“In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.
Under false pretences, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen 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.”
Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of With a Vengeance by Riley Sager. With a Vengeance was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 12th June 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of With a Vengeance but that has in no way influenced my review.
A new Riley Sager novel is a very exciting thing indeed! I’m a huge fan of this author, having read everything he’s published since the superb Final Girls back in 2017. A number of his books have featured on my ‘top books of the year’ lists over the years and I always, ALWAYS look forward to each and every new book.
I feel Sager is an author who likes to surprise his readers, occasionally doing something a little different, a little unexpected to keep us on our toes. I can’t help but feel that is the case with With a Vengeance. It’s 1954 and Anna Matheson is finally ready to wreak her revenge. Twelve years earlier six people who worked for her father set out on a course to destroy him. In order to do that, they caused a horrific train crash which killed many young men on their way to fight in WWII, including Anna’s brother. As owner of the train company Anna’s father was arrested and sent to prison where he later died. The shock, shame and heartbreak were too much for Anna’s mother who took her own life, leaving her alone. Having gathered all the evidence she needs, Anna has anonymously invited the six people she blames for her family’s demise aboard a non-stop train from Philadelphia to Chicago, where the FBI will be waiting to arrest them on arrival. But as with all best-laid plans, things go awry early on in the journey when one of the passengers is murdered. This was never Anna’s plan. As the tension mounts and the threatening storm makes itself known, Anna needs to find the killer on the train before the killer finds her…
With a Vengeance is an intriguing historical revenge thriller with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep the reader turning the pages. None of the characters are particularly likeable but that’s never a problem for me. The more unpleasant, the harder to like, the more interested I tend to be. I did enjoy the story and thought the tension built beautifully. I love how this author builds suspense for his readers and that is definitely present here. However, I had a small issue with the set-up, by which I mean Anna’s plan. Normally, I’m all for an inventive, unusual basis for a story, something a little bonkers is absolutely fine in my book. But this seemed a little too far-fetched, to the point where I didn’t completely invest in the idea.
Anna has support in carrying out her plan in the form of Seamus. Seamus has been recruited by Anna to keep the passengers in line, be generally threatening and act as an extra pair of hands. He’s also out to get revenge of his own on those present. But shortly after their big plan is revealed one of the guests suddenly dies, throwing every one of Anna’s intricate details up into the air. Trapped on a train with a killer is not a place any sane person wants to be. And with the building snowstorm outside, there is every chance the train won’t even make it to Chicago!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Despite not being fully invested in the overall idea I did enjoy With a Vengeance. I think my small quibble won’t be an issue for others. It’s a bit of an homage to Agatha Christie (seems a lot of fiction is though) and there were certain aspects of the story that made me think of certain murders in Christie’s books. That I very much enjoyed. The big reveal didn’t come as the biggest surprise, but I think when you read as much crime fiction/as many thrillers I tend to do, that just seems to be the ‘norm’ no matter the standard of writing. All in All, With a Vengeance is a good solid revenge thriller. I enjoyed the building tension, the unlikeable characters and the locked-room mystery. The story moves at an engaging pace with plenty always happening to keep the reader immersed in the pages. I think it’s fair to say this wasn’t my favourite Riley Sager novel, but I did enjoy the time I spent with it and I look forward to reading more from the author in the not-too-distant future. Recommended.
I chose to read and review a free eARC of With a Vengeance. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton on 12th June 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |
Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, most recently THE ONLY ONE LEFT and THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE. His first thriller, FINAL GIRLS, won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and has been published in more than thirty-five countries. His latest novel, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, will be published in June.
A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, cooking and going to the movies as much as possible. His favorite film is “Rear Window.” Or maybe “Jaws.” But probably, if he’s being honest, “Mary Poppins.”
