Christmas Present

A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story

By: Jodi Taylor

Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Length: 1 hr and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's. And all through the house. Nothing is stirring.... Except for Max, Peterson, and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books.

It was ten years ago tonight that senior historians Bashford and Grey went missing in 12th century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD 60 Roman Colchester?

Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes.

And then there's the giant pig...the enraged, giant pig....

Jodi Taylor is and always has been a history nut. Her disinclination to get out of bed for anything after 1485 can only be overcome by massive amounts of chocolate, and sometimes, if it's raining, not even then. She wanted to write a book about time travel that was a little different and, not having a clue how difficult this would make her book to classify, went ahead and slung in elements of history, adventure, comedy, romance, tragedy, and anything else she could think of. Her advice to booksellers is to buy huge numbers of her books and just put one on every shelf.

©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Time Travel Fluff

I may be calling this fluff, but I'll fess up that I love it. It's silly, fun and a great read. Enjoy it!

Cute, but too short

Almost a foreword. Over before it started. Leave it to St. Mary's to keep you wanting more.

Short...but can't complain about the price

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Jodi Taylor writes fairly madcap time travelling adventures. These very short stand-alone stories sit in that world and offer an entertaining escape from reality. Best of all, they're free!

What other book might you compare Christmas Present to and why?

Tough to compare it with anything.
I guess Jodi Taylor books have that same whacky humour you get from Douglas Adams...and maybe Ben Elton.

A good ending

Well written with appearances by your favorite characters. You figure the ending will be disappointing, but it isn't.

Under Par - dumb

I am hooked on this series but this book fell short. Don't waste your money.

A nice addition to the series

Very exciting St. Mary's short story. Love the usual St. Mary's humor and excellent narration by Zara Ramm. I do so love this series, especially on audio. I listened to this after book 6, but it takes place before, and so it filled in the blanks on the presence of some historians that are re-introduced in that book. It was fun to see where they came from but it might have been less confusing if I had read this one before book 6 (where I was scratching my head wondering why I couldn't remember these characters). Very strong for a short story.

As always, Jodi Taylor rocks

Highly recommend EVERY volume in the St Mary's Chronicles. You will love the characters , the history , humor & adventure . Very cleverly written , & ZARA RAMM is simply superb .

They are at it again at St Mary's

Where does Christmas Present rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Amazing. At least read the first book, One Damn thing after Another before this book to get a feel for several ppl they talk about

Who was your favorite character and why?

Markham, herding historians like usual

Have you listened to any of Zara Ramm’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes perfect performance like all St Mary's books

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Short and sweet but should read at least the first book in series, Chronicles of St Mary's before.

What a gift

Jodi Taylor and Zara Ramm have done another fabulous job. I don't think I can ever get across how much I am enjoying this series. History has never been this thrilling. Jodi and Zara keep up the wonderful work.

Gentle Reprieve

After the abject terror of A Trail Through Time this book is a gentle and almost sweet reprieve.

Max is called upon by Mrs. Partridge to engage in a special mission – on Christmas day, no less – to provide a special Christmas present for one of the other members of the St. Mary’s team.

Great short story from a great series

Which character – as performed by Zara Ramm – was your favourite?

Max! Zara Ramm really brings her to life!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it's short enough for one long-ish car journey.

Any additional comments?

I really like that this short story was made available to add another facet to the overall series. I always enjoy learning more about the background of characters and this was the perfect platform.

Stunning idea, well written

Something no one expected, there's no clue to it in any of the full length books. I wonder if the ramifications will be included in No Time like the Past or any of the future full length books.

I have to admit it was a marvel to listen to and a perfect Christmas present for Guthrie.

Simply wonderful!

Would you consider the audio edition of Christmas Present to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version of Jodi Taylor's Chronicle of St Mary's series so I can't say. However I can't imagine the print version being better as the audio is superb.

What other book might you compare Christmas Present to, and why?

Other than the rest of the series ... nothing really.

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?

Everything! She is absolutely perfect in her rendering.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a short story so yes, I listened to it right through.

Any additional comments?

If you haven't read / listened to the Chronicles of St Mary's I really urge you to give them a go if you like clean, informative about history, and laugh out loud funny!
The books can be read as stand alone but I advise you to start at the beginning and work through in order as the story line and characters develop with each book. You'll be hooked after the first one. I was, and am eagerly awaiting the audio version of Book 5!

Fantastic stand alone adventure

What did you like most about Christmas Present?

Fast paced standalone adventure. Great plot line.

What other book might you compare Christmas Present to, and why?

Any of the other chronicles of st. Marys

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?

As wonderful as ever!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh as usual. Jodi is very funny in her writing and beautifully delivered by Zara.

Any additional comments?

Onto the next in the series. Can't wait.

Greatest Story Ever Told?

Great story as expected. What I didn't expect was, as I'm lying here at midnight unable to sleep due to it being the hottest UK July night on record, to be made to feel Christmassy! Make of that what you will...

Loved it

This has to be one of my favorite additions to the main series.

Keep them coming !

What a marvellous gift

A massive shambles and yet they come out of it successfully, in true St. Mary's style.
A touching story, of care and friendship.

enjoyed this audio book.

will look for more from the author and the narrator loved the sarcasm. pleasantly surprised

And then the world went white

Another brilliant short story from the St Marys crew. I do not get bored of these books and Zara Ramms delivery is brilliant.

Five *****

Once again St Mary's and the team are triumphant!!!! In one word 'WONDERFUL!!!! That is all