Andrew Klavan

Mr. Klavan's journey from unbelieving and alienated to converted and connected is an interesting one. His descriptions of his childhood are both idyllic and heartbreaking. He doesn't stint in his evaluation of himself as a youth with all his bad behavior. What was most profound to me is the power of true and unconditional love to bring one to God. Mr. Klavan found that love in his wife and experiencing that love is what appears to have opened the path for him to recognize and embrace the show more love the God has for all of us. I think the other thing that strikes me about this journey is that the author has this absolute need for integrity - for things to make sense - and that allowed him to recognize his relationship with God. show less

When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan is a very highly recommended mystery.

In the town of Sweet Haven ex-Army Ranger Travis Blake has murdered his girlfriend, elementary school librarian Jennifer Dean. He has confessed. Public defender Victoria Grossburger recruits English professor Cameron Winter to look into the case. Winter has a gift of sorts. His self-described "strange habit of mind" allows him to acquaint himself with a situation, observe it, think about the facts, and come to a show more sudden realization about what really happened. Grossburger wants him to put his gift to use on Blake's situation. As the story unfolds, sessions between Winter and his therapist Margaret Whitaker are slowly revealed and provide insight into Winter.

The writing is excellent in this short mystery that takes place before Christmas and has a tie in to the holiday. Keep in mind that this is not a cozy mystery. It can be a rather dark, bleak story with a horrific crime at its center. Winter is a fully realized character and displays an inner strength of character and intelligence. As he looks into the murder, he also examines his troubled childhood. The plot seems simple and straightforward, after all Blake confess so what additional information could Winter possibly uncover, but the ending surprised me. I wasn't able to predict it at all. In spite of his inner turmoil and the bleakness of the days, the novel ends on a surprising, but hopeful note.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/12/when-christmas-comes.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4368555480 show less

I loved this book. It had an amazing opening, and was able to seamlessly switch between the exciting and the mundane in a heartbeat. There's a lot of mystery, but not so much that you couldn't tell what was going on. The characters are also incredibly well-written, and there are occasional conversations and quotes that really make you question your presumptions in a good and God-focused way. Not to mention the cliffhanger ending. All things considered, I'd give this book a 9/10.
Give me book show more 2, please!
Dakota S. show less

This book reads like a poster for WHY WE NEED FEMINISM. It's truly awful.

1/2 star for the brilliant plot laid out in the first couple of chapters.

Negative 4.5 stars for ruining the rest of the book with the repetitive descriptions, one-dimensional characters, the constant deus ex machina, idiotic attempts to make the hero appear "sensitive", the poor execution of jokes to relieve tension, the poor portrayal of drug use while driving and hallucinating (WTF???) and finally, the author's crap show more ear for dialog. No one talks like that. No one. I'm surprised that the bad guys didn't laugh like "MWAHAHAHA."

But mostly this book is awful for the portrayal of every. single. woman. as the complacent playthings or the servants of men unless they are obese and evil. Reasonable women do not have agency. They are a man's helpmate and will do as they are told. show less