The Twelve Clues of Christmas

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Solo Narration - Female, 2014

She may be 35th in line for the throne, but Lady Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year—before a Christmas killer wrings another neck…

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me—well, actually, my true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending a feliz navidad tramping around South America. Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel Coward! And I’m snowed in at Castle Rannoch with my bumbling brother, Binky, and sourpuss sister-in-law, Fig. So it’s a miracle when I contrive to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village is like something out of A Christmas Carol! But no sooner have I arrived than a neighborhood nuisance, a fellow named Freddie falls out of a tree, dead…. Dickensian, indeed.

Freddie’s merely a stocking stuffer. On my second day in town, another so-called accident turns up another mincemeat pie—and yet another on my third. The village is buzzing that a recent prison break could have something to do with it… that, or a long-standing witch’s curse. I’m not so sure. But after Darcy shows up beneath the mistletoe, anything could be possible in this wicked wonderland.

©2012 Janet Quin- Harkin (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Katherine Kellgren performs an impressive range of accents: Irish brogue, high-pitched Cockney, fussy American, West Country burr, and more. Kellgren triumphs as Georgi, who is 34th in line to the throne, giving her a refined accent contrasted with down-to-earth sensibilities. Due to the author's light touch and Kellgren's humorous delivery, the many Yuletide deaths in this cozy do not become macabre. The listener just marvels at the mounting 'accidents' amid the bountiful Christmas cheer." ( AudioFile)

Audie Award Winner, Solo Narration - Female, 2014

Delightful mystery

Where does The Twelve Clues of Christmas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Twelve Clues of Christmas is the best of the series yet...

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Twelve Clues of Christmas?

Loved the ending ... won't spoil it for you.

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

Katherine performs all the characters well and dramatically acts out the performances with her voice. Darcy O'Mara is delicious.

A great Christmas mistery

Where does The Twelve Clues of Christmas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the top 10.

What other book might you compare The Twelve Clues of Christmas to and why?

It was a nice break from some of the sappy but good Christmas reads.

Any additional comments?

This book will be on my traditional Christmas reads list.

Excellent mystery

Plot line pulled together incredibly well. The villains were hidden and red herrings offered options until the end. The romance came together nicely and the ending offered how for the characters'future.

A Cozy Cozy story

This is one of the first cozy stories that I listen to on Audible and it is still great. I am glad that rediscovered the series. I have three books to finish the series and plan on reading them.

a guilty pleasure

I find this series to be lighthearted fun, similar in feel to Stephanie Plummer. enjoy.

Yay Georgie!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Twelve Clues of Christmas to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print versions of any of the Royal Spyness books, but I can't imagine they could be any better. Katherine Kellgren's ability to give voices to Rhys Bowen's clever cast of characters is truly magical. The combined artistry felt like it really took me to 1930's Devonshire.

Any additional comments?

I loved the combination of Christmas, romance, mystery and adventure in this book. I've loved all of the Royal Spyness series, but this is my favorite so far. Rhys Bowen is a writer with a knack for waving a carrot under the noses of her readers and then slipping them an apple and a sugar cube. Delicious!

Robotic Performance

The story was fine and performed well except for the robotic and distracting "I said"s "she said"s, etc.

Great series, fun suspense

Rhys has kept the story going here with thrill and adventure. The story line was exciting and interesting, always leaving you for wanting more and more. On to the next book. 👍🏻

Adore this series!

It is silly and the mysteries are easily solved but who cares. The characters are fabulous, the narration is spot on and the stories are fun. I have listened to the whole series and will definitely listen to all future ones. It is nice break, light and fun.

Hooked - Loved it!

Dreaded for this story to end. Looked forward to listening everyday. Normally these English accents would annoy me, but never once was I wanting to take off my headphones.