# The Stranger Times

By C. K. McDonnell · The Stranger Times, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-stranger-times-4458b6d8/

Hannah Willis takes a job at a Manchester newspaper that reports on unexplained phenomena. Her new colleagues are difficult, and their editor is drunk and contemptuous of his own publication. When a tragedy forces them to investigate, the staff discover they have been dismissing stories about dangers that actually exist.

## What makes it funny?

Hannah's colleagues initially call her the new Tina, after an assistant editor who did not last long. The paper also gets space between chapters for its own improbable reporting, including a piece called Homework Eats Dog.

### The comedy at work

The office supplies arguments and banter, while the inserted newspaper articles let McDonnell imitate the publication his characters produce. The supernatural investigation gives this difficult team something consequential to work on together.

### Try this if…

Journalism, ensemble comedy and urban fantasy share the same Manchester streets. Readers who enjoy people gradually finding reasons to care about an unruly workplace may appreciate the generosity that Irish Times reviewer Kevin Gildea finds beneath the bickering.

### Good to know

The editor drinks and swears, and the investigation involves mysterious deaths and frightening supernatural forces. Gildea also notes that some of the newspaper interludes interrupt the tension as the story advances.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary · Fantasy · Mystery
- On the shelf: Paranormal mystery · Urban fantasy · Workplace comedy
- Kind of humor: Banter · Dark comedy
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2021

## Sources & further reading

- Author commentary: [Author](https://thestrangertimes.co.uk/the-stranger-times)
- Review: [Irish Times review](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-stranger-times-fantasy-comedy-and-crime-expertly-rolled-into-one-1.4565425)
- Book information: [Bibliographic listing](https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-stranger-times/id1508247533)