Rating: 
Summary: Stunningly bad
Review: I agree with the reviewer from Los Angeles. This is clearly a "pop it out and it'll make money for me" book. The story line does "sound" interesting, but the writing was woefully, almost laughably bad. I certainly don't think David Baldacci is nearly as poor an author as this effort indicates. I do, however, think it's insulting to the reader who relies on his past efforts and his reputation for him to have put forth such a poor effort. There are only two good things to say about The Christmas Train: the Amtrak information was interesting and the book was blessedly short.
Rating: 
Summary: Trains, no planes Movie script not a book
Review: The train history was interesting - the characters were believable especially the amtrack employees.
It seems everyone who reads this book thinks it was written to be a movie. The insights you get from 'reading the book' just are not here. Could have used more depth of emotion instead of just cute character sketches.
Nice holiday feel good reading is also predictable. But I would definately see the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: All Aboard This Holiday Tale!
Review: Tom Langdon's been banned from air travel for the next two years. It was no fault of his own, of course. As a reporter he's a frequent flyer so he's no stranger to airline security. But the security wand smacked him in a not-so secure place, his personal possessions were emptied onto the conveyor belt and, of all things, his appearance raised some sort of warning flag. So instead of boarding a flight, he ends up taking a walk with the FBI, DEA, CIA and NYPD. The train is now his only means of transportation to get him cross country in a hurry. He's got to get to L.A. for Christmas to see his long distance girlfriend, Lelia. He settles in for a long journey. A journey he's decided will be one of self-discovery. He wants to write a story about the many stories that take place on a train. The people he comes in contact with give him plenty of material. Agnes Joe is labeled as the train's eccentric passenger. She shuffles around, seemingly in her own world and with no place to go for the holidays. Steve and Julie are a couple in love. They want to get married but their parents don't approve. Father Kelly is a retired priest. He still dresses like a priest because, "I own no other clothes besides a chocolate-brown polyester leisure suit from the 1970s that I still ask forgiveness for." Regina's on the Amtrak staff for the Capitol Limited - the route from Washington, D.C., to Chicago. She puts Tom and the other passengers in the hands of her mother, Roxanne, on the Southwest Chief - the route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Max is a Hollywood director. He's decided his next film is going to be set aboard a train. Kristobal is Max's assistant. Tom first spots him wearing a headset with a cell phone attached at the belt. And then there's someone else on Max's staff that's also onboard: Eleanor. Eleanor is the classic "one that got away." Tom still doesn't know exactly what happened to their relationship. One day she just left. And he hasn't seen her...until now. Just when Tom thinks things couldn't get any more interesting, his girlfriend boards the train to surprise him. Tom's adventure is just beginning and it's one that has so many of ups and downs, he might as well be on a rollercoaster instead of a train. No matter how hard he tries to figure out several other mysteries aboard the train, the seasoned journalist finds himself stumped. Not even Tom can see what's coming next or how this trip could be -the story- of his life.
Rating:
Summary: Weak writing, strong disappointment
Review: A dismally weak effort. The concept of trains and Chritsmas sounded fasinating, until I started reading. Contrived, slow moving plot combined with routine characters and insipid dialog make this a giant disappointment. Are publishers this desperate for material?
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but fell flat
Review: This book had fun characters, but little done with most of them. It would have been better to have fewer characters involved, and get really intense with them. Also, I think it would have read better in first person, with facts revealed gradually in dialogue or thought processes, instead of reading like Amtrak's biography and travel brochure. Who cares about that stuff? Way way too much of it. There were individual sections that were good, and made me laugh. Agnes Joe, for one! But overall, the constant forays back through Amtrak's history, Tom's history...and even Mark Twain's history... was distracting and boring. The characters, like I said, were fun, and had potential, but they were left just short of becoming believable. It was a fun read if you aren't expecting David Baldacci. It was more one-dimensional like something in a Harlequin or Silhouette book. I agree with another reviewer...this could be a made-for-TV cheesey Christmas special.
Rating:
Summary: mystery, love and friendship.........
Review: David Baldacci has created a Christmas story that begins wiht a journalist who decides to write a story about train travel and sets off on a coast-to-coast journey by rail. The story is really about love and friendship and understanding what you really want out of life. It is also about trying to help those around you understand the things in life that will really matter to them in the long run. The Christmas Train is full of interesting, quirky characters, each adding their own piece to the puzzling picture of life's priorities. There is a mystery on board the train and a love story and all the elements collide into a blizzard of emotion and honesty. This was very different from what I was anticipating from David Baldacci, but he did borrow one aspect from his other work, just when you think it is over,......it's not quite the ending you expect!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Sweet Christmas-A Great Present for Yourself
Review: At this hectic time of the year, it is wonderful to find a sweet, yet interesting book that transports one away from all of the hustle and bustle. The characters though clearly American, are mostly charming, yet edgy and quirky, reminiscent of those found in a British mystery. The story is sweet, but takes twists and turns just when one thinks it is going in one direction, it takes a swift turn. This is a delightful little book and story, perfect for this time of the year. Mr. Baldacci continues his streak of good storytelling!
Rating:
Summary: Totally Charming and Fun Read
Review: I have had my probelms with David Baldacci in his last couple of efforts, but this one is an out and out pleasure to read. It is a love story, a human interest tale, a bit of a who-dun-it, something of a "cliffhanger" and full of stories of riding cross country on the rails; something few of us ever contemplate.
I looked forward to picking this book up to continue the adventure of Tom Langdon and Eleanor Carter and I felt a bit wistful when I had finished it. The ending is a bit of a surprise, but I liked the story just as it fell from the pages of the book and the twist at the end failed to enhance or detract from it for me. A wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: don't miss the train!
Review: Not a perfect 5 star for me but still a fine holiday read. The story will have you riding the rails in fun. Thought the plot was a good one but the ending could have been better. Would make a good film.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of potential ...
Review: ... but it's sadly not realized. I prefer trains to planes, I love romance and mystery, and I'm a white-knuckle flyer, so I came to this Christmas saga *wanting* to enjoy it. But alas, I didn't. It's an interesting premise -- a holiday tale of second chances and redemption set against the backdrop of train travel. The author clearly enjoyed his journey and this story did make me want to climb aboard Amtrak again. His sincere admiration for train travel and those who work the rails is infectious. (I've taken this very train from Chicago to Kansas City and back more than once and have always had a wonderful time). Now, for the bad: Post-9/11, the behavior Tom exhibits that is the catalyst for the train ride is obnoxious and dangerous. He's the kind of guy you're behind at the metal detector that makes you want to yell, "Lighten up! They're just doing their jobs and it's for our safety, after all!" And it's as though Tom seems to think that the lack of security on Amtrak is a good thing. Again, after 9/11, who thinks that's a wise view? Then there's the "humor." The dialog is so forced that it never even coaxed a smile from me. The mystery was completely lacking in tension. And if you can't guess how the romance will turn out, you've never seen a Lifetime made-for-TV movie. If I were a teacher, I'd give this an "A" for inspiration but a "C-" for execution.
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