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Bring Her Back
Frank knows that he's creepy. There's nothing he can do about it. His creepiness--along with the fact that his father once killed eleven people in an office shooting—has kept him from ever having a girlfriend. When he finally works up the nerve to ask Abigail out on a date, after buying flowers from her every day for the past three months, he's sure she'll say no. Maybe she'll even recoil or spit in his face. But she accepts his invitation. He's sure it must be a cruel prank. It's not. These two kind-hearted but weird souls have found each other, and Frank thinks his life is about to change for the better. But this is not a love story. This is a tale of revenge and madness. From the author of PRESSURE, BLISTER, and SICK HOUSE comes Jeff Strand's darkest novel yet. "BRING HER BACK is like a Jack Ketchum novel packed with dark humor." – Michael McBride, author of SUBHUMAN
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2018
386 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Strand
229 books2,210 followersBram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
November 25, 2018
BRING HER BACK
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a huge Jeff Strand fan. So I had to ask myself:
Self, do you think you can write an objective review?
The conversation in my head went like this…
Do people know you like horror and humor?
Well, it is on my public info.
Do people know you can be sarcastic and curse sometimes?
Um, do I need to repeat myself here, huh?
Do people know you don’t like happy endings most of the time?
Wait, I don’t know if it is a good idea to share that with people. Won’t they think if I like a book it doesn’t have a happy ending? Or if I dislike a book, that it does? Maybe it should be kept private, you know…
Okay…do people –
Stop. Just stop, okay? I’m giving my opinion, whether people agree or not is up to them. It’s not like I’m holding a gun to anybody’s head and forcing them to read something!
Well, there was that one time with the ransom note…
Hey, I told you we’re not going to talk about that again…EVER!
You’re right, you’re right. I apologize. What were we talking about again?
Didn’t it have something to do with music?
Can’t remember.
You see, that’s exactly what I’m talking about, you’re not paying attention! I don’t even know who you are anymore!
You do realize you’re having an argument with yourself by writing notes, don’t you?
Yeah, whatever, Mr. Fucking. Judgmental!
For the record, that conversation is Verbatim…I’ve been told I have a great memory for useless shit.
Back to the book. I think it is superb and probably the darkest story I’ve read by Strand. I want to compare the experience to riding along in a race car (which I will explain shortly).
There is some misdirection in the blurb – but not because you are being lied to. Read it again and let me tell you what you are thinking.
Guy meets girl. They date, fall in love, fight and break-up. He stalks her…perhaps even worse.
WRONG!
Let me make it clear, Jeff Strand didn’t lie in that blurb. He cleverly used some misdirection. You know, like the song EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE by THE POLICE. Did you know (serious as shit) that it is a stalker song? Listen to the words. Sting wrote about a guy stalking a girl, and it became a huge hit and “love song” of choice for many. If you are one of the unfortunate few who used it at your wedding, you have my deepest sympathy…sucker.
Okay, that’s a bit harsh, perhaps, so apologies if this offended you – just know, you did nothing wrong. It’s me, not you…
Tell me what you think when I tell you:
I’m gonna bust a nut?
If you pictured me with a hammer in my hand standing over a coconut, congratulations for having a clean mind and/or being over a certain age. I didn’t lie when I made that statement, but most people assumed something else.
Get it?
Good. Back to the race car being driven by somebody else.
You are the passenger and Strand is driving. The book is divided into three parts.
First gear (first part) is smooth. You are getting to know each other, Strand shows he is capable of driving well, etc. Think of it as a romantic comedy, something that somebody like Drew Barrymore might be in.
The second gear (second part) pushes you back in the seat, showing the car has some real power and knows how to use those horses. Things are about to get real. Think of this part as crime-drama, something that someone like William Fichtner or Robert Knepper (Google them, you will recognize the face) might appear in.
And then he goes from second gear directly into fourth (third part), and you have a choice to make. Do you trust him and enjoy the ride or do you piss your pants while blubbering uncontrollably? This part is all-out horror. I’m not even going to try and compare it to a movie. Let’s just say that it was like Matt Shaw and Jack Ketchum got together and wrote the last part of this story.
This book is DARK, guys, and I can recommend it to horror fans – but (objectively speaking) you must think more extreme than his previous books. In fact, when I was reading the first part of the story I was thinking that I will have to read an extreme horror (I had one lined up on my Kindle by Bryan Smith) to balance things out again.
Having finished it, I don’t feel like that anymore.
Great job, yet again, Mr. Strand!
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a huge Jeff Strand fan. So I had to ask myself:
Self, do you think you can write an objective review?
The conversation in my head went like this…
Do people know you like horror and humor?
Well, it is on my public info.
Do people know you can be sarcastic and curse sometimes?
Um, do I need to repeat myself here, huh?
Do people know you don’t like happy endings most of the time?
Wait, I don’t know if it is a good idea to share that with people. Won’t they think if I like a book it doesn’t have a happy ending? Or if I dislike a book, that it does? Maybe it should be kept private, you know…
Okay…do people –
Stop. Just stop, okay? I’m giving my opinion, whether people agree or not is up to them. It’s not like I’m holding a gun to anybody’s head and forcing them to read something!
Well, there was that one time with the ransom note…
Hey, I told you we’re not going to talk about that again…EVER!
You’re right, you’re right. I apologize. What were we talking about again?
Didn’t it have something to do with music?
Can’t remember.
You see, that’s exactly what I’m talking about, you’re not paying attention! I don’t even know who you are anymore!
You do realize you’re having an argument with yourself by writing notes, don’t you?
Yeah, whatever, Mr. Fucking. Judgmental!
For the record, that conversation is Verbatim…I’ve been told I have a great memory for useless shit.
Back to the book. I think it is superb and probably the darkest story I’ve read by Strand. I want to compare the experience to riding along in a race car (which I will explain shortly).
There is some misdirection in the blurb – but not because you are being lied to. Read it again and let me tell you what you are thinking.
Guy meets girl. They date, fall in love, fight and break-up. He stalks her…perhaps even worse.
WRONG!
Let me make it clear, Jeff Strand didn’t lie in that blurb. He cleverly used some misdirection. You know, like the song EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE by THE POLICE. Did you know (serious as shit) that it is a stalker song? Listen to the words. Sting wrote about a guy stalking a girl, and it became a huge hit and “love song” of choice for many. If you are one of the unfortunate few who used it at your wedding, you have my deepest sympathy…sucker.
Okay, that’s a bit harsh, perhaps, so apologies if this offended you – just know, you did nothing wrong. It’s me, not you…
Tell me what you think when I tell you:
I’m gonna bust a nut?
If you pictured me with a hammer in my hand standing over a coconut, congratulations for having a clean mind and/or being over a certain age. I didn’t lie when I made that statement, but most people assumed something else.
Get it?
Good. Back to the race car being driven by somebody else.
You are the passenger and Strand is driving. The book is divided into three parts.
First gear (first part) is smooth. You are getting to know each other, Strand shows he is capable of driving well, etc. Think of it as a romantic comedy, something that somebody like Drew Barrymore might be in.
The second gear (second part) pushes you back in the seat, showing the car has some real power and knows how to use those horses. Things are about to get real. Think of this part as crime-drama, something that someone like William Fichtner or Robert Knepper (Google them, you will recognize the face) might appear in.
And then he goes from second gear directly into fourth (third part), and you have a choice to make. Do you trust him and enjoy the ride or do you piss your pants while blubbering uncontrollably? This part is all-out horror. I’m not even going to try and compare it to a movie. Let’s just say that it was like Matt Shaw and Jack Ketchum got together and wrote the last part of this story.
This book is DARK, guys, and I can recommend it to horror fans – but (objectively speaking) you must think more extreme than his previous books. In fact, when I was reading the first part of the story I was thinking that I will have to read an extreme horror (I had one lined up on my Kindle by Bryan Smith) to balance things out again.
Having finished it, I don’t feel like that anymore.
Great job, yet again, Mr. Strand!
April 17, 2021
With so many great options to choose from within Jeff Strand's body of work, this novel didn't immediately catch my eye.
That is, until I heard a podcast of him reading the first chapter. He's so good at playing to the crowd. Hearing him read his own words, with well-timed pauses and perfect inflection, caused quite a bit of laughter; not only from me, but also the lucky folks actually in attendance.
Although you wouldn't suspect it from just that first chapter alone, which is incredibly sweet and funny, Bring Her Back becomes very dark, very quickly. Who am I kidding? It's a Strand story...of course it's dark.
Frank, the protagonist, is a bumbling, awkward, vaguely loveable character. I found myself rooting for him, despite his many questionable choices. Emotionally, I was all over the place...one second cringing in disgust, the next laughing out loud, and even feeling overwhelming sadness at Frank's unfortunate plight.
I'll just say this...there were a couple times I was actually shocked by the direction this story took. You guys know...shock, for me, while reading is such a rarity these days.
Bring Her Back has all the well-loved Strand trademarks and is just as good, if not better, than anything he has written. It's tragic, and heartbreaking, and beautifully nuanced. If you love a good revenge story, you need to add this to your 'To Be Read' pile.
If I had more free time in my life right now, this likely would have have been a "one-sitting" kind of read. I was wholeheartedly invested in Frank and Abigail.
4.5 stars
AVAILABLE NOW!
That is, until I heard a podcast of him reading the first chapter. He's so good at playing to the crowd. Hearing him read his own words, with well-timed pauses and perfect inflection, caused quite a bit of laughter; not only from me, but also the lucky folks actually in attendance.
Although you wouldn't suspect it from just that first chapter alone, which is incredibly sweet and funny, Bring Her Back becomes very dark, very quickly. Who am I kidding? It's a Strand story...of course it's dark.
Frank, the protagonist, is a bumbling, awkward, vaguely loveable character. I found myself rooting for him, despite his many questionable choices. Emotionally, I was all over the place...one second cringing in disgust, the next laughing out loud, and even feeling overwhelming sadness at Frank's unfortunate plight.
I'll just say this...there were a couple times I was actually shocked by the direction this story took. You guys know...shock, for me, while reading is such a rarity these days.
Bring Her Back has all the well-loved Strand trademarks and is just as good, if not better, than anything he has written. It's tragic, and heartbreaking, and beautifully nuanced. If you love a good revenge story, you need to add this to your 'To Be Read' pile.
If I had more free time in my life right now, this likely would have have been a "one-sitting" kind of read. I was wholeheartedly invested in Frank and Abigail.
4.5 stars
AVAILABLE NOW!
November 25, 2020
Uhhh....
and you can quote me on that.
This was not my favorite type of horror. It was disgusting and gory vs spooky and scary. It was for a book club and was something new to me. The plot felt a little all over the place, but maybe it was the protagonist that was all over the place.
Maybe I just started with the wrong book for this author or maybe I don’t get the humor? I have GR friends who love this guy and I’m not about to disagree; I’m only saying that whatever it is didn’t reach me here. I felt sad after reading it.
Anyway, I prefer spooky or terrifying rather than gory and demented. It did get to me though. I felt for the protagonist despite it all.
and you can quote me on that.
This was not my favorite type of horror. It was disgusting and gory vs spooky and scary. It was for a book club and was something new to me. The plot felt a little all over the place, but maybe it was the protagonist that was all over the place.
Maybe I just started with the wrong book for this author or maybe I don’t get the humor? I have GR friends who love this guy and I’m not about to disagree; I’m only saying that whatever it is didn’t reach me here. I felt sad after reading it.
Anyway, I prefer spooky or terrifying rather than gory and demented. It did get to me though. I felt for the protagonist despite it all.
September 4, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book for its fast-moving plot and its share of dark humor. However, I found the main character lacking in both personality and sensible choices of action. A brief segue into another part on the story threw me off, and some of the methods of violence were difficult to believe. However, as a quick and fairly gory thriller, Bring Her Back does provide a satisfying diversion.
3.5 whacks with a hacksaw
3.5 whacks with a hacksaw
June 12, 2018
4.5 stars!
BRING HER BACK, by Jeff Strand, is certainly one of his darker novels. While it still contains his trademarked sarcasm-laced humor, this is definitely not one for those without strong stomachs--and perhaps a questionable sense of humor.
". . . If I'd said 'Maybe for our next date' I'd probably have politely excuse myself and found a good place to commit suicide."
Frank Johnson is a large and apparently unattractive man who never dreams that he'll find a woman willing to be seen in public with him. Then fate steps in, and he meets Abigail--a woman who runs her own flower stand.
". . . As has been well established, I was a big creepy looking guy. People stare at those things."
Of course, when things seem too good to be true . . . Well, I'll just add that this is NOT a romance novel.
". . . I wasn't sure, though, that 'I'm not well-adjusted' would balance out 'My dad murdered a bunch of people.' My confession could wait."
I don't want to ruin this unique novel with any spoilers, so I'll just add that this is one you have to read for yourself to get the full experience.
I've yet to be disappointed by any novel or novella by Jeff Strand, and this one is no exception.
"Bring her back."
Highly recommended.
BRING HER BACK, by Jeff Strand, is certainly one of his darker novels. While it still contains his trademarked sarcasm-laced humor, this is definitely not one for those without strong stomachs--and perhaps a questionable sense of humor.
". . . If I'd said 'Maybe for our next date' I'd probably have politely excuse myself and found a good place to commit suicide."
Frank Johnson is a large and apparently unattractive man who never dreams that he'll find a woman willing to be seen in public with him. Then fate steps in, and he meets Abigail--a woman who runs her own flower stand.
". . . As has been well established, I was a big creepy looking guy. People stare at those things."
Of course, when things seem too good to be true . . . Well, I'll just add that this is NOT a romance novel.
". . . I wasn't sure, though, that 'I'm not well-adjusted' would balance out 'My dad murdered a bunch of people.' My confession could wait."
I don't want to ruin this unique novel with any spoilers, so I'll just add that this is one you have to read for yourself to get the full experience.
I've yet to be disappointed by any novel or novella by Jeff Strand, and this one is no exception.
"Bring her back."
Highly recommended.
Want to read
September 5, 2018This hardcover is numbered 14 of 72 copies printed and is signed by Jeff Strand.
September 9, 2018
There is something severely deranged about Jeff Strand. I’m glad he gets his stuff down on paper and out of his head.
And I thought I was a little whacko. Not even close to Strand level though. Makes me feel so much better about myself. I don’t know what it says about me that I enjoy his demented writing so much. Hmmm. Best not think about that too long...
A dark and comedic, bloody-fun romp of love and revenge as only Strand can pen. Full of biting wit and sarcasm with no shortage of wtf gross out moments.
Did I already mention Strand is one deranged dude?
3.5 Stars
And I thought I was a little whacko. Not even close to Strand level though. Makes me feel so much better about myself. I don’t know what it says about me that I enjoy his demented writing so much. Hmmm. Best not think about that too long...
A dark and comedic, bloody-fun romp of love and revenge as only Strand can pen. Full of biting wit and sarcasm with no shortage of wtf gross out moments.
Did I already mention Strand is one deranged dude?
3.5 Stars
December 29, 2021
Second Jeff Strand book I have read and the second one I have thoroughly enjoyed. He does some great dark humor. And I mean blackest humor. That's what I enjoy about his writing. A good, fun read...and I must be mentally deranged to think the word fun applies. But it does!
September 3, 2018
Frank Johnson, a tall and rather creepy-looking man, has finally met a woman willing to look beyond his physical imperfections and social ineptitude. His life seems to be on the right track, at last, and his future looks promising. But someone from his past is about to place a huge roadblock on his path to happiness.
What an incredibly engrossing book! Strand is an absolute master when it comes to getting his readers completely immersed in his mesmerizing stories. His writing combines a brilliant mix of humor, mounting tension and gore to deliver a perfectly-paced thriller.
I honestly had no idea what direction the story would take and Strand kept offering one surprise after the next. I developed a fondness for Frank and hoped that things would work out well for him. No spoilers here...you'll have to find out for yourself whether he was able to overcome his obstacles and attain his happily-ever-after.
What an incredibly engrossing book! Strand is an absolute master when it comes to getting his readers completely immersed in his mesmerizing stories. His writing combines a brilliant mix of humor, mounting tension and gore to deliver a perfectly-paced thriller.
I honestly had no idea what direction the story would take and Strand kept offering one surprise after the next. I developed a fondness for Frank and hoped that things would work out well for him. No spoilers here...you'll have to find out for yourself whether he was able to overcome his obstacles and attain his happily-ever-after.
June 4, 2018
How far would you go?
Frank admits he doesn't have a lot going for him, except for the shy flower girl down the block. I enjoyed this book and the dark humor although the term, 'Well, that escalated quickly,' can describe the last bit of the book.
Frank admits he doesn't have a lot going for him, except for the shy flower girl down the block. I enjoyed this book and the dark humor although the term, 'Well, that escalated quickly,' can describe the last bit of the book.
February 1, 2020
I love Jeff Strand. The man is the most excellent kind of a maniac and that maniacal quality, that demented joviality and jocular approach to the macabre creates a singular sort of reading experience with every single one of his books. Some more than others, though. This one for me was a lesser Strand read, albeit still enjoyable. The really peculiar thing about a man who’s made a career writing horrific thrillers, thrilling scares and various literary nightmares is that he’s a romantic, hugely so. In fact, one might argue no one does misfit romances so well. At the soul of this book is one such romance, two awkward weirdos, one more so than the other, find each other in the cruel indifferent world. And then a tragedy strikes. And no matter how cute, corny and lovey the first 50% of the book is you are warned and warned again, this isn’t a love story. This is a tale of revenge. Meaning the other 50% is going to be taken up by some seriously messed up brutality and violence. And so it is. And for some reason I was in the mood for more of a former or at least a milder version of the latter. Maybe because when the violence and brutality really get going, Strand’s famous or infamous funniness gets reduced or just altered to suit the needs of the gore and guts on the pages. Maybe it was too sudden of a tone shift. But the thing is as a reader you come to care for Frank and his Frankenstenian charm and the story is just so very devastatingly brutal on him. Kind of tough to take. Then again, you’re forewarned, right there on the cover even. Which is slightly weird, not the warning, the cover. Don’t love the cover. Great concept, but weird dude face. Oh yeah, also worth mentioning the clever use of the Chekovian gun thing in the plot. But this time not as a prop, but as an actual character descriptive feature. Frank does so often compare himself to Shelley’s tragic monster, an awkward lumbering man struggling to make genuine connections in the world. Looking for love, compassion and understanding only to have it all turn into a bloody nightmare. Maybe this was Strand’s retelling of a Frankenstein story. In which case, props. Just wish the ending wasn’t so one note, wham bam or more like slice dice sort of thing. You kind of want more or maybe just want more for Frank and that's all Strand's fault for making Frank foo freaking likable in the first place in all his self deprecating charm. But at any rate a fun read, went by so quickly as Strand’s books tend to do. One evening one sitting read. Depressing and dark, but what do you expect from a tale of revenge and madness. Enjoy isn’t the right word here. Read if you dare is too haunted ride of a warning. Just maybe check it out, especially if you’re a fan of the author.
April 30, 2020
This was my first Jeff Strand book, and it looks like I picked the right one, because I want to read all the Strand books now! There are few writers that can balance extremely dark, tension filled fiction, with comedy, and make it work. Jeff strand makes it look easy here.
This ill fated romance between Frank and Abigail is not for the faint of heart. It is heartbreaking, and filled with ferocious brutality. This is not a spoiler since Strand let’s the cat out of the bag so to speak early on with the statement, “This is not a love story.” And he sure wasn’t kidding.
There were scenes here that will disturb and anger even the most experienced of horror readers. Strand doesn’t hold anything back, and I confess to actually cringing at some scenes, but this isn’t just a gory bloody mess with no substance. Strand paints a vivid picture of Frank’s state of mind, what’s left of it anyway, throughout the narrative, and there is a scene near the end that nearly drove me to tears. This book won’t be for everyone, but what book is? I really enjoyed Strand’s writing style and will definitely be reading a lot more of his books in the near future.
This ill fated romance between Frank and Abigail is not for the faint of heart. It is heartbreaking, and filled with ferocious brutality. This is not a spoiler since Strand let’s the cat out of the bag so to speak early on with the statement, “This is not a love story.” And he sure wasn’t kidding.
There were scenes here that will disturb and anger even the most experienced of horror readers. Strand doesn’t hold anything back, and I confess to actually cringing at some scenes, but this isn’t just a gory bloody mess with no substance. Strand paints a vivid picture of Frank’s state of mind, what’s left of it anyway, throughout the narrative, and there is a scene near the end that nearly drove me to tears. This book won’t be for everyone, but what book is? I really enjoyed Strand’s writing style and will definitely be reading a lot more of his books in the near future.
July 26, 2018
I wasn't sure how to review this one, it has everything one usually looks for in a horror novel, great writing, fully 'fleshed out' (oh no, did I really use that analogy...?) dysfunctional main characters, villains to despise and put on your best frowny face whenever they appear, a plot that romps along and keeps you reading into the wee small hours, and of course it's Jeff Strand so it's fucking hilarious .
The problem was, I completely adored Strand's main character, and, while I'm no reader of romance, I so desperately wanted the good guy to just dispose of all the bad guys and get the girl in the end.
But this is not a love story, and to be fair, he did give me fair warning.
But I'm like the kid that keeps patting the cranky old cat when her Mum says "it's going to scratch you...", gets a gouge taken out of her cheek and wonders what the hell went wrong!
Don't be mistaken, this is proper Horror with a capital "HUH", the bad guys are truly sick and the revenge meted out is even sicker, don't be eatin' no snacks while you're reading this.
Will I read more of Mr Strand's work? Hell yeah, but I'll stick to his creature-features for the time-being while the nausea settles.
The problem was, I completely adored Strand's main character, and, while I'm no reader of romance, I so desperately wanted the good guy to just dispose of all the bad guys and get the girl in the end.
But this is not a love story, and to be fair, he did give me fair warning.
But I'm like the kid that keeps patting the cranky old cat when her Mum says "it's going to scratch you...", gets a gouge taken out of her cheek and wonders what the hell went wrong!
Don't be mistaken, this is proper Horror with a capital "HUH", the bad guys are truly sick and the revenge meted out is even sicker, don't be eatin' no snacks while you're reading this.
Will I read more of Mr Strand's work? Hell yeah, but I'll stick to his creature-features for the time-being while the nausea settles.
July 9, 2018
This was my first real horror novel by Jeff Strand (so far I've only read Kumquat which was great) but the book is written in the same unique voice you will recognize immediately. There is one thing for sure when you read a Jeff Strand book and that is you can't be sure of anything. And so this was not just about reading, but like a guessing game: would I be able to foresee at least one plot twist? Again, I failed miserably, but that is all the fun here: you never know what will happen next, and you are always in for a totally unexpected surprise. I love that!
As for the story itself, it was funny, romantic, brutal, tragic and a lot of other nuances in between. I really cared for Frank and Abigail, and it was just not fair how things turned out for them! There was no happy end, not even remotely, and I alternated between surprised incredulity and mild outrage about what happened with the turn of each page until the sad end.
Not quite a comfortable read, but highly entertaining if you like horror with a humorous twist. I couldn't get enough of it, so I will start hunting down the author's other works now. Recommended!
As for the story itself, it was funny, romantic, brutal, tragic and a lot of other nuances in between. I really cared for Frank and Abigail, and it was just not fair how things turned out for them! There was no happy end, not even remotely, and I alternated between surprised incredulity and mild outrage about what happened with the turn of each page until the sad end.
Not quite a comfortable read, but highly entertaining if you like horror with a humorous twist. I couldn't get enough of it, so I will start hunting down the author's other works now. Recommended!
October 22, 2019
This author has been appearing on recommendation lists since I joined this site, so I finally decided to give him a look. Now that I have, it's safe to say I need to read everything he has written thus far..
This was really good, and really damn funny in a fucked up way. It kinda/sorta reminded me of "The Crow" If there was a down side, it would be I felt the final confrontation with the main antagonist felt kinda rushed
This was really good, and really damn funny in a fucked up way. It kinda/sorta reminded me of "The Crow" If there was a down side, it would be I felt the final confrontation with the main antagonist felt kinda rushed
February 9, 2021
A No Spolier Review
Frankensteined
Frank knows that he is creepy. Frank is also aware the fact he is known as the son of a man who shot and killed eleven coworkers. That has to add to the creepiness. It has kept a girlfriend away or two that's for sure. Some how some way Frank managed to luck out. He found a girl and it is looking promising. His life may just change for the better. This isn't a love story. It's a tale of madness.
As always Strand brings his wit. This novel does take a slightly heavier tone from some of his other works but make no mistake. It's a trademark Jeff Strand novel. Frank the protagonist is one of my more favorite creations in the Strand-verse.
The story has enough originality where you don't feel like you're watching Friday The 13th Part 90. The bad guys are well bad. Pieces of human garabage. This makes the mayhem all the more enjoyable and that much more heartbreaking. When asked what any of us would say to stop the heartbreak who wouldn't say bring them back?
Frankensteined
Frank knows that he is creepy. Frank is also aware the fact he is known as the son of a man who shot and killed eleven coworkers. That has to add to the creepiness. It has kept a girlfriend away or two that's for sure. Some how some way Frank managed to luck out. He found a girl and it is looking promising. His life may just change for the better. This isn't a love story. It's a tale of madness.
As always Strand brings his wit. This novel does take a slightly heavier tone from some of his other works but make no mistake. It's a trademark Jeff Strand novel. Frank the protagonist is one of my more favorite creations in the Strand-verse.
The story has enough originality where you don't feel like you're watching Friday The 13th Part 90. The bad guys are well bad. Pieces of human garabage. This makes the mayhem all the more enjoyable and that much more heartbreaking. When asked what any of us would say to stop the heartbreak who wouldn't say bring them back?
May 21, 2018
There comes a point when you’re reading a Jeff Strand horror novel when you ask yourself, Why the hell am I reading this? With BRING HER BACK (possibly the darkest of Jeff Strand’s novels, which is saying a lot), that questioning point came for me around the “60% Read” mark (according to my Kindle app). What’s happening is so dark, so outrageous, you start to wonder why you should care about these characters at all, but you do, because Jeff Strand’s writing style is so conversational, so compulsively readable that you find yourself forging ahead despite your reservations, even if it means staying up late to finish the damn book, or even if you know your nightmares are going to be infected by what you’ve read. All of this happened to me with SICK HOUSE, and it happened again with BRING HER BACK, and it will happen again with Jeff Strand’s next novel because dammit, I’m hooked.
October 21, 2018
Bring Her Back is another Jeff Strand winner. He takes the time to really get into the head of the main character, quirks and all, and by the time things go south, I was prepared for the brutality. Aside from a few over-the-top moments that stretched what I was willing to believe, I had a great time with this story. I enjoyed how few characters there were which allowed Strand to narrow the focus, keeping the reader more invested in what would happen to our main character, Frank. Strand's dry humor and self deprecating lead character was a joy to spend time with. While not as good as Pressure or Dweller - well, lets face it, nothing much out there is better than Dweller - this was another fantastic outing from one of the very best in the genre.
December 19, 2020
This one was really gripping. I devoured it in a couple days and it was an easy read. This one was quite a ride and actually very tragic and sad. Really good characters and as always a great story behind it. I love how Jeff’s characters are real and make mistakes. The ending was fulfilling my biggest problem is which book to choose next !
September 23, 2019
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3, just because it's Jeff Strand.
October 9, 2019
Another fantastically dark and amusing story told in the way Jeff does best, with humour and with a certain amount of realism at the absurdity of many things in life and I just love it.
Frank the protagonist is great character, a sad and lonely but kind man with a fair amount of emotional baggage who meets what seems to be the perfect woman for him, unfortunately the timing is just terrible and things go downhill very quickly. This is part love story, part horror, part gruesome thriller. Not the kind of horror that would keep you up at night though, it is not intensely scary, it’s more fun than that but it is VERY gruesome and gory - not for the fainthearted. However if you love reading about people having their heads bashed in amongst other atrocities then this is the book for you!
Just brilliant, words fail me how well he writes these stories time and time again. An easy 5*/5 from me.
Frank the protagonist is great character, a sad and lonely but kind man with a fair amount of emotional baggage who meets what seems to be the perfect woman for him, unfortunately the timing is just terrible and things go downhill very quickly. This is part love story, part horror, part gruesome thriller. Not the kind of horror that would keep you up at night though, it is not intensely scary, it’s more fun than that but it is VERY gruesome and gory - not for the fainthearted. However if you love reading about people having their heads bashed in amongst other atrocities then this is the book for you!
Just brilliant, words fail me how well he writes these stories time and time again. An easy 5*/5 from me.
July 17, 2024
Fuck sakes this book had me laughing 🤣 not what I expected but I loved it
November 17, 2019
Woah. That is one of a handful of Strand's books I have left to read. This one really punched me right in the face. One of my favorites, up there with PRESSURE and must-read stuff. I don't think I could read it again, though.
October 10, 2019
If you like a really good explicit horror story which is also dripping with lots of blood, guts, amputations, abominations and other general body part atrocities, then this is book is definitely for you. If not, and you start to read this fascinating Love, Revenge and Horror story, all wrapped into one, then just a word of warning to you as the mostly "humorous" (strange - but true) horrific events just seem to increase and intensify as the story enfolds.
The story stars hapless Frank (nicknamed "Frankenstein" - for, as you will discover, more than just his own minimalistic amount of natural beauty), a nice guy who is just looking to enjoy life by finding himself a regular girlfriend. Unfortunately, through a dodgy known third party, he soon manages to get involved with some extremely heavy duty drug dealing sociopathic gangsters through no real fault of his own. However, when these gangsters decide to abduct the new love of his life things really begin to spiral out of control and suddenly he changes from being a mild mannered regular guy into a blood thirsty raging psychopath looking for revenge at all costs. Now let the "fun" begin....
The writer has been very clever in this tale as he has turned the chief protagonist into the crazed, but fully focused, psychopath whereas in another of his excellent books (Pressure - undoubtedly 5* stars) the main character is persistently harassed throughout his life by a complete, and totally believable psychopath that he encountered from his old schooldays.
Anyway, if all the above, obviously done in the best of taste, appeals then I would definitely give it a go but... in order to avoid really, really strange, awkward reactions from family, friends and work colleagues alike, then be careful who you recommend this book to- they might find your undoubted joy and appreciation of this first class blood, guts and gore story very, very odd indeed.
Summing up: Explicit, horror comic book action at its finest - 4.5 stars.
The story stars hapless Frank (nicknamed "Frankenstein" - for, as you will discover, more than just his own minimalistic amount of natural beauty), a nice guy who is just looking to enjoy life by finding himself a regular girlfriend. Unfortunately, through a dodgy known third party, he soon manages to get involved with some extremely heavy duty drug dealing sociopathic gangsters through no real fault of his own. However, when these gangsters decide to abduct the new love of his life things really begin to spiral out of control and suddenly he changes from being a mild mannered regular guy into a blood thirsty raging psychopath looking for revenge at all costs. Now let the "fun" begin....
The writer has been very clever in this tale as he has turned the chief protagonist into the crazed, but fully focused, psychopath whereas in another of his excellent books (Pressure - undoubtedly 5* stars) the main character is persistently harassed throughout his life by a complete, and totally believable psychopath that he encountered from his old schooldays.
Anyway, if all the above, obviously done in the best of taste, appeals then I would definitely give it a go but... in order to avoid really, really strange, awkward reactions from family, friends and work colleagues alike, then be careful who you recommend this book to- they might find your undoubted joy and appreciation of this first class blood, guts and gore story very, very odd indeed.
Summing up: Explicit, horror comic book action at its finest - 4.5 stars.
July 11, 2018
Not a fan of gore for gore's sake. This didn't work for me.
January 18, 2022
This was the biggest bloodbath I’ve read since “The Groomer.” It was definitely not my favorite from Jeff Strand, but it’s not that it was terrible. It’s incredibly graphic, so if you’re into that sort of thing, it’ll likely work out for you really well. At the same time though, the plot did not work for me in the slightest. I genuinely felt as though I had almost no time to get to know Frank, and even though we started the story off strong, it just quickly dissolved into a giant bloodstain in an incredibly brief period of time.
This was a bold endeavor, and some of the “black comedy” bits worked. I laughed a couple times, specifically whenever Wulfe spoke, but in the end it wasn’t enough to save the story for me. I powered through because I wanted desperately to get to the end, and the end does have some memorable moments. I do not want to spoil anything, but the bit with the arm is quite disturbing and might just stick with you. The prime reason I’m giving this book three stores is that it went out with a giant bang, and that made the whole affair a bit more sustainable.
Like I said, by no means is it a bad book. I understand where the author was going with this, I just felt like we jumped from new relationship to love to drug dealers and….. Jesus Christ. It was a fun ride but it had moments where I felt genuinely lost and did not even know what to make of what was going on.
I don’t want to pan it completely because it does have dazzling moments. I’d simply say the relationship between Frank and Abigail is fairly swift and a bit unbelievable- BUT I’m not the type of person to sit here and say that stories have to perfectly emulate reality. They shouldn’t, and they don’t. I just felt like I, personally, was missing the emotional drive that takes me through a book.
But… it was interesting. It was horrific. And I had to throw out my bagel while I was reading it because the violence grossed me out that terribly. That definitely counts for something.
This was a bold endeavor, and some of the “black comedy” bits worked. I laughed a couple times, specifically whenever Wulfe spoke, but in the end it wasn’t enough to save the story for me. I powered through because I wanted desperately to get to the end, and the end does have some memorable moments. I do not want to spoil anything, but the bit with the arm is quite disturbing and might just stick with you. The prime reason I’m giving this book three stores is that it went out with a giant bang, and that made the whole affair a bit more sustainable.
Like I said, by no means is it a bad book. I understand where the author was going with this, I just felt like we jumped from new relationship to love to drug dealers and….. Jesus Christ. It was a fun ride but it had moments where I felt genuinely lost and did not even know what to make of what was going on.
I don’t want to pan it completely because it does have dazzling moments. I’d simply say the relationship between Frank and Abigail is fairly swift and a bit unbelievable- BUT I’m not the type of person to sit here and say that stories have to perfectly emulate reality. They shouldn’t, and they don’t. I just felt like I, personally, was missing the emotional drive that takes me through a book.
But… it was interesting. It was horrific. And I had to throw out my bagel while I was reading it because the violence grossed me out that terribly. That definitely counts for something.
June 11, 2018
What a twisted, emotional roller coaster ride this story was. With Strand, I can never guess what direction things are going and who will survive. The way his scenes play out, make me have to reread them and think "WOW that really happened!"
December 23, 2018
Bring her back indeed!
I love Jeff Strand novels. Let me just start by saying that.
However, I wasn’t crazy about this one. For some reason, I just found Frank and Abilgail’s relationship overly odd (maybe that was the point?) but I mainly felt that they just didn’t have enough of a relationship for me to feel empathy for either character or even relate to their plight.
I did love the section that introduced Wolfe. He was a likeable douchebag. The torture scenes at the end are just nuts... very disturbing. The only mitigating factor is Frank’s attitude about all of it.
The book itself is readable and good....It just isn’t anywhere near my favorite Strand read. For new readers, I would suggest reading this as your third or forth offering so you can quickly read and move on to the good stuff.
I love Jeff Strand novels. Let me just start by saying that.
However, I wasn’t crazy about this one. For some reason, I just found Frank and Abilgail’s relationship overly odd (maybe that was the point?) but I mainly felt that they just didn’t have enough of a relationship for me to feel empathy for either character or even relate to their plight.
I did love the section that introduced Wolfe. He was a likeable douchebag. The torture scenes at the end are just nuts... very disturbing. The only mitigating factor is Frank’s attitude about all of it.
The book itself is readable and good....It just isn’t anywhere near my favorite Strand read. For new readers, I would suggest reading this as your third or forth offering so you can quickly read and move on to the good stuff.
October 19, 2023
Not my favorite by Jeff strand, but definitely not terrible by any means! I think I was expecting it to be something different, and honestly… this review is in direct comparison so everything else I’ve read so far by Jeff. He’s got some real bangers! Hard for this one to measure up and I’m not sure where this one falls chronologically in terms of his writing and development. I’d give it a solid 3.5 stars.
October 3, 2019
A little quirky and very well written story with just enough (dark) humour and heart to allow you to get through the insanely gory bits that are very graphic and will truly mess with you a little! I'm usually not too crazy about really gory books but this one got me. I just loved it!
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