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This edition of the "New York Times" bestseller—a heartwarming tale of humor, romance, and mystery by the bestselling author of "Split Second"—includes the brand-new short story, "Waiting for Santa." "Baldacci whips up a pleasant holiday confection."—"People."
Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of arriving in Los Angeles in time for Christmas with his girlfriend. To finance the trip, he sells a story about a train ride taken during the Christmas season.
While his stories hinge on the complex machinations behind the presidency, the FBI, the Supreme Court and other spheres of influence, Baldacci (a former Washington, D.C.-based attorney) finds his way into a mystery through the eyes of the innocents. Semi-innocents, at least: small players who often don't realize they're players at all end up hunting down answers, and their hunt becomes the reader's.
According to Baldacci, reading John Irving's The World According to Garp convinced him that he wanted to be a novelist. Absolute Power -- in which a thief finds himself accidentally connected to a murder involving the president and the ensuing coverup -- was hardly Irvingesque; but it did begin Baldacci's friendly relationship with the bestseller lists, which has continued over his writing career.
Baldacci's style is brief and plot-driven, but he's not afraid to linger on macabre and vivid details, such as a rosary clenched in a plane crash victim's hand, or hard-learned lessons from a sniper's life (pack your food so you can find it at night, by touch). These small but memorable -- indeed, almost cinematic -- details give his books another layer that distinguishes them from the average potboiler.
Although the author has occasionally departed from his usual fare (examples include the tenderhearted coming-of-age tale Wish You Well and the holiday-themed adventure The Christmas Train), it is high-octane thrillers that are his true stock in trade. Whether it's a taut stand-alone or a new installment in his Camel Club series, readers know when they crack the spine of a new Baldacci book, they're in for an action-packed page-turner.
.He worked his way through college as a Pinkerton security guard and by washing and detailing 18-wheel trucks.
Baldacci writes under his own name except when published in Italy, where he uses a pseudonym because it is the homeland of his ancestors.
Bill Clinton selected The Simple Truth as his favorite novel of 1998, according to Baldacci's web site.
When Eleanor Carter was with Tom Langdon, he was a rising hotshot journalist who cared about his work and her. When she left him for the glitter of Hollywood as a screenwriter, he lost focus and turned into a fluff reporter. Banned from flying, Tom takes the rails from DC to Los Angeles to see his girlfriend, a voice-over actress, for Christmas. To pass the boring time, he plans to write an article on traveling cross-country by train. Tom meets several of his fellow passengers, but hears that a Hollywood group is also on board but staying incognito to avoid the media. However, Tom soon learns that Eleanor is among the Hollywood band. Shockingly (maybe not it is a Xmas story), her current director persuades Tom and Eleanor to work together on a project with him. If Tom can work with Eleanor who he still loves and wants back in his life permanently, his career will regain the momentum it lost when her departure sent him spinning into a state of inertia. Though the small levels of suspense seem contrived, this holiday romance is a fun tale filled with solid characters, especially the lead protagonists, and plenty of train lore. The story line is at its best when Tom and Eleanor take center stage, as both appear so real that the audience will believe they shared a train ride with both of them. Most of the other passengers provide humor so that those fans of warm Yuletide tales will take delight in David Baldacci¿s engaging by the fireside amiable tale. Harriet Klausner
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 10, 2010
Like many others, this was also my first Baldacci. I was lucky enough to find it at the local library in it's unabridged version. I rarely read/listen to the same book twice, but this one was worth owning :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 2, 2005
This is a great book if you just want to escape the drudgeries of a long day. Grab a glass of wine and enjoy!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 30, 2011
Read this book the week between Christmas and New Year--nice way to extend the holiday mood! Would love to see this story as a well-done movie!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 19, 2011
This is the best Christmas book I have read. I read it every year and it never gets old. It has a little bit of everything you want. Read it now!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 22, 2011
Absolutely fantastic
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 29, 2010
We loved the storyline and all of the quirky characters. A fabulous read, uplifting, and a boost for the Christmas spirit. Highly recommended.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Grammy1NH
Posted July 23, 2012
Fantastic! I was back in the trains my husband took from Boston to Montana and back. I couldn't help laugh out loud as I felt moved up the narrow stairs and to our sleeper room, then down to the wonderful dining car where we met the most wonderful people. Tim Matheson was the perfect choice as a reader. Mr. Matheson brought you right into that train, I could hear the clickity-clack as we passed over the rails. So glad I purchased this book. The story was wonderful, you could see the folks - feel them near you as the story progressed. I could see that funny shower, and toilet, in our "suit", and after this story, can't wait to take another trip on AmTrac. What I mean is ... Baldacci is a wonderful story teller!
Thank you David Baldacci. I truly enjoyed this story, and have put it on my husbands Zoom so he can listen too. He is a long haul trucker and this is another great story to shorten the miles for him as he travels all over the US and Canada. Later, we discuss the stories, and it makes him a little less lonely every day. I highly recommend this story, especially on MP3 or DISC.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Reviewed by Anne B. for Readers Favorite
We all knew David Baldacci was more than capable of penning a thriller but recently he has stretched his wings by adding a new genre to his repertoire. I quickly fell in love with his new style when I read "One Summer". "The Christmas Train" reinforced my belief that he is multi-talented. I’ve been surprised at the mixed reviews of this book. I believe readers have stereotyped Baldacci and are unwilling to accept changes in his repertoire. "The Christmas Train" is written in a style that will take readers to the past; they will think of Mark Twain and his humorous tales. In is story we join Tom Langdon as he sets out on a cross-country train trip right before Christmas. The trip was his father’s last request, but for many years Tom put off the long and revealing journey. He boards the train in Washington DC and plans to debark in Los Angeles. Along the way he meets a variety of interesting people. He talks with each one and manages to get them to share their story. Steve and Julie is a young couple planning to be married on board despite their parents’ disapproval. In one capacity or another Tom touches the lives of each rider. Tom’s own life is drastically changed when he is reunited with Eleanor, a woman from his past.
David Baldacci caught my heart in this book. I want to read more books like this one. "The Christmas Train" captures the good in people. Baldacci includes romance, a bit of mystery, more than a little humor, adventure and characters that are unforgettable. If Mark Twain were still with us he’d pat Mr. Baldacci on the back and say well done. I’ve always wanted to take a cross country train trip and now that Mr. Baldacci has teased me with this tale, my resolve is even stronger to ride the rail.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 26, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was my first by this author. I loved reading about life on a train. Made me want to take my first train trip!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 10, 2011
Very good reading. Especially this time of year.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 23, 2011
Very good!! Never wanted to stop reading"
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 13, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I enjoyed this book. This was my first read for me by this author. It really was a joy over the xmas holiday.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 9, 2010
This is the very first David Baldacci book I have read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I always read holiday theme books from November through December and this was the best one I read this year. It was an interesting plot with well developed characters, that really drew me in. I felt like I was a passenger on the train. I will definitely be reading more of this authors works this year.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 8, 2008
This story not only touched my heart but lifted my spirtis. It is well written and keeps the reader wanting more. This is a pager turner with a shocker in the first few chapters, then another towards the middle of the book and fianlly a few at the end. I did not see the end coming and I am glad I didn't. I love this book and the message it has to send. I willkeep this book for years to come !
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 21, 2003
I read everyone else's reviews and figured this would be a good Christmas book to read. I was thoroughly disappointed. I thought the characters where outrageous exaggerated. I did not enjoy the 'in depth' descriptions of trains of the past. Actually I found the book a struggle to get through. However, the end had an interesting twist. I have read other David Baldacci books and I find them all to be the same. Too drawn out. His books could be written using only half their current size and still not lose any meaning of the story. This was my last David Baldacci book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 17, 2013
I have really enjoyed all of the books David has written, he has a way of putting you right there and this one, although not like his other ones, did just the same thing.
Should have waited till Christmas but might read it again then.
Anonymous
Posted March 1, 2013
Absolutely love this book! Have recommended it to many of my friends and family.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a very uplifting and lighthearted book set on a train during the Christmas season. (I have a love trains and have always wanted to take a ride across country, as seems so adventurous). I listed to the book on audio and offered great sound effects, which made it very realistic and put you in the mood and the narrator Tim Matheson was excellent. Reminded me a little of Richard Paul Evans’ books as his books tend to be centered around the holiday season.
It was full of colorful characters from New Orleans jazz, funny eccentric older ladies, actors, movie producers, and writers. Tom Langdon is the main character and writer taking the train to California to see his girlfriend to go skiing in Tahoe for the holidays. Ironically, he runs into his former love Eleanor, whom he has never gotten over who is now a big movie director. From romance, snow storms, thief, undercover folks, and Max the movie guy and a staff full of fabulous friendly Amtrak employees – making this a humorous and fun trip. Makes you want to plan a train trip soon to meet all the fun people along the journey in a slower paced time.
Anonymous
Posted February 19, 2013
U here?
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Overview
This edition of the "New York Times" bestseller—a heartwarming tale of humor, romance, and mystery by the bestselling author of "Split Second"—includes the brand-new short story, "Waiting for Santa." "Baldacci whips up a pleasant holiday confection."—"People."
Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of ...