As usual, the book is written in a fun style, which I find to be reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, but with a hint of Douglas Adams mixed in. The pacing is good, and all the characters we've come to know and love get their fair share of time, plus there's a new character or two to help move the story along in different directions. Yet... the whole charm of the book started out as this weird mishmash of cooky characters. The humor is all based on these weirdos interacting with each other in a very immediate sort of way. Now, of course the main characters are tangled in the big thing more and more, but somehow it feels like we have small, funny moments that often felt a bit separate from the main thing. The whole (quite intricate) machinations of the Illuminati ... No, sorry! What are they actually called, the secret people doing secret stuff? I keep forgetting! Because I find them a bit too over the top and frankly quite tedious, except for that one grand lady, giving me huge Maggie Smith vibes. As with both The Stranger Times and This Charming Man, Love Will Tear Us Apart is a riotous, hilarious story filled with plenty of heart… if you look really, really deep. McDonnell brings us his standout cast of characters, we get the same main cast from The Stranger Times as well as cameos from some of our standout side characters, but what I love is that with each book he seems to take us deeper into the world of the magical. Each book, and with it, each new character gives us a greater insight into his magical version of Manchester, and all help tie together the overlapping plot that holds all the books together. I especially liked seeing Hannah away from the newspaper in this book, not only because it meant we got to spend more time with her, but also because it meant we got to meet my favourite character, and a new one, Betty. The woman brought in to replace Hannah as assistant editor, we’re not sure whether she’s on our (the newspapers) side, but her addition added plenty of humour, mystery and some excellent action scenes to the story. C.K. McDonnell weaves together his various plot lines with great skill and inserts the occasional strange report from The Stranger Times archives. As in the previous books, one of its epilogues serve as a teaser for what is coming next. I can hardly wait!

The series reached an interesting point. The world of Stranger Times got expanded, we have the big bads set up, the sides in a huge magical conflict. We do have some sort of a case in every book to move the plot, but also there is an overarching thing going on. Some of the bigger rules of the universe are there. The second book, ‘This Charming Man’ concluded with an intriguing scene featuring Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times, that teased what was coming in Book 3. Not all love stories have a happy ending The Stranger Times investigates ..’ cover tag line, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by C.K. McDonnell. As completely and wonderfully bonkers as the previous two books in this series . . . a rollercoaster of a ride . . . kooky and fantastical, a riotous experience, one not to be missed. As The Times put it "a tennis match of witty banter." WRITING.IEDie Bücher sind einfach immer absolut kurzweilig und durchgekramt, aber so charmant und liebevoll, dass man sie einfach lieben muss!

I know you already have heard me repeat this many times over the last few years but I’m going to say it here again – I am a fan, a huge fan of C. K. McDonnell’s (aka Caimh’s) writing. I originally read The Dublin Trilogy, an Irish based, extremely funny, crime series featuring Bunny McGarry, one of my all time favourite lead protagonists, and have been hooked since. Caimh has his roots in stand-up comedy and his wit and comedic timing shines through in every single word, every piece of dialogue. Yeah, I'm a huge fan of this series so carry on please, just make the next episode sooner rather than later (Bunny McGarry won't mind). Pet Squad (Animation, Comedy, Family), Darrall Macqueen, Inspidea, March Entertainment, 27 June 2011 , retrieved 11 February 2022 Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times , has never believed his wife died despite emphatic evidence to the contrary. Now, against all odds, it seems he may actually be proved right; but what lengths will he go to in an attempt to rescue her?

Overall, this series is pretty fun, but I have to admit I didn't like this one nearly as much as the previous two. Many of the characters were also underutilised. Why were we introduced to... John Mór when he is not doing much? Like in this book he was literally Hannah's driver to get her to where the plot was happening. Same goes with a bunch of the major people too! We have barely seen anything of BANECROFT, arguably the most fun character in this thing. The third novel in C K McDonnell's hugely original, fast-paced, very funny and critically acclaimed Manchester-set series revolving around the investigations of The Stranger Times newspaper into the weird, the spooky and the supernatural! And the fact that I missed him and Hannah interacting. The Stranger Times gang interacting and their banter are what I've grown to really like with this series. I don’t normally read from the urban fantasy genre but I will always make the exception for Caimh. In fairness no matter what genre Caimh writes in I will always read it. His ingenuity and pure sense of fun is evident throughout all his writing and his pure brilliance in depicting a character or a scene is 100% and uniquely his own.

Two Word Review - Read it! 5 Word Review - What Are You Waiting For?. . . my favourite of the series, not only does it manage to be funnier than the others it also gets a whole lot darker. THE READER'S ROOM Actually… Banecroft is finding the issues with his dead wife speaking to him through Simon's ghost (!!) increasingly hard to deal with. Equally Hannah's visit to the "retreat resort" may not be exactly what it seems. The scene is set for another rollercoaster ride through more strangeness with the Founders and the Folk. The usual suspects from the previous books are around and I'm delighted that that includes Cogs & Zeke - great characters.As I said above, with each book McDonnell drags us deeper and deeper into his magical version of Manchester, allowing us to learn more about the creatures that live along side us, as well as giving us a deeper insight into The Founders, a council of magical beings who control all those who live here. It’s hard to talk about these books too much without giving away spoilers, but just know that McDonnell is slowly introducing us to the players in his world, whilst still keeping us on our toes, never quite sure who to trust. His writing style verges towards the humorous & extremely northern which, as a northerner, I adore. And he keeps the pace of the story by throwing in some plot twists, as well as some killer cliffhanger chapter endings making sure you continue reading to find out what happens next. I think, my response to the book could have a lot to do with me wanting to get the whole thing with Banecroft's dead (or not dead?) wife finally over and done with. Love Will Tear Us Apart by C.K. McDonnell is published with Bantam Press (Transworld) It is the third novel in this critically acclaimed Manchester-based series, following on from The Stranger Times and This Charming Man, one described as ‘a contemporary comic fantasy series. Original, fast-paced and funny…revolving around the investigations of The Stranger Times newspaper into the weird, the spooky and the supernatural’. Colin Callender's Playground Nabs Rights to C.K. McDonnell's 'The Stranger Times' ". Variety. 4 March 2020 . Retrieved 13 September 2021.