Fantastic! These books should be prescribed on the NHS as mood lifters. Great fun from beginning to end.

It's got zombies, grave robbers, rain, the Stranger Times crew, zombies, magic, humour, thrills, and err, some zombies!

Yet another success from McDonnell. Sometimes you wish authors would stop at one book and not continue with certain characters but that definitely isn't the case here. I've read everyone of the books in this series and they just seem to get better and better. Loved every minute of this. Fingers crossed there will be another as I'll be first in the queue to get it.

Well how lucky am I …Relight my Fire ( The Stranger Times series 4)is a real treat. So not unexpectedly unearthly things are happening to the staff of The Stranger Times…starting with a student realising that perhaps he can’t actually float off a tower block landing rather forcefully in front of Stella which brings her to the attention of the Founders once more. A cast of old teenage heart throbs, The Pilgrim. and not least the wonderful Brian whose personal hygiene habits ( or lack of them) had me once again laughing out loud at the twists and turns in this story. C.K. McDonnell has done it again..they just get better and better. If you haven’t read these books before you really need to start at the beginning of the series to get the most out of them so do yourself a favour and just get all four. Guess I’ll now have to wait for the next instalment and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Brian puts in a cheeky reappearance. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

My review for this book is simply - read it. Wait, have you read the first three books in the series? If not, then stop, go read them first, then come and read Relight My Fire. You won’t regret it. End of review.

If you need more, well, The Stranger Times staff are busy at work as usual. Everything seems settled since their last escapade. Stella is enjoying life as a ‘kind of’ student in Multimedia Journalism, which she won’t actually get a degree for. The team are all taking turns in expertly tailing her to make sure her unexplained powers don’t make an appearance. She is doing a good job of pretending she doesn’t notice them following her, not wanting to hurt any feelings. She is starting to get the hang of life, despite having no memories, and getting used to being a student and learning how to make friends. Until a man who suddenly discovers he can fly, just as suddenly discovers he can’t fly, and lands right in front of her. From quite high up. It is a mess.

Hannah, back as assistant editor, is on Stella stalking duty, and witnesses the unfortunate flying/crashing to the ground man and realises this is a case for The Stranger Times. After she looks after Stella of course. While the team gears up to investigate this mystery, and what possible connection a plethora of disturbed graves may have to the case, the indomitable editor and leader of The Stranger Times, Vincent Banecroft has had a visitor of a tall, dark but not handsome man. This man has come with a warning that if Banecroft doesn’t fix a wrong, that the tall, dark and creepy man will be back for Banecroft, to take him off to a much hotter place than Manchester. As they work to solve the mystery, the team picks up a new team member, with some handy skills, but questionable personal hygiene.

This series is like a fine wine, it just gets better with age. As the team ploughs through escapade after escapade I feel like Terry Pratchett's Discworld met urban fantasy and crime drama head on, smashed it around, and created this wonderfully weird, bizarre and humorous world. This series keeps on getting better, with CK McDonnell writing with perfect wit and humour. He has created characters we care about, writes a story we can connect with, yet one we can laugh out loud at, while being gripped by the plot and the good vs evil struggle unfolding. I love this series, and am sad every time I finish a new book, as it means I have to wait for the next. So to go back to the start of my review - read it!!

*I received this book from Penguin Random House and NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

This series keeps going from strength to strength and I think this may be my favourite so far. I love the recurring characters, and this is what makes the books work for me. I always enjoy being back in their company and at the Stranger Things, a publication which, shall we say, concentrates on the bizarre and unusual. Talking of which…

Stella, who has no idea of her past and who has had a rather terrifying glimpse of her powers, has been accepted as a ‘non-assessed,’ student. She is not quite like the other students – not only in that her work is not going to gain her a full degree in Multimedia Journalism but in that she attends all her lecturers and seminars. Oh, and as she is being followed by the members of the Stranger Times, who worry about her. Hannah, who is back as assistant editor is on duty one day when she witnesses a student who is floating in the sky and – having realised the impossibility of this - comes to a rather abrupt splat, right in front of an unsuspecting Stella.

This leads the members of the Stranger Times back into another adventure, involving Hannah meeting her former heartthrob, Cillian Blake, from Herschels Garden, who is now a lecturer, Vincent Banecroft being arrested for public indecency, The Pilgrim (a Guardian of the Dead), Ox and Reggie staking out a graveyard and the undead. Fabulous stuff. These are best read in order, but if you come across this first, enjoy it and then go back to the beginning. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

More comic fantasy/supernatural stuff in this series - very entertaining.

In this fourth novel taking place in Manchester, the Stranger Times team become involved in more supernatural / magical goings-on as they investigate people with strange abilities and end up (yet again) fighting for their lives. A few new characters are added in , both nefarious and unexpected. It's all good fun and the author has a nice comedic touch, a bit similar to Terry Pratchett. I imagine that there will be more stories to come. This one was certainly entertaining and we see the characters develop as well as their relationships. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As always I look forward to the next installment of the Stranger Times newspaper team's escapades and this fourth installment did not disappoint. Suddenly a man flies above Manchester and literally lands in the path of the newspapers' staff which would normally make a great article but leads the team on a time sensitive investigation. Banecroft is hilariously Banecroft, possibly my favourite character, and this time he has a personal diabolical deadline to meet. The staff begrudgingly take on a new team member that has questionable personal hygiene however Grace takes them under her wing. Hannah meets her teenage crush and makes a memorable first impression that later on she won't regret. Overall a great romp and can't wait for the next installment.

My ARC copy didn't have the newspaper titles between chapters so I look forward to seeing the final book as they are always a highlight of the books.

C. K. McDonnell's books are such a joy. They are laugh out loud funny, full of wacky (but very believable characters) but never verge into being silly. I have read every one of the books in this series and they just get better and better. All the gang are there but Stella comes into her own a bit more in this new book. A real delight !

Such a fun read. I love the series. Can’t wait for more. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Relight My Fire is the fourth instalment in the darkly hilarious Stranger Times urban fantasy series, about the staff of a unique Manchester newspaper which reports on anything too weird for the Mainstream press. Don’t even think about starting this if you haven’t read the previous books - there’s minimal recap and you’d miss out on too much backstory. This one - which has our team facing a sinister new villain who has been performing dastardly experiments on unwilling subjects, living and dead - is the best yet.

Junior trainee reporter Stella is minding her own business when a young man suddenly falls from the sky - sending her affectionately over-protective colleagues into a tizzy wondering what’s going on. Their obnoxious boss has problems of his own - a menacing apparition is threatening to send him to hell if he doesn’t solve a problem - but he doesn’t know what it is. And detective Sturgess, resigned to his relegation to the investigation of “weirdy bollocks”, must put aside his feelings for Hannah if he’s to discover just what it is she and her team are hiding…

I love this series - the humour, the parodies, the recurring characters and their complicated and sometimes shifting loyalties. There are all sorts of interconnections with factions from previous books as well as a new plot arc featuring a disturbing plot - and some unexpected cameo appearances!
If you like slightly anarchic horror-fantasy, go buy The Stranger Times and dive in, you won’t regret it. 4.5 stars rounded up for making me laugh out loud!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC. Relight My Fire is published on January 24th.

Relight My Fire is the fourth book in The Stranger Times series, about a Manchester-based newspaper which investigates the strange and uncanny. I found this series a year or so ago, read the whole lot in three days, and fell in love with them. I am so glad Netgalley sent me an advance copy (I didn't even have to ask this time). It's hard to explain why I love these quite so much, but I think it's the combination of sarcasm, cleverness and character. They are absolutely perfect for giggling out loud and then having to try and explain to the others in the room just what was so funny.

There's some body-snatching, some amplification of eldritch powers, a bit of zombie-ism, and a return to the delightfully odd crew at The Stranger Times, with an interesting new addition to the not-quite-human part of the team. As a bonus, Relight My Fire will be out in time for my youngest brother's birthday - he adores these books too.

Once again a gripping, exciting, and very funny book from C.K McDonnell.

Whether in the Stranger Times series or his Dublin/Bunny McGarry books McDonnell has a real skill for character development and inserting believable humour into dramatic situations and Relight My Fire shows that skill maturing still further.

What I particularly love about his writing wrings true here - characters make believable decisions, supporting characters feel well thought out rather than just being a device to drive the narrative and once again the book goes in a different direction than the early chapters would suggest.

If you're not already hooked on this series, get onboard now!

If I could time travel I would head into the future, where (when?) I could binge read the entire series and not have to wait for each new book!

This is probably my favourite new series and author, it’s smart, funny, subversive, and highly imaginative. I recommend to everyone who will listen, usually people buying any kind of humorous fiction.
The characters are amazing, and I’m loving the development and depth of the relationships. Their interactions are riddled with warmth, but with a big dollop of humour.
I think my favourite thing about this instalment was trying to figure out the identity of the celebrity, it’s testament to the author’s skills that some were instantly recognisable.

Another genius offering about the Stranger Times weirdoes. I just love these books and this one is no exception. It’s funny and had me chuckling throughout. It’s ridiculously far fetched but it’s fun and a great read. Until you read this author’s books about the news desk at Stranger Times, you won’t know what you’re missing. There are just about every kind of weirdo in these books, including zombie versions of the dead and famous in this one.
Treat yourself and read this book and the others too. If you have an amazingly weird imagination, you will not be disappointed.

This is the fourth book in the stranger times series which I’m sure would work as a stand alone novel without having to read the other three first.
Once again we find the staff of the Stranger Times caught up in the weird, wonderful and downright creepy activities in the Greater Manchester area. The story starts when a young student falls from the sky right in front of Stella, who has embarked upon a college course in an attempt to lead a ‘normal life’. However, the rest of the Stranger Times crew are keeping an eye on her and soon get drawn into some mysterious goings on involving a rogue founder and before long their offices turn into a zombie battleground. All in a days work for the staff of the Stranger Times!
Another good light hearted read.

Thanks, once again, to NetGalley for the ARC. As usual, my pre-order is still in place, but I love seeing the book early.

Once again, the gang at The Stranger Times are up to their usual shenanigans. This time, people are falling from the sky and a not-ghost is tormenting Banecroft with the promise of eternal damnation - starting in just a few weeks - if he can't solve a mystery. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned, not that there actually ARE any plans.

CK McDonnell writes with his usual witty style, keeping the reader engaged. Even when some of the plot gets a bit complicated, he doesn't lose the reader. There's intrigue in the potentially-an-enemy-but-not-necessarily-at-this-time group, and there's still some mysteries involving the origin of a major character.

In the end, there weren't quite as many answers as I might have liked, but that just means I'll be queued up for the next book, eagerly tapping my toes and twiddling my thumbs as I wait. I really can't get enough of this series.

The mysteries deepen

I love The Stranger Times books and the latest one is no exception. I like series where story lines and relationships between the characters continue to develop and their back stories are revealed and Relight my fire delivered across the board.

The team’s knowledge of the dodgy dealings of the founders deepens and they gain a new team member who brings new ‘super powers’ to the team. Sturgess and Wilkerson take up the mantle from Muldar and Scully. Banecroft avoids a hellish fate. The Stranger Times office becomes a zombiefied battleground, thanks to a new villainess with an interesting pet. Stella starts to gain more control of her powers but her mystery deepens leaving much more to be revealed about her in future stories.

All in all I loved Relight my fire and can’t wait for the next instalment of Banecroft and Co’s adventures.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

The Stranger Times returns and in my opinion it’s the best outing yet!

With the world now fully built, as a fan you know what to expect but CK McDonnell doesn't rest in his laurels as he delivers a slightly darker, yet still explosively funny new tale for the team.

This is probably my favourite series out there right now. Funny, entertaining, tightly plotted and just simply superb storytelling.

I can’t shout loud enough how good this series is and to reach book 4 and be the best yet is some doing. It’s a series you should read from the start so as to really keep up with the events and to fully appreciate the over arching story and characters.

It’s like a big supernatural fantasy hug of a book. Quite Brilliant

This is the fourth book in CK McDonnell’s series The Stranger Times - Relight My Fire, and once again we are thrust into the seriously strange, weird and wonderful world that the staff of The Stranger Times report about. McDonnell continues to develop the world building, building on the layers crafted in the three previous books to create a beautifully crafted, increasingly complex, interesting and humorous tapestry of Manchester that you would never experience elsewhere.

Relight My Fire opens with dramatic events that initially don’t appear to involve our intrepid reporters, including a man floating above the streets, crash landing to his death in front of Stella. Stella is an enigma who recently joined the staff of The Stranger Times and has powers she does not understand. Add in a threat to Editor Banecroft’s future existence, drugs and a whole mix of police politics, and more, and you have a plot that develops like the layers of an onion until the final exhilarating conclusion.

McDonnell delivers this urban fantasy complimented by a perfect touch of farce and humour that does not fail to raise a true belly laugh at just the right moment before hitting you with creative plot, entertaining baddies/villains and my new favourite Brian.

I can truthfully say that I absolutely love this series, it goes from strength to strength as it progresses and McDonnell truly delivers a sense of humour that feels reminiscent of Terry Pratchett that doesn’t fail to endear, whilst also drawing out the core foundation that for every action there is a reaction / consequence that should never be ignored.

This is a series that like a fine wine only improves with age/development and if you’re looking for that next great series, you can’t go wrong with The Stranger Times and Relight my Fire!

I couldn't put this down and now have sore muscles from all the laughing. CK McDonnell, I enjoyed this "newspaper" not only because it's the perfect antidote to what I can read in the "dailies".

Why is a man falling at Stella's feet? Does she/her power have anything to do with it? The Powers of Darkness think so. That's why the staff of The Stranger Times set out to prove Stella is what she appears to be, a normal teenager with no supernatural powers at all. You can imagine how ordinary and normal that is going to go.

I don't want to spoil the story in any way. Read the blurb! (Pre-)Order the book and read it!

If you've enjoyed the previous three books in the series, you will enjoy this one as well. If you haven't read any of the The Stranger Times books by now,... Sorry, drawing a blank, how can you not have read the first three books in the series?