When Christmas Comes

By: Andrew Klavan

Narrated by: Adam Barr

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

After a confession of murder, a sleuthing English teacher will need a Christmas miracle to prove a condemned man innocent.

Colorful 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 quite 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 burgh commit such a grisly deed?

As a community of military families a few miles down the road from an Army base, no one in Sweet Haven wants to investigate a war hero like Blake, not even the top brass at the police department. 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 reverberates in his mind, echoing a horrific yuletide memory from his youth, and Winter knows there are darker powers at play here than a simple domestic dispute. If he can solve this small-town mystery, just maybe he can find peace from his inner demons as well.

©2021 Andrew Klavan (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Christmas and Crime

A nostalgic, profound, well written crime novel with touches of Christmas scattered throughout. Great for Christmas time or anytime.

fantastic

this was a fantastic ride. I certainly hope they turn this into a series of novel, I want more

A victory lap from a master of the craft

I’ll try to keep this short.

When Christmas comes is an expertly crafted story; one in which twists don’t happen merely to shock the audience, but happen to further the narrative without creating unfulfillable plot threads. This is also a story that does not use violence frivolously or as a drug to keep the audience trudging along an otherwise empty tale. It is actually remarkable how Klavan trapped me in his world without introducing an action scene until the latter half of the story. I didn’t even realize this until I had nearly reached the end of the story. Bravo Mr. Klavan

So, if action doesn’t carry this story, what does? The characters; specifically the protagonist Cameron Winter. If you’ve read any of Klavan’s novels, you know he has a knack for breathing real life into fictional characters. His characters are never morally black or white, but are varying shades of gray; Winter is no exception. His character is deep and murky. As soon as you think you have him figured out, a new layer of complexity is revealed. This is true even at the very end of the story. There is still more I must know about him. Beyond the mystery of the character, men especially will find him very relatable. The other characters are equally as complex and life-filled, but I’ll let you find that out once pick up your copy of When Christmas Comes.

Outside of the story and characters, Klavan’s wit is as belly-laughingly good as ever. I found the name Stan “Stan-Stan” Stankowski hilarious. Also the fact that Winter couldn’t remember the name of Roger, Rich, Rick- whoever the hell he was, was equally hilarious.

To top it all off, this story is carried along by an undeniable moral force from start to finish. Klavan, in a very Dostoyevsky kind of way, makes the moral reality of the universe so palpable; It’s almost as if you can reach out and touch good and evil after reading Klavan’s work. Again, Bravo Me.Klavan!

Excellent!

This is the second time I have listened to the Audible recording.
I have now purchased the hard cover for a friend as a gift. It is a wonderful work.
It is a true story in the deepest sense. Told by a master author. Every part is crafted with grace and beauty. You will love this work if you open yourself to it. It will be worth it.

Slow to start, mysterious thrilling ending

Slow to start, mysterious thrilling ending. Would make a good movie.
I read it as listened to the audible.

another great book

I love, Klavan. this is another great read. I couldn't put it down. I look forward to the 2nd installment of Cameron Winter's story

Just what I needed

This book is absolute brilliance. The story is mysterious and a fresh way to look at the events around us. I would enjoy leaning more about Winter!

Klavan is masterful - listen to this!

A man has pleaded guilty to murdering his beautiful, charming, resilient girlfriend to the shock and horror of the storybook town they live in. Cameron Winter, our protagonist, is called upon by the guilty party’s attorney to find mitigating circumstances that will reduce his sentence.

This backdrop is an interesting story and serviceable on its own. But the magic is in Klavan’s ability to capture profound truths about human nature. He lays open, in evocative language, the emotional reality behind the characters.

You will be moved. Really, it’s great.

The narrator takes a little getting used to, but performs very well and consistently represents the characters.

Amazing Book!!!

What an absolutely wonderful mystery novel. This is one of the best books I've read in years. I would love to see this turn into a series of books with this character (I will buy every new edition). Thank you for sharing this with us Hot Gandolf!

Amazing!

Andrew Klavan never disappoints! I couldn’t stop listening. What an emotional and thrilling journey, I felt like I could imagine every detail and see every character. I need more of Cameron Winter!