C. K. McDonnell is new to me, but I’ll certainly be in line when the next Stranger Times novel comes out next year sometime. I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first in a series of books revolving around the newspaper The Stranger Times. The paper’s reason for being is to report on any and all weird phenomena occurring across the globe.

Unsurprisingly, this paper is run by a group of weirdos, misfits and ultimately flawed individuals (my absolute favourite kind).
We experience the story via Hannah (or, the new Tina) as she lands herself a job as Assistant Editor while still reeling from a messy break up and the loss of her wealthy lifestyle. To be fair it’s not as impressive as it sounds as the advert reads ‘Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply’.

When tragedy strikes the real investigative delving begins and the mayhem ramps up. I loved this fusion of urban fantasy, mystery and comic moments it was like curling up in your favourite chair with a hot chocolate. Not just any hot chocolate but one with much whipped cream and marshmallows on top. A real treat of a book.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah is down on her luck, her husband cheated on her and her life is falling apart. She finds herself no longer living in the lap of luxury and for once having to fend for herself. She needs a job quickly.

After an unsuccessful interview she finds an ad looking basically for someone who can string a sentence together coherently, fed up she decides to go for it and when she arrives at the location of the job in Manchester she is met with a man threatening to throw himself of a building and an another man making no effort what’s to talk him down. Odd? Definitely, but nowhere near as odd as what is inside.

The building is the office of The Stranger Times, a newspaper dedicated to the weirder things in life. Ghosts, Ghouls, Elvis, you name it, they’ll probably report it. Hannah discovers an odd group of people headed up by the most impossible man known to life, Banecroft the editor. Picture the most obnoxious person you can think off and then double it, you get the idea. Her interview, however unorthodox ends up with her getting the job and the editor making a trip to the A & E, her career at The Stranger Times has begun.

Despite zero journalism knowledge she quickly gets stuck in and in the first week she experiences a a whole new world of craziness she never knew existed. This includes a spate of strange murders, so strange they can’t possibly be true.....can they? It’s up to the Stranger Times to report the news!

It’s bonkers, picture a blend of Jasper Fforde, Douglas Adams and Ben Aaronovitch and you get the idea. It’s funny, it’s scary and it’s a cracking read.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply.’

Hannah Willis is struggling. It turns out that throwing parties for her wealthy businessman husband doesn’t count as work experience. When she discovers that he’s been sleeping with basically every woman around (including their marriage counsellor!), she burns his clothes, leaves with nothing more than her phone and a few clothes, and starts divorce proceedings.

In dire need of an income, she applies for the position advertised in the local paper, oddly worded as it is. Fortunately, the Stranger Times is in equally dire need of an Assistant Editor – it seems that the foul-mouthed, alcoholic shambles of an Editor is causing a high staff turnover in that position – so Hannah finds herself joining the team of misfits and weirdos at Manchester’s weekly purveyor of stories such as ‘Nessie is the Father of My Child’, and ‘Virgin Mary Halts Terrorist Attack’.

When a mysterious American comes to the city, unexplainable things begin to happen. Luckily, those are just the sort of stories that The Stranger Times exists for…

I have an admission to make. I enjoyed this book so much that I accidentally read it straight through and forgot to take any notes, so I’ve had to read it a second time to be able to review it. C.K. McDonnell is a new author to me, so I had no expectations other than from the back of the book blurb on the review site. I initially thought this was a debut novel, but the author usually writes under the name Caimh McDonnell, and has a fair few titles to his name already.

I honestly can’t think of anything remotely negative to say about The Stranger Times. The story rolls along at a good pace, and the characters are just brilliant. It’s oddly satisfying to watch Hannah find her feet and grow into herself as a discrete person, shaking off the dutiful wife persona and taking on the bullish and obnoxious editor, Banecroft. Grace’s character is fantastic, too, and I can’t be the only one who’s worked with a Grace – the secretary or office manager who’s got eyes in the back of her head, ears in every wall, and a heart the size of a small country, and without whom nobody would be able to run the company.

The style reminds me of Heide Goody and Iain Grant, and a little of Douglas Adams in Dirk Gentley mode. It’s daft enough to keep a smile on your face but not so daft that you lose the darkness inherent in the story. The Stranger Times sets a solid foundation for a substantial series, and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**
I enjoyed this book. The writing style and storyline reminded me of Good Omens, which is definitely a good thing. I'd be interested in any sequels as I grew to care for the characters. They felt fully-formed and realistic, despite what was happening around them.
I also think this would make an interesting title to adapt for the screen.

Having previously read many of the Bunny McGarry books by the same author, I was really looking forward to some spooky shenanigans (a la Terry Pratchett style) served up in the permanently wet setting of Manchester.

Whilst there was a certain amount of hilarity – for me, it did not match the author’s previous outings of the banjaxed Irish copper – but can still can stand alone as a genuinely good read.

This is the first in a new series, set around a newspaper which focuses on the paranormal , housed in an old church in Manchester. We meet the inhabitants of, “The Stranger Times,” through the eyes of Hannah Willis, who has walked away from an unhappy marriage with a wealthy man and now finds herself in the position of needing a job. This need is mirrored in the job description, “Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences, using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply…”

Having had a previous, cringe-worthy interview, it seems life can get no worse, but, oddly, “The Stranger Times,” is where Hannah will find her new home. There is Grace, the kindly office manager, Reggie, the flamboyant feature writer, computer whizz, Ox, young runaway, Stella, Simon – who lurks outside (see job description) and the Jackson Lamb like, Vincent Banecroft – not to mention the actual printing press and the man who encourages it to perform its magic in the basement.

I haven’t read anything by Caimh McDonnell before and, to be honest, found some of the dialogue a little stilted, which meant I took a while to get into it. However, by the middle, I was totally engrossed. For, while, “The Stranger Times,” has been seen as a publication full of odd stories and run by some crazy characters, there may be more fact than fiction in the bizarre events that seem to be occurring in the city. When a homeless man is killed in strange circumstances, and the unpopular and ambitious D I Tom Sturgess insists on investigating, the scene is set for the bizarre to need to be believed.

I think the test of any series is whether you would read on. Certainly, I would read the second in this series, which suggests it will be a success. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. Great fun and possibly just what is needed in these troubled times.

Well I am going to be buying this as a gift for everyone I know throughout 2021.

What we have here is a brilliant, sparkly well-written irreverent comedy about the staff of a small newspaper focused on the publishing of weird happenings and strange beliefs. The Stranger Times finds itself somewhere between The St Mary's Chronicles and the Rivers of London series, but has a wholely original cast of compelling characters ready to charm your socks off. It also expertly sets up enough mysterious threads for future installments that I'm already dreading the wait for the next one, because it simply can't come soon enough.

A new favourite series!

This is a welcome addition to the urban fantasy.

Having left her cheating husband and extremely privileged lifestyle, not before setting fire to their house, Hannah applies for a position in The Stranger Times. This is a newspaper based inside an old church that investigates incidents such as a locally possessed toilet. Somehow the team of The Stranger Times fall into a plot involving sorcery, werewolves and an interesting take on vampires.

C.K McDonnell has filled his book with some brilliant comic moments and lines, as well as a bunch of characters who are not just there as scenery for the story but come almost fully rounded. The story flies by with enough twists, turns and mysterious characters to keep you hooked and wanting to find out more. Brilliant.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Press for giving access to this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Following all things weird and wonderful, The Stranger Times centres around a newspaper filled with magic and shenanigans while investigating unexplained deaths. The novel is humorous at all the right moments and shows a new and exciting take on urban fantasy.

The characters, from newest employee Hannah - our main character - to the drunken editor, Banecroft are enjoyable to read and well varied to keep the reader on their toes.

The book seems to be split in two, with the first half not quite gelling and stylistically seeming less slick however the second half of the novel corrects these issues, ups the pace and creates a much more enjoyable reading experience.

However, as fun as this tongue-in-cheek fantasy is, it lacks real punch and, as a result, it won't be one I'm recommending.

Before I begin, I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Transworld Publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would also like to state that all the opinions are entirely my own, and completely unaffected by what others have to say.


What I liked...

The characters and their relationships. Each of the characters were all so well-defined and had beautiful relationships with one another. Even Banecroft, who we all saw as a moody grouch, had an emotional past, and though he didn’t show it, we know he still cared about Simon, Hannah, and everyone around him. I love the bonds between each of the characters because the amount they care about each other is described so beautifully by the author. There were also so many diverse reps!! There were plus-sized mc’s, as well as queer mc’s, as well as people of colour!!

The plot + plot twists. This book had a really interesting plot, and it was filled with twists!! To be honest, the beginning was really slow, and it took a while for the main characters to realize the problem, but other than that, I loved the plot and the way it was written!

The ending. The ending is what saved this book for me!! I LOVED this ending!! It was so unexpected, and because of the slow pacing in the first half, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The ending exceeded my expectations, and well, pleasantly surprised me!! It was action-packed and super fast-paced, filled with sarcastic and witty comments made by, well, each and every character.

What wasn’t my cup of tea...

The pacing. The first chapter was okay. I kept thinking to myself “it will get better”, honestly for more than half the book I found myself falling asleep because of how slow everything was moving. Things that took 3 chapters could have been done well, and finished in 5 pages. The plot was interesting, but it was moving at such a slow pace, that it was a struggle to complete this book. As I mentioned earlier, the ending was the saving grace. It was so action-packed that it made up for the sloth-paced beginning.

Overall + Trigger Warnings
Overall, this was a pretty good book. Honestly, it wasn’t really what I expected, and I think if the pacing hadn’t been so slow, it could definitely have been a 5 star read! If you don’t mind droning through the slowness of the beginning, then I promise you, this book is worth it, and the ending is great!!

TW:
- Mentions of Suicide
- Alcoholism
- Divorce
- Deaths

Final Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars!!

Well, well, well. Ain’tcha a little delight? I read the final few pages with a grin on my face and let me tell you, dear reader, that is a very rare thing indeed. It’s bonkers. It’s got magic. It’s got baddies. It’s perfect. And I NEED more.

So what’s managed to wriggle its way into my cold, dead heart? This:

✨ Set sometime in the present (maybe right now? Not a clue) but make it Manchester.
✨ One of them papers that only prints the supernatural stuff. Think the Elvis-is-my-parrot or my-toilet-is-possessed-by-Satan kinda crowd.
✨ Add a hint of dark forces
✨ Tada! One marvellous book where the insanity is closer to the truth than most people would want to believe.

There isn’t one character in this book I don’t like. And every single one of them was described in such a wonderful way that I’m pretty sure they’re real people – even the minor characters have a back story. Some I’d be pals with, others I’d perhaps wave at from across the street.

You’ve got Hannah. Poor woman who left behind her luxurious life after discovering her husband was a serial cheater and wanted to stand on her own two feet. She may have also burned down their marital house. By mistake of course. Then there’s Banecroft – the drunken editor of The Stranger Times. A chap that once edited slightly, uh, larger papers and appears to be the boss from hell. Yet there’s something about him that you just cannot hate.

Grouped together, they form the editorial team for this little paper and they quickly find themselves in the middle of an investigation where the weird shit cannot be ruled out.

This is probably one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Funny without being cringe, insanely easy to read, surreal enough to be real (perhaps my new Dirk Gently) and I’m so ready for the next one. Inject it right into my eyeballs, please.

Hannah has left her rich, cheating husband and is trying to make it on her own. In desperation she takes a job at a newspaper publishing paranormal events. What is much stranger are the people who work there, They were a little bit too quirky for me and I started to find them more irritating that interesting although, once the story got going, this was lessened. People are dying and a strange American using magic seems to be behind it. The first half wasn’t my cup of tea but the second moved at a good pace and had a nice take on the idea of different creatures. This seems to be the first book of a series so perhaps it will even out a bit.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book with its blend of horror and tongue-in-cheek humour. A very different type of book and one which is imaginative and well worth reading on a rainy day when you just want to escape from everyday life. More please featuring these characters.

Hanna Willis is trying to move on from her marriage breakdown and is thrilled when she gains a job at The Stranger Times, a weekly newspaper that reports on the weird and wonderful.
Her first week at work could not be more eventful and I highly recommend you read this book for yourself. Great characters and events. I loved it, enjoy.

After leaving her cheating husband, Hannah moves to Manchester to start afresh, and bags herself a job as Assistant Editor of The Stranger Times. She joins a team of eccentric misfits who publish stories of the weird and supernatural. But fact can often be weirder than fiction.
I wasn't sure what I was getting when I started reading this, but I absolutely loved it. It has magic, mayhem and lots of humour. It's a fast-paced urban fantasy with some great characters. I hope there will be more.
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

This was so much fun!

"The Stranger Times" is a publication somewhat akin to "The Fortean Times" and as you would expect (in my head anyway), it is staffed by people as strange and peculiar as the events they write about. There's the surly editor in chief who has no issue with threatening to shoot a seemingly suicidal member of staff (it must be Monday. He's up on the roof). There's the woman who accidentally burnt down the family home after her ex cheated on her. There's the very grumpy teenager on the run who's been taken in by the publication. And then there are the much stranger characters...

It's exciting, unexpected, funny, and all around romping goodness. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

The Stranger Times of the title is a newspaper (it could loosely be termed that!) which deals with the weird and less mundane aspects of life, it's a kind of cross between The Fortean Times and Take a break. With a motley crew of staffers - A moody Irish Editor, a surly teen, a Jamaican (I think..) press operator who has a tendency towards nudity, you know that things aren't going to be straight forward!

The novel reads a little like Terry Pratchett, a little like Robert Rankin, with a dash of the Rivers Of London series, but it still ends up conjuring something of it's own and developing it's own mythologies too.

The plot is fairly simple - there's a suicide being investigated which turns out to be a little more supernatural than it first appeared, the paper and the supernatural cross over and the novel goes from there, alternating between the lives of the newspaper team and the action of the various supernatural elements.

This is a fun novel - it's humorous and well written. The characterisation of the main characters is good, particularly Hannah the main protagonist and there's some nice touches on the relationships between the other characters which gives more insight into how The Stranger Times is run, but it would have been nice to scratch the surface a little deeper. It would have been nice to get a little deeper with the characters though, for example Vincent the editor has a backstory involving his wife which we never quite get too - though I get the feeling this has been set up for a series and we might get the answers at a later date.

The more magical elements of the book are interesting and we get some nice lore with the ideas of folk and founders but these things are not quite explained to the depths I would have liked and I felt I had to do some reading between the lines and a little guesswork to try and figure out how some of the more ',magical' elements and characters interlinked.

Overall I did really enjoy this book, it's fast paced and easy to read, the characterisation is good and there are a couple of surprises along the way which I really enjoyed. If there's criticism it is, as I have mentioned, a lack of full realisation, whether that be fully flesh out characters or fully realised world building, but I think that's part of the territory with this kind of novel and the trade off is that it remains fast paced. Perhaps we will get more detail of how the supernatural bits in other novels if this continues as series, which I hope it does.

Hannah Wallis’ life is in the toilet and in desperation she goes for an interview at the Stranger Times. You don’t have to be mad to work there, but it helps. With staff who would rather jump off the roof than attend the weekly staff meeting, a formerly fantastic currently ferociously drunk editor in chief who is only reigned in by his office manager because the wheels would fall off if she left and a grumpy slightly criminal teenage intern too clever for her own good. Hannah starts as “the new Tina” aka assistant editor and gets more than she bargained for.
I loved The Stranger Times, it was so much fun. The characters are all engaging even Victor (who is heartbroken and therefore redeemable), Hannah is thankfully not a total pushover and Grace is a force. I liked how the weirdness was fully embraced and not just a half baked cop out. The story rips along at a smart pace. And of course the American is evil. Of course he is. It was also set in Manchester and not That London which makes a nice change. If your looking for Strange Manchester is the place to find it.

I think the idea of this was great and some of the humour worked really well, but I found it hard to get into, due to the constant introduction of new characters in each chapter at the beginning, so that, by the time the story began to hang together, I'd forgotten who was who. Also, it grew less funny towards the end. I can see this working much better as a film.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
Stranger Times.. How do I love thee, let me count the ways.. I absolutely adored it.
This book is set in Manchester, (a city I know well) and implicates a number of n'ere do wells, some proper baddies and a few criminals. Oh and a magical printing press along with a ragbag selection investigative journalist types, a copper or 2 and couple of bossy ladies. I'm hoping that this is the first installment of a trilogy comprising at least 5 volumes.
If you like Terry Pratchett, Ben Arranovich etc then this book I'm sure will appeal.