Up until now my experience with Irish crime novels was limited to Tana French’s brand of soul-crushing devastation. He has written sixteen novels while his TV writing credits include Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, A League of Their Own, The Sarah Millican Television Programme, and the BAFTA nominated-children's CBBC animated series Pet Squad which he created. The author is a funny man by trade, Irish comedian trying his hand at a novel in a most auspicious manner. If you are an author wanting us to review your book, please read our review policy (link under header) first.

A MAN WITH ONE OF THOSE FACES is about Paul Mulchrone, a man with an average face, built and, well, everything. In his time on the British stand-up circuit, he has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce.Not because the author puts his characters in a ridiculous position, but because of how it is written. The Stranger Times series was nominated and shortlisted for The New Kid on the Block Award (Best New Crime Series) Dead Good Reader Award 2022. When they were kids Barry Dodds had told him that when he knocked his granda’s body over at the wake, it was like being buried under a dozen frozen turkeys.

One (seemingly, so far) minor character was an 80 year old patient named Dorothy, who actually was a lot more alert than it seemed, and was lots of fun. Personally, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, which is currently being written by McDonnell.

While doing his rounds of visiting ailing and aging patients at a hospice, Nurse Brigit approaches him and asks him if he could visit an old man who could be breathing his last. Chapters alternate between several characters’ POV so we’re kept up on side stories that tie in to the overall plot. Although Paul and Brigit are the main characters, there are a number of side ones that pop in and out of the plot. On some occasions he is a long lost son, other times a estranged sibling, whatever might help an old tired soul to find inner peace. Limerick author and comedian Caimh McDonnell, aka CK McDonnell, on his new supernatural novel The Stranger Times".

An eager-to-help unapologetic nerd and she wields it as her arsenal in ensnaring you into her wiles. Even if you then take an entirely different route, you can always find your way to where you want to go eventually. Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. If you’re after a crime novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously and makes you laugh out loud then I’d recommend to give A Man with One of Those Faces a go.

For all the comedy, I would not rate this new series so high if it wasn’t for the serious notes that somehow make their way into the text. I truly felt sorry for both Paul and Brigit as their lives haven't always been easy and they made some difficult decisions. No more on the plot as that would royally ruin it but suffice to say it’ll keep you wondering to the end. It surely wasn’t some kind of coincidence What were the odds that he and Wilson had stumbled upon an unrelated ambush?