The Twelve Clues of Christmas: A Royal Spyness Mystery
- Narrated by:
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
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- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release Date:11-20-12
- Publisher: Audible Studios
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.
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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.
What the Critics Say
"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
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Felicia The Geeky Blogger 11-25-12Felicia The Geeky Blogger 11-25-12 Member Since 2015
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"It was a great Christmas Who-Done-It!"
Read from November 20 to 24, 2012
Listened for FUN!
Part of my 25 Christmas Reads for 2012
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating 4.50
Audio Rating (not part of the overall rating): 4.50
Christmas Rating: Just plain fun!
First thought when finished: Rhys Bowen hit it out of the park with The Twelve Clues of Christmas. It was a great Christmas Who-Done-It!
Just my thoughts: The Twelve Clues of Christmas was a jolly good time! I had a blast while listening and was thrilled to delve back into her royal spyness. This is one fun series for those that like amateur sleuth stories. Check it out when you get a chance! These have a small carry over story but I think they can be read out of order or as standalones.
About the audio: Narrated by Katherine Kellgren and she did a bang up job! Her voices were spot on, the pacing was fantastic, and the reading was delightful.
Final thought: I recommend the Royal Spyness series to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!25 of 25 people found this review helpful -
"What ho, old bean!"
If you could sum up The Twelve Clues of Christmas in three words, what would they be?Lighthearted, Smart, Whodunnit
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?Not on the edge of my seat, no. It was a good murder mystery without too much predictability. It was an utter pleasure to listen to and to follow Lady Georgie on yet another adventure. If there can be charming murder mysteries, this is definitely one.
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?Katherine Kellgren is one of my favorite narrators of all time - she does voices and accents and dialects beautifully. It feels like an entire cast is acting out the story.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?Laughed. MANY times.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful -
"Tradition English Christmas gone haywire"
Once again, Lady Georgie is stuck at Castle Rannock with her miserly sister-in-law, Fig, making her life miserable and Christmas is just around the corner. So, why not take a job on a country estate in Devon, make a little money and get far, far away from Scotland? All is fine until local people start dying. But are these deaths accidents or murder?
Once again, Darcy is on hand to lend his simmering sensuality to mix and he does distract Georgie quite a bit as she goes about trying to figure out what's going on.
This is one of my favorites in the series. I just love Lady G's spunk and how wonderfully English these books always are. And there are always several laugh out loud incidents in any of the Royal Spyness books.
I loved this reader's ability to capture personalities so well with her intonations.9 of 9 people found this review helpful -
"Another Great Lady Georgie Mystery"
Lady Georgiana Rannoch escapes the horrid fate of spending Christmas with her step-sister's family at Castle Rannoch by attending a house party in a quaint English village instead as a Royal Family entertainer for the house guests. But as soon as she arrives, people start dying in strange accidents and she shortly begins to suspect that these accidents are really murders. Accompanied by the dashing Darcy O'Mara, Georgie sets out to solve these murders and uncovers the twelve clues to these murders. Clever and witty, with a dash of romance, Rhys Bowen weaves old English Christmas traditions and centuries-long superstitions with pre-WWII England and all of its social class upheaval to create a magical Christmas mystery that is sure to entertain. Fantastically performed by Katherine Kellgren, I quickly lost myself in the story. A Must-Listen Mystery for this Christmas season!
17 of 18 people found this review helpful -
B.J. Minneapolis, MN, United States 01-02-13 Member Since 2010
I hear voices. But maybe that's because there's always an Audible book in my ear.
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"Fun listen over the holidays"
You know, these books won't make you smarter. But, they're great entertainment. Especially fun to listen to this one and have it end on New Year's Day in the book and in real life. Once again, the narration is fabulous.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful -
"Ah, Georgie, you've done it again!"
I won't bother to report on the storyline, as you can read about it in the descriptions of others. Instead, I'll report on the entertainment value, as I see it. Rhys Bowen writes fun, lively mysteries that move quickly and offer the listener/reader a glimpse into 1920's in England. Descriptions of conditions, clothing, food, and ambiance are so vivid the listener can almost feel as if he/she was in the midst of it all. Narration by Ms. Kellgren is perfect, slipping from one dialect to another with ease, male and female characters clearly articulated with emotion and liveliness. I have listened to so many Bowen books that I hear the first sentence and feel "ahhh, she's back".
So, would I recommend it? Yes, because, for me, it's pure entertainment.
Specifically, this book is paced well, with rich characters that would never appear in reading as colorfully as they are when read by Ms Kellgren. I want more!5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
"Such fun to listen to"
This is such a fun series to enjoy. Sometimes kind of silly but always interesting. The series wouldn't be the same without the great narration of Katherine Kellgren. Looking forward to the next one.
12 of 14 people found this review helpful -
Jan 12-13-13Jan 12-13-13 Member Since 2011
Tangential, eclectic, avid listener... favorite book is the one currently in ear.
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"Christmas fun, my favorite Royal Spyness"
What a fun little Christmas murder mystery. This is the 6th "Royal Spyness" book, but could easily stand alone for a fun Christmas read. Aside from 1st book beginning the series, this is my favorite. It is a fluffy, brain in neutral read... but my goodness, it captures the fun of a traditional English Christmas. The food, parlor games, caroling, and community traditions are woven cleverly with a series of crimes. Excellent narration.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
"Perfect holiday entertainment"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?This was a fun listen. I'm ashamed to admit how long it took me to catch on to the mystery which only delighted me more once I had at least some of the motive figured out. It was farsical and therefore not meant to be overly serious.
What did you like best about this story?All the characters are likeable and its set after the great wall street crash. It's interesting to see all the upper classess trying to redefine themselves in order to survive financially in a tough economy.
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?The narrator, Katherine Kellgren does accents and men's voices very well. You have no difficulty keeping up with the dialog. Her reading is not overly dramatized as I wouldn't like that but it's also not under performed. Her phrasing and timing add to the quality of the listen.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
"Christmas Time Treasure"
Would you listen to The Twelve Clues of Christmas again? Why?Yes, it was fun, great characters and a good plot.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?For the most part. I did not guess the ending a head of time and for someone who has read a lot of mysteries that is an achievement.
Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?Katherine is great as always and I can't imagine the main character with another voice. In fact we started this series because she had been the voice in another story.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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EmmaDenny, United Kingdom12/2/13
"Murder with style"
If you could sum up The Twelve Clues of Christmas in three words, what would they be?Classy
Funny
Whodunit
What did you like best about this story?I think Georgie is a great character we have seen her grow thru the series and you really root for her and want her to find her man as well as see things develop with Darcy.
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?She does a great voice for Georgie and a lot of the other characters. Her regional accents are not always the best but overall she brings a lot to the story.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?The not so jolly 12 days of Christmas
Any additional comments?This series is definitely worth listening to but I would recommend starting with book one
3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
Sophie TommsCo.Down, Northern Ireland12/30/13
"A cosy murder mystery."
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?I would recommend this book to a friend if the friend needed a good listen while doing a mundane task. This is a guilty pleasure book which I find helps me keep ironing or cleaning the house. Nothing wrong with that!
If you’ve listened to books by Rhys Bowen before, how does this one compare?I haven't listened to any other Rhys Bowen books before but will be listening in future. There is always a pile of ironing and my house never stays tidy.......cheaper than a cleaner.
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?The narrator is fantastic and has a good range of character voices. I would have given the performance five stars except that I HATED the voice of Darcy. He was meant to be from an aristocratic Irish family but spoke as if he was there to Tarmac the driveway.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?This was a gently funny Christie-esque book.
Any additional comments?Some audiobooks are mind improving and others are just for pleasure. This was an enjoyable pleasure.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful -
ChristineSpalding, United Kingdom3/11/14
"Light and entertaining listening"
Would you consider the audio edition of The Twelve Clues of Christmas to be better than the print version?I have not read the print version but I enjoyed the audio version.
What other book might you compare The Twelve Clues of Christmas to, and why?I would compare this book to a hybrid of Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse with a bit of Brian Rix performance style thrown in.
Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances? How does this one compare?I haven't heard any of Katherine Kellgren's material before but I shall look out for her in the future.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?Plenty of moments that made me smile and some that made me laugh.
Any additional comments?I though that this was a good all round lighthearted listen that was enjoyable from start to finish. I found my self trying to guess the next victim so I had obviously become drawn into the story-line. Probably not my usual sort of listening but I will look out for some more of the same in the future.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
LCwmbran, United Kingdom2/2/14
"Christmas treat"
If you could sum up The Twelve Clues of Christmas in three words, what would they be?Fun mystery
What other book might you compare The Twelve Clues of Christmas to, and why?Agatha Christie books
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?Good pace and brings characters to life
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?Christmas carols can be deadly
Any additional comments?Enjoyable and light hearted. Good Christmas listen.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
L12/17/15
"Not great"
This story continued much as the last. All men are lecherous wannabe rapists and everybody from the upper-classes is utterly ridiculous. It also annoyed me that the author couldn't be bothered with historical accuracy. We hanged witches in this country, they were never burned. It's bad enough when a foreign author gets this fact wrong, but for a British author to get it wrong is insulting. The narrator was a bit better this time, less of the ridiculous pronunciation and voices.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
Jayne Baker4/12/15
"Just good fun"
Got this book on a special offer. I have to say it was much better than expected, funny and a good mystery. The main character is really likeable and the author has a gift for bring all other minor characters to life. The narration is spot on.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
SarahUnited Kingdom12/18/13
"Talented narrator, contrived story"
What disappointed you about The Twelve Clues of Christmas?The story was shoe-horned into a certain pattern. I love Agatha Christie and Agatha Raisin type stories, but this didn't hold my attention at all.
Has The Twelve Clues of Christmas put you off other books in this genre?Not in this genre, bit I won't be hunting out any more by this particular author.
Which scene did you most enjoy?Not really any of them stick in the mind.
What character would you cut from The Twelve Clues of Christmas?I would develop all of the characters more, in particular the villagers who play a key part in the story later on.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
EVAWRAY NR LANCASTER, United Kingdom4/18/15
"OK"
A little disappointed. I thought because it was Noel Cowerd it would have a better storyline and be more funny.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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