The Main Character

A Novel

By: Jaclyn Goldis

Narrated by: Ali Andre Ali, Erin deWard, Jesse Einstein, Rachel F. Hirsch, Emily Lawrence

“Rollicking good fun.” —The Wall Street Journal

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 that is filled with “rich, complex characters, taut prose, and twists and turns that keep those pages turning as the plot thickens” (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author).

Reclusive author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unusual approach to crafting her 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.

The perfect listen for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Paula Hawkins, The Main Character mixes “the family drama of Knives Out with the locked room atmosphere of Murder on the Orient Express and the resulting cocktail is like an Aperol spritz on a hot summer’s day: perfect” (Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author).

©2024 Jaclyn Goldis (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

suspenseful at times cozy at others

I really enjoyed the sometimes campy sometimes opposite way I could settle in and listen without getting bored or feeling too much constant dread.

Holy plot twist..

Truly a memorable read .The relationship dynamics were completely relatable.I loved this to my surprise.

Narrators not good - story too long

The story premise sounded fun. But some of the narrators were just painful to listen to. The fake Russian accents didn’t help. I wish the story moved a little more quickly but it dragged on-and I just couldn’t listen anymore.

An intriguing concept and compelling characters

I loved this book. The story itself feels both inventive and vintage. The setting on the train and in Italy makes a lovely backdrop for the multitude of secrets that are revealed. The ending was unexpected but perfect, in my opinion.

Anonymous reader

At first I almost gave up on continuing on with the book as it started out with Ginevra speaking but as I continued onward I realized that she was giving each character their own voice bringing the story into clarity. The ending of course I wasn't expecting that particular outcome 😳

Disappointed

The "why" was asinine.Too long for such little payoff. it had potential but ended up being a disappointment with all of the plot holes.

Tedious!

This book was way too long for the plot, and I did not enjoy whoever Nate was as a reader. I had 4+ hours left and could not finish it, it’s just drudgery to continue, and I really don’t care how it ends

Oye.

The fathers story in this book is my fathers story. Its my story. So its touching. And the author’s note is important. But the plot and the characters were a disaster. I rolled my eyes too many times. The dialogue was cringe. The characters were empty. And THIS IS NOT A MYSTERY OR A THRILLER.

Suffer through

Best part was Arthur’s note at end. The story line often got diverted and dragged on. I had to fast forward through most of the book and still kept up with it.