Horror Book Spotlight: With A Vengeance by Riley Sager
If you enjoy Agatha Christie’s mysteries, especially MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, then you may just enjoy With A Vengeance.
Written by Riley Sager, the new edition of the novel was published by Dutton in May 2026.
The novel has accumulated positive reviews, with only a handful of negative reviews pointing out that the story often got repetitive and that the twists were not all that plausible.
Let’s find out how the book really is.
With A Venegance Plot
In 1954, Anna Matheson has orchestrated a chilling reunion for six people who are responsible for what happened to her family. She has commissioned a luxury overnight train bound for Chicago to carry out her revenge.
But when one of the passengers is found murdered, Anna realizes that she may not be the only one with secrets or seeking revenge.
With A Vengeance First Impressions
The novel opens with a section titled "Departure".
We meet Anna Matheson, although the story is not told from her point of view just yet.
The train she and the others are on is described as empty except for eight people, of which one is dead. The one who is found dead is not identified just yet, only that there is blood coming out from their mouth.
We learn that Anna had sent out invitations to six people and behind every card had written a personal note to ensure the presence of them all. The train from Philadelphia to Chicago would take thirteen hours, but on a plane it would take three.
The opening scene suggests that Anna is aware that there is someone else on the train who wants these people dead too.
In the first chapter, it is 7 p.m. Anna is getting ready to address her invitees and is trying to overcome her nervousness. She thinks briefly of her mother, who was extremely beautiful; her father, who was a devoted husband; and Tommy, her brother who took after his mom in the looks department. We don’t learn yet what happened to them.
To help Anna, there is a man called Seamus who ensures that there is only one engineer and no other staff aboard the train at all.
When one of the passengers comes to talk to Seamus, Anna makes a retreat, suddenly nervous. She has made sure to book a room away from the other passengers as well.
The next few chapters are about the passengers and hints as to what secrets they hold.
Chapter two sees Judd Dodge lost in his past as an engine designer and how closely he worked with Arthur Matheson, Anna’s father. Following an incident, he stepped into the role of the professor. His note says that their secret is known, and if he doesn’t come, others will know it too.
As he enters the first-class lounge for the cocktail reception, he notices that the Philadelphia Phoenix, the train, is completely devoid of staff, which he finds peculiar.
In chapter three, we meet Herb Pulaski, who has never been wealthy and may be suffering from low self-esteem. His personal message read that it would be financially beneficial for him to come, and so here he is. He meets Judd, and of course he knows him, and clearly has ties to Anna’s father as well.
Arthur Matheson owned the Union Atlantic Railroad. While Judd designed engines, Herb was the foreman in the factory, ensuring that the engines got built. But in one incident, he found a faulty design, approached Judd, and was reeled into a scheme that is still not revealed. There is a hint that Tommy may have died because of what Herb and Judd did.
Towards the end of the chapter, Herb notices that the invitation does not mention how they are supposed to get home.
Next up is Sally Lawrence, whose invitation had suggested that they know who the real Sally is. Sally thinks back to how different she had been. She did come to riches now, but before, she had been struggling to make something of herself and ended up being blackmailed into doing something that caused her regrets. It is obvious that she has been on the train before, on its maiden voyage. When she meets Judd and Herb, she realizes they recognized her after all this time despite her transformation.
In the next chapter, we meet Edith, who had grown up poor in Germany and is now older and richer. Her invitation asked how much she would pay to keep her secret. It is clear she had to compromise on her integrity to survive in the past, and now, as she meets the other passengers, she realizes that her past has come to haunt her.
In the last chapter of the sample, we meet Lt. Col. Jack Lapsford, who is irritated at not being able to find any staff to help him. His invitation asked how it felt to have blood on his hands.
His past suggests that he may have more to do with the sabotage that affected Anna’s family. Apparently, Jack Lapsford was asked to give a big military contract to a railroad.
No doubt, he may have something to do with what happened to Anna’s father, but we don’t learn yet.
READ OR SKIP?
The plot clearly has Agatha Christie vibes attached to it. The plot thickens as we meet each character and learn of their nefarious past. Anna has trapped them in a train, but can she pull off her plan for vengeance?
The opening sequence does suggest that her plan may have been derailed by someone else’s murder, so will Anna survive, or is the killer after her too?
This is a READ for sure.
The plot moves forward at a good momentum. There are no stretches of flashbacks with unnecessary details. Each character has their own unique personality, and their backstories are interesting too. The author ensures that their past carries a hint of the mystery, pulling us into already starting the guessing game.
Could one of these characters be the killer? Will they thwart Anna’s plan?
Also, what exactly happened to her family, and how did Anna survive?
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