I devoured Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express as a teenager, and I’ve been obsessed with European train rides ever since. Jaclyn Goldis sets her newest mystery, The Main Character, on an elegant European train ride through the magical Italian landscape. It’s also a book about books, which makes it a ton of fun. Settle in, because this one is a wild ride!

Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis:

A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in this electrifying modern homage to Agatha Christie from the author of the “tense and twisty” (Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author) The Chateau.

Reclusive, mysterious author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unusual approach to crafting her big bestselling thrillers: she hires real people and conducts intensive interviews, then fictionalizes them. Her latest main character, Rory, is thrilled when Ginevra presents her with an extravagant bonus—a lavish trip along Italy’s Mediterranean coast on the famed, newly renovated Orient Express. But when Rory boards the train, she’s stunned to discover that her brother, her best friend, and even her ex-fiancé are passengers, as well. All invited by Ginevra, all hiding secrets.

With each stop, from Cinque Terre to Rome to Positano, it becomes increasingly clear that Ginevra has masterminded the ultimate real life twisty plot with Rory as her main character. And as Ginevra’s deceptions mount, and the lies and machinations of Rory’s travel companions pile up, Rory begins to fear that her trip will culminate like one of Ginevra’s books: with a murder or two. In the opulent compartments of the iconic train, Rory must untangle the shocking reasons why Ginevra wanted them all aboard—and to what deadly end.

Another stylish and compulsively readable mystery from Jaclyn Goldis, this is the perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Paula Hawkins.

Review:

The Main Character is a twisty thriller with shocking turns I didn’t see coming. The final few twists were some of the most jaw-dropping ones I’ve ever read. If you enjoy thrillers but hate when they come with unlikeable characters, I think you’ll enjoy The Main Character. While there are a couple of unlikeable side characters, I liked Rory and most of the other characters.

It’s impossible to talk about The Main Character without talking about its setting. Italy is a huge focus of this novel, which I absolutely adored. I loved seeing so much of Italy, and seeing it on and off the Orient Express was a huge treat. If you enjoy atmospheric settings, you need this book on your shelf. This would be the ultimate beach read, but it would also be a great read for a rainy day or any day you want to escape to sunny Europe.

The Main Character wasn’t a perfect novel, but it was enjoyable. It’s a great read if you enjoy mysteries and books about books. I didn’t rate it five stars, but I think it’s a well-written mystery and recommend it.

Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an arc!