Reviews

I love this series and will absolutely be checking out the podcast ASAP.

I think my honestly favorite part of this series is just how even the terrible editor character (I love Banecroft don't worry) is only so messed up BECAUSE he loves his wife and is torn up about that. That's so refreshing? It's like, the opposite of the "I hate my wife" trope, AND IT HAPPENS TWICE WITH STANLEY.

Obviously I have real thoughts, but that's the one that gets me the most - Banecroft lost himself (both before the first book and SUPER in this one) because he loves his wife so much and can't accept her death, and Stanley is like "I'm an irredeemable asshole but I'd never cheat on my wife and I need to literally risk my life and work with someone I hate to prove myself to her so she'll take me back". I just love that so much I don't even know how to put it into words.

I mean, everything else is fun and I love all the characters, and how all the plots intertwined and were resolved (and also continuing the world building).

I just had the misfortune to recently read another hyped urban fantasy written by a man that was so sexist it would have been more progressive without any women in it at all. And this series has singlehandedly given me back my hope for this genre and male authors, lol.

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Unrelated to everything else, but the short story at the end, The Rain, had SUCH a similar feel to the podcast I Am In Eskew that I just loved so much? I honestly mean this in the best way possible, it made me want to relisten to the entire thing, it was so well written and atmospheric.

croscot's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The third installment of The Stranger Times series felt much sadder than the previous ones, and I think C. K. McDonnell did a great job illustrating Banecroft's unprocessed grief. Behind all the snark and shouting and deadpan humour, the editor of the "loony paper" is a very very broken man.

I enjoyed the book, although I was very confused for the most part of it - it seemed like every character was dealing with completely random things for, like, 70% of it. And I know that approaching the investigation from different angles - 3 absolutely separate stories, actually connected? it's more probable than you think! - is the whole thing of The Stranger Times, and I usually love it, but for some reason here it was hard for me to stay on track.

bookworm_3331's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

cathyw's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

My fault for choosing the third book in the trilogy, and using the title as an indicator of whether it would be good. This Dirk Gently sort of thing not my cup of tea

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