This charming man: volume 2 - c. mcdonnell

Vampires do not exist.

Everyone knows this.

So its 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.

Its not like they dont 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 doesnt like people touching his stuff - its 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.

Wonderfully dark, extremely funny, and evocative of Terry Pratchett - which I think is the highest compliment I can give.

ADAM KAY, about The Stranger Times .

A gag-filled romp .

in the spirit of Terry Pratchett.

The Times Great characters, a jet-propelled plot, and a winning premise.

Guardian Fresh and genuinely funny.