I don’t remember the last Christmas book I read. I certainly don’t remember the last time I sat in a heatwave reading about snow and Santa! But when C.K. McDonnell rings in a new book in The Stranger Times series, seasonal concerns are quickly thrown out the window.

Ring the Bells is the fifth book in The Stranger Times Series. The Stranger Times is a paper covering the more esoteric and unusual new stories of the day. But as we’ve seen in the previous books of this series, they are all too often the only paper reporting the truth!  If you’ve read previous books in the series you’ll recognise the wonderful cast of characters and laugh out loud style of writing. For me this book added a much more emotional edge to the series. One of the storylines in this book brings a new dimension to the series and it was written brilliantly against the chaos of the demonic Santa! If you’ve read or heard (through The Stranger Times podcast) the short story “The One” you’ll know that this author can write in a way that stays with you – and this book delivers one hell of a punch. But do not fear, this book still brings the chaotic, fantastical, apocalypse bound rollercoaster that you have come to expect from this author. When a book club accidentally summons something that can best be described as a ‘demon hell bent on subduing humanity to its will’ (and let’s be honest which book clubs haven’t come close to doing this as some point!) it starts a trail of death and destruction around Manchester which build to a thrilling finale.

As usual the local police are ill-prepared to deal with the fallout of unforgiving entities from other dimensions and so it falls to the staff of The Stranger Times and the network of contacts they have built in the magical communities to save us from catastrophe. With Vincent Banecroft’s acerbic editorial leadership style, the staff, the paranormal inhabitants of the region and even Santa need to watch out! I really enjoyed the interplay between the staff in this book, which started with Grace’s futile attempts to bring the team together for some forced Christmas jollity. As ever the rest of the staff were not spared from the chaos! I particularly enjoyed Ox’s attempts at mentoring a new addition to the crew, Reggie’s constant frustration of Vincent’s journalistic standards and Hannah’s attempts to keep her love-life alive. The story cleverly intertwines two major plot lines providing great pacing throughout the book – as one storyline builds pace and chaos, the other thread provides a new insight into one of the characters which I found utterly compelling. The prologue of this book already had me worried about what the author may do to a character, to the point I found it hard not to think about what might be about to happen. I would tell you more but we know damppebbles hates spoilers! [I do!]

As we move through the book, Christmas and its associated festivities provides multiple targets for the author to take aim – especially the ever-reviled Christmas Wonderland. I am delighted to say McDonnell never misses, providing laugh out loud moments throughout the story. The occasional news stories interspersed between chapters provide another bright spot in this wonderful read.

In any series there is always a question of whether a book can be read as a standalone. In this case it can, but you will definitely miss out on the emotional impact of one of the storylines. And why would you not read the rest of this amazing series?!

Would I recommend this book? I would, but I would strongly recommend building to it through the earlier books in the series. I would also suggest that if you enjoy them, to try the Bunny McGarry series by the same author (under the name Caimh McDonnell!). Ring the Bells is an excellent story that will be enjoyed by many. I expect to see it on many Christmas lists and can’t wait to see what is planned next for this superb series.

[Review will be published on 9th October 2025]

The fifth book in this very entertaining series featuring the staff of The Stranger Times newspaper. As usual, the story is packed with crazy characters, improbable villains and lots of humour. The plot is wonderfully weird and exciting. Alongside the bizarre plot, the background story of Manni, the newspaper's printer, is actually very moving and provided a thoughtful ending to the book. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another funny and riveting story featuring the staff of The Stranger Times. Banecroft becomes my favourite more and more. I got to the end with a tear in my eye and wanting more. I'd happily read any books in this series.

Sometimes, when the world has gone decidely crackers, what you need is .. well, more mayhem .. but of the fun variety. And especially of the Manchester set-Stranger Times team variety. Ah yes, to the delight of his fans everywhere, C.K. McDonnell has returned with his The Stranger Times crew and a few extras. Published just in time for Halloween and with a Christmassy theme. Erm, Christmas. Does Banecroft actually celebrate Christmas? After all, it's a time of giving and peace to all.... Anyway, swiftly moving on.
It's time for the Christmas party at the Stranger Times office and the team are about to celebrate when things go awry, across Manchester, things are going very wrong when a book club meeting ends in mass murder and an evil deity from another dimension in intent on making earth its new and hellish home. Only our beloved team can come to the rescue with demonic Santas, blood-thirsty books and more ghosts than usual, how on earth can they save the world (again)?
Will they'll give it a go and cause a fair amount of chaos along the way. And just who is included in this motely crew?
Our intrepid reporting team consists of:
Vincent Banecroft - drinker, expert insulter and in need of a bath
Hannah - editor and possibly the sanest of the group, though the competition sets a low bar
Grace - office manager, God fearing and insisting on a Christmas party for the team
Reggie and Ox - the hilarious double act, who act as though they don't get along but have each others back
Stella - a source of unknown power and teenage sarcasm
Manny - possessed by an unknown entity, and not keen on clothes
The storyline is uttely madcap and I already consider Ring The Bells to be a Christmas classic that I will be re-reading for years to come.

I loved every minute of this book. I knew I was going to love it before I even started because it's one of my favourite series. In saying that, this one was my favourite. The story was brilliant, and the characters as funny as ever. I love the newspaper articles that are dotted here and there. It's just great fun, and very addictive. I'm already crossing my fingers that there will be more books to come.

Ring the bells, indeed! McDonnell has gifted us a Christmas tale for the ages! It's an instant holiday classic. IMHO, It's actually the best book McDonnell has ever written. I'm not even a Swiftie and I enjoyed it. Trust me, that makes sense when you read the book. It's a riotous tale of the apocalypse. Who knew it could be such fun? McDonnell is masterful in the way he balances the literal laugh out loud moments with poignant scenes and revelations. No one will look at Santa Claus the same way again. That's another thing you can trust me on. The Stranger Times series has always been enjoyable but this one takes it to new heights. Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oooft! I’ve been waiting for this and it was so worth the wait!

Ring the Bells keeps the crazy spirit of the Stranger Times series alive and well. The usual chaos is all there: daft monsters, dodgy conspiracies, and the kind of sharp, ridiculous banter that makes the characters feel like pals you’d happily share a pint with… if you didn’t mind risking being dragged into some otherworldly nonsense.

What makes this one stand out, though, is the way it handles dementia and the ache of memory slipping away. There’s still plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but threaded through all the nonsense is a real, gentle look at what it means to lose someone bit by bit, even when they’re still right there in front of you.

It’s never overly sentimental. The story stays true to its daft heart but finds space for the sad bits too. There’s a tenderness in how the characters look out for each other, even when they’re being their usual shambolic selves. The daftness and the heartbreak sit side by side in a way that makes both hit harder.

Somehow, among all the gags and the monsters and the scrapes, there’s a reminder of how precious life is. Still wildly funny, still full of daft charm, but with a softness that lingers long after the last page.

This is the 5th Stranger Times book and, with no disrespect to the author, don't start here! Having said that the prologue is very clever as it gets in a lot of the cast and quite a bit of the back stories to so it would be possible to read this without reading the previous books. So let me amend my statement and say "please don't start with this one" as the previous books are excellent and you will miss a lot.

Anyway… There's this book group that sort of morphed into a coven who did good things (mainly) until they got this special book. That meant that Zalas was released - a rather nasty chaos loving ancient god. It was a bit "messy" (!!) and he moves from host to host looking for believers to enhance his power. He is somewhat unprepared for the modern world though. This is not the only issue the Stranger Times crew are facing either solo or together. We get a bit more about Stella and probably all of Manni's backstory. Zeke and Cogs are back which is great as is Sturgess. In minor matters Grace is still trying to change Banecroft and Banecroft is still Banecroft! And it being that time of year there's a Christmas party at the paper - what could possibly go wrong.

To my delight the shopping trolley lady is back. If my memory serves me I think she only put in an appearance in a short story previously but she is a great character. In other bit parts Dr Black at the hospital is back. I think he really has been a bit player before and does not have a major role here but the part featuring him is entertaining.

I am a big fan of this series (and the author more widely) and for me this is as good as any of the other books in this series. While there is humour here and some of it very off the wall Caimh does show just what a talented writer he is for me as well as his ability to do "serious" writing. Manni's backstory are exceptional well done I think.