6:40 by Eva Jurczyk Review: A Gripping Toronto Train Thriller

Read time: 4 minutes

Edition:
6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk
🎧 Listened in audio | 📢 Narrated by Allyson Morgan
⏱ Duration: 8 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Recorded Books and Poisoned Pen Press
📅 Published: October 28, 2025

Book Review:

Agatha Saint John boards a quiet train from Toronto to Montreal, hoping for uninterrupted time to work on her novel. With no WiFi and minimal distractions, it seems like the perfect creative escape. But when the train stalls deep in the Canadian wilderness and a passenger is found dead, the journey takes a sinister turn. As tension rises and strange incidents pile up, Agatha and her fellow passengers realize they may be trapped with a killer—and no way out.

Let’s talk … murder!!!

I picked this one up because Eva Jurczyk is appearing in MOTIVE 2026, and honestly, a train thriller set in Toronto with stations I actually know (Guildwood, Kingston, Bowmanville, Coburg) sold me immediately. Very Bullet Train energy, minus the assassins (well, maybe). I thought I’d listen casually while working. Wrong! Dead wrong! I cancelled meetings. I stopped answering emails. Agatha Saint John hijacked my entire afternoon, and I wasn’t mad about it.

The pacing is relentless in the best way. Every mishap (the spider, the missing attendant, the kid struggling to breath) builds tension like a perfectly stacked Jenga tower. Each one lands quickly, but not chaotically. The familiar VIA route made it visceral. I could feel the train crawling through those snow-covered woods. Allyson Morgan’s narration nailed the claustrophobic dread without overdoing it. I was rigth there in the frigid train car, paranoid about every passenger, questioning even Agatha if she was the culprit after all.

But then… the ending. Look, I blasted through this four hour flat, completely absorbed, and finished with more questions than answers. Things wrapped up technically, but the logic felt wobbly. If this person did that, then how did this other thing happen? It’s like the puzzle pieces fit, but the picture doesn’t quite make sense. Either way, I closed the book feeling more confused than satisfied, which is frustrating after such a killer (pun intended) setup. It didn’t ruin the ride, but it definitely took the shine off the landing.

Would I recommend it?

If you’re here for atmosphere, pacing, and that addictive “just one more chapter” energy, 6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk is a compulsive, high-tension thriller that delivers on the journey. The ride itself is worth it with a gripping, claustrophobic, and impossible to pause energy. I’m definitely reading more Eva Jurczyk, because the potential here is massive.

If 6:40 kept you on edge, try these:

1. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware — Claustrophobic luxury cruise thriller where someone vanishes and no one believes the witness. Same “trapped with a killer” vibes.
   Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
2. Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka — Chaotic, darkly funny train thriller with assassins, poison, and zero escape routes. Peak confined-space tension.
   Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
3. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley — Isolated snowed-in setting, ensemble cast, mounting dread. Perfect if you loved the who-can-you-trust paranoia.
   Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
4. One by One by Ruth Ware — Tech retreat gone deadly in a remote ski chalet. Avalanche traps everyone inside—cue the murder mystery.
   Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
5. The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak — High-stakes suspense in a single location (a wedding weekend) with twisty reveals and rising body count energy.
   Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
   

So, What’s Your Take?

Am I overthinking the ending, or did you finish with the same “wait, what?” energy? And if you cracked the mystery’s logic, please enlighten me in the comments. I need answers almost as badly as Agatha needed WiFi.

Book Links:

Want to purchase 6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below. These sites work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfill your book orders. #SupportLocal

Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
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