This Charming Man
Vampires do not exist. Everyone knows this. So it's particularly annoying when they start popping up around Manchester.
Nobody is pleased about it. Not the Founders, the secret organisation for whom vampires were invented as an allegory, nor the Folk, the magical people hidden in plain sight who only want a quiet life. And definitely not the people of Manchester, because there is nothing more irksome than being murdered by an allegory run amok. Somebody needs to sort this out fast before all Hell really breaks loose - step forward the staff of The Stranger Times.
It's not like they don't have enough to be dealing with. Assistant Editor Hannah has come back from getting messily divorced to discover that someone is trying to kidnap a member of their staff and while editor Vincent Banecroft would be delighted to see the back of any of his team, he doesn't like people touching his stuff - it's the principle of the thing.
Throw in a precarious plumbing situation, gambling debts, an entirely new way of swearing, and a certain detective inspector with what could be kindly referred to as 'a lot of baggage' and it all adds up to another hectic week in the life of the newspaper committed to reporting the truth that nobody else will touch.
This Charming Man is the second book in the critically acclaimed The Stranger Times series.
C. K. McDonnell
C.K. McDonnell, a writer with a sharp wit and a knack for blending the quirky with the mysterious, has found his voice in genres that allow for humor and intrigue to coexist. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, McDonnell’s storytelling roots were planted in the lively and rich culture of his hometown, a place where dark humor often walks hand in hand with the bizarre. Though known for his Stranger Times series, McDonnell’s journey to the literary world was anything but typical.
Stranger Times
In the quirky world of The Stranger Times, reality is a bit too strange to be taken seriously. Set in Manchester, this series invites readers to follow the offbeat adventures of a ragtag group of journalists at a newspaper dedicated to covering the bizarre, unexplained, and outright weird. When new assistant editor, Hannah Willis, steps into this unpredictable newsroom, she quickly learns that reporting on ghosts, monsters, and time loops is just the tip of the iceberg.
Stranger Times consists of five books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
