Welcome back to Manchester and the weird and wonderful environment of the offices of The Stranger Times.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is book three in the series. Before you ask, yes, you can read it if you haven't read the others. Do I think you should? Not really. There are plenty of call backs to the previous books here but also, and this is very important, the other books are bloody brilliant so why would you start anywhere other than book 1!!!

In this book we pick up a short time after the events of Book 2 - and things have taken a bit of a turn at the paper. Hannah has apparently gone back to her horrible husband with little or no goodbyes to her former colleagues leaving the editor, Banecroft, looking for a replacement assistant editor. The opening chapters show us a Banecroft in even worse shape than before, and his odd behaviour has only gotten worse. His obsession with finding out more about his wife is taking over and visits from his friend in the night (trying to avoid spoilers here) are only exacerbating the situation. Banecroft wants answers - and it appears this is his time to get them.

The usual cast from the paper are back but they are soon joined by the star of the show, Betty, our new assistant editor. She makes her first appearance in excellent fashion. A La Mary Poppins, Betty arrives on the scene with more than a few tricks up her sleeves. She is an excellent character and possibly the stand out in this novel. The rest of the staff aren't quite sure what to make of what is happening but they are soon put to work solving the latest mystery.

While all is a go at the paper we are also tracking what is happening with Hannah who has agreed to go to a "celebrity clinic" type facility at the behest of her ex husband. It has worked for him, so maybe it will work for her? All may not be as it seems here, but people do seem to leave with a smile on their faces.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is an excellent addition to this already brilliant series. It ticked all the boxes for me with the usual mix of fantasy elements, humour, and thrills. The mysteries that tie the whole story together are perfectly formed and executed and the author appears to be building a whole world that could continue on and on. I can't wait to see where Caimh goes with it from here. I highly recommend you check it out - especially if you are a fan of Terry Pratchett or Ben Aaronovitch.

Another roller coaster ride into the alternate Manchester universe that is the Stranger Times and their staff. You've got immortals, a talking dog, plenty of humour & action plus a nice tip of the fictional hat to Terry Pratchett.
Great fun to read and looking forward to next adventures of the entertaining Stranger Times team.

This will appeal to those who like gonzo fantasy mysteries, where the staff of a yellow tabloid are confronted with weirdness and sinister plotting in every direction, including a self-help conference that may not (surprise!) be what it seems, a man cursed to tell the truth, and a ghost possessed by another ghost.

My main criticism is that this third in the series does not stand well on its own. We are often referred back to things happening in the previous installments. And a character is introduced at the last moment whom we are apparently supposed to recognize, but is not even mentioned in the previous chapters. (I did a text search to make sure.)

The Stranger Times is a newspaper, not unlike The Fortean Times, which specialises in the paranormal, the unknown and the downright bizarre. Even the staff are not what you would call…. normal.
Whilst speculating about everything from whether mermaids exist or if the Royal Family are actually lizards, every now and then they find themselves closer to the truth than you might expect.
I love all of the characters and am so excited to learn more about each and every one. I have so many questions! But won’t ask here, because spoilers are just plain mean!
I’m absolutely obsessed with this series, there’s so much going on and yet the bigger picture has only just begun to emerge. There’s a wonderful humour threaded throughout and it makes for highly entertaining and enjoyable reading.

What fun this book was ,I am new to the series which I can imagine has lots of fans already.
I immediately started to enjoy the book when I realised it was going to be really funny .I don’t often read humorous literature and found it was just what needed on Blue January Monday
The story whizzes along at a fast pace keeping my attention strongly .I quickly picked up the back story and although there were one or two moments when I got the characters confused ,it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the previous books.There are a couple of gruesome bits but even they seem humorous in the context of the story
It struck me that this would make an absolutely fabulous tv series think Rent-a ghost meets Ghosts with a little bit of that Ricky Gervaise sit com where they work in a local newspaper office .
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk by Random House Uk on 2nd February 2023

OK - third book in this Stranger Times series and stuff has happened in and around the team at Stranger Times. Hannah has gone with no explanation and seems to want to get back with her husband (why oh why!!). Banecroft has gone downhill - how is that possible! There is a new assistant editor to replace Hannah who to Banecroft's disgust has been given the job by the owner over his head. She is called Betty and seems somewhat unusual. Hannah has actually gone "on retreat" and again that seems unusual. So it is just possible that everything is actually normal by Stranger Times standards.

Actually… Banecroft is finding the issues with his dead wife speaking to him through Simon's ghost (!!) increasingly hard to deal with. Equally Hannah's visit to the "retreat resort" may not be exactly what it seems. The scene is set for another rollercoaster ride through more strangeness with the Founders and the Folk. The usual suspects from the previous books are around and I'm delighted that that includes Cogs & Zeke - great characters.

This book is probably more multithreaded than the previous two. I didn't object to that but I guess it made it feel a little more disjointed. Overall the content was very good indeed. I would stress this is not the place to start this series - read book one first please. This one continues the character development well and we do learn more about various aspects of this world. Edgy at times there is plenty of humour and action here. The stories build up well as the book progresses and lead to some remarkable endings.

Once again there are "genius" bits of writing too. I think I might pick out Gordon's monologue on the characteristics of various bird species… - great writing. There does seem to be space for another book in this series and I will definitely be reading it. Humourous fantasy is not an easy area but for me C.K.McDonnell does this very well indeed. It is hard to "compare" such books - maybe the closest for me would be the work of Jasper Fforde at times. Fans of his might well like this series. Fans of earlier books in this series will enjoy this one and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The third in the series and once again, a very enjoyable read.

Do I want to know more and read the subsequent stories which will be forthcoming, absolutely so I hope the author is intending to continue with this cast of characters.

Will Hannah find love & happiness? What is Stella?

Questions that need an answer amongst many others.

My word, this series just keeps getting better and better.

This time, Hannah, the assistant editor of The Stranger Times, a newspaper for the supernatural, leaves her job to explore going back to her estranged husband, a decision her colleagues can't understand as she was adamantly trying to divorce him. Karl extols the virtues of a retreat, the Pinter Institute, run by Winona Pinter, a famous actress. Hannah registers for this most exclusive of exclusive retreats.

Meanwhile, Banecroft, the editor, is hearing his dead wife's voice through a ghost of a former wannabe journalist and the new assistant editor is rather... odd.

Sadly, this can't really be read as a stand alone novel; though the plus side of that is to read this one, you have to read the others and they are a joy. Funny, laugh out loud in places, dry wit and amusing observations make these novels such fun to read. If you know Manchester, there is lots you'll recognise, and I expect I'm not the only one to look up exactly where flesh.loves.enter really is....

Fab novel, love the series.

Three books in and The Stranger Times staff have a big job to tackle between them in this story.

It was amusing yet heart wrenching in parts and genuinely horrifying in a couple of scenes.

I loved all of it. I'm glad I started this year off reading such a great series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in return for a fair review.

This is the third book in the Stranger Times series, which began with 'The Stranger Times' and 'This Charming Man'.
There have been some changes at the paper - Hannah has left her job and gone back to her philandering husband - or has she? Hannah has decided to investigate the organisation that seems to have wrought a fundamental change in her ex - shades of Stepford here!

With a new assistant editor in place, the team prepare for 'Loon Day' - where they open the doors to the public, who offer up their unbelievable stories for a chance to appear in the pages of The Stranger Times.

Having received all three of the Stranger Times books from NetGalley when I requested this, the thid in the series, I have read them in order. This is another jolly romp through the underworld of Manchester with weitrd happenings, scary people and some fun along the way. The usual cast of characters is in evidence as well as some new nasties. I enjoyed it very much. With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this books.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, I was excited to dive into this. As with the second book, it's definitely worth reading these in order to fully appreciate the plot, character backstories and some of the more bizarre elements of this story!
A brisk urban fantasy that has a lightness of touch, making it an easy read in between heavier novels, these are the sort of books I'll enjoy rereading when I need some entertainment!

The third book in this very funny and entertaining series. You definitely need to have read the previous two books or else you won't have a clue what's going on. The employees of The Stranger Times continue to be embroiled in a number of bizarre circumstances above and below Manchester. This is another laugh out loud story with plenty of action and plot twists. The characters are, as always, wonderful and the cast just keeps getting bigger.
Highly recommended.

After being visited by the ghost of his dead wife (sort of) Vincent Banecroft becomes a man on a mission. He always believed there was something fishy around her death, never quite sure she was actually dead and now he might actually have been proved right. But with the shock resignation of his assistant editor, a new one being thrust on him and his newspaper potentially posting something close to the truth for once, Banecroft will need to decide the lengths he is willing to go to find his wife, and who he is willing to sacrifice in the process. But as with all things Stranger Times, things aren't always what they seem. There is something darker and much older behind the sudden ghostly meetings, something that has it's eyes on a member of the paper and is willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on them.

As with both The Stranger Times and This Charming Man, Love Will Tear Us Apart is a riotous, hilarious story filled with plenty of heart... if you look really, really deep. McDonnell brings us his standout cast of characters, we get the same main cast from The Stranger Times as well as cameos from some of our standout side characters, but what I love is that with each book he seems to take us deeper into the world of the magical. Each book, and with it, each new character gives us a greater insight into his magical version of Manchester, and all help tie together the overlapping plot that holds all the books together. I especially liked seeing Hannah away from the newspaper in this book, not only because it meant we got to spend more time with her, but also because it meant we got to meet my favourite character, and a new one, Betty. The woman brought in to replace Hannah as assistant editor, we're not sure whether she's on our (the newspapers) side, but her addition added plenty of humour, mystery and some excellent action scenes to the story.

As I said above, with each book McDonnell drags us deeper and deeper into his magical version of Manchester, allowing us to learn more about the creatures that live along side us, as well as giving us a deeper insight into The Founders, a council of magical beings who control all those who live here. It's hard to talk about these books too much without giving away spoilers, but just know that McDonnell is slowly introducing us to the players in his world, whilst still keeping us on our toes, never quite sure who to trust. His writing style verges towards the humorous & extremely northern which, as a northerner, I adore. And he keeps the pace of the story by throwing in some plot twists, as well as some killer cliffhanger chapter endings making sure you continue reading to find out what happens next.

If you enjoy your fantasy on the quirkier side, are ok with outlandish theories and love a good talking dog whose actually a human then I cannot recommend this series enough. You need to be able to not take yourself, or the story too seriously, but they really are a riot to read and never fail to cheer me up. The perfect read to start the new year with.

Great fun to be back home n the world of The Stranger Times, the third book is just as much fun as the first two, great story and brilliantly funny. The only negative was that the newspaper article were not visible in the NetGalley proof.

Thank you so much Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the arc of Love Will Tear Us Apart by C K McDonnell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Having read the previous two books in The Stranger Times series, there was way in in Hades that I was going to turn down the opportunity for an early read of the next book in the series and once again Mr McDonnell delivers!

Just when you thought things couldn’t get stranger at The Stranger Times, you land amidst the paper adrift; Hannah has gone back to her feckless nearly-ex husband, abandoning her job as assistant editor. Vincent Banecroft is displaying behaviour that even for him is downright weird and there’s the arrival of Betty, the new assistant editor, appointed by the owner and who I can only describe as a cross between Barbara Wodehouse and a dysfunctional fairy godmother with the 4th (Tom Baker) Doctor Who’s love for sweeties - jelly baby anyone?

Of course the rest of the staff are around too, including Stella who is still trying to work out the who, what, where, when, how, and why of journalism, and herself. Stella, drowning in a damnable accounts audit and of course Manny, Ox, and Reggie. Plus hilarious reappearances of Cogs, Zeke, the adorable ghost of Simon Brush and the long arm of the law - DI Sturgess.

This third book in the series is an absolute belter, building on the foundations of the previous two books (I don’t recommend reading this without reading the series from the start,) it dives head fast into a rip-roaring monster of a story, that grabs and doesn’t let you go until the tumultuous, at times emotional and heartfelt, hilarious and gripping end!

This is the third book in the Stranger Times series, following on from, ‘The Stranger Times,’ and ‘This Charming Man.’ There have been some changes at the paranormal paper since the last book. Most notably, Hannah has bizarrely left her job and gone back to her husband, resulting in the jolly Elizabeth Cavendish the Third (or Betty) becoming the new assistant editor. In addition, Vincent Banecroft is, if possibly, behaving even more oddly than usual.

I would not suggest you read this without having read the previous books, as the stories, and characters, follow on from previous novels. Trying to understand who the Founders are, why D.I. tom Sturgess has an eyeball living in his head, or why there’s a talking dog on a barge, might slow down the plot. However, for those who have read, and enjoyed, previous stories, we have all our old characters back. Grace, Stella, Ox, Reggie and Manny, along with ‘Loon Day,’ and the return of Tamsin Baladin.

Hannah has gone to investigate a retreat, known as the Pinter Institute, Stella and Betty try to find out what is going on with Banecroft and Sturgess involves Ox and Reggie in trying to find out who took a conspiracy theorist from his house and threw him in a van. Normal times for those at ‘The Stranger Times’, and great fun. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I was offered this book as an ARC via NetGalley and McDonnell was true to form. Love will Tear Us Apart is another easy to read, enjoyable adventure with the staff of The Stranger Times. As this was an early draft, the sample articles from the paper had yet to be inserted and I did find myself missing them! Another fun read, light hearted read in the urban fantasy genre.

A most confusing Book , I am & never have been a huge fan of Science Fiction & this Book just confirmed why ! ``Marriages are tricky at the best of times, especially when one of you is dead. Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times, has never believed his wife died despite emphatic evidence to the contrary. Now, against all odds, it seems he may actually be proved right; but what lengths will he go to in an attempt to rescue her?'' while many of the individual characters seem quite interesting put all together they leave a complete jumble of Mess. I know many out there will enjoy this Book sadly I am not one of those even though I gave it my best shot .#NetGalley, #Goodreads, #Amazon.co.uk, #Fb, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

I absolutely love this book series. Sometimes after reading the first book in a series, subsequent books can be disappointing but it's certainly not the case here. If anything the books have got better with each successive story if that were possible. I love the mix of mystery, sci-fi, weirdness and humour. Let's have more adventures with the Stranger Tines gang soon please. Can't wait.