The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
This is a collection of eleven Christmas crime stories from the Golden Age, gathered by Martin Edwards for the British Library Crime Classics.
Short answer: for The Christmas Card Crime audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). Gordon Griffin and Anne Dover read it for Isis in about 7 hours 35 minutes, unabridged. It is an anthology of eleven Christmas stories, and which reader takes which story is not stated. The print edition opens with an introduction by Martin Edwards, which may not be on the audio. Nothing confirmed points either way.
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 | Our verdict (Isis) |
|---|---|
| Narrators | Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover |
| Length | 7 hours 35 minutes (7h 35m) on the Audible UK author page; about 7h 30m on the Isis CD set |
| At 1.5x | about 5h 3m |
| At 2x | about 3h 48m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Complete and unabridged (Isis record) |
| Audio publisher and year | Isis, 2018 |
| British Library Crime Classics; a 240-page US edition from Poisoned Pen Press (2019) |
Only one recording was found. The US audio was not checked.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Christmas Card Crime
Edited by Martin Edwards
- Genre
- Classic crime; a Christmas anthology
- Editor
- Martin Edwards
- On audio
- 7 hrs 35 mins, Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover
- Series
- British Library Crime Classics, the third seasonal collection after Silent Nights and Crimson Snow
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
- Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover, Isis, 2018, 7h 35m, unabridged
- Casting
- Which stories each reads is not stated
- Critic review
- None found
- What you miss
- Possibly Martin Edwards’s introduction
What this book actually is
The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories is an anthology of eleven Christmas crime stories from the Golden Age of detective fiction, edited by Martin Edwards for the British Library Crime Classics. It is the third of the series’ seasonal collections, after Silent Nights and Crimson Snow.
It gathers neglected stories by writers such as John Bude and E.C.R. Lorac alongside little-known names. The title story is a 1934 piece by Donald Stewart, a longer story involves a jewel robbery at a London department store at Christmas, and only two stories feature series characters, according to a LibraryThing reviewer.
The case for reading it
The case for reading is small. The print edition opens with Martin Edwards’s introduction on the short story form, and whether the audio includes it is not confirmed. Each story brings a new cast and setting, so there is a new set of names every few pages, though no source says that is a problem.
A US edition from Poisoned Pen Press with the British Library runs to 240 pages.
The case for listening to it
Two readers, Gordon Griffin and Anne Dover, share the recording, which runs about 7 hours 35 minutes, or about 5 hours at 1.5x. Short, self-contained stories suit listening one at a time. We found no review of the reading.
The audiobook in detail
Isis published the recording in 2018, read by Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover; the Audible UK author page lists it at 7 hours 35 minutes and the Isis CD set at about 7 and a half hours. It is complete and unabridged, per the Isis record. Which stories each reader takes is not stated, and the US audio was not checked.
Speed times: about 5h 3m at 1.5x and 3h 48m at 2x (calculated).
Who should ignore this verdict
Readers who come to the British Library series for Martin Edwards’s introductions, since the audio may not include them. And anyone who wants one long story to sink into.
Audiobook
- Read by Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover
- 7h 35m, or about 5h 3m at 1.5x
- Complete and unabridged
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Midwinter Murder
Christie’s winter stories, where either format also works.
The Mistletoe Murder
Four Christmas crime stories, shared between two narrators who have both been praised.
Letters from Father Christmas
A Christmas book of letters and drawings.
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 Christmas Card Crime audiobook?
Gordon Griffin with Anne Dover, for Isis. Which stories each reads is not stated.
How long is The Christmas Card Crime audiobook?
About 7 hours 35 minutes, complete and unabridged; at 1.5x about 5 hours 3 minutes (calculated).
How many stories are in The Christmas Card Crime?
Eleven Christmas crime stories from the Golden Age of detective fiction.
Should I read or listen to The Christmas Card Crime?
Either works, on our checks (50% confidence, close call). Nothing confirmed points to either format. Print includes Martin Edwards’s introduction, which the audio may not.
Who edited The Christmas Card Crime?
Martin Edwards, for the British Library Crime Classics.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.
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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’s author page, an Isis library record, the Books Please blog, LibraryThing, the Calibre catalogue for the series, and Open Library for the cover.
- 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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