The Christmas Stranger is a hardcover novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans, published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) on November 4, 2025. An instant New York Times bestseller, it is a powerful and thought-provoking holiday story about love, loss, and the mysterious workings of heaven.

Three years after losing his family in a Christmas Eve accident, grief-stricken Paul Wanlass hasn't just given up on Christmas—he's given up on life. When a mysterious stranger knocks on his door claiming to pick up a laptop, Paul allows him in, only to discover the man has a very different mission in mind. Paul challenges the stranger to give him just one reason to live, setting off a series of fateful and unexpected encounters: a robbery connects him with a woman who has also lost the love of her life, and a chance rescue of a young boy from bullying reveals deeper needs beneath the surface. As Paul's world is turned upside down, he must confront the question of who—or what—this Christmas stranger truly is.

Richard Paul Evans is the author of more than forty novels with over thirty-five million copies in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. He is the recipient of numerous awards including two first place Storytelling World Awards and five Religion Communicators Council Wilbur Awards. He is the founder of The Christmas Box International, a charity that has helped more than 125,000 at-risk youth. Evans is also the author of the beloved classic The Christmas Box and the story behind the #1 Netflix film The Noel Diary.

The hardcover edition is 272 pages and carries a list price of $22.00. This is a regional Costco selection available at select warehouse locations.