Member Review
Review by
Maria F, Reviewer
Love Will Tear Us Apart is the brilliant new novel in The Stranger Times series by CK McDonnell. I first came across this series earlier in 2022 and honestly, it is one of my "finds" of the year.
Set in Manchester, the world of our Stranger Times crew is one where ghosts, ghouls and goblins co-exist alongside a generally obviously public. The Stranger Times is a weekly newspaper that covers all manner of unusual and plain bonkers stories (dragons living beneath the city, royal family being aliens, ghosts haunting lap-dancing clubs etc).
Now, this may see a little bizarre but bizarre is the business of TST and frankly, the team are more than a little unusual themselves - and this time around their leader Vincent Bancroft is in trouble - marriage trouble. In fairness, that could well happen when one half of the couple is dead ... and starts haunting you.
The voice of sanity, deputy editor Hannah is sadly absent as she is away dealing with some complex issues herself. Issues that involve dodgy dealing admins, missing mone and, exercise! And, and an ex-husband. This leaves the intrepid Grace, Stella, Ox and Reggie to try and save Bancroft from himself and publish a paper on time. Oh, and there is a new staff member who is definitely "dodgy" with a capital "D" but surprisingly likeable.
With an utterly madcap storyline, it is easy to see why many have compared the series to Prachett's beloved Discworld and I can think of no higher praise.
From the opening page, you are swept along in the rollercoaster of laughter and mayhem and all I can say is "Book Four. Please"!
Set in Manchester, the world of our Stranger Times crew is one where ghosts, ghouls and goblins co-exist alongside a generally obviously public. The Stranger Times is a weekly newspaper that covers all manner of unusual and plain bonkers stories (dragons living beneath the city, royal family being aliens, ghosts haunting lap-dancing clubs etc).
Now, this may see a little bizarre but bizarre is the business of TST and frankly, the team are more than a little unusual themselves - and this time around their leader Vincent Bancroft is in trouble - marriage trouble. In fairness, that could well happen when one half of the couple is dead ... and starts haunting you.
The voice of sanity, deputy editor Hannah is sadly absent as she is away dealing with some complex issues herself. Issues that involve dodgy dealing admins, missing mone and, exercise! And, and an ex-husband. This leaves the intrepid Grace, Stella, Ox and Reggie to try and save Bancroft from himself and publish a paper on time. Oh, and there is a new staff member who is definitely "dodgy" with a capital "D" but surprisingly likeable.
With an utterly madcap storyline, it is easy to see why many have compared the series to Prachett's beloved Discworld and I can think of no higher praise.
From the opening page, you are swept along in the rollercoaster of laughter and mayhem and all I can say is "Book Four. Please"!
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
