A Carol and a Killing by Richard Coles: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
At a cathedral carol concert in Champton, a soloist falls before he can finish his note, and Daniel Clement is sure he was pushed. The author reads the audiobook.
Short answer: for the A Carol and a Killing audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). Richard Coles reads his own novella in 3 hours 2 minutes, and the hardback is 192 pages. Both came out on 22 October 2026, so there are no listener ratings or reviews of his reading yet, and whether the story stays with one point of view is not confirmed. Nothing confirmed points either way, so neither format is favoured.
Either works
No criterion could be confirmed on either side, so neither format is favoured.
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Confidence 50%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Richard Coles, the author |
| Length | 3 hours 2 minutes (3h 2m), per Audible UK |
| At 1.5x | about 2h 1m |
| At 2x | about 1h 31m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion), released 22 October 2026 |
| Print length | 192 pages (Weidenfeld & Nicolson hardback, 22 October 2026, £14.99) |
Audible US lists the same narrator and length. Hachette Australia lists a running time of 2 hours 30 minutes, and we have not confirmed whether that is the same recording.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
A Carol and a Killing
Richard Coles
- Genre
- Crime; a cosy Christmas novella
- Published
- 22 October 2026 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
- Length
- 192 pages
- On audio
- 3 hrs 2 mins, read by the author
- Series
- Book 6 of the Canon Clement mysteries, a Christmas novella; the series begins with Murder Before Evensong
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
No listening or reading criterion could be confirmed from a named source, so neither format is favoured. Confidence is 50%.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Richard Coles, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2026, 3h 2m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None yet
- Alternatives
- None found
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
A Carol and a Killing is a Christmas novella and the sixth book in Richard Coles’s Canon Clement mysteries, the series that began with Murder Before Evensong. Weidenfeld & Nicolson published it on 22 October 2026 as a 192-page hardback, with the audiobook out the same day.
At Christmas in Champton, Daniel Clement and Detective Inspector Neil Vanloo are reluctantly drafted into the cathedral choir. The concert goes smoothly until a soloist falls to his death before he can finish his note, and Daniel suspects he was pushed. Who did it is not covered here.
The case for reading it
There is little structural reason to prefer print. The hardback is 192 pages, and no maps, documents or unusual layout have been reported. Readers who prefer to set their own pace, or who are following the series in print, may still choose the book.
The case for listening to it
Richard Coles reads it himself. He is a broadcaster as well as a priest, and he reads the earlier Canon Clement books too, including Murder Under the Mistletoe, so fans of the series get a consistent voice.
At 3 hours 2 minutes, it is about 2 hours 1 minute at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Weidenfeld & Nicolson publishes the unabridged recording, read by the author, at 3 hours 2 minutes on Audible UK, released on 22 October 2026. It had no listener ratings when we checked. Audible US lists the same narrator and length. Hachette Australia lists a running time of 2 hours 30 minutes; we have not confirmed whether that is the same recording.
Speed times: about 2h 1m at 1.5x and 1h 31m at 2x (calculated).
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards listening if you want the author’s own voice. Richard Coles also reads the earlier Canon Clement books, so fans of the series get a consistent voice, and the recording is 3 hours 2 minutes, about 2 hours 1 minute at 1.5x.
Lean towards print if you prefer to set your own pace, or would rather read a 192-page book in a sitting or two.
Looking for Coles’s earlier Christmas novella? That is Murder Under the Mistletoe, which has its own verdict. This book is not connected to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Murder Under the Mistletoe
Coles’s earlier Christmas novella, also read by the author.
The Thursday Murder Club
Cosy English crime, a close call for reading.
A Christmas Carol
Dickens’s Christmas ghost story, a close call for audio.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
❄ See every Christmas book, read or listen →
Questions people ask
Who narrates the A Carol and a Killing audiobook?
Richard Coles, the author.
How long is the A Carol and a Killing audiobook?
3 hours 2 minutes on Audible UK; at 1.5x about 2 hours 1 minute and at 2x about 1 hour 31 minutes (calculated).
Is A Carol and a Killing part of a series?
Yes. It is a Christmas novella and the sixth book in Richard Coles’s Canon Clement mysteries, which begin with Murder Before Evensong.
Should I read or listen to A Carol and a Killing?
Either works, on our checks (50% confidence, close call). Nothing confirmed points to either format, and the book is short either way: 192 pages or 3 hours 2 minutes.
How long is the book?
192 pages in the Weidenfeld & Nicolson hardback, published on 22 October 2026.
Do you agree with this verdict?
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK, Orion and Waterstones for print, Google Books, and the Buzz Magazine review.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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