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Sometimes They Come Back
Sometimes They Come Back
Five Complete and Unabridged Stories of twisted, bloody tales of revenge from beyond the grave. With stories set in the 1880s, 1960s, 1980s, and present day.
♦♦♦
Love Undying
• Two detectives are called to investigate a series of bizarre strangulations and weird sightings following the apparent resurrection of a murdered 1960s Las Vegas entertainer, who returns to life in modern times and attempts to find his teenage lover while exacting revenge on his killers.
Pumpkin Face
• A young Down syndrome boy brutally murdered on Halloween night, returns from the dead six years later to exact revenge on his killers and to find his missing head.
The Other Self
• An audio recording engineer discovers the spirit of a murdered 1970s New York City mob hitman is taking control of him, and forcing him to exact revenge on those who brutally murdered the hitman and his family nearly 30 years earlier.
Specter of the 1-2-3
• A trapped and vengeful spirit of a murdered New York City subway rider finds an escape decades later by inhabiting the body of a recently deceased woman, and discovers his new female form has its advantages in tracking down his killers. Meanwhile, two detectives are seeking the whereabouts of an injured female subway rider, who is electrocuting members of a Bronx street gang for no apparent reason.
A Soul for a Silver Dollar
• A Confederate Army captain, murdered by his own soldiers, makes a desperate deal with a devious entity in order to restore his Southern honor. In exchange for his resurrection and allowing him to bring to justice those who betrayed the Confederacy, the captain agrees to a very bizarre and complicated arrangement. It is a bargain that could condemn his soul to eternal torture if he fails.
Five Complete and Unabridged Stories of twisted, bloody tales of revenge from beyond the grave. With stories set in the 1880s, 1960s, 1980s, and present day.
♦♦♦
Love Undying
• Two detectives are called to investigate a series of bizarre strangulations and weird sightings following the apparent resurrection of a murdered 1960s Las Vegas entertainer, who returns to life in modern times and attempts to find his teenage lover while exacting revenge on his killers.
Pumpkin Face
• A young Down syndrome boy brutally murdered on Halloween night, returns from the dead six years later to exact revenge on his killers and to find his missing head.
The Other Self
• An audio recording engineer discovers the spirit of a murdered 1970s New York City mob hitman is taking control of him, and forcing him to exact revenge on those who brutally murdered the hitman and his family nearly 30 years earlier.
Specter of the 1-2-3
• A trapped and vengeful spirit of a murdered New York City subway rider finds an escape decades later by inhabiting the body of a recently deceased woman, and discovers his new female form has its advantages in tracking down his killers. Meanwhile, two detectives are seeking the whereabouts of an injured female subway rider, who is electrocuting members of a Bronx street gang for no apparent reason.
A Soul for a Silver Dollar
• A Confederate Army captain, murdered by his own soldiers, makes a desperate deal with a devious entity in order to restore his Southern honor. In exchange for his resurrection and allowing him to bring to justice those who betrayed the Confederacy, the captain agrees to a very bizarre and complicated arrangement. It is a bargain that could condemn his soul to eternal torture if he fails.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2020
3 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
T.S. Alan
8 books78 followersTS Alan is an American author of suspense thrillers, who frequently incorporates elements of horror, fantasy, the supernatural, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Alan has published six novels and seven short stories, as of February 2023.
Alan is an author of contemporary horror/fantasy. He is most known for his zombie stories. His first published novel was The Romero Strain (2014), which was published by Books of the Dead Press. The novel was re-released in 2018 in an author's edition, which has been revised and expanded with an unpublished chapter. His sequel The Romero Strain: The Dead, the Damned, and the Darkness was originally released in November 2017 and a second edition was published in 2021.
As influences on his writing, Alan lists Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and O. Henry, among others.
His writing credits also include a short published in Scary Stuff anthology, Ghosts, Specters And Spirits, Volume 2 anthology, two published in Devolution Z magazine, a short published in an anthology called What Went Wrong? (Legendary Stories), and shorts published in anthologies called Whispers of the Apoc and Silence of the Apoc.
Novels available: The Romero Strain (Author's Edition), The Romero Strain: The Dead, the Damned, and the Darkness (2nd Edition), World War Dead, Sometimes They Come Back, Five for the Apocalypse, and How It Ends: Tales of the Viral Apocalypse
Visit TS Alan at: www.tsalan.com
Alan is an author of contemporary horror/fantasy. He is most known for his zombie stories. His first published novel was The Romero Strain (2014), which was published by Books of the Dead Press. The novel was re-released in 2018 in an author's edition, which has been revised and expanded with an unpublished chapter. His sequel The Romero Strain: The Dead, the Damned, and the Darkness was originally released in November 2017 and a second edition was published in 2021.
As influences on his writing, Alan lists Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and O. Henry, among others.
His writing credits also include a short published in Scary Stuff anthology, Ghosts, Specters And Spirits, Volume 2 anthology, two published in Devolution Z magazine, a short published in an anthology called What Went Wrong? (Legendary Stories), and shorts published in anthologies called Whispers of the Apoc and Silence of the Apoc.
Novels available: The Romero Strain (Author's Edition), The Romero Strain: The Dead, the Damned, and the Darkness (2nd Edition), World War Dead, Sometimes They Come Back, Five for the Apocalypse, and How It Ends: Tales of the Viral Apocalypse
Visit TS Alan at: www.tsalan.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 21, 2021
I recieved a review copy from Booktasters
An interesting take on people coming back from the grave to seek revenge from TS Alan
Love Undying has a Vegas singer come back from the grave to find his old love. Unfortuantely, some scene transitions arent very clear making for a couple of confusing moments.
Pumpkin Head is a chilling tale of Halloween revenge, and someone looking for his head...
The Other Self features a possible split personality case but is really a dead hitman for the mob out for revenge
Spector of the 1-2-3
A murder victim of a gang comes back to make things right and get revenge after being stabbed and electrocuted in a subway
A Soul For a Silver Dollar
A Civil war captain betrayed and killed, makes a deal to come back and get revenge. I could've done without the celestial entities aspect of this story
An interesting take on people coming back from the grave to seek revenge from TS Alan
Love Undying has a Vegas singer come back from the grave to find his old love. Unfortuantely, some scene transitions arent very clear making for a couple of confusing moments.
Pumpkin Head is a chilling tale of Halloween revenge, and someone looking for his head...
The Other Self features a possible split personality case but is really a dead hitman for the mob out for revenge
Spector of the 1-2-3
A murder victim of a gang comes back to make things right and get revenge after being stabbed and electrocuted in a subway
A Soul For a Silver Dollar
A Civil war captain betrayed and killed, makes a deal to come back and get revenge. I could've done without the celestial entities aspect of this story
May 7, 2021
TS Alan shares some fabulous short stories, giving the reader a stroll down horror lane. These five stories are amazing, and I really enjoyed the stories that were shared. Each one brings a level of horror. The stories include:
Love Undying
Pumpkin Face
The Other Self
Specter of the 1-2-3
A Soul For A Silver Dollar
Pumpkin Face has triggers for those who stay away from sexual trauma. But other than that, it was a great story! I ranged emotions on that one, but it was perfectly done. A Soul For A Silver Dollar and The Specter of the 1-2-3 are among my favorites of the book! Both stories were fabulous, and I wasn't ready for them to end.
I look forward to seeing more from this author!
Love Undying
Pumpkin Face
The Other Self
Specter of the 1-2-3
A Soul For A Silver Dollar
Pumpkin Face has triggers for those who stay away from sexual trauma. But other than that, it was a great story! I ranged emotions on that one, but it was perfectly done. A Soul For A Silver Dollar and The Specter of the 1-2-3 are among my favorites of the book! Both stories were fabulous, and I wasn't ready for them to end.
I look forward to seeing more from this author!
January 18, 2021
The first story, ‘Love Undying’ was moderately interesting, but I was uncomfortable to the references to one’s ethnicity and background when only the “African American” officer is mentioned, whereas the Lieutenant is described as “well groomed”. If we are going to describe the physical appearance of the characters, why not mention the ethnicity and race of all the officers, why only the African American? The plot thickens as the story continues but ends abruptly. It was anti-climactic.
‘Pumpkin Face’ had a story building up also, but it became traumatising. There were unexpected episodes of rape by male family members and this was so disturbing, I had to skip a few pages because I didn’t want to know what happened. I was left disappointed again.
‘The Other Self’ was short-lived and could have been explored a bit more.
‘Specter of the 1-2-3’ is a lot more descriptive, which the previous stories were lacking. I was able to engage with this story a lot more, but then again, the sexualisation of women made me let out a huge sigh.
‘A Soul for a Silver Dollar’ was set in a different time period to the rest of the stories, but the plot wasn’t as interesting as ‘Love Undying’.
‘Pumpkin Face’ had a story building up also, but it became traumatising. There were unexpected episodes of rape by male family members and this was so disturbing, I had to skip a few pages because I didn’t want to know what happened. I was left disappointed again.
‘The Other Self’ was short-lived and could have been explored a bit more.
‘Specter of the 1-2-3’ is a lot more descriptive, which the previous stories were lacking. I was able to engage with this story a lot more, but then again, the sexualisation of women made me let out a huge sigh.
‘A Soul for a Silver Dollar’ was set in a different time period to the rest of the stories, but the plot wasn’t as interesting as ‘Love Undying’.
August 10, 2022
BOOK:-SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK-FIVE COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED STORIES BY T.S.ALAN
BOOK REVIEWER:-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
LOVE UNDYING-STORY ONE
A Zombie animation crime investigation story on the life of a musician named Joseph Esposito with artist name Buddy whose corpse was discovered in a desert after thirty years and resurrected on the coroners table.This story raises the question "whether the dead can be charged for crime and whether there is life death?";;"whether the dead can have such inclination for revenge?"
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE BOOK READ
🙏🏾Purpose of autopsy in determining cause of death.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
The importance of autopsy in murder cases has been proven even in reality.
PUMPKIN FACE -STORY TWO
A zombie animation fictional real estate story on road safety and car traffic road safety accessories;dark secrets;Christian behaviour and life style;killings;revenge; crime; murder;empty graves;suicide;escaping the hands of the law;resurrection ;e.t.c. It raises the question whether it was proper to choose concealing a crime and a criminal and protecting oneself from a criminal threat or protecting others from the criminal; whether knowledge of a crime and keeping it secret was an abomination against God and nature and also questions when to draw the line between concealing a crime and honouring God and nature
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🤳🏾Unlookers most times do not intervene in crimes due to threat to their own life or family ties of the victim with accused.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Our lessons learnt as seen with Rose in the story takes a toll in our world today.
THE OTHER SELF-STORY THREE
A fictional poetic psychological story about a character who takes a different name from the name in his past life which sometimes props up in his present and is described as the dissociative identity disorder..The story looks at the crime of murder and organised crime and questions whether " taking care of" or murdering one who hit a woman was a stand against torture of women?.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🧚🏾♀️Dissociative identity disorder is a mental health condition
SPECTER OF THE 1-2-3
STORY FOUR
A Zombie animation science fiction discussing robbery;thugery;superstition; mental health amongst others with the rumours of deceased persons hunting and malfunctioning switches at the sceptre.It raises questions whether one could continue living after the body dies;whether ghosts and apparitions had power to torment folks in present life or it was a rumour;whether ghosts could keep malice;whether souls could roam and wander after death before resting and whether humans die more than ones and whether there were different stages in existence.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
👑There are losts of lessons on after life which raises questions to be answered.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Most of the questions raised remain unanswered in our world today.
A SOUL FOR A SILVER DOLLAR-STORY FIVE
A horror fictional story on trust in military;need for savvy,loyal and seasoned persons in the military;betrayal; revenge;and loyalty transformed by war to betrayal .It raises the question whether taking the life of a fellow soldier and leader was justification for pain suffered in a war or was an act of being a traitor and whether whether events when in a comatose state are real or have connection with real life or were a revelation.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🙈The negative nature of betrayal
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
A lot of lessons for military recruitment and war hardship psychology management to prevent betrayal and stem the breeding of traitors.
BOOK REVIEWER:-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
LOVE UNDYING-STORY ONE
A Zombie animation crime investigation story on the life of a musician named Joseph Esposito with artist name Buddy whose corpse was discovered in a desert after thirty years and resurrected on the coroners table.This story raises the question "whether the dead can be charged for crime and whether there is life death?";;"whether the dead can have such inclination for revenge?"
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE BOOK READ
🙏🏾Purpose of autopsy in determining cause of death.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
The importance of autopsy in murder cases has been proven even in reality.
PUMPKIN FACE -STORY TWO
A zombie animation fictional real estate story on road safety and car traffic road safety accessories;dark secrets;Christian behaviour and life style;killings;revenge; crime; murder;empty graves;suicide;escaping the hands of the law;resurrection ;e.t.c. It raises the question whether it was proper to choose concealing a crime and a criminal and protecting oneself from a criminal threat or protecting others from the criminal; whether knowledge of a crime and keeping it secret was an abomination against God and nature and also questions when to draw the line between concealing a crime and honouring God and nature
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🤳🏾Unlookers most times do not intervene in crimes due to threat to their own life or family ties of the victim with accused.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Our lessons learnt as seen with Rose in the story takes a toll in our world today.
THE OTHER SELF-STORY THREE
A fictional poetic psychological story about a character who takes a different name from the name in his past life which sometimes props up in his present and is described as the dissociative identity disorder..The story looks at the crime of murder and organised crime and questions whether " taking care of" or murdering one who hit a woman was a stand against torture of women?.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🧚🏾♀️Dissociative identity disorder is a mental health condition
SPECTER OF THE 1-2-3
STORY FOUR
A Zombie animation science fiction discussing robbery;thugery;superstition; mental health amongst others with the rumours of deceased persons hunting and malfunctioning switches at the sceptre.It raises questions whether one could continue living after the body dies;whether ghosts and apparitions had power to torment folks in present life or it was a rumour;whether ghosts could keep malice;whether souls could roam and wander after death before resting and whether humans die more than ones and whether there were different stages in existence.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
👑There are losts of lessons on after life which raises questions to be answered.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Most of the questions raised remain unanswered in our world today.
A SOUL FOR A SILVER DOLLAR-STORY FIVE
A horror fictional story on trust in military;need for savvy,loyal and seasoned persons in the military;betrayal; revenge;and loyalty transformed by war to betrayal .It raises the question whether taking the life of a fellow soldier and leader was justification for pain suffered in a war or was an act of being a traitor and whether whether events when in a comatose state are real or have connection with real life or were a revelation.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🙈The negative nature of betrayal
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
A lot of lessons for military recruitment and war hardship psychology management to prevent betrayal and stem the breeding of traitors.
April 6, 2023
I am so grateful to have received this amazing book from the author TS Alan and extremely grateful to the Booktasters for not only giving me opportunity to read the book but also ensured that I got ample time to read and give an honest review!
Genre:
Horror
Plot:
A collection of five tales of revenge from beyond the grave with stories set in the 1880s, 1960s, 1980s, and present day.
Review:
It’s always exciting to read horror stories and it gets extra interesting when you are offered five different stories! Let me discuss how I felt about each story individually!
1. Love Undying: When a body gets discovered in the desert, suddenly a lot of things get set in motion. As the dead man seeks revenge, will he be successful?
A tale as old as time, this revenge story was pretty nice to read. Especially with couple of references thrown in from the movie The Mummy – it made me chuckle. The ending felt bit touching and sentimental. However, there were couple of instances where I felt the story could’ve been clearer.
2. Pumpkin Face: A bloody tale of revenge set around Halloween. When an innocent lad Billy gets killed in a gruesome manner, it was only a matter of time that he came back looking for his head.
This story gave me shudders and it was not due to the gore involved. Although the story itself was violent, it made me ponder a lot. Everything felt justified and well deserved. There were moments that I truly felt disgusted thanks to the actions committed. At no point, you have any sympathy for any of them. The twist in the end was surprising.
3. The Other Self: What feels like a simple case of split personality disorder soon transforms into a dead hitman seeking revenge. It was quite refreshing reading this story. With a quite satisfactory ending, I enjoyed reading this.
4. Specter of the 1-2-3: A mugging goes awry leading to an innocent man stabbed and subsequently electrocuted. What happens when he swears that he wouldn’t just die? I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It wasn’t scary by any means but this story in particular would be amazing to watch on screen.
5. A Soul for a silver dollar: Set in 1880s, a Civil War captain is betrayed and killed by his own men. As he is offered a chance to set things right, is it simple as it looks?
I enjoyed the story as the captain sets out seeking revenge. Even the way he goes about was quite thrilling. While I do understand that horror involves intertwining of supernatural elements, the bits involving Otherworld in this story felt little complicated. I reread couple of times to understand, still I felt bit confused. The author could’ve written this portion better or could’ve just dropped it altogether. Otherwise, this story was excellent.
Overall, this book was amazing to read. The only story which requires trigger warning would be Pumpkin Face. If you’re squeamish towards hack and slash and don’t prefer reading traumatic topics, you can skip the story. All the other stories aren’t scary per se, but definitely worth reading!
Genre:
Horror
Plot:
A collection of five tales of revenge from beyond the grave with stories set in the 1880s, 1960s, 1980s, and present day.
Review:
It’s always exciting to read horror stories and it gets extra interesting when you are offered five different stories! Let me discuss how I felt about each story individually!
1. Love Undying: When a body gets discovered in the desert, suddenly a lot of things get set in motion. As the dead man seeks revenge, will he be successful?
A tale as old as time, this revenge story was pretty nice to read. Especially with couple of references thrown in from the movie The Mummy – it made me chuckle. The ending felt bit touching and sentimental. However, there were couple of instances where I felt the story could’ve been clearer.
2. Pumpkin Face: A bloody tale of revenge set around Halloween. When an innocent lad Billy gets killed in a gruesome manner, it was only a matter of time that he came back looking for his head.
This story gave me shudders and it was not due to the gore involved. Although the story itself was violent, it made me ponder a lot. Everything felt justified and well deserved. There were moments that I truly felt disgusted thanks to the actions committed. At no point, you have any sympathy for any of them. The twist in the end was surprising.
3. The Other Self: What feels like a simple case of split personality disorder soon transforms into a dead hitman seeking revenge. It was quite refreshing reading this story. With a quite satisfactory ending, I enjoyed reading this.
4. Specter of the 1-2-3: A mugging goes awry leading to an innocent man stabbed and subsequently electrocuted. What happens when he swears that he wouldn’t just die? I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It wasn’t scary by any means but this story in particular would be amazing to watch on screen.
5. A Soul for a silver dollar: Set in 1880s, a Civil War captain is betrayed and killed by his own men. As he is offered a chance to set things right, is it simple as it looks?
I enjoyed the story as the captain sets out seeking revenge. Even the way he goes about was quite thrilling. While I do understand that horror involves intertwining of supernatural elements, the bits involving Otherworld in this story felt little complicated. I reread couple of times to understand, still I felt bit confused. The author could’ve written this portion better or could’ve just dropped it altogether. Otherwise, this story was excellent.
Overall, this book was amazing to read. The only story which requires trigger warning would be Pumpkin Face. If you’re squeamish towards hack and slash and don’t prefer reading traumatic topics, you can skip the story. All the other stories aren’t scary per se, but definitely worth reading!
July 7, 2024
For the moment, let's not try to think about the motives of an author who creates horror stories. Reading tales of murder, revenge, grisly, nearly pointless executions, is probably sufficient in itself without also questioning the author's motive for creating them, although TS Alan, in his introduction, does take the time to explain where the concepts for his stories arise. Sometimes They Come Back, however, leaves me with another question - are horror stories better if they have positive, sympathetic characters, or does it suffice that all of the people involved be either evil, degenerate, or hapless? How attractive or compelling are victims who were formerly hitmen, or children referred to as "retard?" For me, the answer is that I prefer not to identify with or embrace the victims of evil, and author Alan does a fine job of ensuring that I do not.
Sometimes They Come Back is a collection of 5 short stories gathered under a novel, common theme - people who are killed return to life to wreak vengeance on their killers. Love Undying is Buddy Love, who comes back having been strangled 30 years ago. Pumpkin Face is Billy Phelps, the Down's Syndrome protagonist who wants to get back at Tommy, who beheaded him. Jay, the "Other Self", comes back as Robert Umberto, contract killer. Denton Calhoun, knifed for the simple act of riding the subway, returns as a ghost, and Captain Evan Coltrane returns to avenge his murder by a traitorous band led by Sergeant Frazier. The most positive characters throughout and probably Calhoun and Coltrane.
Fans of horror stories will appreciate the imagination of author Alan, as well as his ability to piece together tales of similar genre. As for me, I'm just glad that no character I really liked and rooted for got killed.
Sometimes They Come Back is a collection of 5 short stories gathered under a novel, common theme - people who are killed return to life to wreak vengeance on their killers. Love Undying is Buddy Love, who comes back having been strangled 30 years ago. Pumpkin Face is Billy Phelps, the Down's Syndrome protagonist who wants to get back at Tommy, who beheaded him. Jay, the "Other Self", comes back as Robert Umberto, contract killer. Denton Calhoun, knifed for the simple act of riding the subway, returns as a ghost, and Captain Evan Coltrane returns to avenge his murder by a traitorous band led by Sergeant Frazier. The most positive characters throughout and probably Calhoun and Coltrane.
Fans of horror stories will appreciate the imagination of author Alan, as well as his ability to piece together tales of similar genre. As for me, I'm just glad that no character I really liked and rooted for got killed.
May 23, 2021
Thank you, Booktasters, for getting me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
This anthology of short stories is ACES! I loved the writing style and there weren't any distracting editing problems. I enjoyed the first story, "Love, Undying" and was impressed with the details of gangster life in Las Vegas. Even if it was all made up, it seemed legit and was described thoroughly. I liked the plot and found it suspenseful and horrific at the same time. It was a good read. This was my favorite story in the book.
"Pumpkinface" was my least favorite. It lacked description and character development in some areas.
Because it was a short story and not a novel, I wasn't too disappointed and some of the content in this story didn't need description. Topics like incest and rape are worse when left to one's imagination. Although it was my least fav, it was still a very well-told story with an open-ended closing. This story evoked a lot of emotions from me, which I think is a sign of a good story.
Overall, this book was worth reading. If you like suspense and supernatural stories, it's for you.
This anthology of short stories is ACES! I loved the writing style and there weren't any distracting editing problems. I enjoyed the first story, "Love, Undying" and was impressed with the details of gangster life in Las Vegas. Even if it was all made up, it seemed legit and was described thoroughly. I liked the plot and found it suspenseful and horrific at the same time. It was a good read. This was my favorite story in the book.
"Pumpkinface" was my least favorite. It lacked description and character development in some areas.
Because it was a short story and not a novel, I wasn't too disappointed and some of the content in this story didn't need description. Topics like incest and rape are worse when left to one's imagination. Although it was my least fav, it was still a very well-told story with an open-ended closing. This story evoked a lot of emotions from me, which I think is a sign of a good story.
Overall, this book was worth reading. If you like suspense and supernatural stories, it's for you.
February 26, 2023
I received a copy of this for free, to review for Booktasters.
The format was interesting because the stories were short, but some of them were more like novellas or novelettes. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I prefer a book of short stories over a novel. I found this very light, easy reading, but I didn't find any of the stories too scary. Some of the stories had characters that I found dull or a little difficult to like, and there wasn't really any story that stood out as my favourite.
Thank you to Booktasters and the author for a free copy to review.
The format was interesting because the stories were short, but some of them were more like novellas or novelettes. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I prefer a book of short stories over a novel. I found this very light, easy reading, but I didn't find any of the stories too scary. Some of the stories had characters that I found dull or a little difficult to like, and there wasn't really any story that stood out as my favourite.
Thank you to Booktasters and the author for a free copy to review.
November 30, 2024
This chilling five tale really has some some scary moments.
Love undying
Pumpkin face
The other self
Specter of 1 2 3
A soul for a silver dollar
These five stories has a different setting.
In love undying a singer comes from dead. This has some sexual trauma underneath.
Pumpkin face as the name suggests a Halloween revenge story
The specter of 1 2 3 is a mob hitman coming back from dead.
Other self feels like a split personality case but it's not.
A soul for silver dollar is. A war veteran coming back from dead.
All of this are some very jump scary moments.
Overall a very good read.
Love undying
Pumpkin face
The other self
Specter of 1 2 3
A soul for a silver dollar
These five stories has a different setting.
In love undying a singer comes from dead. This has some sexual trauma underneath.
Pumpkin face as the name suggests a Halloween revenge story
The specter of 1 2 3 is a mob hitman coming back from dead.
Other self feels like a split personality case but it's not.
A soul for silver dollar is. A war veteran coming back from dead.
All of this are some very jump scary moments.
Overall a very good read.
October 8, 2021
"Sometimes They Come Back" is a collection of five stories full of blood, gore, and a whole heap of horror. All of the stories are written well, with a good spread of settings, characters, and plots. I couldn't pick a favourite, as each story has something about it that I particularly liked. Great Hallowe'en read for those wanting a bit of creep-factor.
My thanks to the author and BookTasters. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author and BookTasters. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
August 27, 2022
Just when I stop giggling enough to draw comparisons with The Mummy movies, the author himself makes both Brendan Fraser and Sherlock Holmes references that crack me up further. And that’s just the first story! The stories of revenge continue with liberal splashes of Italian (glad I’m taking lessons although there is Google Translate otherwise) and gore. In other stories, we have references to Dr. Who and High Noon. Altogether, this is a book with something for everyone.
October 10, 2021
This was a review book, courtesy of Booktasters. I enjoy quick reads with a spooky twist! The author was creative with these creepy stories.....but I personally didn't enjoy the writing or some of the authors choices of character descriptions. But if you like zombie/horror stories, give this a try, great for fall and the Halloween season.
May 29, 2021
Thank you, Booktasters, for giving me a chance to read this book.
I enjoyed the 'love undying' the most. The characters and mysterious background make the story very interesting. It's a book to read if one is interested in mystery and thrillers.
I enjoyed the 'love undying' the most. The characters and mysterious background make the story very interesting. It's a book to read if one is interested in mystery and thrillers.
September 1, 2022
BOOK:-SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK-FIVE COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED STORIES BY T.S.ALAN
BOOK REVIEWER:-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
LOVE UNDYING-STORY ONE
A Zombie animation crime investigation story on the life of a musician named Joseph Esposito with artist name Buddy whose corpse was discovered in a desert after thirty years and resurrected on the coroners table.This story raises the question "whether the dead can be charged for crime and whether there is life death?";;"whether the dead can have such inclination for revenge?"
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE BOOK READ
🙏🏾Purpose of autopsy in determining cause of death.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
The importance of autopsy in murder cases has been proven even in reality.
PUMPKIN FACE -STORY TWO
A zombie animation fictional real estate story on road safety and car traffic road safety accessories;dark secrets;Christian behaviour and life style;killings;revenge; crime; murder;empty graves;suicide;escaping the hands of the law;resurrection ;e.t.c. It raises the question whether it was proper to choose concealing a crime and a criminal and protecting oneself from a criminal threat or protecting others from the criminal; whether knowledge of a crime and keeping it secret was an abomination against God and nature and also questions when to draw the line between concealing a crime and honouring God and nature
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🤳🏾Unlookers most times do not intervene in crimes due to threat to their own life or family ties of the victim with accused.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Our lessons learnt as seen with Rose in the story takes a toll in our world today.
THE OTHER SELF-STORY THREE
A fictional poetic psychological story about a character who takes a different name from the name in his past life which sometimes props up in his present and is described as the dissociative identity disorder..The story looks at the crime of murder and organised crime and questions whether " taking care of" or murdering one who hit a woman was a stand against torture of women?.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🧚🏾♀️Dissociative identity disorder is a mental health condition
SPECTER OF THE 1-2-3
STORY FOUR
A Zombie animation science fiction discussing robbery;thugery;superstition; mental health amongst others with the rumours of deceased persons hunting and malfunctioning switches at the sceptre.It raises questions whether one could continue living after the body dies;whether ghosts and apparitions had power to torment folks in present life or it was a rumour;whether ghosts could keep malice;whether souls could roam and wander after death before resting and whether humans die more than ones and whether there were different stages in existence.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
👑There are losts of lessons on after life which raises questions to be answered.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Most of the questions raised remain unanswered in our world today.
A SOUL FOR A SILVER DOLLAR-STORY FIVE
A horror fictional story on trust in military;need for savvy,loyal and seasoned persons in the military;betrayal; revenge;and loyalty transformed by war to betrayal .It raises the question whether taking the life of a fellow soldier and leader was justification for pain suffered in a war or was an act of being a traitor and whether whether events when in a comatose state are real or have connection with real life or were a revelation.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🙈The negative nature of betrayal
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
A lot of lessons for military recruitment and war hardship psychology management to prevent betrayal and stem the breeding of traitors
BOOK REVIEWER:-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
LOVE UNDYING-STORY ONE
A Zombie animation crime investigation story on the life of a musician named Joseph Esposito with artist name Buddy whose corpse was discovered in a desert after thirty years and resurrected on the coroners table.This story raises the question "whether the dead can be charged for crime and whether there is life death?";;"whether the dead can have such inclination for revenge?"
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE BOOK READ
🙏🏾Purpose of autopsy in determining cause of death.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
The importance of autopsy in murder cases has been proven even in reality.
PUMPKIN FACE -STORY TWO
A zombie animation fictional real estate story on road safety and car traffic road safety accessories;dark secrets;Christian behaviour and life style;killings;revenge; crime; murder;empty graves;suicide;escaping the hands of the law;resurrection ;e.t.c. It raises the question whether it was proper to choose concealing a crime and a criminal and protecting oneself from a criminal threat or protecting others from the criminal; whether knowledge of a crime and keeping it secret was an abomination against God and nature and also questions when to draw the line between concealing a crime and honouring God and nature
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🤳🏾Unlookers most times do not intervene in crimes due to threat to their own life or family ties of the victim with accused.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Our lessons learnt as seen with Rose in the story takes a toll in our world today.
THE OTHER SELF-STORY THREE
A fictional poetic psychological story about a character who takes a different name from the name in his past life which sometimes props up in his present and is described as the dissociative identity disorder..The story looks at the crime of murder and organised crime and questions whether " taking care of" or murdering one who hit a woman was a stand against torture of women?.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🧚🏾♀️Dissociative identity disorder is a mental health condition
SPECTER OF THE 1-2-3
STORY FOUR
A Zombie animation science fiction discussing robbery;thugery;superstition; mental health amongst others with the rumours of deceased persons hunting and malfunctioning switches at the sceptre.It raises questions whether one could continue living after the body dies;whether ghosts and apparitions had power to torment folks in present life or it was a rumour;whether ghosts could keep malice;whether souls could roam and wander after death before resting and whether humans die more than ones and whether there were different stages in existence.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
👑There are losts of lessons on after life which raises questions to be answered.
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
Most of the questions raised remain unanswered in our world today.
A SOUL FOR A SILVER DOLLAR-STORY FIVE
A horror fictional story on trust in military;need for savvy,loyal and seasoned persons in the military;betrayal; revenge;and loyalty transformed by war to betrayal .It raises the question whether taking the life of a fellow soldier and leader was justification for pain suffered in a war or was an act of being a traitor and whether whether events when in a comatose state are real or have connection with real life or were a revelation.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
🙈The negative nature of betrayal
APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT
A lot of lessons for military recruitment and war hardship psychology management to prevent betrayal and stem the breeding of traitors
December 21, 2025
TS Alan's Sometimes They Come Back is a evocative collection of five short horror stories that delve into the unsettling concept of resurrection. Each tale explores unique timelines and circumstances, offering a diverse array of unsettling experiences.
While all the stories provide a glimpse into the supernatural, "Specter of the 1-2-3" stands out as my personal favourite. With its vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, this tale immerses the reader in a truly haunting atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the remaining stories felt somewhat lackluster, leaving me indifferent. While they were certainly not unpleasant, they failed to capture the same level of suspense or emotional impact as "Specter of the 1-2-3."
TS Alan's writing style is evocative and he has a knack for creating unexpected plot twists and out-of-this-world tales.
While all the stories provide a glimpse into the supernatural, "Specter of the 1-2-3" stands out as my personal favourite. With its vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, this tale immerses the reader in a truly haunting atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the remaining stories felt somewhat lackluster, leaving me indifferent. While they were certainly not unpleasant, they failed to capture the same level of suspense or emotional impact as "Specter of the 1-2-3."
TS Alan's writing style is evocative and he has a knack for creating unexpected plot twists and out-of-this-world tales.
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