The third and apparently last of The Stranger Times series does not disappoint. Like the previous books, it's funny (often hilarious) but also quite touching.

It begins with the shocking news Hannah has left suddenly....apparently, to get back with her cheating ex.And Banecroft is being repeatedly haunted by his wife Charlotte. And the new assistant editor.....well, she's certainly a force to be reckoned with! Dark agencies are at work, and without Hannah's steadying hand, the entire staff of TST are soon in danger.

A great series, I wish there were more. But it certainly goes out on a high (but only for medicinal purposes!)

Enjoyed the final instalment in this series. Love the oddball characters, the newspaper office and its rather strange management. The supernatural, the mystery and the comedy.

I’d definitely start at the beginning if you’re coming new, or you’ll be missing a load of character background. An enjoyable romp all round.

What an enjoyable book! I have six avid reader friend whom I have heartily recommended it to!
Can't wait to read the next book from this extremely readable author!

The third, and unfortunately the last, book in this trilogy. Love the writers style, with engaging characters and a page turning plot. I will definitely be looking for more books by C K McDonnell.

'Love will Tear us Apart' by C. K. McDonnell is the third installment of 'The Stranger Times' series. I really enjoyed this latest addition and feel as the story progresses, each instalment is more gripping than the last. Assistant Editor, Hannah Drinkwater has mysteriously upped and left her colleagues and friends at The Stranger Times newspaper. The story she relays to her friends is that she wants to get back with her ex-husband, whom we learn had creates on her in the first book (and Hannah tried to burn his house down). Initially, it seems very suspicious that she would want to get back into a relationship with him but, is there something else going on? Banecroft is plagued by visions of his late wife Charlotte ordering him to do things for her. The messages arrive via the medium of Simon, a teenager who was sadly killed in the line of duty for the Stranger Times despite not actually working for them.
I enjoyed the addition of the new character, Betsy who is just a weird and strange as everyone else at the Stranger Times and fits in perfectly. More strange goings on and supernatural beings visit Manchester as the team try to save Banecfoft from himself, rid Manchester of evil and, safely welcome Hannah back with open arms. The production quality of the second book as an audiobook was fantastic and, I hope the same can be said for this addition to the series.

I found it a bit difficult to get into this one. That occasionally happens with a much-anticipated book, I’ve discovered. I hated the fact that Hannah had cut and run from The Stranger Times office – and initially, her apparent reason didn’t ring true. I soon discovered there’s a reason for that. So at that stage, I relaxed into this one and went with the flow. Though I would say that if you haven’t read either of the first two books, I’d put this one back on the shelf and go searching for either or both of them. There was a lot of plot to pack into this one, so McDonnell didn’t hang around re-establishing the characters in the same detail as happened in The Stranger Times or This Charming Man.

I liked the fact that Stella had more of a role in this story – she’s always been something of an enigma. But I did find Grace’s unravelling a bit annoying and I wasn’t convinced by it. She’s always been a very efficient office manager and coping with receipts for Petty Cash is one of those bread and butter tasks that has to be done with thoroughness, or the whole system quickly gets out of hand. It simply didn’t make sense to me that Grace would have been so slapdash with the paperwork that accounts for the pennies and pounds running through a working office.

The scenes at the health spa were enjoyable, with plenty of humour. And as ever, the climactic scenes that trip into horrific paranormal played to McDonnell’s writing strengths. What I really, really missed from this arc were The Stranger Times articles that appear at the start of every chapter. They usually make me laugh aloud – but while there was a line identifying what they would be about, they hadn’t yet been added to this edition before it was released to reviewers. I know readers won’t find it a problem and so I’m not critiquing their lack – I’m just having a personal whine, as they are always hilarious.

Overall, I enjoyed this latest adventure from the quirkiest newspaper to hit the streets of Manchester. This book and the rest of the series comes highly recommended if you enjoy your paranormal fantasy peopled by eccentric larger-than-life characters having all sorts of odd adventures with a large dollop of Brit humour. While I obtained an arc of Love Tears Us Apart from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

For a change this book starts with Banecroft with his gun in the face of an interviewee I'm sure it usually starts with a weird occurance with something monstrous. but wait then Banecroft is monstrous and who holds a gun to someone's head in an interview?
If you haven't read the other two books why not! Read them first. If you have then I'm surprised you're reading a review before continuing the series, surely it has you in its clutches by now. But if you want to keep reading here's my humble opinion.
Hannah has quit and gone back to her cheating husband that can't be right! And a new employee has the measure of Banecroft. But things aren't the way they seem...

As usual it's a riveting read that grabs you and pulls you along a weird sometimes shocking ride. With humour keeping you boasted. There were a lot of threads in this story and I loved following them. Very much looking forward to another book. Was disappointed that the news articles weren't in this ARC but the book is still amazing.
Hope to read many more in this series

‘Not all love stories have a happy ending The Stranger Times investigates ..’ cover tag line.

My thanks to Random House U.K./Transworld Publishers/Bantam Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by C.K. McDonnell.

This is the third book in The Stranger Times series that blends comedy, urban fantasy, mystery, and horror. Set in Manchester, it features an ensemble cast of eccentric characters who are engaged in producing The Stranger Times, a weekly newspaper that prints the news that no one else will report.

The second book, ‘This Charming Man’ concluded with an intriguing scene featuring Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times, that teased what was coming in Book 3.

So avoiding spoilers, just a taste of the plot: Vincent had never believed that his wife died despite emphatic evidence to the contrary. While it is not unusual for a widowed partner to be in denial, this time Vincent may actually be proved right.

While Banecroft is distracted, the rest of The Stranger Times staff are dealing with the sudden resignation of the assistant editor, Hannah Willis. She has decided to reconcile with her philandering ex-husband, which is only marginally less surprising than Banecroft and his wife getting back together. Inexplicably Hannah is heading for a fancy new-age retreat run by a celebrity cult.

In addition, one of the paper's ex-columnists has disappeared, which is rather an impressive trick seeing as he never existed in the first place.

While some background is provided, I would suggest that it is best to read the books in order to appreciate its characters’ development, the ongoing plot threads, and running jokes. My only wish would be for the addition of a Dramatis Personae to keep track of who’s who.

C.K. McDonnell weaves together his various plot lines with great skill and inserts the occasional strange report from The Stranger Times archives. As in the previous books, one of its epilogues serve as a teaser for what is coming next. I can hardly wait!

I love this series and McDonnell has quickly become a must read author for me. I appreciate his storytelling, dry humour, and extensive knowledge of pop culture.

Very highly recommended.

If you want weird then this is certainly a book to entertain you: as it did me. Imagine a complete set of misfits, some live and some not and some definitely somewhere between, add in a newspaper called The Stranger Times and, if you like the idea of such a conglomeration, then this is most certainly a book for you.

I enjoyed it, even though it "did my head in" in places and I suspect that was part of C. K. McDonnell's plan for all his readers. After all, this is book 3 in The Stranger Times series and he has had time to hone this to a real edge.

This is the third book in the series and doesn’t disappoint. I really like the style of writing. It has a strong plot and the characters that we know and love are very enjoyable to read about. I am very glad I found this author, long may it continue. Thank you #netgalley

Another excellent episode in the ongoing saga of The Stranger Times. Fast paced and funny with a dark undercurrent. I can't wait for the next one.

Vincent Banecroft, the testy editor of The Stranger Times newspaper, never believed his wife died, and now, it seems he may be right. To make matters worse, the assistant editor Hannah has resigned, As she has decided to return with her cheating ex-husband.

This new week for the staff of The Stranger Times sees floating statues, hijacked ghosts, homicidal cherubs, irate starlings, and Reliant Robins. Just another fun week of this Manchester publication.

The newest book in The Stranger Times series continues with humour and crazy adventures from the first two books. McDonnell continues to deliver a fun ride of magical creatures in Manchester.

This series just gets better with each book. Well written and well plotted. Hannah has left Stranger Times (but not the story), new Character Betty comes in to replace her. Well worth a read.
I received this book from Random House UK and Netgalley for a review.

I feel like I could read this series forever! I love all the characters and the crazy things they get up to. It's really hard to review a book that's part way through a series without spoiling earlier books.
In this book we see a different side of some of the characters as the team was quite split up and heading off on their own adventures. I think this was needed for character growth and to possibly set a few things up for further books rather than everyone being closed in together in The Stranger Times office. Although I did really miss Banecroft's dark and dry wit in this latest book it obviously made sense to the storyline that he wasn't quite himself.
What goes on in these books is stupid but genius. They're so funny and fast paced that I'm just totally drawn in to them each time. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've really enjoyed the previous installments in the Stranger Times series, so I was slightly disappointed by this one. The plot was still enjoyable and tripped along at a solid pace, but splitting up the gang meant you missed out on many of the interactions between the characters that make the books fun. Also having Banecroft almost lose his mind meant you missed his element of caustic wit as well. A solid entry in the canon but I hope the next book will reunite the main cast.

In a unexpected move, Hannah has resigned from The Stranger Times newspaper and gone on a new-age retreat for the rich and famous, in an apparent bid to reconcile with her philandering ex. Still reeling from her shocking departure, the rest of the team are left facing the kidnapping of an ex-columnist, an office audit, and the rapid decline of their editor as he embarks on a frantic mission to connect with his dead wife.

Book #3 of the Stranger Times series continues as strongly as ever, with a well thought-out plot and plenty of humour. I loved the addition of Betty, the new assistant editor sent in to replace Hannah, and I enjoyed seeing Stella’s role in the story grow. Everyone else is as amusing and delightful as usual (except Banecroft, but that’s explained in the book).

I love the way these books are written. McDonnell manages to hit the perfect balance between comedy and drama because, although the characters and the trouble they get into are genuinely funny, there’s also a dark undertone to the plot which stops things from becoming to frivolous or absurd.

Another fantastic book in an excellent series.

Hannah Willis, Assistant Editor of The Stranger Times has left without warning and returned to her cheating, lying, scumbag ex-husband. To top it all she has also decided to spend some time at a celebrity New Age retreat having colonic irrigations and doing hot yoga. Meanwhile, the Editor, Vincent Banecroft is desperately trying to get the resident ghost to help him speak to his wife, who Vincent is convinced isn't really dead. There's a mysterious and omniscient new Assistant Editor put in place by the newspaper's enigmatic owner, and a former anonymous source of the weirdest and wackiest conspiracy theories has apparently gone missing. Yes it's another instalment of Manchester's oddest weekly newspaper.

I think I am finally getting into the swing of these books, there are multiple plot lines which all intersect in the end to bring things together. Yes, I am a little disappointed that there wasn't a You-Know-What hidden in caves beneath Manchester but the 'truth' was just as good.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Love will Tear Us Apart is an easy, enjoyable adventure about the staff of The Stranger Times. This was a light hearted read, fun and engaging, I had read these before and didn’t realise when I requested it was the same series I loved before and now I’ll definitely be going back to the beginning and buying them all to reread again

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

All is not well at The Stranger Times. New assistant editor Hannah Willis, until now our window into the Manchester-based publication which exposes the strange, the unlikely and the downright impossible from its base in a former church, has departed. Vincent Banecroft, the human waste tip of an editor who at least always gave the impression of knowing what was going on, is adrift.

Love Will Tear Us Apart therefore takes the risk of moving things on somewhat from the cosy - for values of "cosy" that admit bloody murder and monsters on the streets of Manchester - setting established in The Stranger Times and revisited in This Charming Man. A necessary risk, I think, for an ongoing series and one that I think McDonnell brings off magnificently. In Love Will Tear Us Apart we both see Hannah up to, well, her own thing, and Banecroft in freefall, obsessed with his dead wife to a degree that hadn't previously been made plain and which renders him dangerously vulnerable. It's up to the rest of the crew to hold things together, particularly Stella and a couple of new characters - who prove more than formidable.

That doesn't mean that Love Will Tear Us Apart lacks the charm and humour of the previous books. Far from it. We see another Loon Day, the interactions between team members are as well observed as ever and there are the usual bizarre excerpts from the paper. There is though less focus on the production of the paper, and more on the working out of individual threats and of the history of some of the characters. That allows for a closer look at the inhabitants of McDonnell's alt Manchester, including the Founders themselves, who actually appear nastier each time they're glimpsed. (One of the perspectives they're seen from is via a creepy wellness centre, which manages both to be genuinely menacing and also rather funny).

Alongside this we get a variety of sub-plots - ghosts, abductions by sinister goons and a returning character from This Charming Man, who I didn't expect to see again but whose presence does help to build a sense of a wider world. There's even a little gentle grave robbing. DI Tom Sturgess does also appear, although he is rather more peripheral than I'd have liked, his investigation not really going anywhere and not linking with the rest of the narrative much. But without Hannahin the Stranger Times offices perhaps he has less of a part to play.

That point aside, this is a thrilling continuation of the series, taking it to new places and showing us familiar characters slightly differently. And if it wasn't clear before, I think Love Will Tear Us Apart makes clear that any accommodation with the Founders is likely to be temporary at best - it isn't just their methods and history that taint them, but they also seem to attract the power hungry, the entitled and the plain bad to their orbit. Not a nice bunch.

It all comes together in a genuinely scary and perilous conclusion, and I look forward to a Book 4 and to seeing what McDonnell does next with his long-suffering characters.

The third instalment of this brilliant series of books.

Vincent, the grumpy editor of The Stranger Times has always believed that his wife wasn't really dead despite all of the proof that he was given.
But how far will Vincent go to rescue his wife?

There is so much going on in this book. Hannah quits her job as assistant editor (could there be a worse time for this to happen) because she's getting back with her ex.

Very fast paced and very funny.