Who works at The Stranger Times? People who know about things the rest of us don't? Like people with an extra eye in the top of their head, people who can only tell the truth and people who look like vampires and act like vampires, even though vampires don't exist.

This is the second book in the series and I really think it would have been better to start with the first as the beginning was definitely a bit confusing based on the author jumping straight in with the story. To be fair, I actually like it when they do that as I have most often read the series in order so don't need a recap and I did really enjoy this one so I will go back and read the first one at some point.

The strange mish mash of "journalists" working at "The Stranger Times" definitely grew on me and this is definitely a book for people who like their fantasy to be amusing rather than bloody. I really liked the characters and their love/hate relationships and I particularly liked the characted development so that there was nobody really good or really bad, much like real life!

Definitely a recommended read and I'll be looking for more in the series.

Three months on from their introduction to the hidden underworld of the Founders and the Folk, the staff of The Stranger Times find themselves facing new challenges. Vincent Banecroft (Editor-at-Large, arsehole-in-charge) has inexplicably dismissed the builders midway through renovating the bathroom and developed a new system of swearing, leaving Grace *this* close to quitting. There’s divorce and gambling debts and attempted kidnappings to deal with. Oh, and there’s a vampire in town, and those at the paper have been charged with finding it by their alleged lawyer. Just one slight issue - vampires don’t exist.

First things first –This Charming Man is not one of those sequels that you can dive into without knowledge of the rest of the series, so do not attempt to read this book without first reading The Stranger Times. You need to know the characters, and you definitely need to know the background and people behind all the weirdness.

I adored The Stranger Times, so I was slightly worried that the sequel wouldn’t reach the same standards. I worried in vain. Having established the foundation of the characters in the first book, This Charming Man builds on almost all of them. I would have liked a little more development of Manny and his ‘friend’, although I’m sure that will come in future instalments. I especially enjoyed the glimpses into Reggie’s past, but it was the expansion of Banecroft’s character which pulled me in the most. With The Dublin Trilogy’s Bunny McGarry McDonnell demonstrated that humorous needn’t be shallow, and he’s proven it yet again with Vincent Banecroft.

Fast-paced, brilliantly written, and with characters to die for, This Charming Man will have you laughing out loud time and again. I can’t wait for book three.

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

I’ve been looking forward to this sequel from the last page of The Stranger Times. Terry Pratchett comic fantasy set in a Manchester newsroom, it delivers on laughs, characters and story.

The ace reporter team at The Stranger Times is back on the case. They now know that Manny’s references to himself as ‘we’ are well-founded, and that teen runaway Stella needs protected, but editor Banecroft still drinks, swears and yells too much despite Grace’s best effort, Ox is still dealing with gambling debts, Reggie’s working his waistcoat, and while Hannah was on holiday celebrating her divorce the builders created a purpose built kidnap device in the new office bathroom. In other words it’s business as usual.

But, even the contacts from the supernatural worlds they met in the last book are nonplussed when a body turns up with long pointy teeth and blood in his stomach. Vampires aren't real - they can’t be.

Definitely read The Stranger Times before starting This Charming Man. You’ll need the context and it’s a brilliant read. But, for fans of book one this offers everything that was great about the first book, and builds on these wonderful characters. I’m already looking forward to book three.

An excellent sequel to stranger times, continues straight after book 1 obviously 🙄. Takes the newly created characters further into their working and private lives, letting them grow in to maturing well rounded ones.

The author really uses the city of Manchester to full effect, and he shows his love for the city.

Highly recommended to all readers of the Peter Grant series, especially when we all are waiting for the next book to come out.

I really liked the sound of this book as the headline was essentially “Vampires in Manchester, probably?” with the suggestion that it would be enjoyable by fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Terry Pratchett, both authors that I go out of my way to read! Therefore when it was suggested on Netgalley as a book I might want to review I applied and downloaded it.

The first thing to be aware of is that it is the second in the series. I probably would have enjoyed it without reading Stranger Times, the first book, however, this was a great read, so I suggest buying it whilst you’re waiting for This Charming Man to be published.

The overall concept is that there is a group of reporters working for a newspaper that focuses upon the strange, mythological, weird and mysterious. As such, our heroes are uniquely placed to investigate what has all the hallmarks of vampire attacks. In the first book, we were introduced to the idea that were creatures, the Fae and Angelic beings all exist but it is made quite clear that vampires do not and that instead there are other beings that have similar traits.

One of these beings is putting pressure upon the Stranger Times’ employees to shut down any media reports of so called vampires after some one commits suicide and is shown to have developed fangs and potentially attacked a member of the public. I don’t want to give too much away but our reporters investigate what has gone on and agree to share any leads with DI Sturgess, a contact made in the first book.

I loved the book’s setting, I live in Greater Manchester and it’s a treat to place spot and be able to imagine where the action is taking place. This book is also really funny in places, with annoying, almost cartoonish characters that manage to be human, even if they’re not particularly lovable. The Fae/fantastical characters are portrayed to be enjoyable, menacing in places but easily imagined.

Generally speaking, I enjoyed this book and look forward to book 3! It’s great to find another series I can get my teeth stuck into, pun intended. 😜

Full honesty: I DNF'd this book at around chapter 5. I have no personal qualms with the book itself; however, it just did not really fit into what I thought it would be.

It read more like a YA book, along the lines of Percy Jackson and Skullduggery Pleasant; funny, with supernatural elements and weird characters. I probably would have loved it in high school. But beyond the age of the characters, it just did not feel adult at all regarding prose. That's not a bad thing, necessarily; I was just expecting something more along the lines of Gaiman. Something snappier, sharper. I would probably have enjoyed it had I read it when I was younger (for reference, I am currently 23). I might enjoy the series now, as an airplane or roadtrip read as something to read quickly to pass the time, though I don't think it would be my first pick. Beyond the humor, though, the prose was good. Good voice and nice descriptions.

Additionally, I didn't realize that this was a sequel, but decided to read anyway. The summarization of the previous book was done in broad enough strokes that it did not spoil the first book while giving context of the world in characters but resulted in the first few chapters dragging along pace-wise. If I had read and enjoyed the first book this probably would have been annoying. As someone who didn't read the first book, it was appreciated but also lead to a boring reading experience. I would think it would have been better to cut down on so much summary and focus on providing a snappier reading experience for those who already love the series and characters.

I might recommend this series to someone whose reading tastes I knew would fit this, though no one comes to mind.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, as this author has not crossed my radar before, and he's very good indeed.
"This charming man" is a well-told, fast-paced, highly comic, urban fantasy, in which an eclectic bunch of misfits working for a tales-of-the-supernatural tabloid deal with magic and monsters when they become real...in Manchester.
The story flows beautifully, encompassing staff personal crises as well as the nefarious doings of various otherworldly creatures; the characters are varied and realistic, as well as very funny; but it is mostly McDonnell's grasp of the English language that lifts this book from mundane to sublime.

Whilst he is no Terry Pratchett (let's face it, no one ever will be), the author's style is a good cut above the usual comic writer - it is some time since I read prose that was able to combine extended complex sentences with modern cultural idioms, faultlessly and to great comic effect. Here is an author who knows exactly how to deploy a comma to the greatest effect!

C. K. McDonnell's Stranger Times series is more convincing and far, far funnier than Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, long may it continue!

This is the second book in this excellent series and is actually better than the first book was. The first book introduces you to the staff at the stranger times newspaper ,the second fills out the characters and their stories. My husband had to go and read on another room as me laughing out loud stopped him from enjoying his own book. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I recognised the name C.K. McDonnell as that of an Irish stand-up comedian but did not realise that the funnyman is also an author. So, when I saw 'This Charming Man' on Netgalley, I had to apply for a copy.

'This Charming Man' is the second novel in the 'The Stranger Times' series and the author carefully crafts 'This Charming Man' with sufficient details of the previous novel to whet your appetite if you have not read it, but without ruining the storyline. And indeed, it is easy to jump straight into the world of the Stranger Times without feeling that you have missed out on crucial background. The story is set in Manchester and revolves around The Stranger Times - a newspaper reporting on the strange and unusual. Due to the nature of their work, the team at the newspaper have been exposed to some bizarre and explicable events. In this novel, ee return to the offices of The Stranger Times and the brave team of Hannah, Stella, Grace, Manny, Ox and Banecroft. The team are recovering from the events of the previous novel and are not too pleased to discover that Stella remains in danger and protecting her will be a major storyline.
Meanwhile, what is happening in Manchester? Well the usual ghouls and oddities are present - and by 'oddities' I'm referring to the human characters who are only marginally less strange that the otherwordly beings. Lesson number one for newcomers is that vampires DO NOT exist. Except that erm, they do. A of vampires has been spotted around Manchester and some gruesome murders are being attributed to this sextet. Our intrepid news-team are tasked with finding out the truth behind the arrival of these mythical creatures.
Told in a roundly tongue in cheek style, McDonnell has crafted a highly amusing and clever novel that manages to play with the common mythical tropes but adds a refreshing element with his humour.

Business as usual for the team at Stranger Times.

Bancroft has fired the builders installing the new bathroom as they added an unwanted feature of a trapdoor under the shower. And everyone knows vampires don't exist, but did they explain that to the body DI Sturgess is looking at in the morgue?

Things get crazier and more woo woo for our intrepid reporters as they investigate the rogue builders and try to explain the sudden appearance of vampires.

So good I read it twice.

My thanks to NetGalley and PRH for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this - the forthcoming book by one of my favourite authors. This Charming Man is the second book in his series set in his adopted home city of Manchester - though it is a city that Morrissey never sang about. No jumped -up Pantry Boys here - but there is a cast of Ghoulies, Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves & people with strange, often unmanageable powers,
C K McDonnell is the other pen name of Caimh Mcdonnell who for the last five years has been writing a series of books featuring Bunny McGarry - the increasingly inaccurately named Dublin Trilogy and the McGarry Stateside spinoff books. Whereas these feature Hurling and Nuns the Stranger Times series is set in an entirely different Universe.
The Stranger Times itself is a newspaper which covers paranormal activity - along the lines of Fortean Times. It is published from a decommissioned church - the Church of Old Souls and is staffed by a collection of misfits and rebels under the editorship of Vincent Banecroft who runs the place in much the same way as Jackson Lamb runs Slough House.
Do yourself a favour and read The Stranger Times before picking this book up as This Charming Man jumps straight into the middle of things and wastes no time filling in the reader with background and characterisation - that said it is a compulsive read and, as with all his books laugh-out-loud funny.
I await Caimh/C K's next book with anticipation and, given his prodigious writing speed, hopefully will not have too long to wait.

A truly excellent sequel to Stranger Times. Funny, spooky and an excellent read for dark winter nights.

This book combines fantasy, murder mystery and a touch of horror, all told with an element of sarcasm and humour. Although I had not read the first book in the series, it provided enough hints and clues to previous events that you could easily catch up. An enjoyable read, with some interesting plot twists at the end.

There are not many books I've read that have made me cackle out laughing, but this was one of them. I loved the easy writing style, the humour, the clever use of myths and legends. You need to read this, and the previous book, obviously, they are so much fun.

Vampires don’t exist, everybody knows this so how come a body has just turned up at the morgue with pointy teeth and a bellyful of blood that doesn’t belong to it? Well the Stranger Times are here to investigate.
This was great, better then the first even. The plot was tighter and more focused now that the world and the characters are established. Hannah is absolutely smashing it as assistant editor given that the place nearly went in to melt down when she took time off to sort her divorce. Her editor in chief is still largely a drunken tosspot. And she’s not too sure about dating a policeman with an extra eye that pops out of his skull Willy nilly but nobody is perfect.
I could have done with the inverted snobbery about horse shit though.

I picked up this book for review as I’ve read all other books written by the author. I find his books engaging and entertaining in equal measure.
This is book 2 from The Stranger Times series and hopefully not the last. Hannah and the staff are back dealing with the weird and wonderful happening around Manchester.
It appears there are vampires in Manchester but they don’t exist so they are told.
Banecroft is arrogant and rude in equal measure a man in so much pain with loss he manages by insulting all around him!
Hannah is getting divorced from her cheating ex and just wants to keep busy while working through her attraction to DI Sturgess a man literally married to the job!
A great read it literally pulled me in. I don’t want to give anything away I’ll just say if you enjoy his Dublin series you’ll love getting your teeth into this new series

Loved the first book in this series, so was delighted to be able to read an advance copy of the second, (thank you NetGalley and the publishers).
The Stranger Times is a newspaper publishing weird stuff, some of which is actually true. A small crew of reporters and an outrageous editor (think of Jackson Lamb from Mick Heron’s Slough House thriller series) all of whom are characters in their own right. A great cast it has to be said.
When Vampires start to kill people this is right up their street, except Vampires don’t exist. Many non-human weirdos do exist, but Vampires definitely don’t. But there are people with pointy teeth ripping people apart so it calls for investigation from the least professional team you can imagine.
The character interplay and dialogue is once again a joy as is the humour running through this.
Already looking forward to the third.

Having read the first book courtesy of Netgalley I purchased the audio book and loved it even more, I also got the stranger times newspaper (digitally) so when the chance to read the next book about these somewhat challenged characters arose I jumped at the chance, again the book did not disappoint and I will be buying the audio book as soon as it is released

February 2022 will see the release of This Charming Man, the second in the Stranger Times series by CK McDonnell. Friends will know that the first book is probably my most read book of 2021, and so I was so excited to receive an advance copy of the sequel, and it doesn’t disappoint.

This Charming Man follows on from the previous novel, The Stranger Times, where the staff of misfits running The Stranger Times newspaper in Manchester discover that some of the weird phenomena they report on is actually… real.

This time, everyone knows that vampires aren’t real. Sources from the supernatural world are telling The Stranger Times crew that vampires aren’t real. They’re just stories people have made up. Which makes it awkward when vampires are turning up around Manchester, causing mayhem and leaving a trail of bodies. With The Stranger Times staff still dealing with the fall-out of their previous brush with the mystic world, this is the last thing they need. But they’ve a paper to publish and stories to investigate. And a bathroom to get finished.

It works as an ensemble piece, with each of the staff moving the plot forward. Belligerent perma-drunk editor Vincent Banecroft is at his irascible best, refusing to allow kidnap attempts of his staff to happen on his watch, even if he doesn’t particularly like his staff that much, whilst trying to get to the bottom of this vampire appearance, and deal with suspect builders.

There’s a kindness and warmth to McDonnell’s writing that I just love, and he’s created a world here where there’s a sense of acceptance, for the off-key, the individual, the different. Do I like all the characters? Not always. Do they make me laugh? Oh yes. The novel leans into the absurdity of the phenomena being investigated, creating a hilarious well-paced tale with strong dialogue. While the paper’s main subject is the supernatural and unexplained, the novel itself is anchored in the real world, and it’s a Manchester I certainly recognise.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

I've not read the first one, but I enjoyed this second book. The characters are further developed from the first one, but I don't feel I'm missing stuff. There's good development, and a good story, for all that this is another book about vampires. I will still give it three stars-I liked it. There's strong characters and plot.