The Return

by Bentley Little

Springerville is famous for the legend of the Mogollon Monster. Of course nobody really believes it. It’s just a good campfire story, something to attract gullible tourists ­ until an excavation team unearths the figurine of a screaming woman, the jawbone of a deformed animal, and a child’s toy. How odd that they were buried together. Odd, too, is the foul odor lingering in the air, the strange noises at night, and the man’s face found hanging from a tree. Now the locals are locking their doors. Because after sundown, campfire stories can seem very, very real.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror Thriller, Thriller, Supernatural, Novels

354 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Bentley Little is an American author of horror fiction. Publishing an average of a novel a year since 1990, Little avoids publicity and rarely does promotional work or interviews for his writing.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one starts out as one of Little's most enjoyable horror novels, but the ending doesn't hold up to the rest of the book. It's an interesting archaeological story with ancient evil and legendary folklore and Zane Grey (!), a bit of meandering through graphic violence and awkward sex, a few over-the-top surrealistic bits, but it doesn't quite come together at the finish line. A good read, but not worth re-visiting.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

typical bentley little, can't stop reading...

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bentley Little is a hit or miss author for me and this novel sums up how I think about most of his work. A very promising start with engaging characters that begins to lose its way half way through and then utterly falls apart over the last 75 pages or so. The plot surrounds an archeological dig that uncovers an ancient evil. Have I seen that plot somewhere before? Still, the story was interesting, mostly because of the main protagonist who feels himself drawn to the area, almost like he is predestined to be where he needed to be. The Southwest setting in Arizona and New Mexico was well done. The subtle horror of the situation builds nicely until it explodes in a too-much too-fast conundrum. Too many characters are briefly introduced only to get caught up in the big bad evil...Redshirt syndrome run amok. The ending was, unfortunately, anti-climactic and resolved all too conveniently and in just a couple of pages. Many questions are left unanswered.

Despite all that it was still a pretty interesting read, just enough to keep me reading more of this author's work. For those that are interested, I would recommend The Ignored or The Store for his better stuff.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm getting a little tired of Bentley Little's schtick, to be honest. Good beginning, slowly increasing creepiness (though not scariness - it's hard to be scared when you know more or less exactly what's going to happen because the same thing happened in other books before), bizarre sexual stuff, then a rushed and incomplete ending. I can't even tell if some of his other books were just better, or if I'm just getting sick of the same formula every book.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like so many Little novels, this starts off promising, builds up a good creep factor, than goes down an OTT rabbit hole only to end with a whimper. The only other author I have encountered who has such difficulties sticking the landing may be Stephen King, which may be why his glowing blurbs feature on Little's novels.

Our protagonist here, Glen, leaves his job in California one day to head back to his old stomping grounds in Arizona; his mother recently passed and he has to deal with a property out there. Also, he is tired of his life and having a mid-life crisis; Little does not really flesh him out much beyond that. Anyway, after seeing the property (some developer's idea for a subdivision), he just of wanders around, driving here and there. One day, he stumbles upon a museum in a dusty little town, takes a tour of some old Indian ruins, and the proprietor to the museum asks him if he is looking for work. A pal of his needs labor on a new excavation site fairly close by (the is the Southwest after all). Pay is low, work hard, but Glen says yes.

Meanwhile, Little takes us on a tour throughout the Southwest, where Indian artifacts in a wide array of museums start moving by themselves, scaring the bejesus out of all kinds of people. He also introduces a young boy on a scouting trip who learns the tale of some monster at a campsite; the next day, the scoutmaster's face is all that is left of him, paralleling the monster tale. What is going on? Things start getting crazy all over-- people disappearing (including Glen's workmates), strange deformed animals that were once pets attack people, odd mummies take on a life of their own. Basic batshit crazy stuff.

Again, after a decent setup, Little goes off the rails and down his favorite rabbit hole to finally get to a rushed and very unsatisfying conclusion. I have read several of Little's books, but only one or two have I given more than two or three stars. I know the guy has a winner somewhere, but this one is not it. 2.5 stars, rounding down for the ending.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The Store and The Haunted, I had high hopes for this, the 3rd, Little book I read. It was a slight let down for me.

The horror and mystery started off great. The uncovering of multiple South Western dig sites, inanimate objects coming to life and stalking prey, the disappearances, the ghost town, the animals acting weird and violent, everything. It was turning into a real page turner.

However, the middle started to get convoluted. We get bounced around to minor character after minor character and get small doses of what they are going through. It was unnecessary and ended up slowing things down for me.

Eventually the slow build comes to a climax......with 10 to 15 pages left. A very rushed and not so fleshed out ending.

The Divine family and the well scene was very creepy. The scenes with the archeological sites were also creepy. The ultra violence between the towns inhabitants and each other and various animals were very well done. But for me the rushed ending ruined this one. The characters figured out what they think will stop the entity, Yada Yada, they went to the lair, Yada Yada, executed their game plan, blah blah, The End.

3 stars for Little on this one.

[Kev Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★
THE RETURN

This one felt like a bit of a throwback, almost like an 80s horror movie, and on that level it was fun. I really liked the mix of archaeology, folklore and the supernatural, and the start was strong. An archaeological dig uncovers something ancient and unsettling, and for a while the story moved at just the right pace.

The problems came later. The characters never felt properly developed, and then more and more of them started appearing. Before long the book was full of people who blurred together, and I often had to remind myself who was who. The middle section also dragged. It felt as though the story had been stretched further than it needed to be, and I reached a point where I just wanted to get to the end.
The tone had its moments. Some of the atmosphere was creepy and effective, and there was that pulpy energy that can make Bentley Little entertaining. At the same time, the shocks and gore felt like they were added for effect rather than to serve the story.

The ending was a real let down. After such a long build up with so many characters and plotlines in play, it was over too quickly and left me unsatisfied. In the end I would still call this a fun romp in places, but it is the Bentley Little novel I have enjoyed the least so far.

[JasonA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not great. It was an interesting concept and the first half was pretty good, but I started to lose interest by the second half. Lots of build up with one of the most anti-climactic endings I've read in a long time. Bentley Little suffers from bad endings worse than Stephen King, but this one was bad even by Little standards. It was about 340 pages of build up, and then took less than ten pages to end it. Overall, the book could have been about 100 pages shorter and featured several fewer viewpoint characters.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read alot of Mr Little's works but was interested in starting this one about an ancient horror hiding in the Southwest desert area. There were quite a few characters, mostly shallow ones, but some of the action scenes were good. Some hit, some miss.

[Ashley Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I devour Littles’ work like a caveman would a prime rib steak. This time, though, something went wrong ­ I just couldn’t stay conjure up enough saliva to finish the meal all the way through. The plot itself was creative enough, creepy in ways (particularly the first 100 pages or so), but it just didn’t suck me into its’ magic.

Most of his novels do pull me in, excluding this one and The University. The gripes I had with the University are similar to what I had with this one, although different in a few ways too. The plot was a bit uneven, where the waters eventually muddled from all the unneeded clumps falling in.

Glen is the type of guy not sure what he wants out of life, a drifter. Melanie is an intelligent, endearing woman who suited the plot. Cameron was a sweet little boy; some of the more terrifying moments were told through his POV, especially the dog (brrrrr). Archeology professor Al Wittinghill suited his job descriptions. All characters worked well enough for what they were meant for.

Things didn’t necessarily happen slowly, I just couldn’t get wrapped up in the tangle. Things progressed but I didn’t feel much emotion from them progressing. The pacing was slightly uneven, as things would slow a bit, then speed up again, leaving me slightly confused.

Obviously I was disappointed by the Return; the story didn’t grab my interest, and I never invested emotional stake in any characters. I have heard praise for this novel while I sat and praised another novel written by Little that others didn’t seem to enjoy. He seems to have something for basically everybody; you may need to experiment a little to find your gold piece.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended by someone. Reading this was like watching tales from the dark side. Definitely a creepy factor. But I didn't find it scary.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2003. Unbelievable and scary as hell. I checked and he was still publishing in 2019, I wonder why I quit him?

[Bobby Stringini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a ton of Bentley Little, and have enjoyed most of it. The Return is very much middle of the road for him. It's a very enjoyable adventure, with plenty of blood and gore, monsters, a pretty well developed love story, plus a touch of the absurd. Enjoyable characters keep the story engaging, and the pace is generally pretty strong. There was some lag in the middle as several characters essentially go on... Well... quests to retrieve magical items. During this time Little packs in plenty of nasty asides, developing the ever growing and strengthening threat. It could have been tighter, but the bloat is minimal.

This is closer to a straight horror novel, so don't go in expecting the social commentary of The Store or The Consultant. This is closer to The Summoning (a favorite of mine), and I had fun reading it. While this isn't even close to Little's most gruesome work (I would point to University for that one), there is plenty of nastiness to go around, and just a smattering of weird sex to spice things up. There is not, however, an over reliance on sexual violence, which I found refreshing. (There are some things that are hinted at, but never stated explicitly or dwelled upon) No one is off limits, though. Horrible things happen to men, women, children and animals. He doesn't focus on the gore, but I can still see people noping out of this one.

I enjoyed The Return, but if you are interested in Little, don't start here. For those who have some experience with Little, this is a fun one to dive into. It won't change your life, but it'll keep you entertained for a couple hundred pages.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise for this novel sounded interesting, so I checked it out of the library.
Springerville is famous for the legend of the Mogollon Monster. Every year, when the Boy Scouts come to stay in the cabins at the Boy Scout Ranch, the urban legend is told around the campfire. Boy Scout Cameron doesn't want it told. He can handle ghosts and all, but not anything to do with the Monster. But Scoutmaster Anderson tells it anyway, The next morning, they find his face hanging from a dead tree by the reputedly haunted cabin on the land.
When Glen's mother pases, he feels free to do anything for the first time in his life and he leaves his job to travel the road. He ends up in Bower, where after taking tour of a pueblo given by a local museum, he agrees to work on an archeological dig working on a discovery of a new peublo, where strange thongs have been unearthed. He also meets Melanie, a histry teacher who takes a different summer job each year' this year being the dig. There is attraction at first sight. Things of a frightening nature bgin to hapen at the dig and elsewhere in Bower and other cities, all connecting to some sort of creature that may have caused the disappearance of the Anasazi and other Indian tribes, and even behnd the ghost towns found all over the Southwest.
The storyline was interesting, though the ending disappointed me some. Plus when people began to disappear, no explanation to where they went, or how the being could changed animals into twisted shapes.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Unearthing of Ancient Horrors: A Review of Bentley Little's "The Return"

Bentley Little’s 2002 novel, "The Return," delivers readers into the sun-scorched landscape of Arizona, where the past is not past but actively, malevolently, seeking to claim the present. 


Known for horror fiction that finds the sinister and the absurd in the mundane, Little here braids cosmic dread and archaeological nightmare with absurd apocalypse. 


The Return follows two protagonists whose paths converge in Bower, Arizona. Glen Ridgeway, a single man in his forties, is sampling existential drift after  his mother's death. Seeking a change, or perhaps total escape, Glen quits his white collar job and embarks: fantasizing himself as the hero of the classic TV series “Then Came Bronson.”


Similar to Glen’s journey is that of Melanie Black, a junior high school teacher approaching the age. Reluctant to move on her hometown, Melanie volunteers for a summer archaeological dig near Bower. 


Little populates his narrative with a narrow spectrum of WASP characters: summer students and archeology academics, local bureaucrats and genuine desert oddballs. Each character, meticulously located within the novel's unfolding plot, ultimately find themselves in a "fiery furnace" beyond season or reason. 


An ancient entity locals have dubbed the "Mogollon Monster" has made a reappearance after the discovery of a skull in the Bower dig site. Far from a simple Bigfoot-type cryptid, this entity is capable of reanimating the artefacts of long-vanished Anasazi culture, transforming the everyday into a canvas worthy of Hieronymus Bosch.


One of the novel's distinct charms is Little's adept use of antiquarian supernatural effects akin to those of M.R. James. These subtle, creeping horrors are very effective in his depiction of pottery shards that contain moving and constantly changing images of our protagonists and their loved ones -- showing fates homely and but never certain.


Glen reached down, picked up a broken piece of pottery off the floor. On it was a picture of Alyssa McCormack with her legs spread wide, a carved wooden spear—like one that was lying at his feet—shoved deep inside her. 


Embarrassed and chilled at the same time, he covered the picture with his hand, not wanting anyone else to see. But the lines seemed to shift as his fingers closed over the shard, some lengthening, some straightening, and he peeked surreptitiously at the face of the pottery to see that it was now Melanie with her legs spread, being violated by a small doll with a very long penis.


This unsettling divination through ancient artifacts underscores the protagonists' helplessness as they face fragmented, terrifying realities. Are their destinies etched in clay by malevolent, long-dead hands?


"The Return," like many apocalypse narratives, finds its greatest narrative power in early chapters: characters individually identify clues, but cannot get a clear sense of the puzzle until they find allies and link-up. Much like an archeological dig.


The second half of the novel accelerates, playing with snappy scenes and brisk dialogue as our main characters come face to face with that which has returned. The Arizona landscape itself emerges as an ominous character: stark beauty veiling revenant energies below. 


As the ancient power fully awakens, the world begins to unravel with terrifying speed. Little paints vivid, cinematic scenes of societal collapse. 


Several large fires burned in different parts of the city, and the freeway was strewn with abandoned cars and dozens of dead animals. In the sky, odd-looking crows spiraled up above a tall rectangular building that appeared to be slowly melting….


Even smaller settlements are not spared. A once-familiar village is grotesquely transfigured:


Where the gas station and the restaurant and the houses and the church should have been stood a hideous hellish structure that appeared to be made of dirty rusted metal, a sprawling monstrosity that looked like a demon’s house designed by a lunatic. To either side of it, alternating scenes kept winking in and out of existence: bucolic countryside, poor but picturesque village, craggy canyon wall, fire-ravaged forest. In front were three large holes in the ground, ringed with human skulls.


Amidst this escalating chaos, a small group, including Glen, Melanie, Professor McCormack, and Vince, begin to understand the magnitude of the threat and their peculiar connection to it. They are not random survivors but individuals seemingly immune to the onslaught, leading to the chilling hypothesis that they have been chosen to make a stand. 


As Vince explains their theory about the interconnectedness of the Mogollon Monster and the force that destroyed the Anasazi, he posits:


“We’re immune, we’re resistant. Whatever force or power or energy emanates from that creature or from the bones of its ancestors doesn’t affect us. And maybe . . .” He paused. “Maybe there’s a reason for that. I’m not religious, and I’m not superstitious. At least I didn’t used to be. But maybe we’ve been chosen.”

   “Chosen?” 

   “Not necessarily by God or some higher power—although I’m not ruling that out. It could be a natural occurrence; we could be like the antibodies attacking a disease. I don’t know. I just think that . . . well, I think we’re the ones who can fight it.”


This reluctant acceptance of a terrible destiny moves the protagonists forward, even as their 2002 Arizona is erased. The destruction of Bower  is total, leaving Melanie homeless, free even of the niceties of a bank account or a job. 


Little masterfully portrays the unmoored individualism of his characters, whose aspirations for a settled, comfortable small-town life are not just challenged but melted down in an orgy of cosmic horror. 

Little suggests their fight is not for the preservation of their old lives, which are irrevocably gone, but for the very survival of humanity against an enemy that defies comprehension. 


In the end, when Glen asks if their part is over, McCormack’s grim reply, "We don’t think so," confirms an ongoing, desperate struggle.


At the risk of sounding old-fashioned, I would say that the theme of the return is not to warn against digging, but to stay out of Arizona. 

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: Before I say my thoughts, let me say that this is almost a 4 star read but I do not have an emoji for half a star! First off, Bentley Little has done it again, he has made a book that is super unique and also has me looking around me because im creeped out! So to really sum up this book, I’m going to make a pros and cons list.

Pros: great characters that are super relatable and likable, unique and intriguing plot, horror and action scenes are great

Cons: there was a lot going on and it got confusing sometimes keeping up with what was happening, and the ending..... I will say after waiting all this time to see what happens, we get the last 50 pages getting to the ending and then I feel the ending was honestly a little lazy (if you read this you will know what I’m talking about).

Overall, Bentley Little is still one of my favorite authors, and this book was really enjoyable and a fun read, just wish the ending had gone a bit better but don’t let that persuade you from picking up this book! ​

[Tamera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horror novels are my guilty pleasure & this was the first Bentley Little book I've read....the premise was interesting & I was curious about the plot throughout so definitely entertained...Characters are shallow & far too abundant in number...it seems every idea the author had was thrown into the plot & the ending was unsatisfying & so many loose narrative lines left unaddressed...despite that I will explore a few other books by him before writing him off...

[Blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book lost me, and not in anything like a good way. I couldn’t focus on the plot, the villain, any of it. It simply wasn’t engaging and I didn’t enjoy the read.

[Sue (sussudio1970) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. Did not like this book at all. I like a lot of Bentley's other books a lot more. The best part of this book for me was Melanie's history. Just my opinion.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The population of the tiny town of Springerville, Arizona is steeped in a variety of legends and myths. Perhaps the most famous of those legends is that of the Mogollon Monster - a hideous half-human, half-animalistic creature that thrives on influencing the mentalities and emotions of either human beings or any species in the animal kingdom. The creature then basks in the resulting chaos that is created by such heightened tensions. The story of Springerville's Mogollon Monster has certainly become legendary, if only because of the number of times the story has been told and retold.

Yet everyone understands that there is really no such thing as the Mogollon Monster. It's all just a legend - an elaborate campfire story told by the locals to attract gullible tourists. After all, visiting tourists love to hear all about the mysterious legends associated with the town; perhaps it gives Springerville something of a macabre reputation - but everyone loves to be scared, right?

This is the most prevalent way of thinking, anyway. At least, it is until an excavation team unearths something very strange. The figurine of screaming woman, the jawbone of a deformed animal, and a child's toy are all found buried together. While this is definitely an odd occurrence, no one expects what happens next.

The townspeople soon begin hearing strange noises in the night, then there is an exceedingly foul odor lingering in the air, and a man's face is found hanging from a tree. Now the locals are making sure to lock their doors. Because after sundown, the campfire stories can seem to take on lives of their own - and legends become very, very real.

First of all, let me say that I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was certainly very well-developed and captured my attention right away. In my opinion, this was a uniquely intriguing plot that dealt with the horror in an unusual way. However, I also have to say that I found the story to be slightly longer than I thought it actually needed to be. I would give this book a B+!

[Carson hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad that I took a chance on this one. I read so many negative reviews I almost didn't even bother. I do have the agree with the ending being rather blunt. It kind of felt like he was trying to make it a "they rode off into the sunset" ending. The epilogue should have just been another chapter, it would have made a better ending. Ideally, there just should have been a little more story to bring things together.

Other than that I really enjoyed this book, it kept me interested the whole time and I read it whenever I could, even making time to read, which I don't have the luxury of doing. I've read a few of Mr. Little's books and they all seem to have some sort of perverted sex in them and this one kept it to a minimum, which I liked. I also enjoy that his stories take place in the Southwest.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read one Bentley Little book that was pretty good and every one I've read since has been disappointing. The writing is decent and I enjoy the fact that many of his stories don't take place in the "scary vacuum" (crazy things going on but no one in the world seems to notice), but the plots are generally silly and this one was worse than most.

And as a P.S., if you're going to talk about barbecuing children you had better be Cormac McCarthy. Period.

Great. I read this in 2004 and then read the whole thing again and didn't remember it at all.

[Monte Desai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bentley Little is an unbelievable writer. I started to follow this author after he was recommended by Stephen King.
His first book i read "THE MAILMAN "was satanic, scary. His second book I read "THE WALKING " was frightening as hell.
Now this is his third book I just finished reading "THE RETURN".. It's unbelievable, scary as hell.
It's a story about a group of anthropologists find a head skeleton at one excavation site, and a headless skeleton at another excavation site. There is an evil in effect...read it and find out ..you won't be disappointed...

[SoulChicken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The story started off great--some nice historical asides, some interesting geological areas that lie close to home...but about halfway through it becomes a confused mess. Too much happens too soon. Plot holes begin forming. Questions form in the back of your mind, and before you know it, you realize that there aren't enough pages to actually explain what has been happening, provide any sort of closure, or any reasoning behind what has been happening, by whom and for what purpose. Its such a waste of a great premise, too! Ultimately, this book was highly disappointing.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard for me to rate this book, honestly. I read it during a time where I wasn't particularly in the mood for reading, so what should've been a week or so read ended up taking over 3 months.

The story itself was okay, but there was something about the book I just did not enjoy. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it caused me to read this book at an extremely slow pace.

Perhaps if I read it properly I'd give it a better rating, but with how it went for me, I can't really recommend this one. Little definitely has better books than this one.

[A1Cvenom · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5 stars) Rounded up to 3. This book had flashes of brilliance but over all it was comically bad. I wasn’t sure if the author was trying to be comical or serious half the time.

I believe the opening scene in the camp was cool. The only other really creepy part was when the guy talks about the mummy moving at night towards the end of the book. Otherwise it was a jumbled mess of confusing plot lines.

The ending was rushed and predictable as all hell.

Overall I doubt I’ll be reading another Bentley little anytime soon.

[Christian Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It appears that many don't care for this book, but I found it quite interesting and scary. First off, it takes place in New Mexico, which is where I live. Second, I really liked all the odd and crazy things that have happened. For example (spoiler alert) when the kids parents suddenly turned to dust and his whole street became deserted, or when artifacts suddenly come to life. It doesn't just focus on the monster, but other things. A great book.

[Lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much lead/setup, gory & graphic to the extreme, and really after the first third, repetitive and unemotional. Spoiler alert: the heroes win. It was literally predetermined early on, so there wasn't really much to hold you in suspense. I think the author chose to overdo the violence to maintain the momentum, but after a while it was just annoying. The characters were OK, and the general idea of an ancient evil was fine, but the overall book was meh.

[Marcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful book