With no escape and the scenario quickly spiraling uncontrolled, Anna begins to comprehend that her plan to precise justice on her personal phrases may find yourself costing her life as effectively.

Whereas it may not boast probably the most convincing premise, requiring no small quantity of suspension of disbelief, it does completely set the scene for a locked-room thriller. As soon as the prepare departs and the primary physique drops, the sense of entrapment kicks in onerous: nobody will get on, nobody will get off. Hazard circles someplace among the many small, handpicked group of passengers. Regardless of its luxuriously appointed interiors and high-end facilities, the Philadelphia Phoenix continues to be a no-exit situation, a confined surroundings that feels appropriately claustrophobic and remoted.

That stated, this e-book didn’t utterly work for me, and right here’s why: regardless of the intriguing idea, the execution felt off from the beginning, with the primary act weighed by the necessity to introduce the big ensemble solid and set up backstory for everybody. On the one hand, I acknowledge this good throwback to the basic noir style which regularly featured characters introduced like they’ve stepped straight out of a pulp novel—the housekeeper, the secretary, the engineer, the navy man, and so forth. However by the point we’re by, the pacing has already misplaced numerous its momentum. Anna can be troublesome to attach with as a protagonist, as a result of whereas her coronary heart appears to be in the suitable place, numerous her selections don’t all the time really feel like her personal however are as a substitute made to serve the plot. I imply, can anybody really be that naïve? And at last, Sager’s writing type, which often works effectively in his up to date thrillers, didn’t fairly mesh with the historic setting right here. It’s purported to be the Nineteen Fifties, however the dialogue and prose really feel too trendy, which took me out of immersion.

In brief, With A Vengeance had loads of potential, nevertheless it didn’t fairly blow me away. And but, I can’t say I didn’t benefit from the e-book total. Like I stated, should you’re even passing accustomed to Riley Sager’s work, you already know he can write a compulsively readable thriller. Typically his storytelling can really feel a little bit shaky or his characters a bit skinny, however often there’s nonetheless lots sufficient to maintain me going. This e-book may characteristic an idea that finally ends up being stronger than the precise content material, however there’s no denying its leisure worth. And if you find yourself listening to the audiobook like I did, you’re in for a terrific pay attention, with a wonderful efficiency from Erin Bennett whose narration brings out the strongest parts of stress and environment from the novel.