The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
Four Christmas crime stories by P.D. James, two of them featuring a young Adam Dalgliesh. Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman share the reading.
Short answer: for The Mistletoe Murder audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman read it for Faber Audio, 3 hours 3 minutes, unabridged, splitting the four stories between them by story rather than by character. AudioFile praises both readers, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
Praised narration by two readers, and nothing confirmed points to print.
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Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning 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 (Faber Audio) | US edition (Random House Audio) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrators | Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman | Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman |
| Length | 3 hours 3 minutes (3h 3m); Faber lists 3 hours | 3 hours 3 minutes (3h 3m) |
| At 1.5x | about 2h 2m | about 2h 2m |
| At 2x | about 1h 32m | about 1h 32m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged (library records) | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Faber Audio, 2016 | Random House Audio and Books on Tape, 2016, produced by Faber Audio |
A US library record says the Random House Audio release is a Faber Audio production, so the UK and US editions are the same recording.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Mistletoe Murder
P.D. James
- Genre
- Crime; Christmas short stories
- Published
- 2016
- On audio
- 3 hrs 3 mins, Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman
- Stories
- The Mistletoe Murder, A Very Commonplace Murder, The Boxdale Inheritance and The Twelve Clues of Christmas
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.
Listening: award-winning or praised narration (6), 6 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 6 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman, Faber Audio, 2016, 3h 3m, unabridged
- Casting
- Weyman reads two stories; Agutter two plus James’s essay
- Critic review
- AudioFile praises both readers
- Alternatives
- None found
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories collects four previously uncollected Christmas crime stories by P.D. James, published in 2016. Two feature a young Adam Dalgliesh. The title story is told by an elderly crime novelist remembering a Christmas fifty years earlier.
The four stories are The Mistletoe Murder, A Very Commonplace Murder, The Boxdale Inheritance and The Twelve Clues of Christmas. Each ends on a reveal, which this page leaves alone.
The case for reading it
The case for reading is thin. These are four short stories with small casts and no reported documents, maps or special layout. The one thing to check is James’s short essay on crime fiction, which is read on the audio; whether your print edition includes it is not confirmed.
Readers who like to go back over a puzzle to check the clues may still prefer print.
The case for listening to it
Both readers are praised in the same review. AudioFile notes Daniel Weyman’s switching between male and female characters and the feel of radio theatre, and a trade review singles out Jenny Agutter’s reading of one story as “hard-edged and at times venomous”. Because the stories are split between two readers, each story has its own feel.
The whole recording is 3 hours 3 minutes, about 2 hours at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Faber Audio produced the recording in 2016, and Random House Audio released the same production in the US, per a US library record. It runs 3 hours 3 minutes on Audible; Faber’s catalogue says 3 hours. Daniel Weyman reads two stories and Jenny Agutter the other two, plus a short essay by James on crime fiction.
No music or sound design was found. Speed times: about 2h 2m at 1.5x and 1h 32m at 2x (calculated).
Who should ignore this verdict
Readers who like to go back over a puzzle and check the clues, which is easier in print. And anyone looking for Mistletoe Murders, the Audible Original series starring Cobie Smulders: that is a different, audio-only production.
Audiobook
- Read by Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman, praised by AudioFile
- 3h 3m, or about 2h 2m at 1.5x
- Includes James’s essay on crime fiction
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
A Christmas Day mystery read by its author.
Midwinter Murder
Christie’s winter stories, where nothing strongly favours either format.
The Secret History
A literary murder story where either format works.
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 Mistletoe Murder audiobook?
Jenny Agutter and Daniel Weyman. Weyman reads two stories and Agutter the other two, plus James’s essay on crime fiction.
How long is The Mistletoe Murder audiobook?
3 hours 3 minutes, unabridged; at 1.5x about 2 hours 2 minutes and at 2x about 1 hour 32 minutes (calculated).
Which stories are in The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories?
The Mistletoe Murder, A Very Commonplace Murder, The Boxdale Inheritance and The Twelve Clues of Christmas. Two feature a young Adam Dalgliesh.
Should I read or listen to The Mistletoe Murder?
Listen on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). AudioFile praises both readers, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Is The Mistletoe Murder the same as Mistletoe Murders?
No. Mistletoe Murders is an Audible Original series starring Cobie Smulders, a separate, audio-only production. P.D. James’s book is a collection of four short stories.
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: AudioFile’s review, Faber Audio’s catalogue, Audible, OverDrive review text, a Calibre catalogue entry, a US library record, 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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