On This Page
Description
There are Dark Forces at work in our world (and in Manchester in particular) and so thank God The Stranger Times is on hand to report them. A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but more often the weird) of modern life, it is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable...At least that's their pitch. The reality is rather less auspicious. The editor is a drunken, foul-tempered and -mouthed husk of a man who thinks little (and believes less) of the show more publication he edits, his staff are a ragtag bunch of misfits, each with their own secrets to hide and axes to grind. And as for the assistant editor...well, that job's a revolving door, and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got her own set of problems. It's when tragedy strikes in Hannah's first week on the job that The Stranger Times is forced to do some serious, proper, actual investigative journalism. What they discover leads them to a shocking realisation: that some of the stories they'd previously dismissed as nonsense are in fact terrifyingly, gruesomely real. Soon they come face-to-face with darker foes than they could ever have imagined. It's one thing reporting on the unexplained and paranormal but it's quite another being dragged into the battle between the forces of Good and Evil. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
{First of 2+ The Stranger Times series; fantasy, urban fantasy, dark, humorous}
Hilarious and somewhat inexplicable.
Well, alright; I’ll give it a go: ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper based in Manchester which reports stories that people believe are true, like UFO sightings, the Loch Ness monster’s disreputable behaviour after a few barrels of whisky fall into the loch or ‘Elvis is my boyfriend’ type stories. We join Hannah, currently in the throes of divorcing her rich husband but too proud to take his money and therefore in desperate need of a job, on her interview and initial week there as assistant editor. She is (and we along with her) rather thrown in at the deep end as the small team has to get the paper out show more on Friday. Grace, the office manager, keeps everything afloat - and so does Hannah as she comes to the end of her tether and stands up for herself, especially when she comes up against the editor. He is a wreck of a man whose bad language is kept under strict control by Grace (who can hear it and keeps count wherever in the office she is) but whose professionalism gets the paper out on time every week.
The narrative is interspersed with a selection of random (Truly, random) articles from The Stranger Times.
Meanwhile, an American with strange powers is casting forbidden spells in order to bring about certain events. His actions result in unfortunate deaths which in turn bring DI Sturgess of the Greater Manchester Police to investigate and, though conscientious, he doesn’t believe in magic. Right?
Somewhat dark but also really funny. And with several feisty ladies. You need to read this book.
(August 2022)
5 stars show less
Hilarious and somewhat inexplicable.
Well, alright; I’ll give it a go: ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper based in Manchester which reports stories that people believe are true, like UFO sightings, the Loch Ness monster’s disreputable behaviour after a few barrels of whisky fall into the loch or ‘Elvis is my boyfriend’ type stories. We join Hannah, currently in the throes of divorcing her rich husband but too proud to take his money and therefore in desperate need of a job, on her interview and initial week there as assistant editor. She is (and we along with her) rather thrown in at the deep end as the small team has to get the paper out show more on Friday. Grace, the office manager, keeps everything afloat - and so does Hannah as she comes to the end of her tether and stands up for herself, especially when she comes up against the editor. He is a wreck of a man whose bad language is kept under strict control by Grace (who can hear it and keeps count wherever in the office she is) but whose professionalism gets the paper out on time every week.
The narrative is interspersed with a selection of random (Truly, random) articles from The Stranger Times.
Meanwhile, an American with strange powers is casting forbidden spells in order to bring about certain events. His actions result in unfortunate deaths which in turn bring DI Sturgess of the Greater Manchester Police to investigate and, though conscientious, he doesn’t believe in magic. Right?
Somewhat dark but also really funny. And with several feisty ladies. You need to read this book.
Hannah turned to the reception desk for Grace, but she must have nipped off somewhere while the last gentlemen was explaining how he was haunted by the ghost of Macbeth, the fictional character.
'Ehm, sir,' said Hannah to the dreadlocked interloper, 'what are you doing?'
He lifted the mug in his hand and gave her a cheery smile. 'We just need milk for we cup of tea.'
'But, sir, you're not wearing any pants.'
He ambled into the kitchen just off reception, shouting back over his shoulder, 'S'alrite, chile. We don't need pants, we just need milk.
'But..'
The double doors opened and Grace walked through, carrying a folder. She stopped when she sensed the tension in the room. 'Now what?'
'Ehm,' said Hannah.
'Is everything all right?'
'Ehm,' said Hannah again, because her brain had decided it had had enough of all this, put up the 'gone fishing' sign and left for the day.
'Everyting alrite,' said the man, re-emerging from the kitchen, presumably with milk in his tea, if no more clothing on his body.
'Manny!' cried Grace. 'What have we talked about?'
The man who was apparently called Manny stopped to ponder this, as if he'd been asked a complex-question. 'We talk 'bout many tings. We like to talk. You a good woman, Grace.' He favoured her with a warm smile.
'Manny, we agreed you'd wear pants during work hours.'
'We not ..." Manny stopped and looked around at the people in the reception area as if seeing them for the first time. Some of them were averting their eyes, but one woman, who'd been halfway through a large bag of popcorn, was very focused on Manny, although Hannah doubted she'd be able to pick out his face in a line-up.
'Oh. We see. What time is it?'
'Three o'clock,' said Grace, before adding, 'in the afternoon.'
'Ah.' He nodded. 'What day?'
'Tuesday.'
He took a slurp of tea. 'Alrite. Sure nuff. We apologize. It's just the human body, man - natural thing. Nothing the peoples ain't seen before. Just what the good Lord gave us all.'
The popcorn woman spoke up. 'The good Lord was particularly generous to you.'
Manny gave her a smile and a wink. 'Thanking you. We appreciate your kindness.
And with that, he sauntered back down the stairs.
(August 2022)
5 stars show less
Yay. What a crazy journey!
Hannah has led a very rich and comfortable life, but now she is on her own, and is out job-hunting.
“Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply.”
The publication in question is The Stranger Times - ghosts, UFO’s, you name it, they write about it. A job interview from hell with a boss from hell (Banecroft, ha) follows.
“I’m sorry, do I not have your full attention?”
“Apologies, I was slightly distracted by your office now being on fire.”
She gets the job, of course. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a book 😁 There is a lot of hilarious stuff and the conversations are great. This is a very quick show more read, but I tried not to go through it too fast – it’s easy to overdose on this kind of humour, it is so for me, at least.
I liked how Hannah was gaining confidence through the book, learning to handle the boss from hell and her co-workers.
“I’m not some dog you can train to do tricks for food, y’know?
“No, you’re a big scary dragon – but I’m the woman with doughnuts. So, you can try for basic manners or you can just be you and go hungry. The choice is yours.”
The characters were very nicely written. I didn’t expect that going in, considering the genre, so it was a pleasant surprise.
You can’t have a newspaper writing about paranormal stuff in a book without weird paranormal stuff beginning to happen. Right? Right. It’s quite scary and heartbreaking, but it does go together with the humour, the author makes it work. (Kudos to the author.) The journalists investigate, the police investigate, and things get exciting. You fly and fly and fly through the book!
There are some unanswered questions by the end, so it’s nice to know that there are more books in this series. show less
Hannah has led a very rich and comfortable life, but now she is on her own, and is out job-hunting.
“Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply.”
The publication in question is The Stranger Times - ghosts, UFO’s, you name it, they write about it. A job interview from hell with a boss from hell (Banecroft, ha) follows.
“I’m sorry, do I not have your full attention?”
“Apologies, I was slightly distracted by your office now being on fire.”
She gets the job, of course. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a book 😁 There is a lot of hilarious stuff and the conversations are great. This is a very quick show more read, but I tried not to go through it too fast – it’s easy to overdose on this kind of humour, it is so for me, at least.
I liked how Hannah was gaining confidence through the book, learning to handle the boss from hell and her co-workers.
“I’m not some dog you can train to do tricks for food, y’know?
“No, you’re a big scary dragon – but I’m the woman with doughnuts. So, you can try for basic manners or you can just be you and go hungry. The choice is yours.”
The characters were very nicely written. I didn’t expect that going in, considering the genre, so it was a pleasant surprise.
You can’t have a newspaper writing about paranormal stuff in a book without weird paranormal stuff beginning to happen. Right? Right. It’s quite scary and heartbreaking, but it does go together with the humour, the author makes it work. (Kudos to the author.) The journalists investigate, the police investigate, and things get exciting. You fly and fly and fly through the book!
There are some unanswered questions by the end, so it’s nice to know that there are more books in this series. show less
{First of 2+ of The Stranger Times series; fantasy, urban fantasy, dark, humorous} (2021)
Hilarious and somewhat inexplicable.
Well, alright; I’ll give it a go: ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper based in Manchester which reports stories that people believe are true, like UFO sightings, the Loch Ness monster’s disreputable behaviour after a few barrels of whisky fall into the loch or ‘Elvis is my boyfriend’ type stories. We join Hannah, currently in the throes of divorcing her rich husband but too proud to take his money and therefore in desperate need of a job, on her interview and initial week there as assistant editor. She is (and we along with her) rather thrown in at the deep end as the small team has to get the show more paper out on Friday. Grace, the office manager, keeps everything afloat - and so does Hannah as she comes to the end of her tether and stands up for herself, especially when she comes up against the editor. He is a wreck of a man whose bad language is only kept under strict control by Grace (who can hear it and keeps count wherever in the office she is) but whose professionalism gets the paper out on time every week.
The narrative is interspersed with a selection of random (Truly, random) articles from The Stranger Times.
Meanwhile, an American with strange powers is casting forbidden spells in order to bring about certain events. His actions result in unfortunate deaths which in turn bring DI Sturgess of the Greater Manchester Police to investigate and, though conscientious, he doesn’t believe in magic. Right?
Somewhat dark but also really funny. And with several feisty ladies. You need to read this book.
(August 2022)
5 stars show less
Hilarious and somewhat inexplicable.
Well, alright; I’ll give it a go: ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper based in Manchester which reports stories that people believe are true, like UFO sightings, the Loch Ness monster’s disreputable behaviour after a few barrels of whisky fall into the loch or ‘Elvis is my boyfriend’ type stories. We join Hannah, currently in the throes of divorcing her rich husband but too proud to take his money and therefore in desperate need of a job, on her interview and initial week there as assistant editor. She is (and we along with her) rather thrown in at the deep end as the small team has to get the show more paper out on Friday. Grace, the office manager, keeps everything afloat - and so does Hannah as she comes to the end of her tether and stands up for herself, especially when she comes up against the editor. He is a wreck of a man whose bad language is only kept under strict control by Grace (who can hear it and keeps count wherever in the office she is) but whose professionalism gets the paper out on time every week.
The narrative is interspersed with a selection of random (Truly, random) articles from The Stranger Times.
Meanwhile, an American with strange powers is casting forbidden spells in order to bring about certain events. His actions result in unfortunate deaths which in turn bring DI Sturgess of the Greater Manchester Police to investigate and, though conscientious, he doesn’t believe in magic. Right?
Somewhat dark but also really funny. And with several feisty ladies. You need to read this book.
Hannah turned to the reception desk for Grace, but she must have nipped off somewhere while the last gentlemen was explaining how he was haunted by the ghost of Macbeth, the fictional character.
'Ehm, sir,' said Hannah to the dreadlocked interloper, 'what are you doing?'
He lifted the mug in his hand and gave her a cheery smile. 'We just need milk for we cup of tea.'
'But, sir, you're not wearing any pants.'
He ambled into the kitchen just off reception, shouting back over his shoulder, 'S'alrite, chile. We don't need pants, we just need milk.
'But..'
The double doors opened and Grace walked through, carrying a folder. She stopped when she sensed the tension in the room. 'Now what?'
'Ehm,' said Hannah.
'Is everything all right?'
'Ehm,' said Hannah again, because her brain had decided it had had enough of all this, put up the 'gone fishing' sign and left for the day.
'Everyting alrite,' said the man, re-emerging from the kitchen, presumably with milk in his tea, if no more clothing on his body.
'Manny!' cried Grace. 'What have we talked about?'
The man who was apparently called Manny stopped to ponder this, as if he'd been asked a complex question. 'We talk 'bout many tings. We like to talk. You a good woman, Grace.' He favoured her with a warm smile.
'Manny, we agreed you'd wear pants during work hours.'
'We not ..." Manny stopped and looked around at the people in the reception area as if seeing them for the first time. Some of them were averting their eyes, but one woman, who'd been halfway through a large bag of popcorn, was very focused on Manny, although Hannah doubted she'd be able to pick out his face in a line-up.
'Oh. We see. What time is it?'
'Three o'clock,' said Grace, before adding, 'in the afternoon.'
'Ah.' He nodded. 'What day?'
'Tuesday.'
He took a slurp of tea. 'Alrite. Sure nuff. We apologize. It's just the human body, man - natural thing. Nothing the peoples ain't seen before. Just what the good Lord gave us all.'
The popcorn woman spoke up. 'The good Lord was particularly generous to you.'
Manny gave her a smile and a wink. 'Thanking you. We appreciate your kindness.
And with that, he sauntered back down the stairs.
(August 2022)
5 stars show less
The premise of Caimh McDonnell’s novel caught my attention because as a teenager I discovered a UK magazine called The Fortean Times, which reported on ‘weird news’ (and still does as far as I know) and went to great trouble and expense to have it imported by my local newsagent for a year or two.
“Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences, using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply.”
Similarly, the titular ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper devoted to the weird and wonderful. When Hannah Willis, newly separated and desperate, answers an ad for a position at The Stranger Times she has no idea what it may entail, but she is not expecting to find a man show more threatening to throw himself off the roof, a wannabe reporter named Simon lurking by the entrance, and then for her new boss, Vince Bancroft, to set fire to his office and shoot himself in the foot during her interview. Still, Hannah needs a job and this is the only one on offer.
“We aren’t reporting the story as fact; we’re reporting the existence of the story as fact.”
Though Hannah doesn’t believe in the litany of the strange and unbelievable that The Stranger Times reports on that’s all about to change when, after Simon is found dead at the base of a construction tower, the staff of The Stranger Times becomes the target of a killer, who has a vicious beast at his command.
“Because, sweetheart, you ain’t never met a short-arsed slaphead quite like me.”
The Stranger Times is an entertaining urban fantasy novel. Set in Manchester, McDonnell introduces a shadow world that lurks amongst ours, where folk hide in plain sight. One of these folk has gone rogue, breaking a centuries old Accord, and the staff of The Stranger Times gets in the way of his plans for murder and mayhem. But no matter what happens, the paper still needs to go out.
The staff of The Stranger Times are an eccentric bunch, editor Vince Bancroft is a barely functioning alcoholic in a permanent bad temper, flatmates Ox and Reggie are feature writers, specialists in the supernatural and extraterrestrial, Stella is a teenage runaway, and pious Grace is the paper’s office manager. I loved their unique personality’s, and their group dynamic which is delightfully dysfunctional.
Though it gets off to a bit of a slow start I was quickly caught up in this witty, weird and wonderful romp full of magic, mystery and monsters. Read all about it in The Stranger Times! show less
“Publication seeks desperate human being with capability to form sentences, using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply.”
Similarly, the titular ‘The Stranger Times’ is a weekly newspaper devoted to the weird and wonderful. When Hannah Willis, newly separated and desperate, answers an ad for a position at The Stranger Times she has no idea what it may entail, but she is not expecting to find a man show more threatening to throw himself off the roof, a wannabe reporter named Simon lurking by the entrance, and then for her new boss, Vince Bancroft, to set fire to his office and shoot himself in the foot during her interview. Still, Hannah needs a job and this is the only one on offer.
“We aren’t reporting the story as fact; we’re reporting the existence of the story as fact.”
Though Hannah doesn’t believe in the litany of the strange and unbelievable that The Stranger Times reports on that’s all about to change when, after Simon is found dead at the base of a construction tower, the staff of The Stranger Times becomes the target of a killer, who has a vicious beast at his command.
“Because, sweetheart, you ain’t never met a short-arsed slaphead quite like me.”
The Stranger Times is an entertaining urban fantasy novel. Set in Manchester, McDonnell introduces a shadow world that lurks amongst ours, where folk hide in plain sight. One of these folk has gone rogue, breaking a centuries old Accord, and the staff of The Stranger Times gets in the way of his plans for murder and mayhem. But no matter what happens, the paper still needs to go out.
The staff of The Stranger Times are an eccentric bunch, editor Vince Bancroft is a barely functioning alcoholic in a permanent bad temper, flatmates Ox and Reggie are feature writers, specialists in the supernatural and extraterrestrial, Stella is a teenage runaway, and pious Grace is the paper’s office manager. I loved their unique personality’s, and their group dynamic which is delightfully dysfunctional.
Though it gets off to a bit of a slow start I was quickly caught up in this witty, weird and wonderful romp full of magic, mystery and monsters. Read all about it in The Stranger Times! show less
So…..clearly I need more supervision. Once again, I blew right past a stack of long suffering TBR’s & went for a bright & shiny new ARC. In my defence, it is the latest from Caimh McDonnell (don’t be fooled by that “C. K.” business). Just a heads-up for fans: we’re not in Dublin anymore.
Welcome to Manchester. And a whole new cast of colourful, odd, rude & entertaining characters. The prologue also signals a new genre. This is a mash-up of sci-fi, mystery, fantasy & mythology, served with a side of the author’s signature snark.
When we meet MC Hannah Willis, she’s not having a bad day…she’s having a bad life. Recently divorced from her wealthy can’t-keep-it-zipped husband, she’s in desperate need of something show more she’s never had. A job. By a stroke of (good?) luck she ends up at the Stranger Times, which we will loosely refer to as a newspaper.
There she meets Grace, Simon, Stella, Ox & Reggie. They fulfill the colourful, odd & entertaining part of the equation. The rude bit comes courtesy of managing editor Vincent Banecroft, a man intent on drinking himself into a coma. Right away, you know each of these people has a past that needs to be explored & we get hints as the plot progresses. But it’s not all giggles & insults. There’s a spooky, darker side to the whole story.
In alternate chapters, we follow a strange man named Moretti (or, as I referred to him in my head, “creepy weasel guy”). He’s a man on a mission & if some unfortunate souls happen to get in the way….well, sometimes life is messy.
So what we have is the basic battle of good vs. evil. Initially, readers are as clueless as Hannah as to what is actually going on in the world around us. Magic, mythology, scary critters & the stuff of nightmares….Manchester has it all. And it’s the Stranger Times’ job to keep us informed. They’re used to the usual harmless weirdos but clearly there is a new game in town. And not everyone from the newspaper will survive.
This was an entertaining read with well defined characters. Hannah is a young woman just discovering that she has opinions. And a spine. Grace is the house mother who takes care of them all. And there’s definitely more to Banecroft, a man who pisses people off like it’s his job.
The author dials down the silly & replaces it with a grittier edge than his previous books. During one scene in particular, I found myself waiting for someone to gaze into the distance & mutter “Winter is coming”. As book #1, time is spent establishing the cast & setting & some of the funniest lines are those describing Manchester itself. My only complaint about the ARC was the missing newspaper articles that I’m sure will be interspersed throughout finished copies.
If you are new to this author, it’s the perfect place to start. Book #2 is due later next year & I look forward to catching up with some of Manchester’s more peculiar residents. Well, except that guy with the eyeball thing. Never mind. show less
Welcome to Manchester. And a whole new cast of colourful, odd, rude & entertaining characters. The prologue also signals a new genre. This is a mash-up of sci-fi, mystery, fantasy & mythology, served with a side of the author’s signature snark.
When we meet MC Hannah Willis, she’s not having a bad day…she’s having a bad life. Recently divorced from her wealthy can’t-keep-it-zipped husband, she’s in desperate need of something show more she’s never had. A job. By a stroke of (good?) luck she ends up at the Stranger Times, which we will loosely refer to as a newspaper.
There she meets Grace, Simon, Stella, Ox & Reggie. They fulfill the colourful, odd & entertaining part of the equation. The rude bit comes courtesy of managing editor Vincent Banecroft, a man intent on drinking himself into a coma. Right away, you know each of these people has a past that needs to be explored & we get hints as the plot progresses. But it’s not all giggles & insults. There’s a spooky, darker side to the whole story.
In alternate chapters, we follow a strange man named Moretti (or, as I referred to him in my head, “creepy weasel guy”). He’s a man on a mission & if some unfortunate souls happen to get in the way….well, sometimes life is messy.
So what we have is the basic battle of good vs. evil. Initially, readers are as clueless as Hannah as to what is actually going on in the world around us. Magic, mythology, scary critters & the stuff of nightmares….Manchester has it all. And it’s the Stranger Times’ job to keep us informed. They’re used to the usual harmless weirdos but clearly there is a new game in town. And not everyone from the newspaper will survive.
This was an entertaining read with well defined characters. Hannah is a young woman just discovering that she has opinions. And a spine. Grace is the house mother who takes care of them all. And there’s definitely more to Banecroft, a man who pisses people off like it’s his job.
The author dials down the silly & replaces it with a grittier edge than his previous books. During one scene in particular, I found myself waiting for someone to gaze into the distance & mutter “Winter is coming”. As book #1, time is spent establishing the cast & setting & some of the funniest lines are those describing Manchester itself. My only complaint about the ARC was the missing newspaper articles that I’m sure will be interspersed throughout finished copies.
If you are new to this author, it’s the perfect place to start. Book #2 is due later next year & I look forward to catching up with some of Manchester’s more peculiar residents. Well, except that guy with the eyeball thing. Never mind. show less
Ok, I wasn't sure I'd like this, but it was a lot of fun.
I'm always drawn to stories about a 'ragtag band of misfits' (I love The Awkward Squad series and am anxious for a third one to be published in translation), and the premise of a newspaper dedicated to the weird and wonderful happenings in the world was a definite draw. But I know nothing about C.K. McDonnell, and though I thoroughly enjoy the dry British sense of humour, I was hesitant about what a male comedian might do with it. Let's face it: the British can do great ha-ha humor, but they also excel in humor with a nasty, violent edge to it.
I needn't have worried. There's an edginess to the writing that's reminiscent of Guy Ritchies early movies (Snatch) but it's balanced with show more laugh-out-loud moments more reminiscent of Yes, Prime Minister. There were excerpts I couldn't help but read out loud to MT, leaving him a bit miffed; he has no tolerance for the supernatural in his reading, otherwise he'd be reading this next.
The story bounces between the staff at the newspaper and the doings of the shady American in town, the former completely in the dark about what's going on, and the latter driving them. It all dovetails into a climax that's awfully close to a Scooby Doo episode, but it was all good fun.
The writing was good, but McDonnell excels at the dialog, which is acerbic, crackling and fast-paced. There's a second book out, This Charming Man and I eyed it when I bought this one, but decided to be cautious. I had a feeling I'd regret that, and now I'm off to find out how soon I can get my hands on it. show less
I'm always drawn to stories about a 'ragtag band of misfits' (I love The Awkward Squad series and am anxious for a third one to be published in translation), and the premise of a newspaper dedicated to the weird and wonderful happenings in the world was a definite draw. But I know nothing about C.K. McDonnell, and though I thoroughly enjoy the dry British sense of humour, I was hesitant about what a male comedian might do with it. Let's face it: the British can do great ha-ha humor, but they also excel in humor with a nasty, violent edge to it.
I needn't have worried. There's an edginess to the writing that's reminiscent of Guy Ritchies early movies (Snatch) but it's balanced with show more laugh-out-loud moments more reminiscent of Yes, Prime Minister. There were excerpts I couldn't help but read out loud to MT, leaving him a bit miffed; he has no tolerance for the supernatural in his reading, otherwise he'd be reading this next.
The story bounces between the staff at the newspaper and the doings of the shady American in town, the former completely in the dark about what's going on, and the latter driving them. It all dovetails into a climax that's awfully close to a Scooby Doo episode, but it was all good fun.
The writing was good, but McDonnell excels at the dialog, which is acerbic, crackling and fast-paced. There's a second book out, This Charming Man and I eyed it when I bought this one, but decided to be cautious. I had a feeling I'd regret that, and now I'm off to find out how soon I can get my hands on it. show less
As it so often happens, I took notice of this book thanks to the review from fellow blogger Lynn, but did not add it immediately to my reading queue, so that it took Lynn’s mention of the second volume in the series to finally push me start this one, and now I know I will not let too much time elapse before adding the sequel to my TBR because I had a great deal of fun with The Stranger Times.
The book title refers to a Manchester-based newspaper focused on the strange and the bizarre - like alien visitations or kidnappings, the birth of two-headed cows and so forth - its anchor to reality being that the paper is only reporting those weird occurrences, not stating a belief in them. The staff is just as eccentric as the news it show more publishes, consisting of Vincent Banecroft, the editor, a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited drunkard who lives on the premises; Grace, Banecroft’s secretary and office manager, whose main activities consist in keeping the editor’s profanities to a minimum and making tea for everyone; Reggie and Ox, the actual reporters, who seem to have lost faith in their work; and Stella, the young apprentice who looks far from happy about being there.
The latest addition to the team is Hannah, recently divorced from a philandering husband and the recipient of unwanted fame for having set fire to their home while burning the man’s clothes: having left her comfortable life behind, Hannah is in dire need of work and her last chance comes though the ad published by the Stranger Times, claiming to look for “desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply”. Despite the oddities of the place, and Banecroft’s foul temper, it does not take long for Hannah to find her niche as assistant editor in this new setting, and just in time, because strange happenings are troubling the city of Manchester and soon enough a death that touches the staff very close to home launches them into an investigation where the supernatural and its dangers are not limited to the rantings of the newspaper’s readers.
The rapid POV changes in the story - which besides the main characters include a powerful villain, a police inspector and some of the gruesome crimes’ victims - make for a quick and lively run through this book, which alternates its more dramatic aspects with a good dose of tongue-in-cheek humor that I found quite refreshing for the genre: Urban Fantasy tends to be uniformly dark, its characters often tormented by a dismal past, and finding here this successful blend of seriousness and fun offered a very welcome respite from the gloom of our current reality.
Where the story is quite intriguing, listing a series of bizarre deaths and the hints of some magical dastardly plot our heroes need to prevent, the characters are its true backbone and it’s through their spirited exchanges that their nature is revealed as they turn, slowly but surely, from a group of people at odds with each other into something approaching a found family. Hannah is of course the one whose journey is more detailed, and the one who shows the greatest changes: at first she is not only the classic “fish out of water” due to the upheavals in her life, she also looks somewhat clueless and fumbling, since her first days at the Stranger Times are a source of misery, thanks to Banecroft’s vicious attitude and to her duties for “Loon Day”, when a long theory of contributors comes calling with their weird anecdotes. But as the days pass, we can see how those challenges help Hannah to tap some unknown reserves and turn into a determined, proactive person who is also able to face unusual or terrifying situations and even to challenge Banecroft on his own ground, probably gaining his unexpressed respect in the process.
Banecroft himself is a very interesting character: even though he’s outwardly rude and profanity-inclined (to the point that Grace had to put a daily limit to his use of nasty language), and lives in what can only be described as a disgusting mess of papers, dirty clothes and empty liquor bottles, it’s difficult to outright hate him because the way he’s written and his over-the-top demeanor lead the reader more toward indulgent amusement than real disapproval. What’s more, there are some hints at a past tragedy that might explain his current manners (or lack thereof…) and that I hope will be explored in more depth in the next book(s). I liked Grace very much, particularly for the unflappable way in which she deals both with Banecroft and with young Stella, whose difficult-teenager attitude hides a very interesting secret which ties with some of the information (sorry, no spoilers!) we gather along the way. And, last but not least, the interactions between Reggie and Ox are nothing short of delightful.
What’s interesting here is that we see the point of view of the villain just as much as that of our “heroes” and that serves to counterbalance the whimsical tone of the story with some darkness, which grounds the story in its dramatic aspect as we learn of the increasing danger presented by this mysterious figure as he claims his victims with a sort of… amused nonchalance that’s quite chilling.
I had a very good run with The Stranger Times, to the point that I have already acquired the sequel - This Charming Man: the blend of Urban Fantasy and humor is very well balanced, an amusing journey that at times makes you laugh out loud, particularly when you get “extracts” from the newspaper itself detailing some of the published articles. A different take on the usual elements of the genre that will not disappoint and will leave you with a smile on your face. show less
The book title refers to a Manchester-based newspaper focused on the strange and the bizarre - like alien visitations or kidnappings, the birth of two-headed cows and so forth - its anchor to reality being that the paper is only reporting those weird occurrences, not stating a belief in them. The staff is just as eccentric as the news it show more publishes, consisting of Vincent Banecroft, the editor, a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited drunkard who lives on the premises; Grace, Banecroft’s secretary and office manager, whose main activities consist in keeping the editor’s profanities to a minimum and making tea for everyone; Reggie and Ox, the actual reporters, who seem to have lost faith in their work; and Stella, the young apprentice who looks far from happy about being there.
The latest addition to the team is Hannah, recently divorced from a philandering husband and the recipient of unwanted fame for having set fire to their home while burning the man’s clothes: having left her comfortable life behind, Hannah is in dire need of work and her last chance comes though the ad published by the Stranger Times, claiming to look for “desperate human being with capability to form sentences using the English language. No imbeciles, optimists or Simons need apply”. Despite the oddities of the place, and Banecroft’s foul temper, it does not take long for Hannah to find her niche as assistant editor in this new setting, and just in time, because strange happenings are troubling the city of Manchester and soon enough a death that touches the staff very close to home launches them into an investigation where the supernatural and its dangers are not limited to the rantings of the newspaper’s readers.
The rapid POV changes in the story - which besides the main characters include a powerful villain, a police inspector and some of the gruesome crimes’ victims - make for a quick and lively run through this book, which alternates its more dramatic aspects with a good dose of tongue-in-cheek humor that I found quite refreshing for the genre: Urban Fantasy tends to be uniformly dark, its characters often tormented by a dismal past, and finding here this successful blend of seriousness and fun offered a very welcome respite from the gloom of our current reality.
Where the story is quite intriguing, listing a series of bizarre deaths and the hints of some magical dastardly plot our heroes need to prevent, the characters are its true backbone and it’s through their spirited exchanges that their nature is revealed as they turn, slowly but surely, from a group of people at odds with each other into something approaching a found family. Hannah is of course the one whose journey is more detailed, and the one who shows the greatest changes: at first she is not only the classic “fish out of water” due to the upheavals in her life, she also looks somewhat clueless and fumbling, since her first days at the Stranger Times are a source of misery, thanks to Banecroft’s vicious attitude and to her duties for “Loon Day”, when a long theory of contributors comes calling with their weird anecdotes. But as the days pass, we can see how those challenges help Hannah to tap some unknown reserves and turn into a determined, proactive person who is also able to face unusual or terrifying situations and even to challenge Banecroft on his own ground, probably gaining his unexpressed respect in the process.
Banecroft himself is a very interesting character: even though he’s outwardly rude and profanity-inclined (to the point that Grace had to put a daily limit to his use of nasty language), and lives in what can only be described as a disgusting mess of papers, dirty clothes and empty liquor bottles, it’s difficult to outright hate him because the way he’s written and his over-the-top demeanor lead the reader more toward indulgent amusement than real disapproval. What’s more, there are some hints at a past tragedy that might explain his current manners (or lack thereof…) and that I hope will be explored in more depth in the next book(s). I liked Grace very much, particularly for the unflappable way in which she deals both with Banecroft and with young Stella, whose difficult-teenager attitude hides a very interesting secret which ties with some of the information (sorry, no spoilers!) we gather along the way. And, last but not least, the interactions between Reggie and Ox are nothing short of delightful.
What’s interesting here is that we see the point of view of the villain just as much as that of our “heroes” and that serves to counterbalance the whimsical tone of the story with some darkness, which grounds the story in its dramatic aspect as we learn of the increasing danger presented by this mysterious figure as he claims his victims with a sort of… amused nonchalance that’s quite chilling.
I had a very good run with The Stranger Times, to the point that I have already acquired the sequel - This Charming Man: the blend of Urban Fantasy and humor is very well balanced, an amusing journey that at times makes you laugh out loud, particularly when you get “extracts” from the newspaper itself detailing some of the published articles. A different take on the usual elements of the genre that will not disappoint and will leave you with a smile on your face. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books Read in 2022
5,166 works; 114 members
Top Five Books of 2023
767 works; 317 members
Best Audiobooks
240 works; 114 members
Books We Discovered On LibraryThing
530 works; 130 members
Author Information
46 Works 2,433 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Stranger Times
- Original publication date
- 2021
- People/Characters
- Hannah Willis
- First words
- Prologue: The two men stood on the rooftop, watching the city toss and turn in it's sleep.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 507
- Popularity
- 59,079
- Reviews
- 33
- Rating
- (3.93)
- Languages
- English, Estonian, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 4
