Love Will Tear Us Apart

(The Stranger Times 3)

By: C. K. McDonnell

Narrated by: Brendan McDonald

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Love can be a truly terrible thing.

Marriages are tricky at the best of times, especially when one of you is dead.

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?

With Banecroft distracted, the shock resignation of assistant editor, Hannah Willis, couldn't have come at a worse time. It speaks volumes that her decision to reconcile with her philandering ex-husband is only marginally less surprising than Banecroft and his wife getting back together. In this time of crisis, is her decision to swan off to a fancy new-age retreat run by a celebrity cult really the best thing for anyone?

As if that wasn't enough, one of the paper's ex-columnists has disappeared, a particularly impressive trick seeing as he never existed in the first place.

Floating statues, hijacked ghosts, homicidal cherubs, irate starlings, Reliant Robins and quite possibly several deeply sinister conspiracies; all-in-all, a typical week for the staff of The Stranger Times.

©2023 C. K. McDonnell (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Great addition to the series

Excellent continuation of The Stranger Times series. The narrator is excellent as usual, and the story was enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book.

I can’t get enough of the Stranger Times

I have been mildly obsessed with these books and the other fabulous selection by Caimh McDonald (CK McDonald). The narrator should win awards for his performance (even with his butchering of West African accents). This is a light, fun and entertaining story.

More please!

A fun and fast paced blend of sci-fi, fantasy, intelligence and wit with a female lead.

Another Hit for The Stranger Times

The third in the series does not disappoint. The narrator does a wonderful job. I look forward to more.

Same lovable quirky characters

If you love the series you’ll enjoy it, and though nothing beat the first, this installment does not disappoint.

3rd in the series ultimately does not disappoint

I loved the first two books and was extremely excited for it to come out. I found it notably less “funny” than the other two books but thought the storyline and emerging characters made up for that. That being said, there are still plenty of moments that had me laughing out loud. Can’t wait for the next one.

Loved

Awesome series. Hoping for more!!
Loved the characters the narrator and the stories. Read them in a matter of days

a nice continuation

The third book in the series. I love the strangeness of the world but the overall storyline felt a little weaker than the rest of the series.

EXCELLENT BOOK

Absolutely love this book! C.K. McDonnell is an incredibly talented author. I have read all of his books and every one of them is outstanding. This book was entertaining from the very beginning to the end. I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor!

Third of a fun series with a wonderful narrator

If you enjoy the Rivers of London series, you should try the Stranger Times. You will have a better experience if you start from the 1st book.

Hope this series runs for a while, as it seems there are still a lot of story threads yet to tie up. The mystery/ puzzle is pretty good, too, although definitely not a traditional detective story.

Laughter and Tears

A gem of laughter and tears.
Who knew Manchester was the focal point of Monsters, Magic Folk and all manner of strange if sometimes loony shenanigans.
We do now thank you very much!

Hilarious and also heartfelt the third story in this collection and these characters just keep getting better. There is drama and horror as well to boot.
So I recommend highly come a long for a great journey with Stranger Times the motley crew.

Thank the Lord this is not a Trilogy I would be heartbroken to say farewell so soon!!
I adore this series and will wait impatiently for the next release. Having said that this was only released 2 days ago and I listened through it enraptured and unable to stop.

A footnote but actually one that needs to be in lights- The Narrator!
He adds to the entertainment and magic of this audio book.Give that Man an award for his diversity of voices and comic delivery.

Brilliant, fun and wonderfully performed.

There is a special joy in finding an audiobook that is wonderfully written and narrated. This book brings joy. I have the hard back book too and it is a thing of beauty but the audiobook is a joy forever.

Love this book and series

I finished it in days and now I’m jonesing for the next one. Great performance by Brandon McDonald too.

Betty and Betty 2 are the missing ingredients

Hannah Willis, former assistant editor to the Stranger Times, has abandoned the newspaper and didn't explain why she left. No one is sure how to deal with Hanna's absence, but Vincent Banecroft and Stella are the ones that are hurting the most. Vincent in particular since he believes more strongly than ever that his wife is alive... The confusion keeps on mounting as the cheerful as Betty and Betty Too/Two join the crew.

I like this series a lot, and this book is the best of the three (so far!). Looking forward to know more about the Stranger Times and its lunatic crew. I could probably give it 5 stars for mentioning Monty Python and Terry Pratchett alone, but the book and characters truly deserve the 5 stars on their own. The narrator does a wonderful job of voicing way too many characters for me to keep track of!

These books just get better.

I could not stop listening to this book , as per the last two. I can’t wait for the next instalment , which is ridiculous as this one is brand new !!! Mr M please bring Betty back at some point in the future as I love her !!! I am missing the gang already and will be re-listening to all three books to get my fix. The narration is excellent as always - the different characters are so recognisable - such a skill to bring them to life so brilliantly. Thankyou both. The podcast is essential listening too.

Yet another book to shout about

Another fantastic book I could not stop listening to that keeps you laughing and fully engaged in what happens next as the book progresses. Hits you with the laughs and hits you with the feels too! Definitely a book I will be reading again and again as the series progresses

Loved it !

Great story and great performance. It played out in my head like a movie. Some gritty and crazy characters brought to life brilliantly by the talented Brendan McDonald.
Looking forward to the next one.

Another brilliant instalment

These stories keep getting better and better with each new instalment. What a great writer the author is. How does he do it? I love sticking with the main characters who have their own quirks. And because magic exists in this world, anything could happen. The title of this one suits. I love the audiobook narrator too. He does a brilliant diabolical giggle for Dr Carter, but only once in this one, and I need to hear it more often. There were new sort of vocal sound effects which I liked too. I hope these books aren’t yearly only, I can’t wait that long for the next! I laughed throughout, but cried a lot in the end too. Dear Simon. Such adventure as well. Scary and exciting.

Best one so far

I very much enjoyed this, the third book in the Stranger Times series. The characters are now familiar and several of the issues left unresolved at the end of this Charming Man are developed and resolved in a clever and cohesive story arc. The heartbroken and anguished Banecroft seeking his beloved Charlotte is the touchstone for this book and acts as an engine for the plot. His desperation is palpable and convincing. The new character Betty is excellent and her interaction with Stella, who we get to find out more about, is a treat. Another fast paced ride on the weird theme park ride of The Stranger Times - at the end you want to get back on and have another go.

Fanbloodytastic!

Brilliant as always, in every way. Thank you all for a wonderful escape from reality. xxx