The Heist Before Christmas by Lucy Score: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
The fifth Riley Thorn romantic mystery: a reluctant psychic and her private investigator fiancé go undercover in a shopping mall at Christmas to catch a theft ring.
Short answer: for The Heist Before Christmas audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). The book was not out when we checked on 2 November 2026, so no listening or reading check could be backed by a named source yet. Natalie Duke reads it, as she has every Riley Thorn book, and this verdict will be reviewed once reviews and ratings are in.
Either works
Listen for Natalie Duke, who reads every Riley Thorn book, so fans of the series keep the same voice for 10 hours 8 minutes. Read it if you'd rather set your own pace and flick back through Riley's big, lively cast.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
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. Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Natalie Duke | Natalie Duke |
| Length | 10 hours 8 minutes (10h 8m), unabridged, as listed before release | 10 hours 8 minutes (10h 8m), unabridged, as listed before release |
| At 1.5x | about 6h 45m | about 6h 45m |
| At 2x | about 5h 4m | about 5h 4m |
| Audio publisher and release date | That’s What She Said Publishing, 10 November 2026 | That’s What She Said Publishing, 10 November 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £15.59 on Audible UK (pre-order) | $22.06 on Audible US (pre-order) |
| Kindle price | £4.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Bloom Books international paperback, 400 pages, 10 November 2026 | Bloom Books paperback, 336 pages, 10 November 2026 | |
| Listener rating | No ratings yet (checked before release) | No ratings yet (checked before release) |
Natalie Duke reads both editions, with the same publisher, length and release date. Whether they are one recording is not confirmed. The running time is as listed before release.
Ratings and prices checked 2 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 2 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Heist Before Christmas
Lucy Score
- Genre
- Christmas romantic mystery
- Series
- Riley Thorn, book 5
- Release date
- 10 November 2026
- Length
- 400 pages (international paperback)
- On audio
- 10 hrs 8 mins, Natalie Duke
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
- Natalie Duke, That’s What She Said Publishing, 2026, 10h 8m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None yet (checked before release)
- Alternatives
- None
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed yet
What this book actually is
The Heist Before Christmas is the fifth Riley Thorn romantic mystery by Lucy Score. Riley, a reluctant psychic, and her private investigator fiancé, Nick Santiago, go undercover at the East Shore Mall to catch a slippery theft ring, with five days to do it before Christmas. The cast includes Riley’s purple-haired octogenarian business partner, a disapproving grandmother and a stray kitten.
The earlier books were first sold with titles such as Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door, and the audiobooks still carry them. A 2023 Sky Christmas film shares this book’s title but is unrelated. Who the thief is, and why Riley’s future looks “suspiciously blank”, is not covered here.
The case for reading it
The book was not out when we checked, so no source had described how it is told. In print you can set your own pace through a big, lively cast and flick back to check who is who.
The case for listening to it
Natalie Duke reads every Riley Thorn book, so if you listened to the earlier ones you keep the same voice. Listeners rate her readings of books 1 to 4 between 4.59 and 4.82 on Audible US, though this recording had no ratings yet.
At 10 hours 8 minutes, as listed, it comes down to about 6 hours 45 minutes at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Natalie Duke reads the book alone for That’s What She Said Publishing, Lucy Score’s own audio label. It is listed at 10 hours 8 minutes, unabridged, on Audible UK and US, with a release date of 10 November 2026 on both.
She has read all five Riley Thorn books. No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards audio if you heard the earlier books with Natalie Duke and want the same voice. Lean towards print if you like to keep track of a big cast on the page.
Audiobook
- Read by Natalie Duke
- 10h 8m, or about 6h 45m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; same narrator as books 1 to 4
Kindle
- 400 pages (international paperback)
- Easy to flick back through a big cast
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
Another Christmas romance.
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
Another Christmas mystery.
In a Holidaze
A Christmas rom-com.
The Christmas Appeal
A Christmas mystery where print comes out ahead.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
When does The Heist Before Christmas come out?
Its release date is Tuesday 10 November 2026, in print and on Audible in the UK and the US.
Who narrates The Heist Before Christmas audiobook?
Natalie Duke, who reads every book in the Riley Thorn series.
How long is The Heist Before Christmas audiobook?
10 hours 8 minutes, as listed before release, or about 6 hours 45 minutes at 1.5x.
Is it abridged?
No. It is listed as unabridged.
How many pages is The Heist Before Christmas?
336 pages in the US Bloom Books paperback and 400 in the international paperback.
Is The Heist Before Christmas a Riley Thorn book?
Yes, it is book 5.
What order do the Riley Thorn books go in?
1 The Dead Guy Next Door (2020), 2 The Corpse in the Closet (2021), 3 The Blast from the Past (2022), 4 The Body in the Backyard (2024), 5 The Heist Before Christmas (2026). The first three were first sold as “Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door” and so on, and the audiobooks still carry those titles.
Is there a film?
Not of this book. A 2023 Sky Christmas film with the same title is unrelated.
Should I read or listen?
Either works, at 50%, a close call. No check could be confirmed before release, so pick the format you prefer for now.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.
Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.
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 and US, NetGalley, Penguin Australia, Green Apple Books, FantasticFiction, Blue Mood Café, Open Library and Wikipedia.
- Verdict last reviewed: 2 November 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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