Riley Sager has a knack for crafting gripping thrillers that have, at times, left me on the edge of my seat. Sager’s latest novel, With A Vengeance, had such promise to do the same but in the end I found myself with mixed feelings.
In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.
Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.
But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead. With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.
The premise of Riley Sager’s With A Vengeance was intriguing. The concept of revenge being executed on a moving train—a confined space with no escape—creates an atmosphere of tension and urgency. While this plot has seems a little played out, Sager does set it just outside the typical narrative. However, it wasn’t enough of a new story for it to grip me from the start which is what I was hoping for when cracking open With A Vengeance.
While Sager does excels at atmospheric settings that become characters in their own right. The claustrophobic environment of the train does contribute significantly to the story’s escalating tension that made for an excellent plot device. Each train compartment and corridor becomes suspicious among the passengers—a testament to Sager’s adept handling of setting as an instrument for building suspense.
Despite the anticipation for the novel, my enthusiasm quickly dampened as the book moved along. This is in large part to its character development—or lack thereof. While Anna’s motivations are well-articulated, many characters felt underdeveloped or simply unlikable. This made it challenging for me to invest emotionally in their stories or care deeply about Anna’s quest for revenge.
While Sager’s With A Vengeance didn’t entirely meet my exceptions–it still possesses enough merit within its pages thanks largely to its setting–it was worth the journey and I am glad I toughed it out to the end. The tale does offer a take on a classic whodunit on the tight space of a train on its way to Chicago–let’s say Sager’s take on a classic Agatha Christie story–but in the end it was an underwhelming take. As much as I have admired Sager’s previous works, this particular book left me with mixed feelings.
With A Vengeance hits bookstores everywhere on June 10, 2025 from Dutton. The audiobook is available for pre-order at Libro.fm!
