I met Brendan McDonald three books ago. Met, as in he talks and I listen. Not met, as in we had a cuppa.

He’s an Irish voice actor.

A voice actor.

I thought all actors were voice actors – and perhaps they are. Well, maybe not Hugh Grant. Or Arnie. But not all voice actors are actor actors. At least, not from my understanding of the profession.

I’m a massive fan of the inner workings of Limerick-born, Dublin-raised, Manchester-based CK (aka Caimh) McDonnell’s mind. His Bunny McGarry series was my first experience of a madness that is addictive.

But his The Stranger Times series has become my go-to natural pick-me-up.

Given that it’s a fantasy series – something I am rarely attracted to (another exception being the wonderful Christopher Moore books) – I was a tad surprised at being hooked. Truly hooked.

The Stranger Times is a paranormal newspaper based in Manchester and dedicated to reporting the weird and wonderful from around the world. It is like the Fortean Times’ unloved trashy cousin that gets drunk at a wedding and throws up in the mother-of-the-bride’s handbag. The managing editor is Vincent Banecroft, the former darling of Fleet Street. He has had a fall from grace that makes the Hindenburg look like a largely successful flight.

I read the Bunny McGarry series. But I listen to The Stranger Times.

It might have been that I had a credit to use on Audible and it flashed up. I know I didn’t go looking for it. It found me.

Enter Brendan McDonald.

All three books so far are narrated by McDonald (and I hope every other book that is ever written in the series will be, too).

His brilliance adds another layer to an already stellar piece of work.

I’m pretty fussy about who I listen to. I have been known to give up on an audiobook after a couple of pages when the voice simply didn’t work for me, something I’d rarely do with a written volume. And sadly, it’s happened more than once. Or twice.

McDonald has a versatility that is nothing short of genius. Listening to the dialogue is like eavesdropping on a conversation between real people. Or dogs. Or birds. So strong is their conceived identity that I have firm, clear pictures of what each character looks like.  When (not if) Hollywood stumbles across this series, I’ll happily offer to consult on the casting.

Looking at McDonald’s bio, he offers an impressive list of accents:

Australian British (England – Cockney, Estuary, East End); British (England – Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire); British (England – Yorkshire & Humber); British (General); British (Received Pronunciation – RP, BBC); Dutch French (General); German Irish (Eastern- Leinster, Dublin); Irish (General); Italian (General); North American (General); North American (US New York, New Jersey, Bronx, Brooklyn); North American (US South); Russian; South African (General); Spanish (General); Spanish (Mexican); Standard Mandarin Chinese; and Welsh.

Don’t believe me? Have a listen:

Treat yourself. Go on. You deserve a laugh.

Am ever-so-grateful to this pair for helping me escape reality.