One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.

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 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.

Riley Sager’s books are kind of a comfort read for me. Even when they lean a little over the top or throw in one twist too many, I always have a good time with them. This one is no exception. It didn’t blow me away, but it delivered a slick, locked-room mystery with a touch of noir.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Now, twelve years later, she’s ready to make them pay. She lures them onto a luxury overnight train bound for Chicago, planning to confront each of them, get their confessions, and deliver them to the authorities waiting at the final stop. It’s a simple plan, until one of the passengers turns up dead, and everything goes off the rails. (See what I did there?)

From there, it becomes a tense game of cat and mouse as Anna realizes she’s not the only one aboard with revenge on their mind. With nowhere to go and a train full of secrets, the story unfolds like something you might find in an Agatha Christie mystery.

What I liked most about this one is how contained it felt. Sager sometimes leans into sprawling twists or grand finales, but this book keeps things fairly focused and tight. Here, he seems more interested in crafting a straightforward mystery with a retro feel. The result is something more subdued but still engaging. It’s almost refreshingly tame for him, and that works in its favor. The 1940s setting was another welcome sight. There’s an old Hollywood quality to the atmosphere that fits the story perfectly.

Anna is an interesting protagonist. She’s neither pure hero nor full-on antihero, which makes her compelling to follow. You understand her need for revenge, even when it’s uncomfortable. The rest of the passengers are a colorful mix of liars, cheats, and opportunists. Just the right kind of people to trap together in close quarters.

While the book has plenty of tension, I wouldn’t call it a thriller in the high-octane sense. It’s more of a slow-burn mystery where suspicion shifts from one person to another, and everyone has something to hide. The pacing is steady, the dialogue sharp, and the atmosphere carries a nice undercurrent of dread.

I’ll admit that the mystery itself didn’t completely surprise me. I figured out the broad strokes pretty early on, but watching the details fall into place was still satisfying. The final stretch ties everything together cleanly without feeling rushed, and the ending lands on a predictable but satisfying note.

I mostly listened to this one and the narration by Erin Bennett was spot-on. She handled the various characters and levels of the story very well.

If you’re looking for pulse-pounding shocks and crazy twists galore, this one might feel mild. But if you enjoy vintage-style mysteries with a strong lead and a confined setting, this story delivers. It’s moody and stylish. It’s almost like watching an old black-and-white thriller while the rain hits your window. I had fun the whole way through.