This is by Kathryn Croft, and it came out just a couple of months ago as an Audible Original.

My reason for listening was that these Originals appear in different languages, and I was able to do one of my occasional double-shuffles, listening first in French and then in Italian (I'm not quick enough at listening to Italian to rely on it exclusively, but once I knew the story already from the French, the Italian became crystal clear).

Credit where credit is due: The French version was narrated by Ariane Brousse and Eve Reinquin (I'm not sure who translated it); the Italian version (entitled Natale rosso sangue, or Blood Red Christmas) was translated by Marco Zonetti, and narrated by Liliana Bottone and Doriana Costanzo. They were all very accomplished story-tellers.



I found it a good listen, and the story was definitely gripping.

Admittedly, it's a fairly stereotypical scenario. Six friends from university. Gabby, Sasha, Anna, Fin, Shaun, and Andre. Twelve years ago, they meet for a Christmas party. But something terrible happens, and Gabby's 10-year-old sister, Serafina, disappears. The mystery is never cleared up, and it sows sufficient discord for the friends to resolve to go their separate ways. Now, all this time later, Gabby, who owns a handsome but isolated pad by a Scottish loch (where mobile phone coverage is conveniently spasmodic), invites the other five to spend Christmas with her. The way she frames it is that the Christmas gathering is a way of helping her put the past tragedy behind her. They feel obliged to turn up (which, I guess, is slightly incredulity-stretching). But they find that Gabby has another agenda: Truth-finding.

Of course, the weather turns terrible, and the six friends (or are they...?) are shut in by a snowstorm. That's when the secrets start to worm their way out. Nobody is totally innocent in this whole melee. Everyone is hiding something. But a specific someone carries the very distinct guilt of bearing away little Serafina. Who is it?

Suspicion is thrown first on one person, then on another. The atmosphere is creepy, full of unknowns and sources of dread.

The resolution is a little too pat (but by then the six have already become five, so we're aware there's real risk in this business).

All in all, an enjoyable story. Nothing highfalutin. Just a bit of psychological tension, nicely rendered.