Three books in and I'm loving this series!

We pick up after the end of book two, but things seem to have gone a bit wrong.

Hannah has left, went back to her cheating ex for some strange unknown reason. And although her time at The Stranger Times was short, her presence there- and now lack thereof - had made an impact. Oh and is that a Cult she has joined now....

Back at the office, she is replaced as assistant editor by Betty who mentioned the dreaded Audit ward, causing stress for Grace. Talking of stress, Banecroft has gone completely off the rails in his obsession with his possibly not so dead wife. Oz and Reggie are looking into the death of a freelance worker whose role isn't quite what it seems. And Stella just wants to write and fit in.

So all in all, pretty standard week for The Stranger Times. These books are funny, fast paced and also sad and touching at times. Would happily read more in this series!

This is the third instalment in the Strangers Times series and we’re back for some more strange things happening around Manchester. The team are back investigating what is going on while trying to keep the paper up and running. There is a new assistant editor Betty who arrives out of nowhere, after Hannah ups and leaves after deciding she wants to get back with her ex-husband. Banecroft has become even more deranged and has now started to a ghost who has been possessed by his dead wife!

Like the previous two books, this was another fun and entertaining read. I loved the continuation of character developed and also enjoyed the return of a couple of characters that made an appearance in the previous books.

This is a very difficult to review without spoilers so can’t and won’t go into much more detail, but if you’re looking for a new fun and witty series this is definitely one to try out.

If you do decide to pick this series up I highly recommend you start from the start so you understand the all the weirdness and to understand the characters a bit more.

I think this must be the craziest book I have ever read and it was great fun! Some really weird characters and non stop action. You had no ideawhat could possibly happen next. The conclusion was fantasy unveiled..

This is the third novel featuring The Stranger Times staff in Manchester, a group of reporters working for a newspaper reporting on the weird and wonderful
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The characters in this series are all brilliant. I love the buddy pairing of Reggie and Ox, Grace the receptionist who has to keep the paper going, as everything goes wrong around her. Then there is Stella, a young woman who has some strange powers, who is able to run rings around the men. I also enjoyed seeing some of the more secondary characters from the previous novel returning to help The Stranger Times
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This book focuses more on the editor, Banecroft, who in the previous novels seems a grouchy character, but in this book readers learn more about him, and the heartbreak and grief he lives with. Whilst the previous novels allowed the characters to be introduced and readers were able to get to know the workings of the newspaper, this book starts to build on who the characters really are
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This book also builds up the magical world, and some of the politics within in, and has shown how the series has grown through the novels
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It’s also just very good and very funny, and a series I highly recommend. I am excited to see where it goes to next.
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Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books and the author for a chance to read this early.

Another excellent installment of the 'Stranger Times' series. Intelligent, funny and heart-breaking - bring on book 4!

DNF - strangely as I rather enjoyed the first two books in the series but was bored by this one. Kept finding excuses not to read it so in the end I just stopped trying

Just when you think this can't get better, this book proves you wrong! As the third book in the series, there is no let up with fantastic stories and characters, love love love this series!!!

The third in the series of The Stranger Times world certainly doesn’t disappoint.
I loved it. All the characters are back and bouncing off each other as usual and then of course we meet the marvellous Betty. Of course things are never quite what they seem . You should really read the first two books of the series to get the best out of this novel. No plot spoilers. I really wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. It’s quirky, funny ,fantastic and just a real joy. The only bad thing is that I now have to wait for the next in the series – oh, please CK McDonnell let there be another one and don’t make us wait too long. A five star read all the way. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the ARC of this novel in return for honest review.

The editor’s being haunted by his dead wife via another ghost, the assistant editor has vanished, a stringer has been kidnapped at gun point, situation normal at “The Stranger Times”, the Manchester based tabloid that reports on incidents involving the paranormal and the supernatural. There are lots of such incidents in this alternative (I hope it is an alternative) world. That set’s three separate stories running, which weave around each other but all involve thwarting the activities of “The Founders”, mysterious immortals who control the activities of the rest of humanity. Along the way there are little asides involving weird people with abstruse talents. With the editor driven to distraction and the assistant AWOL, it falls to the remaining staff to solve the mysteries and restore ‘normality’.
It is difficult to fully describe the background or to expand on the events that occur in this story, because it is a very complicated plot. This is the third book in the series and the world it describes is challenging, not just because it is a highly detailed fantasy world but because some of the reasons underpinning the three threads are continuations of plot lines from the previous books. There are some details to help, but it is only fully standalone if you are prepared to devote a fair amount of brain power, which is worth doing because this is a very entertaining read, beautifully plotted and with a vast cast of characters all of whom have their own, often supranormal, idiosyncrasies. It brings to mind books by Pratchett or Fforde but it doesn’t resemble any of them. It also somewhat reminds me of 1970s psychedelic fantasies.
Overall, it is just very funny, so read it now or buy it now, plus the other two, and read the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is the third book I've read set in the Stranger Times' newspaper. This time there are 2 concurrent stories and I liked the both of them.
I like the ludicrousness of the newspapers stories combined with the weird things that go on there.

This is the third instalment of supernatural silliness at The Stranger Times 'newspaper'. Loads more of the wonderful wackiness this series always brings but there is also a lot of heart and even a couple of very touching moments. Great fun, bring on the next one asap, pretty please.

I'm really enjoying the Stranger Times series and this latest instalment is an excellent continuation of the story. The UK-based humour with supernatural elements is completely up my street.

I recommend the following
- read the series in order so that you understand the characters' story arcs
- subscribe to Caimh McDonnell's Stranger Times podcast
- enjoy!

I really enjoy this series. I think this was a solid continuation of it; it has all the hallmarks of the other books, with the quirky sense of humour, interesting worldbuilding, and a lot of twists and turns. If nothing else this book is highly entertaining and put a smile on my face.

I will say that I read this very soon after reading the previous book in the series and it might have been that some of the quirks of McDonnell’s writing were more glaring to me; there’s quite a lot going on in this book and this was the first time reading this series I really felt like there was possibly too much going on. Some of the plotlines felt a little bit muddled at times and a touch underdeveloped. I also think it suffered from having one of the central characters separated from the rest, and from one of the other main characters taking a backseat. It felt a bit like something was missing as a result.

However, I still really enjoyed reading it. McDonnell is a very good, inventive writer; his characters are both cartoonish and very real, as people often can be, and there’s a lot of fun to be had reading these books. Whilst I had some issues with the mysteries at the heart of this book, I genuinely think the conclusion tied them all together very neatly in a way that was very satisfying and really showed McDonnell’s skill.

Also, I’m glad that this instalment dealt with some of the plotlines that have been hanging over the books since The Stranger Times; it sort of put them to bed, so to speak, and I think that’s to the benefit of the series going forward as it allows room for other stories to develop. It also set the scene for subsequent novels in a way that I found effective. I’m really excited to read more with these characters - I’ve got a lot of affection for them all now and I really want to see where this series goes next; I would definitely recommend this book if you like quirky fantasy comedies with a lot of mystery and twists and turns, but you definitely need to start this series at the beginning. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Death, murder, violence, mind control, blood, gore, body horror, grief, death of a spouse (in past).

The third novel in the Stranger Times series sees the paper’s editor Vincent Banecroft starting to fall apart at the seams as he becomes more and more convinced that his dead wife is in fact not dead at all and he sets off to rescue her. Add to this the resignation of the assistant editor Hannah, so that she can get back together with her philandering ex-husband and the paper starts to fall apart. In steps a new great character
Betty, who enters the office one day and pronounces herself to be the new assistant editor, it’s not long before she becomes an integral part of the story.
I’m already looking forward to the next installment.

This book wouldn’t be anywhere near as great as it is without reading the first two books so if you haven’t then you need this review: Book Review – Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell ★★★★★ and then this one: Book Review – This Charming Man by C.K. McDonnell ★★★★★. Ok so anybody left reading, it’s hard to fathom that you would need a review to read the continuing story of the Stranger Times staff but I will write one anyway.

In the beginning we are told that Hannah has gone back to her scumbag of a husband and quit her job without saying goodbye. So just in case anybody is really worried that is really the case, you can relax, it’s just what she needs the world at large to think. I was initially worried about giving this spoiler but it’s so out of character and unlikely to be true there was bound to be something fishy going on.

This book does a wonderful job of tying up a few ongoing plot arcs from the last couple of books but you will be glad to know, it doesn’t feel like a closing book, in fact by the end we are left with about the same number loose ends hanging as we did at the beginning as new interesting aspects of this story have just become more intriguing.

The characters of our beloved staff just get deeper and so three dimensional that if it came out that they were in fact all real people I wouldn’t be totally surprised.


What I liked:
Masterful Character Development
Resolved a couple of key arcs

What didn’t work for me:
The whole ruse about Hannah quitting wasn’t fooling anybody.

Suitable For: Adults and Older Teenagers
Sex: None
Violence: Some
Drug Reference: Some
Swearing: Lots

If you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for?

This book is essentially a slice of life novel surrounding the members of staff at the Stranger Times Newspaper. It is about the relationships between the characters and how they interact depending on the situation which they find themselves involved in. From what we see Bancroft is going downhill and his has a storyline where he is experiencing the interaction with his dead wife through a medium (Simon) which he find unnerving. The story continues the character development and this is done in a seamless way which is a credit to the author. Having not read the previous two books, I found that I was able to pick up on the character traits and the types of relationships which are between the characters

This novel is for people who love a slice of life novel with elements of the paranormal world which is full of conspiracies which you and the characters are pulled into.

I absolutely love love love this series of books! They’re just excellent, hilarious, exciting, and I just can’t put them down.

This is the third of the series, and the story continues with Bancroft being even grumpier than usual, and once more a huge huge drama involving the dreadful Founders….

For anyone who hasn’t picked this series up, you really need to. Everyone needs this in their life.

My thanks to Netgalley, and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The third instalment in the The Stranger Times series does not disappoint. Pithy one liners, a fabulous cast of quirky characters, including Betty, and lots of paranormal goings on which are completely normal for them! This is a great series with so much humour and brilliantly written. Bring on the next one!

Seeing other reviews, you do need to read these in order. The backstory of character, place builds quickly, and there are things that crop up which may not make a great deal of sense if you haven't read the earlier books.

Two main characters looking for love. Hannah has left The Stranger Times, back to an apparently reformed ex, and Banecroft continues to seek answers with more ethereal lost love. The lives of others continue to their varied ways, with Hannah's replacement disturbing the haphazard life and routine. As the mysterious Pinter Institute comes into view, all may not be what it seems...

Put simply this is the best comic fantasy series I have read in recent years, and Love Will Tear Us Apart possibly the best to date. The characters, place and background to the world develop in each novel at the right pace - not hanging around, yet moving forward in a coherent and clearly well-planned manner, with a tone which is markedly different in each book. For amongst the strangeness and adventure, there is a sense that this is well-mapped out and very well-executed with good writing, invention and wit.

I have read the second in this series and really must read the first. I enjoyed the book but I have mixed feelings about it. There are parts that just do not appeal to me although I recognise that it is well written and the characters are good. I find the plot in places a little obscure and confusing. I can only say that this has to be a personal thing and that this style of book would not be my choice.