Ring the Bells cover art

Ring the Bells

(The Stranger Times 5)

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Ring the Bells

By: C. K. McDonnell
Narrated by: Brendan McDonald
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .


For most people, that means a time of celebration, relaxation and inebriation, but not for the staff of The Stranger Times. While a book club meeting ending in a triple murder isn’t unprecedented, it is at least noteworthy. It quickly emerges that this is no ordinary book-club-triple-murder either, as it features a librarian possessed by a chaotic entity who has broken through from another dimension and is hellbent on vengeance. He’s made a list, but he’s not checking it twice as the whole of humanity is on it. Who would want to summon such a thing? And how is anyone going to be able to send it back?

As if that wasn’t enough to be dealing with, a shocking revelation about a member of The Stranger Times team’s past brings family together, but not in a way that’s ever going to make it into a Hallmark movie.

Featuring demonically possessed Santas, blood-thirsty books and the ghost of a legendary nightclub, it’s beginning to look a lot like a Christmas apocalypse . . .

Ring the Bells is the fifth book in the award-winning, critically acclaimed and laugh-out-loud funny The Stranger Times series.


'McDonnell's world is transgressively hilarious, grimly banal and beguilingly warm. Of course there's a story that the intrepid journalists of The Stranger Times have to tease out: grave-robbing, cryogenics, a very angry witch, and a washed-up indie legend looking for a lost album, but the real joy lies in the pitfalls and pratfalls of getting there.' DAILY MAIL

'An absolute riot of a read.' DAILY EXPRESS

'Laugh-out-loud funny and full of colourful characters.' DAILY MIRROR

© C. K. McDonnell 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Crime Fiction Fantasy Genre Fiction Holidays Humorous Christmas Winter Funny Witty Tear-jerking Magic Users

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Critic reviews

Fiendishly clever and monstrously funny, C K McDonnell's latest will steal your soul and eat your brain. In the nicest possible way, of course.
All stars
Most relevant
I've been looking forward to this and almost regret listening to it so quickly. I should have rationed myself.
So if you're already a fan, enjoy, it's as good as ever.
If you're new to The Stranger Times go buy all of them.
start at the beginning and have yourself a wonderful time

write faster please C.K. McDonnell

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Another great one of The Stranger Times series, a really fun listen. I like how I can’t usually spot how the story will end, and that’s refreshing.

Narration is superb as always. I want this man to narrate my obituary (in the far future, of course - please outlive me!)

Also, if you haven’t, subscribe to the podcast that has the short stories tangential to this series, you’ll get to know some of the delightful characters that have made an appearance here a bit more.

Funny, and beautifully narrated as always

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Such a great story, well read and presented. Superb. I can’t recommend this enough. Whilst it’s the latest in the series, you can probably read/listen to it as a standalone book. Especially as Christmas is just around the corner!

Awesome book, possibly the best of the series so far

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Another great stranger times novel! Kind of a stand alone story, doesn't go much into the lore of series. Brilliantly narrated as ever.

Grand fun

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Witty, twisted and great fun. I absolutely love these books and this one was just as good as all the previous. Thoroughly enjoyed, especially due to fantastic narrator.

Love every single one of these books

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