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This Charming Man
This Charming Man: (The Stranger Times 2) | C.K McDonnell
16 posts | 6 read | 6 to read
Vampires do not exist. Everyone knows this. So it's particularly annoying when they start popping up around Manchester . . . Nobody is pleased about it. Not the Founders, the secret organisation for whom vampires were invented as an allegory, nor the Folk, the magical people hidden in plain sight who only want a quiet life. And definitely not the people of Manchester, because there is nothing more irksome than being murdered by an allegory run amok. Somebody needs to sort this out fast before all Hell really breaks loose - step forward the staff of The Stranger Times. It's not like they don't have enough to be dealing with. Assistant Editor Hannah has come back from getting messily divorced to discover that someone is trying to kidnap a member of their staff and while editor Vincent Banecroft would be delighted to see the back of any of his team, he doesn't like people touching his stuff - it's the principle of the thing. Throw in a precarious plumbing situation, gambling debts, an entirely new way of swearing, and a certain detective inspector with what could be kindly referred to as 'a lot of baggage' and it all adds up to another hectic week in the life of the newspaper committed to reporting the truth that nobody else will touch. This Charming Man is the second book in the critically acclaimed The Stranger Times series. 'Wonderfully dark, extremely funny, and evocative of Terry Pratchett - which I think is the highest compliment I can give.' ADAM KAY, about The Stranger Times . . . 'A gag-filled romp . . . in the spirit of Terry Pratchett.' The Times 'Great characters, a jet-propelled plot, and a winning premise.' Guardian 'Fresh and genuinely funny.' SFX
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review
Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Happy to report the second in this series is as good as the first. Adventure and mystery and a liberal sprinkling of humour. The world building just layers up so casually, you never feel info dumped on, but you get to meet new characters and learn about new aspects of the paranormal established within this particular universe. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality The hint of Terry Pratchett, funny fantasy, continues, really noticed in this book that particular ability to have the reader learn through the character: first a situation makes you angry, then information is provided, realizations occur, and allows for a more calm, patient, compassionate approach. That being said, Banecroft is a cliffhanger in human form, as you're never sure if he's being insufferable in a way that will crack the case/help out in some obscure fashion, or just as a matter of course. 2/? 13mo
Robotswithpersonality Love the themes wrestled with in this book, but see related trigger warnings below. Could have done without the carping on about personal hygiene, poor diet, and tidbits of toilet humour.
⚠️Fatphobia, food shaming in relation to emotional eating (those with ED or DE behaviours read with caution), alcoholism, gambling addiction, references to attempted SA, predatory app, recording without consent 3/3
13mo
julesG I like your description of Banecroft. So apt. 13mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG Thanks! ☺️ I think the amount of time he spent aggravating and amusing me contributed to my need to pin down the WHY. 13mo
3 likes4 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Well that's an aspect to the well worn analogy I hadn't considered before! 😅

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Robotswithpersonality
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Coordinated couple costumes, always adorable.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Valid question. Logical answer. 🤦🏼‍♂️

3 likes1 stack add
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julesG
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Pickpick

Second book in the Stranger Times series.

It's the middle of a heatwave. Vampires are haunting Manchester. The Stranger Times has no working bathroom. And Hannah has just returned from her divorce vacation.
Builders need to be found. Bancroft has to stop swearing. Vampires need hunting down.

Also, build-up for book 3, which I would love to read right away.

#ValentinesDayReadathon
#SeriesLove2023 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

TheSpineView Well done! 1y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 1y
61 likes2 comments
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julesG
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#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1) Jodi Taylor, Natasha Pulley, Caimh McDonnell

2) tagged - that explains part of my answers to 1) 😉

3) Manchester, Vampires, journalists investigating

@Tianarose @IndoorDame @Liatrek

Eggs Oooo well done! Thanks for playing Jules 🥰🥰 1y
39 likes1 comment
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rwmg
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Pickpick

The Founders insist vampires don't exist. The Folk insist vampires don't exist. So why are men in Manchester waking up with fangs and a thirst for human blood?

Interesting expansion of the world seen in the first book. Although I did sometimes have problems working out whether some of the new characters were Founders or Folk, it was still a great read, and I'm looking forward to book 3 next year.

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rwmg
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The hunger. The damned hunger. Phillip had never felt anything like it.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

ShyBookOwl This sounds so fun! 1y
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rwmg
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Stella liked books. She loved them, in fact. They had a very calming quality to them – as if nothing could be that bad if you were holding one. Life had shown her that was definitely not true, but still. Given her feelings towards books, a library should have been a tremendously relaxing place for her, but it wasn‘t.

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rwmg
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TheSpineView Love lunch and a book! 1y
25 likes1 comment
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

I liked the plot and the setting and the very droll narration, not to mention the newspaper articles sprinkled throughout. What I did not like was that my copy was just under 500 pages and really heavy to hold. I had to keep putting it down and lost momentum.

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charl08
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Bonkers, but fun ride for book #2

ShelleyBooksie Stacked - this book sounds funny. 2y
charl08 @ShelleyBooksie it is: I enjoyed the first one (Stranger Times) so much I had this one on order from the library as soon as it was published. 2y
56 likes1 stack add2 comments
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charl08

'WHY?' bellowed Banecroft. 'IS THE NOISE BOTHERING YOU?'

With that, he marched back into his office and slammed the door shut behind him.

Hannah shook her head. 'How has he got this far in life with out anyone stabbing him?"

'I heard that,' roared Banecroft from the other room. 'Shows what you know. I've been stabbed twice!'

MaureenMc 😄 2y
40 likes1 comment
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charl08

Before they'd left, Hannah had asked him if he could give them a contact from the Folk to talk to.

'It's not like that, darling,' Cogs had explained. "They ain't got a head of state. It's like asking to speak to the top ginger bloke in the country.

Suet624 😂😂😂 2y
37 likes1 stack add1 comment