Helpful Score: 5
I have never read any books by this author before but I understand he is more of a mystery/thriller writer.
I really enjoyed the book. It was fast paced and quite beliveable. It does have more of a holiday setting but that does not detract from the book.
I would recommend it. Maybe good for a Book Club.
I really enjoyed the book. It was fast paced and quite beliveable. It does have more of a holiday setting but that does not detract from the book.
I would recommend it. Maybe good for a Book Club.
Helpful Score: 4
This book was a sappy, inane romantic mystery with shallow & unlikeable characters. If you want to read something GOOD by Baldacci, then read Wish You Well.
Helpful Score: 3
Romantic mystery, set on Amtrak cross country train trip at Christmas. Fun for mystery, romance and train travel lovers.
Helpful Score: 3
I enjoyed this book and read it for a book club. Others didn't like it because they expected more suspense. I thought the characters were very amusing.
Helpful Score: 2
Entertainint, uplifting story of a group of passengers and the spirit of comaraderie on a long train ride.
Helpful Score: 2
Although a Christmas story, it is filled with mystery, love and the joy of the season that can be enjoyed all year round.
Helpful Score: 2
I wasn't too sure about this story when it 1st started. But it got really good. Full of suspense & romance. With a totally surprising ending. Highly recommend this one!
Helpful Score: 2
This is a good fun read. Lost loves, actors and writers and an historic train ride. This is good reading with a few twists. And some very notable characters well written. And we end with a major avalance, near death and weddings. Worth the time, certainly.
Helpful Score: 2
It is an unusual David Baldacci book, since the main character is ot a "tough FBI guy". It si a Christmas story (lts of well known authors publish one) However, the characters in the story are very interesting. It contains a mystery and a love story. I like best the unique characters as well as some of the surprising twists at the end
Helpful Score: 1
A little different Baldacci - but loved it!!!
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this story, it is so fun to read. This book makes a great gift!
Helpful Score: 1
Heartwarming story, great for the holidays.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a book which should be read every holiday season, year after year, to remind us that there still is hope and good people left in this world!
Helpful Score: 1
New York Times berst selling author David Balldacci's tale of a disillusioned journalist who boards a train from Washington to LA and has a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventuresd, and holiday magic as`he rediscovers people's basic goodness, and someonme special that he had thought he lost.
Helpful Score: 1
A sweet novella with a naughty twist at the end that makes the story even sweeter! Tom Langdon is a descendant of Mark Twain and decides/must take the train to LA to visit a girlfriend for the holidays, the journey is way more than he could have even imagined!
As a fan of train travel, only from DC to NYC, I absolutely adored how this book gave train travel the Hollywood glamour that it used to have. The ease of getting on a train without security and the airport hassles and the ability to move around while travelling and meet people - I loved how the story mentioned the perks of train travel. The other piece that made it feel like old Hollywood was the ability for a pair to meet after so many years and reignite their old flames for each other.
What a great book to curl up with! It had travelling for the holidays, lots of snow and a little twist at the end!
As a fan of train travel, only from DC to NYC, I absolutely adored how this book gave train travel the Hollywood glamour that it used to have. The ease of getting on a train without security and the airport hassles and the ability to move around while travelling and meet people - I loved how the story mentioned the perks of train travel. The other piece that made it feel like old Hollywood was the ability for a pair to meet after so many years and reignite their old flames for each other.
What a great book to curl up with! It had travelling for the holidays, lots of snow and a little twist at the end!
Helpful Score: 1
One of the best books I've read in a long time. The tale of a train ride across America...just at Christmas, the interplay of the passengers and the bonds forged. David Baldacci weaves characters so well that I was absorbed from the first few pages and really couldn't put the book down. That actually surprises me since I didn't expect to like the book.
An excellent read...a beautiful story.
An excellent read...a beautiful story.
Helpful Score: 1
Each year my wife and I look for an audio book to help quell the boredom of a 12 hour drive "back home" for Christmas. When she found this book I didn't think she would like it, as I have read some Baldacci books in the past and know him as a thriller style writer. I was wrong.
This is not a typical Baldacci book. It is kind of a throwback to books written in decades past; a bit of an homage to a writing style of the '60s, I think. Some reviewers have described it as sappy, or lacking depth. But it is not a deep thinking book, rather a light hearted mystery like something we would work through in real life. Of course the setting takes all the 'real life' likelihood out of the comparisom.
This is a book to be share by all ages. A great book for a family trip. As with all mysteries it allows you to guess ahead and try to outwit your fellow listeners. If you are in need of such a trifle, then this book is for you.
This is not a typical Baldacci book. It is kind of a throwback to books written in decades past; a bit of an homage to a writing style of the '60s, I think. Some reviewers have described it as sappy, or lacking depth. But it is not a deep thinking book, rather a light hearted mystery like something we would work through in real life. Of course the setting takes all the 'real life' likelihood out of the comparisom.
This is a book to be share by all ages. A great book for a family trip. As with all mysteries it allows you to guess ahead and try to outwit your fellow listeners. If you are in need of such a trifle, then this book is for you.
Helpful Score: 1
A light and witty holiday read filled with romance, adventure, mystery and fun.
Helpful Score: 1
Predictable but fun read
A nice light-heartfelt story.
Great book with a little of history as well as a great story. Very captivating, I loved it and also saw a musical based on this bood that was very good.
Unusal book with a twist at the end.
Not one of Baldacci's usual mysteries, but definitely his inimitable style. Humor, a little pathos, well rounded characterizations, a plot that keeps leading you on - and a lot of train information. What more could you ask for - well what about a boa constrictor, a protagonist who needs to find out its not all fun and games, a large, wonderful singing train employee, a rather vague retired priest, a bar tender who is quite successfully a black version of Elvis Presley - and that's only scratching the surface.
This was a great book anytime of year! It made me want to ride a train!
A fun, delightful read. They don't write 'em like this very much anymore.
Fun reading during the holidays or not
Has anyone else noticed that David Baldacci looks a lot like Conan O'Brien? Could it be Conan's pen name?
I loved it!
I didn't really care for the book. As it went along towards the end it just became more contrived. Not my cup of tea.
I'm a Balducci fan. This book may not have been as deep as others, but I enjoyed it. Was an easy read. A fun holiday book. Light.
I love this book!!
What a surprise! I can only say that if mystery readers like David Baldacci, then they must read The Christmas Train and the extra rider at the end of the book!!!
Be of good cheer,David Banfield
Be of good cheer,David Banfield
This is really different than most Baldacci books I've read.
This novel combines a little humor with a plot that will keep you guessing. You get to know a wide range of personalities that are traveling by train cross country. It was very enjoyable to read and there are no blood-soaked bodies.
Sweet story that is full of emotion. Each character is vivid and meaningful. Well done!
This is a very easy and entertaining read. I finished it in only a few days. The characters are intriguing and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.
This is definitely one of the best Christmas stories that I have ever read! It is truely a heart-warming and touching story! I love the train travel aspect. I've always wanted to travel by train... it seems so fascinating to me! This will always be one of my holiday favorites....to be read year after year!
Also, the short story at the end is unbelievably beautiful as well.
Also, the short story at the end is unbelievably beautiful as well.
sweet and quick read - would recommend for a rainy day
Great Christmas story about just a chance meeting! Loved it!
This was a diverting little book with a pleasant twist in the plot. Well worth reading from an author of several great books!
Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington,D.C. to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awaekenings, Thrilling adventures, and holiday magic.
I thought this book was a fun twisting turning adventure.
What a funny book! And a stirring reminder of the spirit of Christmas...
Terrific storyteller and great writer.
This book was a nice surprise. A friend gave it to me, and I enjoyed it very much.
Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington D.C. to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. The story is filled with memorable charactesr who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief, and shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.
I really enjoyed this one.....a feel good story of romance, personal relationships, and a bit of mystery thrown in.
Great book! This was my first David Baldacci book recommended by a couple friends. It was well worth the read. David is a good writer and easily draws you in making you want to know the ending. The story is a great one with a few twists and turns I totally wasn't expecting.
This a sweet story to read for Christmas. It's about a man who makes a promise to his dying father to take a train ride cross country. He does this and much more during Christmas. It's very uplifting and dare I say it but magical as well.
nice little story
David Baldacci is a terrific storyteller...an author of ten consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Here's a heartwarming story.
It's an entertaining mystery filled with the mystique of train travel and the wonder and charm of Christmas.
It's an entertaining mystery filled with the mystique of train travel and the wonder and charm of Christmas.
This is a story with HEART. I started to listen to it while I was painting a room. My husband joined me sometime after the first CD. When we stopped for lunch and then resumed painting, my husband asked "where is the story about the train?" So we both ended up listening to the story and we both liked it a lot.
I read some reviews from other sources that complained the story was not like the others that David Baldacci had written but since I haven't read any of his other books I really couldn't comment on that. All I know is that the book kept my interest and my husband's, and I will probably listen to the story again. I definitely would recomend this audiobook to anyone looking for a good story ....
I read some reviews from other sources that complained the story was not like the others that David Baldacci had written but since I haven't read any of his other books I really couldn't comment on that. All I know is that the book kept my interest and my husband's, and I will probably listen to the story again. I definitely would recomend this audiobook to anyone looking for a good story ....
The book was a great holiday celebration! As one who enjoys the train herself, I liked being there with them!! A good read!
this is a cute little story, but it not your typical baldacci story.
Unabridged
5 cassettes/7 hours
Read by Tim Matheson
5 cassettes/7 hours
Read by Tim Matheson
After a disturbance with airport security, War Correspondent Tom Langdon is put on the no-fly list and must take the train in order to meet his girlfriend in Los Angeles for the Christmas holiday. Tom decides this is the perfect time to write a story about his cross-country journey and the people he meets on the train. Shortly after leaving Union Station in Washington, D.C., Tom discovers that his first love, Eleanor, is among the passengers on this train. He wants to use this time to talk to her and discover why she walked out on him years ago.
If you're a fan of David Baldacci's suspense thrillers, watch out...this is nothing like them. This is a cute little Christmas story, sometimes humorous, sometimes cheesy, where you know there will be a happy ending for the quirky characters on board the train. I listened to the audiobook which Tim Matheson narrates. He does a great job with the many characters. I loved Agnes Jo, a feisty older woman who is in the sleeping compartment next to Toms. My rating: 3 Stars.
If you're a fan of David Baldacci's suspense thrillers, watch out...this is nothing like them. This is a cute little Christmas story, sometimes humorous, sometimes cheesy, where you know there will be a happy ending for the quirky characters on board the train. I listened to the audiobook which Tim Matheson narrates. He does a great job with the many characters. I loved Agnes Jo, a feisty older woman who is in the sleeping compartment next to Toms. My rating: 3 Stars.
Second time reading this; read for book club; its always good to read something again to discover things you missed the first time. Loved it; differed from the Hallmark movie but great read all the same.
Not his best but an interesting story.
Very entertaining xmas read but could be read at any time. This book took some twists and unexpected plot turns right up to the last page!
An excellent book to read, especially over the holiday's. A great story that will keep you guessing until the end. One of the best books for such a quick read!
A very interesting look at the trains that are history and the adventure of one mans quest to keep a promise. Easy reading and an interesting outcome.
Very good and easy to read.
Didn't care for the romance element.
Great story a must read !!
Really nice Christmas story. Not too sappy, not too unrealistic. My husband read it also and agreed that it was "okay." It is much different from the other baldacci books i've read.
I really liked this book. I love the fact that it is a mystery without a lot of sex and vulagarity. I truly enjoyable read.
Clumsily written and predictable.
i loved this book.....
Good quick read. Nice for the hoildays!
This is one of the best Christmas stories I have ever read. It made me want to hop on an Amtack at Christmas. Its a very nice cozy, quick read. I couldn't put it down. I felt as if I really knew all these people. I was very sad when it was done.
Nice read. Slow at first but once the story picked up, I couldn't put it down.
A really sweet story. Fun to read. Especially with Christmas coming....
A nice story of karma and second chances....
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. Thereupon begins one of the most hilarious-and heartwarming-journeys ever told. Along the way, Tom encounters a ridiculous cast of characters, unexpected romance, and an avalanche that changes everyone's Christmas plans. As the mighty Southwest Chief chugs along, Tom learns what really makes the holiday special in a remarkable novel that will charm all who read it.
A couple of the beginning chapters were a tad boring but once the train got going --- so did the story, the characters, the plot --- a well written story with suspense, romance, mystery, comedy and just plain fun! This was nothing like the other Baldacci books Ive read and am so very glad I tried it!
A couple of the beginning chapters were a tad boring but once the train got going --- so did the story, the characters, the plot --- a well written story with suspense, romance, mystery, comedy and just plain fun! This was nothing like the other Baldacci books Ive read and am so very glad I tried it!
Fun book. Different side of Baldacci.
THIS WAS SUCH A FUNNY BOOK. IT HAD EXCITEMENT, HUMOR, TOUCHING RELATIONSHIPS AND PIZZAZZ. I AM AN AMTRAK TRAVELER AND HE GOT THE TRAIN RIDE RIGHT ON!! HE GOT THE HOLLYWOOD TYPES RIGHT ON!! THE BOOK EVEN HAD MUSCIAL ENTERTAINMENT-WOW!!! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CHRISTMAS TO ENJOY THIS BOOK.
Delightful book with a surprising ending. The kind of books that I enjoy between heavy reading.
Very enjoyable. The story was a welcomed change of pace. It was a fun way to spend the day. I quilt while I listen to books. Life is good. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I.
I haven't finished it yet but love it so far. I've always wanted to take a trip on a train!!
Pat K.
Pat K.
This is the first book by Baldacci that I did not like. I found it terribly boring, so much so that I gave up reading it after only about 5 chapters,
This book is another great story and interesting characters that are a signature geature of his books. The setting sor this story is quite different. Reminds me of the Oriental Express setting.
Great,fast-paced and funny! Totally different writing style than his suspense books- I loved it.
A nice, easy to read holiday story. There is something for everyone: romance, mystery, action, and some great characters. I read it in a day.
A wonderful uplifting book! A very quick read!
Light reading. Quick read. 1st Baldacci book I have read. Will read other books he has written even though they are very different then this book.
I loved this book. I actually felt like I was right there on the train riding with everyone!
Nice easy read for the holidays. Has all the elements, love lost, love found, interesting characters, a little mystery and suspense thrown in and a surprise. Enjoy!
The central character of the story is Tom Langdon, an investigative reporter who has relegated himself to writing about furniture following his more adventurous existence with his longtime girl friend, Eleanor, in foreign lands covering wars and such. He decides to take a cross-country train trip partly to fulfill a request from his now deceased father and partly to reflect on his own life and to see a friend on the West Coast. The Capitol is the train to Chicago where he changes to the Southwest Chief for the rest of the trip. There are colorful characters on the train and one gets a good insight into the domain of travel by rail. Tom is very surprised to find that Eleanor is on the same train. He has never forgotten her but has not seen her since she left him while overseas. He is overwhelmed by the coincidence and does some checking to try to verify that it indeed was a coincidence. Eleanor is on the train with her boss Max Powers, a movie producer as he is considering a movie with a train setting. For Eleanor seeing Tom was certainly not love at second sight. Two other travelers are planning to get married on the train as they go from Chicago to Los Angeles. Max decides to give them a great wedding and film it as well. After being snowbound in Colorado, the train continues to L.A. where mysteries are solved and some surprises revealed. A great X-mas story.
This book is an enjoyable read, with an element of mystery.
Good book to read during Christmas. Hard to put down. David Baldacci did it again with a good read.
Sweet story. Kept my interest throughout.
this is the first time I have read any of his works so truly enjoyed
Christmas season magic on a trainride
"Wonderful characters, all touched by the miracle of the Christmas season." --Houston Home Journal
"Evokes the glamour of classic romance." - People
I'm not a Baldacci fan, but this is a nice read for the holidays, and I learned a bit about trains.....
An excellent read.
Excellent Christmas story, surprise ending!
Not his usual book...definitely a fun Christmas story.
Cute, but not amazing or anything.
A super easy read - pretty smarmy for Baldacci, but it's like eating cotton candy and enjoying it.
This is really good. It's more than a cutesie little romance, it's got a lot of interesting facts and information about the whole train scene.
A delightful novel full of memorable 'characters!' and twisty turns---
From inside blurb: Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from WAshington, D.C., to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost.
From inside blurb: Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from WAshington, D.C., to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost.
The wife liked it very much.
From Publishers Weekly
Recently, Baldacci has ventured with success beyond the thrillers that made his reputation, first in 2000 with the historical melodrama Wish You Well, then earlier this year with the SF mystery novella The Mighty Johns. Here's another stretch, one that he performs with good spirit, a lot of humor and only a bit of strain a Christmas charmer set aboard a cross-country train. Tom Langdon's life hasn't been the same since his all-time love, Eleanor Carter, left him years ago while the two were hotshot journalists, and since he's quit serious reporting for writing fluff. Banned from flying for a year because of an air rage incident, he's decided to write about riding the rails over the Christmas holidays, planning to link up with his erstwhile girlfriend, a Hollywood star, in L.A. Aboard the Capitol Limited, running from D.C. to Chicago, Tom meets a host of unusual fellow travelers, including rambunctious train personnel, lonely wanderers and a pair of elopers; he also runs into Eleanor, now a screenwriter for a legendary film director who's on board researching a possible film about trains. Matters complicate further aboard the Southwest Chief, running from Chicago to L.A., as Tom's Tinseltown girlfriend shows up and proposes marriage just as Tom and Eleanor are working their way back together; a sneak thief nabs valuables; and an avalanche traps the train in the midst of a historic blizzard. The narrative is loaded with cool train lore (Baldacci dedicates the book to "everyone who loves trains and holidays") and plenty of romance and good cheer, though suspense is low who can doubt how things will work out? and the author gets a bit preachy about the advantages of train travel and the lessons of Christmas. This is a more warmhearted and enjoyable novel than Grisham's comparable holiday offering last year, Skipping Christmas, and Baldacci's fans will snap it up as the Yuletide treat it is. Expect this to stuff plenty of stockings on December 25; all aboard!
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Recently, Baldacci has ventured with success beyond the thrillers that made his reputation, first in 2000 with the historical melodrama Wish You Well, then earlier this year with the SF mystery novella The Mighty Johns. Here's another stretch, one that he performs with good spirit, a lot of humor and only a bit of strain a Christmas charmer set aboard a cross-country train. Tom Langdon's life hasn't been the same since his all-time love, Eleanor Carter, left him years ago while the two were hotshot journalists, and since he's quit serious reporting for writing fluff. Banned from flying for a year because of an air rage incident, he's decided to write about riding the rails over the Christmas holidays, planning to link up with his erstwhile girlfriend, a Hollywood star, in L.A. Aboard the Capitol Limited, running from D.C. to Chicago, Tom meets a host of unusual fellow travelers, including rambunctious train personnel, lonely wanderers and a pair of elopers; he also runs into Eleanor, now a screenwriter for a legendary film director who's on board researching a possible film about trains. Matters complicate further aboard the Southwest Chief, running from Chicago to L.A., as Tom's Tinseltown girlfriend shows up and proposes marriage just as Tom and Eleanor are working their way back together; a sneak thief nabs valuables; and an avalanche traps the train in the midst of a historic blizzard. The narrative is loaded with cool train lore (Baldacci dedicates the book to "everyone who loves trains and holidays") and plenty of romance and good cheer, though suspense is low who can doubt how things will work out? and the author gets a bit preachy about the advantages of train travel and the lessons of Christmas. This is a more warmhearted and enjoyable novel than Grisham's comparable holiday offering last year, Skipping Christmas, and Baldacci's fans will snap it up as the Yuletide treat it is. Expect this to stuff plenty of stockings on December 25; all aboard!
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Very enjoyable! Good holiday story with some neat twists.
A cute Christmas read, but I wouldn't read it again.
"Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington, D.C., to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him deep into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. David Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief...and shows how we DO get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during the season of miracles."
Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to take the train across the country because of a slight "misunderstanding" at airport security, he begins a journey of self-discovery and rude awakenings, mysterious goings-on and thrilling adventures, screwball escapades and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. Equal parts hilarious, poignant, suspenseful, and thrilling, David Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischiefand shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.
This is the same book, but with a different cover and a bonus story "Waiting for Santa".
