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Cameron Winter Mystery #1
When Christmas Comes
After a horrific murder, a sleuthing English teacher will need a Christmas miracle to prove a condemned man innocent.
Colourful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. There are witnesses and her boyfriend Travis Blake confesses to the crime... but something doesn't add up. Blake is a third generation Army Ranger, awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in Afghanistan. How could a beloved son of this tight-knit community commit such a grisly deed?
Sweet Haven is made up of military families, so no one wants to investigate a war hero. In steps Cameron Winter, a rugged and lonesome English professor haunted by the ghosts of his own Christmas past, whose former lover asks him to prove Blake innocent. The Sweet Haven murder echoes a horrific Yuletide memory from Winter's youth, and he knows the case is even darker than it seems. If he can solve this small-town mystery, just maybe he can find peace from his inner demons too.
Reviews for When Christmas Comes
' When Christmas Comes is wonderful, gripping, a pure delight' Dean Koontz
'This terrific holiday-themed novel will leave readers unsettled and hopeful at the same time' Publishers Weekly
Colourful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. There are witnesses and her boyfriend Travis Blake confesses to the crime... but something doesn't add up. Blake is a third generation Army Ranger, awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in Afghanistan. How could a beloved son of this tight-knit community commit such a grisly deed?
Sweet Haven is made up of military families, so no one wants to investigate a war hero. In steps Cameron Winter, a rugged and lonesome English professor haunted by the ghosts of his own Christmas past, whose former lover asks him to prove Blake innocent. The Sweet Haven murder echoes a horrific Yuletide memory from Winter's youth, and he knows the case is even darker than it seems. If he can solve this small-town mystery, just maybe he can find peace from his inner demons too.
Reviews for When Christmas Comes
' When Christmas Comes is wonderful, gripping, a pure delight' Dean Koontz
'This terrific holiday-themed novel will leave readers unsettled and hopeful at the same time' Publishers Weekly
250 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2021
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About the author
Andrew Klavan
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December 17, 2024
Edit : you know, in a way, I’m actually probably helping the sales on this book for people who actively want to consume media that’s racist, sexist and homophobic. Where’s my cut of the paycheck ?
Edit : okay look, at least once every other month that this review has been up, i will still get some upset person commenting some pretentious, angry message . Which is fine, that’s kind of what the point of me writing this was. But I’m just giving a forewarning that if you are a heavily, easily angered republican who doesn’t like to have their silly little outlook on life challenged, you will in fact get upset by my review. If you still decide to read the following few paragraphs, well at least I can say that i warned you. Have fun ~
This is the first book I’ve ever returned to my store. What a wild 1 hour and 30 minutes that was.
I love my Christmas horror. I love ghost stories by the fire on a snowy night, I love that there has always been a history of scary Christmas traditions and tales since the very concept of the holiday being celebrated.
The story started off fine enough with the plot line of a small town murder, but the more I read, the more I picked up on a vague and subtle vibe within the first few pages. It started off just on the tip of my tongue, like when I’d lick that colorful crepe paper in art class when I was like 7 and I’d be shocked by how sour it was every time.
that vibe, ladies and gentleman, was the sneaking suspicion that this novel was written by a straight, white man who thinks he knows how to write a story from an impartial point of view while painting his picture, subtly inserting his own ideals in a way that is barely noticeable. but oh god is he wrong.
But I persisted. I persisted because again, I love my spooky Christmas. And if there is one thing this book succeeds at in its opening chapters, it’s spooky Christmas.
But good lord does it also succeed in being the most insufferable He-man Woman Haters Club novel to be written. Like, we get it. Every woman in this book wants to fuck our main character. Fine. Whatever. But how many times is he going to describe every beautiful woman he meets as looking young, in an “almost high school, innocent way?” Bro. Gag.
But I persisted,friends. I was craving that sweet, sweet cold, wintery night imagery with sparkling lights and blood soaked snow.
And then we find around page 40 that our accused murderer’s sister May had come out as loving a woman, and it completely tore his family apart. He rolled his eyes at the news, chalking his sister’s sexuality up to just “being a scrappy trouble maker.” Cute. But his parents could not bare the news so they ditched it to Florida.
Florida.
Sigh.
Oh oh, but don’t worry. May is mentioned again as “so covered in piercings and tattoos that she looked almost primitive, escaped from the Amazon rainforest.”
Gotta fuckin’ love it.
For now on, whenever a book only mentions someone’s sexuality to needlessly progress a plot line forward in a negative way, I’m offering it up for a banned books list to the Library associations of the world, or to some other organization that I didn’t just make up. And yes, that is a form of censorship. Suck it.
But dammit all to hell, I persisted! Where are my scary Christmas scenes ??? Perhaps Travis’s sexism and homophobia and some serious thin layers of racism are written in as a direct result of him being an antagonist! In fact, I absolutely have to hold out to the end to see if Travis is actually a main antagonist or not. Because if the homophobic, racist man accused of murder ends up being innocent??? Why folks, I might just lose my god damn mind, won’t I ?
Also, weird political agenda aside within these pages, I just quite simply don’t get it?? Is Cameron Winters psychic ?? Is that what’s going on here? If it was, I wish it would just be stated as such.
Alright folks, page 80 really goes for the plot twist of the century so again,
I persist.
And god do I wish I hadn’t. Because good ol’ lesbian faithful, sister May, is back and I’m not joking when I say this character is the walking caricature of every single god fearing republican’s worst liberal nightmare. Here we get to see Cameron’s reaction to her and the first thing he notices are the various political signs on her front lawn. And then he notices her piercings and tattoos, because Cameron doesn’t take a liking to them either and because these two elements seem to be the only defining trait of this woman. Oh yes, and that she’s a lesbian. Oh yes! And that she hates men. Yupp. Of course she does. Because if you’re not a mother or an elegant therapist who is horny for her patient, or a teenage crush from Christmases long ago , or a sexy lawyer who you used to fuck when you taught her English class, or an angelic, beautiful school Liberian who was brutally murdered, then of course you are a sensitive Libby Lesbian who **hates** all men.
Kill me. I wish I was the one who was murdered by Travis Blake.
But see, Cameron Winters isn’t LIKE other guys. He actually somehow musters the strength and courage to enjoy May’s presence. He can see past all of her piercings and political agenda and lifestyle because goddamnit, he’s just so smart. Cameron Winters is -such- a smart guy and his brain doesn’t work like others. And by god, if May the lesbian can’t show Cameron the same empathy that he so graciously is giving to her, well that’s just fine. Because Cameron is the bigger man and May is just a stupid one-dimensional liberal. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about because she only takes bits and pieces of things she has heard from other miserable liberals. She’s just, she’s just, you know, REGURGITATING WORDS OUT THAT SHE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW BECAUSE SHE IS JUST A SAD, STUPID LITTLE LESBIAN WOMAN WITH TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS AND CAMERON IS BIG EDUCATED MUSCLE MAN WHO EVERYONE WANTS TO FUCK EXCEPT FOR MAY BECAUSE SHE IS A LESSSSSBIIIAAAAAANNN
Christ.
But
I
Persisted.
And alas, Travis was innocent. You see, Travis graciously pretended to murder Jennifer, the love of his life, because Jennifer wasn’t actually Jennifer. She was a kidnapped and escaped abductee as a child, and she fled to the small Christmas town only to be found out later on in life. So she and Travis devised this elaborate plan in which he fake-murders her so that she can escape or something, I have no fucking clue.
But the message here folks, is that even if you are racist and homophobic, at least you’re not a murderer right? Racist and homophobic people can still be good people, right?
Right?
Was Cameron Winters a psychic or was he just really super duper smart? I have no clue.
I need a fuckin cigarette and I don’t even smoke.
Edit : okay look, at least once every other month that this review has been up, i will still get some upset person commenting some pretentious, angry message . Which is fine, that’s kind of what the point of me writing this was. But I’m just giving a forewarning that if you are a heavily, easily angered republican who doesn’t like to have their silly little outlook on life challenged, you will in fact get upset by my review. If you still decide to read the following few paragraphs, well at least I can say that i warned you. Have fun ~
This is the first book I’ve ever returned to my store. What a wild 1 hour and 30 minutes that was.
I love my Christmas horror. I love ghost stories by the fire on a snowy night, I love that there has always been a history of scary Christmas traditions and tales since the very concept of the holiday being celebrated.
The story started off fine enough with the plot line of a small town murder, but the more I read, the more I picked up on a vague and subtle vibe within the first few pages. It started off just on the tip of my tongue, like when I’d lick that colorful crepe paper in art class when I was like 7 and I’d be shocked by how sour it was every time.
that vibe, ladies and gentleman, was the sneaking suspicion that this novel was written by a straight, white man who thinks he knows how to write a story from an impartial point of view while painting his picture, subtly inserting his own ideals in a way that is barely noticeable. but oh god is he wrong.
But I persisted. I persisted because again, I love my spooky Christmas. And if there is one thing this book succeeds at in its opening chapters, it’s spooky Christmas.
But good lord does it also succeed in being the most insufferable He-man Woman Haters Club novel to be written. Like, we get it. Every woman in this book wants to fuck our main character. Fine. Whatever. But how many times is he going to describe every beautiful woman he meets as looking young, in an “almost high school, innocent way?” Bro. Gag.
But I persisted,friends. I was craving that sweet, sweet cold, wintery night imagery with sparkling lights and blood soaked snow.
And then we find around page 40 that our accused murderer’s sister May had come out as loving a woman, and it completely tore his family apart. He rolled his eyes at the news, chalking his sister’s sexuality up to just “being a scrappy trouble maker.” Cute. But his parents could not bare the news so they ditched it to Florida.
Florida.
Sigh.
Oh oh, but don’t worry. May is mentioned again as “so covered in piercings and tattoos that she looked almost primitive, escaped from the Amazon rainforest.”
Gotta fuckin’ love it.
For now on, whenever a book only mentions someone’s sexuality to needlessly progress a plot line forward in a negative way, I’m offering it up for a banned books list to the Library associations of the world, or to some other organization that I didn’t just make up. And yes, that is a form of censorship. Suck it.
But dammit all to hell, I persisted! Where are my scary Christmas scenes ??? Perhaps Travis’s sexism and homophobia and some serious thin layers of racism are written in as a direct result of him being an antagonist! In fact, I absolutely have to hold out to the end to see if Travis is actually a main antagonist or not. Because if the homophobic, racist man accused of murder ends up being innocent??? Why folks, I might just lose my god damn mind, won’t I ?
Also, weird political agenda aside within these pages, I just quite simply don’t get it?? Is Cameron Winters psychic ?? Is that what’s going on here? If it was, I wish it would just be stated as such.
Alright folks, page 80 really goes for the plot twist of the century so again,
I persist.
And god do I wish I hadn’t. Because good ol’ lesbian faithful, sister May, is back and I’m not joking when I say this character is the walking caricature of every single god fearing republican’s worst liberal nightmare. Here we get to see Cameron’s reaction to her and the first thing he notices are the various political signs on her front lawn. And then he notices her piercings and tattoos, because Cameron doesn’t take a liking to them either and because these two elements seem to be the only defining trait of this woman. Oh yes, and that she’s a lesbian. Oh yes! And that she hates men. Yupp. Of course she does. Because if you’re not a mother or an elegant therapist who is horny for her patient, or a teenage crush from Christmases long ago , or a sexy lawyer who you used to fuck when you taught her English class, or an angelic, beautiful school Liberian who was brutally murdered, then of course you are a sensitive Libby Lesbian who **hates** all men.
Kill me. I wish I was the one who was murdered by Travis Blake.
But see, Cameron Winters isn’t LIKE other guys. He actually somehow musters the strength and courage to enjoy May’s presence. He can see past all of her piercings and political agenda and lifestyle because goddamnit, he’s just so smart. Cameron Winters is -such- a smart guy and his brain doesn’t work like others. And by god, if May the lesbian can’t show Cameron the same empathy that he so graciously is giving to her, well that’s just fine. Because Cameron is the bigger man and May is just a stupid one-dimensional liberal. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about because she only takes bits and pieces of things she has heard from other miserable liberals. She’s just, she’s just, you know, REGURGITATING WORDS OUT THAT SHE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW BECAUSE SHE IS JUST A SAD, STUPID LITTLE LESBIAN WOMAN WITH TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS AND CAMERON IS BIG EDUCATED MUSCLE MAN WHO EVERYONE WANTS TO FUCK EXCEPT FOR MAY BECAUSE SHE IS A LESSSSSBIIIAAAAAANNN
Christ.
But
I
Persisted.
And alas, Travis was innocent. You see, Travis graciously pretended to murder Jennifer, the love of his life, because Jennifer wasn’t actually Jennifer. She was a kidnapped and escaped abductee as a child, and she fled to the small Christmas town only to be found out later on in life. So she and Travis devised this elaborate plan in which he fake-murders her so that she can escape or something, I have no fucking clue.
But the message here folks, is that even if you are racist and homophobic, at least you’re not a murderer right? Racist and homophobic people can still be good people, right?
Right?
Was Cameron Winters a psychic or was he just really super duper smart? I have no clue.
I need a fuckin cigarette and I don’t even smoke.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This was my first introduction to Andrew Klavan as an author (I remember my dad listening to him on the radio years ago), and while it has a Christmas-y cover and title, it's not exactly a happy, cheery, Hallmark Christmas-type read. That being said, I enjoyed it much more than I expected!
In summary, a relatively unknown, but much loved school librarian in a small town is murdered; and her boyfriend, a local boy and ex-Army ranger, confesses. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but the defense attorney doesn't think so. She calls in an old friend - an English professor with hidden talents - to investigate. He also has more than a few skeletons in his own closet that haunt him and tend to blur his judgment. The investigation takes more than a few twists and turns, as secrets come to light that change the narrative completely.
What I loved about the book was that it was a super fast read (good thing, as I'm falling a bit behind on my reading challenge!), and there were several twists that I was not expecting - including the ending. What I didn't love though was that it didn't exactly give me the warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling that the cover suggests. It was set during Christmas and there were some references to Christmases past, but the story was dark and melancholy.
Overall, still an enjoyable read - just not the type that inspires you to make Christmas cookies and decorate the tree!
This was my first introduction to Andrew Klavan as an author (I remember my dad listening to him on the radio years ago), and while it has a Christmas-y cover and title, it's not exactly a happy, cheery, Hallmark Christmas-type read. That being said, I enjoyed it much more than I expected!
In summary, a relatively unknown, but much loved school librarian in a small town is murdered; and her boyfriend, a local boy and ex-Army ranger, confesses. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but the defense attorney doesn't think so. She calls in an old friend - an English professor with hidden talents - to investigate. He also has more than a few skeletons in his own closet that haunt him and tend to blur his judgment. The investigation takes more than a few twists and turns, as secrets come to light that change the narrative completely.
What I loved about the book was that it was a super fast read (good thing, as I'm falling a bit behind on my reading challenge!), and there were several twists that I was not expecting - including the ending. What I didn't love though was that it didn't exactly give me the warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling that the cover suggests. It was set during Christmas and there were some references to Christmases past, but the story was dark and melancholy.
Overall, still an enjoyable read - just not the type that inspires you to make Christmas cookies and decorate the tree!
October 14, 2021
I find Andrew Klavan a most interesting writer. Klavan crosses over into different genres and his plots are unconventional. “When Christmas Comes” I found I could not put down (once I got around to finally beginning the first chapter.). I found “When Christmas Comes” to be a mix of a Lee Child Jack Reacher commingled with a British cozy mystery. The story takes place in Sweet Haven, an idyllic lakeside town that almost seems to good to be true…and, perhaps, it is.
Travis Blake has confessed to a brutal murder of his girlfriend, and now Cameron Winter agrees to investigate the “why.” Enjoy reading this story and a big “thanks “ to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced readers copy.
Travis Blake has confessed to a brutal murder of his girlfriend, and now Cameron Winter agrees to investigate the “why.” Enjoy reading this story and a big “thanks “ to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced readers copy.
December 1, 2021
I enjoy reading Christmas stories this time of year. This is not your typical "cookies and hot chocolate in Happy Town" type of Christmas mystery (although I must admit that I enjoy those). It is dark and even somewhat disturbing, but so is much of Dickens' Christmas Carol, and much like that great work, it is a story about the true meaning of Christmas; importantly it is extremely well written. I loved it. This is the first book I have read by Andrew Klavan but it will not be the last.
December 24, 2022
“We reveal ourselves in the stories we tell.”
WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES is a melancholy book. The protagonist, English professor Cameron Winter, is a lonely man. If there’s a pervasive feeling in this text, it is that feeling, loneliness. The book features a decent mystery plotline, but really at its core it is about the foundation that family provides for society. I love that message! Because it is the antidote to loneliness!
The plot is that Professor Winter receives a call from an ex who is representing a man who has admitted to the brutal murder of his girlfriend in a small town. The defendant is an ex-army ranger, and the town of Sweet Haven is chock full of ex-military. Something is amiss. Everyone in this book, including Professor Winter, is more than they first appear.
Author Andrew Klavan has written a very tight book. He gets to the point, but it never feels like he left anything out. This despite the fact that there are gaps. Especially in what the reader is told about our protagonists’ background.
Quotes:
• “My body does what bodies do, but the soul has gone out of it.”
• “For a moment all the memories between them-all the things they weren’t saying to each other- were silently said.”
• “Before you lose things, you don’t really know you can lose them.”
• “A man, a woman, and a child. It’s such an elemental thing.”
Coming in at 250 pages, this is not a long book, but in its pages Klavan makes it clear that he values traditions, appreciating the sentimental, and rejecting the ugly, negative bitterness that popular culture tries to normalize today. As one character says, “The ordinary ornaments of daily life.” I love that phrase. Those are the things that matter.
This text, provides a good mystery for a cold winter night, while acknowledging the dark, but ultimately rejoicing in the light.
WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES is a melancholy book. The protagonist, English professor Cameron Winter, is a lonely man. If there’s a pervasive feeling in this text, it is that feeling, loneliness. The book features a decent mystery plotline, but really at its core it is about the foundation that family provides for society. I love that message! Because it is the antidote to loneliness!
The plot is that Professor Winter receives a call from an ex who is representing a man who has admitted to the brutal murder of his girlfriend in a small town. The defendant is an ex-army ranger, and the town of Sweet Haven is chock full of ex-military. Something is amiss. Everyone in this book, including Professor Winter, is more than they first appear.
Author Andrew Klavan has written a very tight book. He gets to the point, but it never feels like he left anything out. This despite the fact that there are gaps. Especially in what the reader is told about our protagonists’ background.
Quotes:
• “My body does what bodies do, but the soul has gone out of it.”
• “For a moment all the memories between them-all the things they weren’t saying to each other- were silently said.”
• “Before you lose things, you don’t really know you can lose them.”
• “A man, a woman, and a child. It’s such an elemental thing.”
Coming in at 250 pages, this is not a long book, but in its pages Klavan makes it clear that he values traditions, appreciating the sentimental, and rejecting the ugly, negative bitterness that popular culture tries to normalize today. As one character says, “The ordinary ornaments of daily life.” I love that phrase. Those are the things that matter.
This text, provides a good mystery for a cold winter night, while acknowledging the dark, but ultimately rejoicing in the light.
December 1, 2021
I feel like I'm the only one that disliked this one... Oh not, wait, there are 6 of us!
Anyway, excuse the rant that is coming, but I regret losing my - precious - time reading this book
Really, not to be mean or anything, but I don't see how such a "Christmas mystery" can reach 4.36 stars here. Did the author paid people for them to write enthusiastic reviews? Did the people who read this one never ever read any other crime/mystery novel? Because, let me tell you this: when you've read P.D. James, Colin Dexter, Ann Cleeves, Anne Perry, Patricia Wentworth, etc. for years, you are surelly to be disappointed when you finish this novel(la).
This short mystery is so predictable it becomes boring. And the interludes in which Winter is undergoing therapy are so weird and not in phase with the other events of the book. I mean, who cares about the unrequited love he felt for a girl two years older than him when he was 7? Who cares that, as an adult, he still isn't over his "dear Charlotte"? What does it have to do with the murder he is "investigating"?
And what a strange investigation, too. Winter apparently has a sort of mediumnic gift that allows him to understand and solve crimes better than the police. Apart from that, we know nothing about him. He's an English teacher, but this seems to be a cover for something else, except we don't know what that something is. Is he a ex-military? A secret agent? A private investigator? Who knows, except the author... Winter may be the main character, but the author doesn't care enough about him to give him some sort of depth. The only available descriptions we get for him are physical (OMG, he's so strong and handsome) and second-hand, through female characters gushing about him, including his therapist --> is that deontological? No, it's not but this book is already so unbelievable and sloppy, why not add a bit to it?
And of course, this cliché of a "hero" (sort of James Bondish, but darker, more mysterious and less interesting) wasn't enough, there are the female characters. And especially Jennifer Dean and Victoria.
Victoria was Winter student and they had an affair, of course (what's the point of writing a clichéd story if you don't add a teacher-student affair into the mix?) . When? Where? If the English teaching job of Winter is a cover-up for something else, how did he find the time to have an affair while working undercover and going through his real job (as a secret agent or whatever)?
This is not explained. Because, as I wrote above, the author doesn't give a damn about writing a coherent story that the readers can follow: we are thrown in the middle of a middle-aged man's life without knowing anything about him and his past.
Victoria is a cliché too: a bright and cheerful woman who's oozing "high school vibes" (whatever that means) but who married a soldier and suffers from that situation. And of course, at the end of the book, she's not cheerful anymore and Winter is not interested in her anymore (because she's lost her high school vibes, you see).
Jennifer Dean is russian and so sweet and angelic that anyone who meets her are totally mesmerized, in love, and wouldn't dare to touch one of her hairs. Then why the hell did a Russian mafia member kidnapped her and forced her to marry his son? Why did not one search for her back in her homeland after her kidnapping?
And the same Jennifer, who was clever enough to escape her mafia husband was totally at the mercy of the U.S. Marshal who abused her. Why? If she could get away from the mafia and denounce one of them, how come she couldn't complain about the Marshal anywhere? Was murder really the only solution?
Incoherences and sloppy characters descriptions were too much for me. Add to that the predictability of the plot, and you'll get why I totally didn't enjoy this story.
As a result, I really don't get the hype that this books gets here on Goodreads, and all the people gushing about how great this novel was. But then, to each his own...
Anyway, excuse the rant that is coming, but I regret losing my - precious - time reading this book
Really, not to be mean or anything, but I don't see how such a "Christmas mystery" can reach 4.36 stars here. Did the author paid people for them to write enthusiastic reviews? Did the people who read this one never ever read any other crime/mystery novel? Because, let me tell you this: when you've read P.D. James, Colin Dexter, Ann Cleeves, Anne Perry, Patricia Wentworth, etc. for years, you are surelly to be disappointed when you finish this novel(la).
This short mystery is so predictable it becomes boring. And the interludes in which Winter is undergoing therapy are so weird and not in phase with the other events of the book. I mean, who cares about the unrequited love he felt for a girl two years older than him when he was 7? Who cares that, as an adult, he still isn't over his "dear Charlotte"? What does it have to do with the murder he is "investigating"?
And what a strange investigation, too. Winter apparently has a sort of mediumnic gift that allows him to understand and solve crimes better than the police. Apart from that, we know nothing about him. He's an English teacher, but this seems to be a cover for something else, except we don't know what that something is. Is he a ex-military? A secret agent? A private investigator? Who knows, except the author... Winter may be the main character, but the author doesn't care enough about him to give him some sort of depth. The only available descriptions we get for him are physical (OMG, he's so strong and handsome) and second-hand, through female characters gushing about him, including his therapist --> is that deontological? No, it's not but this book is already so unbelievable and sloppy, why not add a bit to it?
And of course, this cliché of a "hero" (sort of James Bondish, but darker, more mysterious and less interesting) wasn't enough, there are the female characters. And especially Jennifer Dean and Victoria.
Victoria was Winter student and they had an affair, of course (what's the point of writing a clichéd story if you don't add a teacher-student affair into the mix?) . When? Where? If the English teaching job of Winter is a cover-up for something else, how did he find the time to have an affair while working undercover and going through his real job (as a secret agent or whatever)?
This is not explained. Because, as I wrote above, the author doesn't give a damn about writing a coherent story that the readers can follow: we are thrown in the middle of a middle-aged man's life without knowing anything about him and his past.
Victoria is a cliché too: a bright and cheerful woman who's oozing "high school vibes" (whatever that means) but who married a soldier and suffers from that situation. And of course, at the end of the book, she's not cheerful anymore and Winter is not interested in her anymore (because she's lost her high school vibes, you see).
Jennifer Dean is russian and so sweet and angelic that anyone who meets her are totally mesmerized, in love, and wouldn't dare to touch one of her hairs. Then why the hell did a Russian mafia member kidnapped her and forced her to marry his son? Why did not one search for her back in her homeland after her kidnapping?
And the same Jennifer, who was clever enough to escape her mafia husband was totally at the mercy of the U.S. Marshal who abused her. Why? If she could get away from the mafia and denounce one of them, how come she couldn't complain about the Marshal anywhere? Was murder really the only solution?
Incoherences and sloppy characters descriptions were too much for me. Add to that the predictability of the plot, and you'll get why I totally didn't enjoy this story.
As a result, I really don't get the hype that this books gets here on Goodreads, and all the people gushing about how great this novel was. But then, to each his own...
December 20, 2021
This is my first Andrew Klavan book although I do listen to his show sometimes and I’ve seen Don’t Say a Word. SBG.
January 10, 2024
This didn’t have much to do with Christmas. It’s about a guy named Winter who we are told several times is very handsome. It’s not a mystery thriller, more of a literary mystery. The language is delicate, descriptive, even poetic, but that made a style that was too mystical to me. I just wanted the guy to solve a regular murder mystery not stare at snowflakes from a therapist’s couch or whatever he was doing.
November 8, 2021
This is a read in one day book, not only because it's relatively short, but because I can't put it down--don't want to. This is almost a perfect novel. It's so cleverly plotted that at times you're in a story about the story which is told by another story. Set at Christmas, obviously, there's a heartrending nostalgia about the 'perfect' Christmas, the childhood Christmas, and yet this is a very mature exploration of human nature and memory.
In some ways, this is like a teacher of creative writing demonstrating how to write the perfect novel by actually doing it, which of course if they could they wouldn't need to be teaching writing. The characters are developed through what they say and do, not exposition. The plot is like a fishing hook you've been caught on: why does an ex-Army Ranger confess to a terrible murder, the murder of the woman he loved? Hooked. The writing is beautiful. I'm actually in this town with the pretty coloured lights reflecting on the snow.
I'm at 85%. I'll update when finished, which unfortunately will be tonight.
Finished.
My faith in human nature has been restored a bit by this book.
I cannot recommend this too highly. Unequivocal five stars.
In some ways, this is like a teacher of creative writing demonstrating how to write the perfect novel by actually doing it, which of course if they could they wouldn't need to be teaching writing. The characters are developed through what they say and do, not exposition. The plot is like a fishing hook you've been caught on: why does an ex-Army Ranger confess to a terrible murder, the murder of the woman he loved? Hooked. The writing is beautiful. I'm actually in this town with the pretty coloured lights reflecting on the snow.
I'm at 85%. I'll update when finished, which unfortunately will be tonight.
Finished.
My faith in human nature has been restored a bit by this book.
I cannot recommend this too highly. Unequivocal five stars.
November 28, 2021
Fun Christmas-ish mystery.
July 2, 2024
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Pretty interesting mystery with a twist, but I'm not sure why we needed all that therapy stuff with the MC who just whined like a budding incel about some girl he used to love who didn't ever love him back. Fucking barf.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book source: NetGalley in exchange for a review
Pretty interesting mystery with a twist, but I'm not sure why we needed all that therapy stuff with the MC who just whined like a budding incel about some girl he used to love who didn't ever love him back. Fucking barf.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book source: NetGalley in exchange for a review
February 2, 2022
My Review ||
Recommended for 21+ 🏛|| Content Meter: 1.5/5 🏛|| Quality Meter: 4.5/10 🏛|| Personal Enjoyment: 3/10 🏛|| Overall Rating: 3.5/10 🏛
This book was a disappointment. Frankly, I was disgusted. Andrew Klavan’s Homelander Series and mission trip story in no way prepared me for the cesspool which is this book. I loved the other books, this one was just filthy. The prologue to each part of the story was disgusting and while I'm not one to normally complain about this, I got sick of how “attractiveve” the MC was supposed to be. Mr. Klavan basically took everything I was glad he DIDN’T include in his stories and vomited it all through this manuscript. 🏛
The plot was predictable, though interesting. That is, when we finally got to the plot. There were chapters at a time that added no value to the story other than to let us see how hot the MC was, how smart he was and how dumb we the readers are for not catching on, or to read about his obsession with a girl he used to love. 🏛
Seriously.
Having censored all the filth from my personal copy, I might would read it again. But as it was written? I was a bit embarrassed to admit I was reading it. Definitely should NOT be handed to a young reader. 🏛
Forgive me for my harshness, it was just more than I could tolerate. 🏛
Content: multiple references to parts of the body; alcohol in a casual manor; curse words; mentions of things only married people should participate in as though it's normal and acceptable outside of marriage; sinfully desiring people; constant talk about how everyone wanted to be with the MC; mild description of a homicide; lying; LGBT character; mention of rape; mention of abuse; stabbing; PTSD (not negatively used, but mentions some of the darker sides, may be too much for some readers); homicide investigation; Russian mafia; sodomy hinted at.
Recommended for 21+ 🏛|| Content Meter: 1.5/5 🏛|| Quality Meter: 4.5/10 🏛|| Personal Enjoyment: 3/10 🏛|| Overall Rating: 3.5/10 🏛
This book was a disappointment. Frankly, I was disgusted. Andrew Klavan’s Homelander Series and mission trip story in no way prepared me for the cesspool which is this book. I loved the other books, this one was just filthy. The prologue to each part of the story was disgusting and while I'm not one to normally complain about this, I got sick of how “attractiveve” the MC was supposed to be. Mr. Klavan basically took everything I was glad he DIDN’T include in his stories and vomited it all through this manuscript. 🏛
The plot was predictable, though interesting. That is, when we finally got to the plot. There were chapters at a time that added no value to the story other than to let us see how hot the MC was, how smart he was and how dumb we the readers are for not catching on, or to read about his obsession with a girl he used to love. 🏛
Seriously.
Having censored all the filth from my personal copy, I might would read it again. But as it was written? I was a bit embarrassed to admit I was reading it. Definitely should NOT be handed to a young reader. 🏛
Forgive me for my harshness, it was just more than I could tolerate. 🏛
Content: multiple references to parts of the body; alcohol in a casual manor; curse words; mentions of things only married people should participate in as though it's normal and acceptable outside of marriage; sinfully desiring people; constant talk about how everyone wanted to be with the MC; mild description of a homicide; lying; LGBT character; mention of rape; mention of abuse; stabbing; PTSD (not negatively used, but mentions some of the darker sides, may be too much for some readers); homicide investigation; Russian mafia; sodomy hinted at.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2021
The thing about Andrew Klavan is that he can write as hardboiled as any fast-talking, whiskey-swilling word jockey, hunched over his Royal, punching keys furiously between drags from an ever-present cigarette. And then the bastard turns around and writes so movingly with such deep tenderness that you feel sucker-punched by the tears that are suddenly rolling down your cheeks. Flippin' Klavan.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Yuletide offering: a fast-paced mystery-thriller with those deep notes of pain and joy that always seem to be interwoven in Klavan's plots. This particular novel seems to be more on the thoughtful, melancholy end of things - unusually, for time spent in a Klavan Creation, I did not laugh even once during my reading. But the undercurrent of joy is always present, which, of course, is appropriate for a work set in the Christmas season.
Local war hero Travis Blake is on the cusp of being sentenced for the confessed murder of his girlfriend, beloved school librarian Jennifer Dean, in the idyllic military town of Sweet Haven. But something is not adding up for his attorney, Victoria Grossburger, so she contacts her ex-lover, Cam Winter, an English professor with a very particular set of skills, and asks him to prove Travis is innocent. As Winter pursues vaporous leads and phantom suspects in his investigation, the mysteries unfold one right into the other - like Russian nesting dolls. No one is quite what he or she seems - both in the real-world crime he is unraveling and in his own haunted memories that shape his loneliness and weary his soul.
The result is a tightly-plotted, twisty thriller with nostalgic charm and redemptive themes. A Christmas banquet to be sure. To be paired with long nights, log fires, wool socks, and hot buttered rum.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Yuletide offering: a fast-paced mystery-thriller with those deep notes of pain and joy that always seem to be interwoven in Klavan's plots. This particular novel seems to be more on the thoughtful, melancholy end of things - unusually, for time spent in a Klavan Creation, I did not laugh even once during my reading. But the undercurrent of joy is always present, which, of course, is appropriate for a work set in the Christmas season.
Local war hero Travis Blake is on the cusp of being sentenced for the confessed murder of his girlfriend, beloved school librarian Jennifer Dean, in the idyllic military town of Sweet Haven. But something is not adding up for his attorney, Victoria Grossburger, so she contacts her ex-lover, Cam Winter, an English professor with a very particular set of skills, and asks him to prove Travis is innocent. As Winter pursues vaporous leads and phantom suspects in his investigation, the mysteries unfold one right into the other - like Russian nesting dolls. No one is quite what he or she seems - both in the real-world crime he is unraveling and in his own haunted memories that shape his loneliness and weary his soul.
The result is a tightly-plotted, twisty thriller with nostalgic charm and redemptive themes. A Christmas banquet to be sure. To be paired with long nights, log fires, wool socks, and hot buttered rum.
November 28, 2021
It's that time of year, the time when I put holds on any and all things Christmas that look like promising vehicles for getting me into the spirit. This one had going for it that the pages turned easily and reading some of the more ridiculous passages aloud to my husband gave us both a laugh. But lord, how many cliches can you work into one story?
Detective with a mysterious past? Check. "There was even a rumor you were selected from the Navy SEALs training and recruited to be a spy. Is that true?" "I'm an English professor," Winter said. (At least that "said" wasn't qualified with either the adverb "evasively" or a description like "avoiding her eyes.")
Same detective with bad luck in love? Check check. "For the last time, he let himself imagine the pressure of her cheek against his cheek, and he felt that rush of loneliness again, not for the last time."
Beautiful and mysterious murder victim with a dramatic past? Oh yeah. ("She had been kidnapped from her school in Kiev at the age of sixteen....")
Charming Christmas village with some Gothic undertones? Yep. (Too much to quote here.)
Russian mafia? Yep. (Ditto on too much to quote.)
An East German Stasi informant? Yes, even that. No Nazis, though, unless I misread something.
Like Cameron Winter, our hero who didn't really do anything in the end other than keep his mouth shut, I needed a whiskey when I was done with this one. If you are looking for some easy fun, go for it. But P.D. James it ain't.
Detective with a mysterious past? Check. "There was even a rumor you were selected from the Navy SEALs training and recruited to be a spy. Is that true?" "I'm an English professor," Winter said. (At least that "said" wasn't qualified with either the adverb "evasively" or a description like "avoiding her eyes.")
Same detective with bad luck in love? Check check. "For the last time, he let himself imagine the pressure of her cheek against his cheek, and he felt that rush of loneliness again, not for the last time."
Beautiful and mysterious murder victim with a dramatic past? Oh yeah. ("She had been kidnapped from her school in Kiev at the age of sixteen....")
Charming Christmas village with some Gothic undertones? Yep. (Too much to quote here.)
Russian mafia? Yep. (Ditto on too much to quote.)
An East German Stasi informant? Yes, even that. No Nazis, though, unless I misread something.
Like Cameron Winter, our hero who didn't really do anything in the end other than keep his mouth shut, I needed a whiskey when I was done with this one. If you are looking for some easy fun, go for it. But P.D. James it ain't.
November 9, 2021
Wow!
I could not put this book down! I ended up reading the entire thing in one night. I have read other books by Klavan, but this book was different. It's hard to really say why, because I've enjoyed every book of his that I've read. It was a mystery/private detective themed book, minus a lot of the unnecessary profanity and unnecessary, random sex scenes. The main character, Cameron Winter, is interesting and has a fascinating back story. The other characters are well developed and the story has a nice flow to it. Overall, in my opinion, this is Klavan's best book, to date. This book could easily be turned into a series, and I really hope there will be another book featuring Cameron Winter. I highly recommend this book!
I could not put this book down! I ended up reading the entire thing in one night. I have read other books by Klavan, but this book was different. It's hard to really say why, because I've enjoyed every book of his that I've read. It was a mystery/private detective themed book, minus a lot of the unnecessary profanity and unnecessary, random sex scenes. The main character, Cameron Winter, is interesting and has a fascinating back story. The other characters are well developed and the story has a nice flow to it. Overall, in my opinion, this is Klavan's best book, to date. This book could easily be turned into a series, and I really hope there will be another book featuring Cameron Winter. I highly recommend this book!
December 15, 2021
4,5 stars
It was not what I expected at all, the story took me by surprise, and a beauty and a magic melancholy of the writing enchanted me from the fist page. If you are looking for a cosy holiday mystery then it is probably not for you. Otherwise, I didn't look for a light read on purpose myself though I assumed that this book would be the one. I was wrong. But I am glad I came across this unusual story and that I discovered Andrew Klavan through it, because it won't be my last book by the author, it is for sure.
It was not what I expected at all, the story took me by surprise, and a beauty and a magic melancholy of the writing enchanted me from the fist page. If you are looking for a cosy holiday mystery then it is probably not for you. Otherwise, I didn't look for a light read on purpose myself though I assumed that this book would be the one. I was wrong. But I am glad I came across this unusual story and that I discovered Andrew Klavan through it, because it won't be my last book by the author, it is for sure.
December 1, 2025
Just Fair!
I’ve enjoyed a few of Andrew Klavan’s books in the past - including Don’t Say A Word and True Crime - because of his compelling plots, strong character development and excellent narrative skills. After many years, I decided to read When Christmas Comes, a novella representing the first in Klavan’s Cameron Winter mystery series, expecting to enjoy it for the same reasons mentioned above and thought it would be a good read for the upcoming Christmas season.
Unfortunately, I found When Christmas Comes to be just a so-so read, which makes me uncertain about wanting to read any of the other four books in the series. My disappointment stems from the following reasons:
• The mystery never fully takes off - The central crime is thinly constructed, and the investigation feels surprisingly shallow. Clues are sparse, twists are telegraphed, and the resolution lacks the dramatic punch a suspenseful mystery needs.
• The protagonist feels more concept than character - Cameron Winter is clearly meant to be brooding, brilliant, and haunted—but the book leans so heavily on hinting at his mysterious past that he ends up feeling one-dimensional. Klavan tells us Winter is a fascinating character but fails to show it through meaningful development.
• Very little character depth beyond Cameron Winter - Supporting characters, including key suspects, feel sketchy and underdrawn. Their motivations often seem thin or inconsistently portrayed, making it hard to fully invest in the mystery.
• Its tonal inconsistency - The book swings between noir introspection, holiday sentiment, and philosophical musing without fully committing to any of them. Instead of creating a unique blend, these shifts make the story feel disjointed; and
• Its short length works against the story - At under 200 pages, the narrative has no room to breathe. Emotional expressions are rushed, backstory is densely summarized rather than explored, and the climax arrives before the characters feel fully formed.
Despite its flaws, When Christmas Comes isn’t without some strengths: these being it being a fast, easy read; Klavan’s descriptive writing skills effectively capture a cold, uneasy holiday season; and occasional flashes of Klavan’s prose.
I’ve enjoyed a few of Andrew Klavan’s books in the past - including Don’t Say A Word and True Crime - because of his compelling plots, strong character development and excellent narrative skills. After many years, I decided to read When Christmas Comes, a novella representing the first in Klavan’s Cameron Winter mystery series, expecting to enjoy it for the same reasons mentioned above and thought it would be a good read for the upcoming Christmas season.
Unfortunately, I found When Christmas Comes to be just a so-so read, which makes me uncertain about wanting to read any of the other four books in the series. My disappointment stems from the following reasons:
• The mystery never fully takes off - The central crime is thinly constructed, and the investigation feels surprisingly shallow. Clues are sparse, twists are telegraphed, and the resolution lacks the dramatic punch a suspenseful mystery needs.
• The protagonist feels more concept than character - Cameron Winter is clearly meant to be brooding, brilliant, and haunted—but the book leans so heavily on hinting at his mysterious past that he ends up feeling one-dimensional. Klavan tells us Winter is a fascinating character but fails to show it through meaningful development.
• Very little character depth beyond Cameron Winter - Supporting characters, including key suspects, feel sketchy and underdrawn. Their motivations often seem thin or inconsistently portrayed, making it hard to fully invest in the mystery.
• Its tonal inconsistency - The book swings between noir introspection, holiday sentiment, and philosophical musing without fully committing to any of them. Instead of creating a unique blend, these shifts make the story feel disjointed; and
• Its short length works against the story - At under 200 pages, the narrative has no room to breathe. Emotional expressions are rushed, backstory is densely summarized rather than explored, and the climax arrives before the characters feel fully formed.
Despite its flaws, When Christmas Comes isn’t without some strengths: these being it being a fast, easy read; Klavan’s descriptive writing skills effectively capture a cold, uneasy holiday season; and occasional flashes of Klavan’s prose.
December 12, 2023
This was a tough one to rate for me. The story itself was okay, with a twist towards the end that I had figured out a while before. It felt a little underwhelming tbh. The writing style was not the best, very long-winded, using lots of words but not really saying much. The main character was telling a story throughout the book that seemed out of place and didn't really have too much to do with the actual story. Or maybe it did, and I missed it. I'm pretty sure I blacked out at some point reading this because it was a little boring. As I'm writing this, I keep taking a star off the rating because I'm realising that I didn't like it. Also, I wouldn't say this was really a Christmas book. Other than a handful of mentions that it was almost Christmas and the story the narrator tells was about Christmas, it was a fact that was easily forgotten.
December 8, 2021
I had only read 'Don't Say a Word' from Andrew Klavan about 18 years ago and after that I never read any of his books. This one is published recently and I decided to pick it up for a challenge. What can I say, it just isn't my cup of tea. The writing is mediocre at best, too simplistic and repetative, the story is ok-ish, but not mindblowing and overall I just didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I wanted to give it 3 stars in the end, but can't give it more than 2.
did-not-finish
December 24, 2022I give up after 131 pages (= 52%).
In the beginning I was caught by the mystery. Why did Blake confess? But the longer I read the more detached to the characters I feel. I don't care who Jennifer, Charlotte, Blake and Cameron are. I don't understand what Cameron's role is exactly. It is very confusing and I don't care how it ends so I give up.
In the beginning I was caught by the mystery. Why did Blake confess? But the longer I read the more detached to the characters I feel. I don't care who Jennifer, Charlotte, Blake and Cameron are. I don't understand what Cameron's role is exactly. It is very confusing and I don't care how it ends so I give up.
December 6, 2021
DNF. I grabbed this from a little free library, thinking it might be a cozy, Christmas-themed mystery. It was none of those things. It read like someone's NaNoWriMo first draft. Just so bad.
December 14, 2021
"In heaven, the great God will judge me, but here on earth I must leave it to you."
This time of the year, I'm craving any and everything that puts me in the holiday spirit. Christmas was a much more subdued affair last year due to the ongoing pandemic, but this year (thanks in large part to vaccinations) I'm making up for the lost time. The house is fully decorated, I've made Christmas cookies, cocktails, and I've finished with all of my holiday shopping. As I settle into the season and try to embrace the spirit of this time as much as possible, I've been drawn to reading books that do the same. Enter Andrew Klavan's novella When Christmas Comes, a holiday-themed mystery that seemed like just the book to bring the festivities into my reading.
The setup is simple enough. A local teacher has been murdered and her boyfriend has confessed to the crime. The only problem is that no one wants to believe that he is the culprit. You see, he is a decorated soldier who the entire town has embraced as a hero, a symbol of the best things to come out of the city. Moreso, the couple seemed to have had the perfect relationship. Something simply isn't adding up. The town's authorities seem hesitant to investigate the crime, especially when all the evidence points to someone they revere. It is up to Cameron Winter, an English professor of all things, to step in and ensure that justice is served. As he takes on the unenviable task of investigating a war hero, he must also face the demons of his past.
Some of the best Christmas stories have seeped in the things that haunt us. From Krampus to Dicken's ghosts, connecting with the spirit of the holiday often requires us to face the things that we fear. Klavan draws on this literary tradition by haunting his own characters. Each person we encounter in the short work is grappling with the implications of their pasts while working to embrace a brighter future. The mystery at the center of the narrative helps to drive the plot through each of the character beats, never letting the pace slow. The writing is at times a bit saccharine, a characteristic that I'd normally scoff at. Here, amongst the idyllic setting and Christmas theme, it gets a pass. When Christmas Comes concludes with an emotional swell that delivers on each of the moments that precede it while promising more for the characters even beyond the final page.
This time of the year, I'm craving any and everything that puts me in the holiday spirit. Christmas was a much more subdued affair last year due to the ongoing pandemic, but this year (thanks in large part to vaccinations) I'm making up for the lost time. The house is fully decorated, I've made Christmas cookies, cocktails, and I've finished with all of my holiday shopping. As I settle into the season and try to embrace the spirit of this time as much as possible, I've been drawn to reading books that do the same. Enter Andrew Klavan's novella When Christmas Comes, a holiday-themed mystery that seemed like just the book to bring the festivities into my reading.
The setup is simple enough. A local teacher has been murdered and her boyfriend has confessed to the crime. The only problem is that no one wants to believe that he is the culprit. You see, he is a decorated soldier who the entire town has embraced as a hero, a symbol of the best things to come out of the city. Moreso, the couple seemed to have had the perfect relationship. Something simply isn't adding up. The town's authorities seem hesitant to investigate the crime, especially when all the evidence points to someone they revere. It is up to Cameron Winter, an English professor of all things, to step in and ensure that justice is served. As he takes on the unenviable task of investigating a war hero, he must also face the demons of his past.
Some of the best Christmas stories have seeped in the things that haunt us. From Krampus to Dicken's ghosts, connecting with the spirit of the holiday often requires us to face the things that we fear. Klavan draws on this literary tradition by haunting his own characters. Each person we encounter in the short work is grappling with the implications of their pasts while working to embrace a brighter future. The mystery at the center of the narrative helps to drive the plot through each of the character beats, never letting the pace slow. The writing is at times a bit saccharine, a characteristic that I'd normally scoff at. Here, amongst the idyllic setting and Christmas theme, it gets a pass. When Christmas Comes concludes with an emotional swell that delivers on each of the moments that precede it while promising more for the characters even beyond the final page.
October 26, 2021
Mark your calendars for November 2! That is the release date for Andrew Klavan’s new book When Christmas Comes. @penzlerpub sent us an advanced reader’s copy of this book and given that it’s a murder mystery set during Christmas….well, you know I was eager to move this one to the top of my tbr!
Jennifer Dean was a beloved librarian in the idyllic small town of Sweet Haven. The community is shocked when her boyfriend Blake confesses to murdering her in a jealous rage. However, something isn’t sitting right with his lawyer and she feels like she is missing something big. This causes her to call on Cameron Winter, an ex student and ex lover. Cameron has an uncanny ability to figure out the truth. Especially when it involves criminals. She asks him to prove Blake’s innocence, despite his confession. Cameron has his own dark and seedy past and he soon navigates his way to the truth but finds out that his own life may be in danger the closer he gets to finding out what really happened.
Make sure you visit our Amazon Storefront to get your own copy of this Christmas murder mystery! Link in bio. 🌺🧜🏻♀️
Jennifer Dean was a beloved librarian in the idyllic small town of Sweet Haven. The community is shocked when her boyfriend Blake confesses to murdering her in a jealous rage. However, something isn’t sitting right with his lawyer and she feels like she is missing something big. This causes her to call on Cameron Winter, an ex student and ex lover. Cameron has an uncanny ability to figure out the truth. Especially when it involves criminals. She asks him to prove Blake’s innocence, despite his confession. Cameron has his own dark and seedy past and he soon navigates his way to the truth but finds out that his own life may be in danger the closer he gets to finding out what really happened.
Make sure you visit our Amazon Storefront to get your own copy of this Christmas murder mystery! Link in bio. 🌺🧜🏻♀️
December 14, 2022
My bad review has nothing to do with the undercurrents of sexism and homophobia some other reviewers are pointing out (though I agree they are there). Even if you eliminate all that, this is just bad. The writing itself is decent and makes the book very bingeable, but the mystery was easily predictable and frankly boring. The plot twist was my very first theory I dismissed as being too basic. This is the first book I've ever binge-read just so it could be over as soon as possible, so I guess that's an accomplishment (I had to finish it for a book club, so I couldn't quit on it).
January 12, 2023
god that book was boring. I just couldn’t get past my dislike for the writing style & the MC, let alone the story was so uninteresting to me I cringed. Only made it to 80% but I physically can’t bring myself to finish it before bookclub tomorrow. My first DNF.
August 7, 2024
Andrew Klavan writes well. He inserts some interesting insights, in a natural way, into the story such as the way in which stories we tell can be a reflection of ourselves. Contains an appreciation of family. A little melancholy and reflective at times, but I’m a mellow, I enjoy it. Perhaps the ending was a little predictable, and somewhat far fetched, but it kept me guessing for a time, and some details were revealed which did surprise. It does well what it sets out to be: An enjoyable murder mystery, but a little extra with some interesting societal and literary commentary.
December 4, 2021
Ik las het boek voor de FNLC 2021 challenge en meer specifiek voor de december bonus opdracht. Het puzzelen voor deze opdracht in combinatie met het lezen van het boek gaf me zoveel plezier dat ik uitkom op 5 sterren.
Het verhaal leest makkelijk en vlot. Het is boeiend tot het slot. Alhoewel het nergens echt spannend wordt, bleef ik toch doorlezen om te kijken of mijn idee bevestigd werd of dat er een twist aan het einde zat.... een aangename aanrader.
Het verhaal leest makkelijk en vlot. Het is boeiend tot het slot. Alhoewel het nergens echt spannend wordt, bleef ik toch doorlezen om te kijken of mijn idee bevestigd werd of dat er een twist aan het einde zat.... een aangename aanrader.
December 31, 2022
When Christmas Comes (Cameron Winter) by Andrew Klavan
Because Klavan said that this is his favorite character, I decided to read this story.
It's a good, engaging read. There is an inexplicable murder of a very nice librarian by her heroic Ranger fiance. The fiance has confessed and going to be sentenced. It is an open and shut case.
Cameron Winter is called in by a desperate defense attorney to find some basis for exonerating the killer, who is a very honorable person who seems to have acted entirely out of character. Winter is a former spook and has a knack of pulling at the right thread to get an answer.
The story is a mystery that honestly provides the clues that set up the answer. I didn't get the correct answer. I had the right basic idea but was entirely on the wrong track. I liked the Winter character and will follow him in other stories.
Because Klavan said that this is his favorite character, I decided to read this story.
It's a good, engaging read. There is an inexplicable murder of a very nice librarian by her heroic Ranger fiance. The fiance has confessed and going to be sentenced. It is an open and shut case.
Cameron Winter is called in by a desperate defense attorney to find some basis for exonerating the killer, who is a very honorable person who seems to have acted entirely out of character. Winter is a former spook and has a knack of pulling at the right thread to get an answer.
The story is a mystery that honestly provides the clues that set up the answer. I didn't get the correct answer. I had the right basic idea but was entirely on the wrong track. I liked the Winter character and will follow him in other stories.
January 25, 2023
I won this book in an Instagram giveaway last year sometime. I finally decided to pick it up as I was in the mood for a good Christmas mystery. This is more along the lines of being a cozy mystery so the simplistic writing style and book length fits perfectly.
Cozy mysteries are meant to be short and have a sometimes predicable plot. That being the case, When Christmas Comes was an easy and enjoyable read. I look forward to more in this series.
Cozy mysteries are meant to be short and have a sometimes predicable plot. That being the case, When Christmas Comes was an easy and enjoyable read. I look forward to more in this series.
December 9, 2025
I couldn't put this down. I love how Klavan writes. This isn't a cozy Christmas mystery but there are some Christmas vibes all the same.
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