The Twelve Clues of Christmas audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Georgie spends Christmas 1933 at a paying-guest house party in a Devon village, where someone dies each day.
Short answer: for The Twelve Clues of Christmas audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (100% confidence, clear cut). Georgie tells the story herself in the first person, and Katherine Kellgren’s reading won the 2014 Audie Award for Solo Narration, Female. Nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
One first-person voice and an Audie-winning reading: everything confirmed points to audio.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut 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 | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Katherine Kellgren | Katherine Kellgren |
| Length | 9 hours 25 minutes (9h 25m), unabridged | 9 hours 25 minutes (9h 25m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 6h 17m | about 6h 17m |
| At 2x | about 4h 43m | about 4h 43m |
| Audio publisher and date | Audible Studios, 20 November 2012 | Audible Studios, 20 November 2012 |
| Audiobook price | £13.15 on Audible UK | $19.29 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £5.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Constable paperback, 347 pages | Berkley Prime Crime hardback, 311 pages | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.59 from 267 ratings | Performance 4.70 from 5,443 ratings |
| Award | 2014 Audie Award, Solo Narration, Female (winner) | Same |
The same Audible Studios recording is sold in the UK and the US. No different UK recording was found.
Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Twelve Clues of Christmas
Rhys Bowen
- Genre
- Cosy crime
- Series
- Royal Spyness, book 6
- First published
- 2012
- Length
- 347 pages (UK Constable paperback)
- On audio
- 9 hrs 25 mins, Katherine Kellgren
- Award
- 2014 Audie, Solo Narration, Female
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: single point of view and narrator (7), award-winning or praised narration (6), 13 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 100% confidence (clear cut).
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Katherine Kellgren, Audible Studios, 2012, 9h 25m, unabridged
- Critic review
- 2014 Audie Award winner, Solo Narration, Female (Audio Publishers Association)
- Alternatives
- None found
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
The Twelve Clues of Christmas is the sixth Royal Spyness mystery by Rhys Bowen, published in 2012. In 1933 Lady Georgiana, known as Georgie, takes a post at a paying-guest Christmas house party in a Devon village, and someone dies each day. The killer, how the pattern is worked out and what happens with Darcy are not covered here.
No film or television adaptation has been announced.
The case for reading it
Nothing confirmed points to print. It is a light, day-by-day mystery of about 350 pages.
The case for listening to it
Georgie narrates the whole book in her own voice, and Katherine Kellgren’s reading of it won the 2014 Audie Award for Solo Narration, Female, chosen by the Audio Publishers Association.
At 9 hours 25 minutes it comes down to about 6 hours 17 minutes at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Audible Studios publishes the unabridged recording, read by Katherine Kellgren, at 9 hours 25 minutes on Audible UK and US (20 November 2012). It won the 2014 Audie Award for Solo Narration, Female; the finalists included Meryl Streep and Kate Mulgrew.
No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards print if you like to stop and test your own theory against the list of house guests.
Audiobook
- Read by Katherine Kellgren
- 9h 25m, or about 6h 17m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; 2014 Audie winner
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
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The Mistletoe Murder
Praised narration by two readers, and nothing confirmed points to the page.
The Christmas Appeal
Cosy Christmas crime with the opposite pick.
The Thursday Murder Club
Award-winning narration, against several viewpoints and a diary all read by one narrator.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Twelve Clues of Christmas audiobook?
Katherine Kellgren, on both Audible UK and Audible US.
Did the narration win an award?
Yes. It won the 2014 Audie Award for Solo Narration, Female.
How long is it?
9 hours 25 minutes, or about 6 hours 17 minutes at 1.5x.
Is it abridged?
No, it is unabridged.
How many pages is it?
347 in the UK Constable paperback and 311 in the US hardback.
Which number is it in the Royal Spyness series?
Book 6.
Is there a film?
None has been announced.
Should I read or listen?
Listen, at 100%, clear cut. One first-person voice and an Audie-winning reading.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. 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, Amazon UK, the Audio Publishers Association (2014 Audies), Penguin Random House US, Constable, Kirkus, Booklist and the Bookwyrm’s Hoard review.
- Verdict last reviewed: 30 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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