Ring the Bells

(The Stranger Times 5)

By: C. K. McDonnell

Narrated by: Brendan McDonald

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

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.

Stranger Times Stays Strong

Gotta admit, I was worried this one wasn’t going to hit.
But it absolutely does. The author does a fantastic job of weaving together several stories that coalesce quite well by the end.
Also, there are several scenes where the tension, juxtaposed against absurdity, leads to hilarity in classic Stranger Times fashion.
I was happy to see book 5 did not disappoint.

Funny & great characters

As always w/stranger times, it was funny & crazy & the narrator is incredible! Sometimes I wonder if a few of the characters are thrown in just to mess with the narrator! It all works though. Great book!

Caimh never disappoints!

C.K. McDonnell has done it again. Ring the Bells is another brilliant addition to the series— a masterful blend of sharp wit, clever plotting, and perfect narration that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Caimh’s trademark humor shines through, The banter between characters is both biting and endearing. The plot itself is as intriguing as ever The narration is excellent, blending suspense, humor, and heart in equal measure.

What stands out most is how consistent this series remains in its quality. Each book somehow manages to raise the bar without losing the unique charm that makes The Stranger Times so special. McDonnell continues to expand the world in surprising and delightful ways, leaving me hungry for more. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Hilarious but still a thriller

I’ve often struggled to write reviews on Audible. That being said, the Stranger Times series in general has always been ridiculously hilarious to me. The plot is very much a supernatural thriller mixed with the light hearted hilarity of the characters we’ve all come to love. Excellent production job and spot on voice acting.

Keep them coming!

Absolutely love the Stranger Times series. Its fun, entertaining and absolutely drenched with the trademark humor which captured my interest in the first place. Great story as always and I'm looking forward to the next book. Also just bought the Tales audio book for more fun.