Book Review
Genre Fiction drama
Rating 3.5/5
Spoilers…None
As you might have guessed it and like how it will be mentioned in the book cover, it is about a train journey which takes place around Christmas time!
Another departure and this time the train kind from the classic thriller you expect from David Baldacci! I seem to like his departures better than the routines!
Train journey is always a special moment especially done with family and our childhood was spent in the railway stations! We used to have long journeys ranging from 1 to 5 days! One train we took was from Bangalore to Howrah! That was five days! Every time we stop at a station or the train gets delayed we have a mini adventure! Even within the train we have had so much! The first few days our home cooked food will be used and after the third day it will be the chance to eat the junk from the train Pantry!
David Baldacci also describes train journey and it was like a throwback to the old times! The train there is of course no less than an Airplane where you have separate compartment and individual toilets and waiters and bar and posh restaurants!
The story is how the lead is banned to fly for two years for losing his temper (I think the minimum people can do when they are thousands of feet in a metal box flying so fast is to at least maintain some decorum and decency! Or better yet, take the train!).
So he is forced to take the train and he meets someone with a blast from the past! How it all pans out in two different train is the syrupy mushy story with an added mystery which could be the author’s attempt to fill the pages with some words!
The description of train compartments and the working of train may remind you of the Airport by Arthur Hailey but boy I wish Arthur would have written a book on train! It would have been right on TRACK!
So anyway you have the lead who is a war journalist in the past now relegated to writing coffee table books!, you have an eccentric co passenger!, You have a famous director with his crew who want to make a movie on train, you have a young couple who want to get married in the train! You have a priest who can do miracles! And you have two ladies in the train! One the current temporary craze and the other a lost love of the past!
Add to these you add a mystery of the missing sun glasses and a big avalanche which brings the huge train to a halt!
The premise reminds me of another train classic The Orient express by Agatha Christie which remains my favourite train book ever! But believe me this one is not half as bad so give it a whistle!
Although the setting is recent times but halfway through the book you feel that you are in the 1950-60s! The book gives you a warm feeling that may not melt your cold heart but may prevent frost bite!
To understand what that means you can read the book!
All aboard!
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