This Charming Man
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.
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Happy to report the second in this series is as good as the first. Adventure and mystery and a liberal sprinkling of humour. The world building just layers up so casually, you never feel info dumped on, but you get to meet new characters and learn about new aspects of the paranormal established within this particular universe. The hint of Terry Pratchett, funny fantasy, continues, really noticed in this book that particular ability to have the reader learn through the character: first a situation makes you angry, than information is provided, realizations occur, and allows for a more calm, patient, compassionate approach. That being said, Banecroft is a cliffhanger in human form, as you're never sure if he's being insufferable in a way that will crack the case/help out in some obscure fashion, or just as a matter of course. Love the themes wrestled with in this book, but see related trigger warnings below. Could have done without the carping on about personal hygiene, poor diet, and tidbits of toilet humour.
⚠️Fatphobia, food shaming in relation to emotional eating (those with ED or DE behaviours read with caution), alcoholism, gambling addiction, references to attempted SA, predatory app, recording without consent