Claws Out! by Bella Mackie: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
A three-times widow sets her sights on a rich Hampstead widower, and his daughter starts digging into how the earlier husbands died. It’s an even call: neither format has a clear edge yet.
Either works
Either works for Claws Out!, so pick the format you enjoy. None of our checks clearly favours one side yet: Laura Kirman reads it alone, listeners rate her performance 4.6 out of 5, and it is a 368-page novel with no maps or tricky layout. Reader reviews say it moves between Diana and Cat and goes back in time to each husband’s death, which can be easier to follow in print.
- Pick the audiobook if you want a sharp, darkly funny story to fill about 11 hours, read by Laura Kirman, whom Audible UK listeners rate 4.6 for performance.
- Pick the book if you like to see where you are in time, as reader reviews say it goes back to each husband’s death in intervals.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Laura Kirman | Laura Kirman |
| Length | 11 hours 15 minutes (11h 15m), unabridged | 11 hours 15 minutes (11h 15m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 7h 30m | about 7h 30m |
| At 2x | about 5h 38m | about 5h 38m |
| Audio publisher and date | The Borough Press, 27 August 2026 | The Borough Press, 27 August 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £15.50 on Audible UK | $21.73 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £6.99 on Amazon UK | Not listed |
| The Borough Press hardback, 368 pages, 2026 | No separate US print edition found | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.61 from 181 ratings | Performance 4.0 from 1 rating |
Laura Kirman’s recording is sold on Audible UK and US by The Borough Press, on the same date and at the same length, so the UK listing, with far more ratings, is the one scored.
No other recording was found. The Borough Press also lists a special edition hardback. Ratings and prices checked 6 November 2026. Prices change often. US Kindle prices are left out, as Amazon only shows them to US visitors.
Lengths checked 6 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
Claws Out!
Bella Mackie
- Genre
- Crime fiction
- First published
- August 2026
- Length
- 368 pages (UK hardback)
- On audio
- 11 hrs 15 mins, Laura Kirman
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.
None of the thirteen checks clearly applies to this book, so neither format has the edge.
Checked, not a factor here (13)
We looked for the things that make a book easier in one format, such as a full-cast recording, jumping timelines or a layout audio can’t carry, and found none strong enough to count here. That puts it at 50%, an even split, so the choice is about how you like to read: see the two lines in the verdict box.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 6 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Laura Kirman, The Borough Press, 2026, 11h 15m, unabridged
- Critic review
- No critic review of this recording found
- Alternatives
- None: one Laura Kirman recording, sold on Audible UK and US
- What you miss
- Nothing. There’s no map, family tree or special layout
What this book actually is
Claws Out! is Bella Mackie’s third novel, a dark comic mystery published by The Borough Press on 27 August 2026. Diana Leyland, widowed three times, sets her sights on a wealthy Hampstead widower, and his daughter, Cat, sets out to prove the earlier husbands were murdered (publisher summary).
The Guardian praises its “incisive social satire and expert pacing”, and the Sunday Times calls it “ingeniously plotted ... deliciously spiky”. No series is listed for it. It centres on the deaths of three husbands and a suspected murder.
The case for reading it
The case for print is thin. Reader reviews say the story alternates between Diana and Cat and goes back in time, in intervals, to what happened to each husband, and on the page it is easier to see when you have stepped into the past.
Readers also say the author steps in now and then to speak directly to the reader, an aside that stands out clearly in print.
The case for listening to it
The case for audio is thin too, but fair. Laura Kirman reads the whole book, and Audible UK listeners rate her performance 4.61 from 181 ratings, a strong score for a recording this new.
At 11 hours 15 minutes and 368 pages, it is a mid-length listen, and press quotes praise its “expert pacing”, which suits a story you follow while doing something else.
The audiobook in detail
Laura Kirman reads the whole book alone for The Borough Press, released on 27 August 2026 and running 11 hours 15 minutes, unabridged. The same recording is sold on Audible US.
No critic has reviewed the recording yet, and no PDF comes with it.
Who should ignore this verdict
Choose the format you enjoy for a witty crime novel. If you like to keep track of flashbacks, read it; if you want a well-rated reading for a commute, listen.
Kindle
- 368 pages (UK hardback)
- See the flashbacks to each husband
- About 6 hours to read (our estimate)
Related verdicts
The Thursday Murder Club
British comic crime.
The Man Who Died Twice
More comic crime with a sharp narrator.
The Housemaid
A woman with a suspicious past.
Gone Girl
A thriller about a marriage, told from two sides.
We Are All Guilty Here
Another recent crime novel.
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
Another comic murder mystery.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Claws Out! audiobook?
Laura Kirman reads the whole unabridged audiobook on her own, for The Borough Press.
How long is the Claws Out! audiobook?
11 hours 15 minutes. That is about 7 hours 30 minutes at 1.5x speed and 5 hours 38 minutes at 2x (calculated).
Is the Claws Out! audiobook abridged?
No. It is unabridged.
How many pages is Claws Out!?
The UK hardback has 368 pages.
When did Claws Out! come out?
It was published in the UK on 27 August 2026.
What is Claws Out! about?
Diana Leyland, widowed three times, targets a wealthy Hampstead widower, and his daughter Cat sets out to prove the earlier husbands were murdered (publisher summary).
Is Claws Out! a sequel to How to Kill Your Family?
No series is listed on Audible or by the publisher. It is a new story with new characters.
Is there a special edition of Claws Out!?
Yes. The Borough Press lists a special edition hardback (ISBN 9780008824945) alongside the standard hardback.
Should I read or listen to Claws Out!?
Either works. Laura Kirman reads it alone and listeners rate her 4.6, and at 368 pages it has no maps or tricky layout. Read it if you like to track flashbacks on the page, as reader reviews say it goes back to each husband’s death.
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