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The Night They Came Home

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From John A. Russo, the master of horror and co-creator of Night of the Living Dead, comes the horrifying telling of a story based on true life events.

The Rufus Buck Gang is best known for a near month-long rampage of rape and murder back in 1895. Russo’s telling of the story sticks faithfully to the facts as they have come to be known.

Young boy Tommy Palmer’s whole family is nearly wiped out in the Buck rampage, and thus begins his quest to save what’s left of his kin and exact some measure of justice on the outlaws who perpetrated the heinous crimes. He teams up, by sheer coincidence, with a notorious lawman and a legendary hangman, both hellbent for their own reasons on stopping the Buck Gang before the body count gets even higher.

What follows is a chilling account of depravity and a grim western-style dose of justice coupled with the amazing resiliency of the human spirit.

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2022

12 people are currently reading
18 people want to read

About the author

John A. Russo

210 books103 followers
John A. Russo, sometimes credited as Jack Russo or John Russo, is an American screenwriter and film director most commonly associated with the 1968 horror classic film Night of the Living Dead. As a screenwriter, his credits include Night of the Living Dead, The Majorettes, Midnight, and Santa Claws. The latter two, he also directed. He has performed small roles as an actor, most notably the first ghoul who is stabbed in the head in Night of the Living Dead.

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Donadee's Corner.
2,649 reviews63 followers
April 30, 2022
John Russo - The Night They Came Home – Reviewed 4/29/22 – Read 4/24/22

Tommy wants to stop the terrifying nightmare when a fun trip to town takes away his family.

Tommy’s father promised to take Tommy to town with him, and the pair take off with a basket full of food provided by his mother. Shortly after leaving the house, they are stopped by a group of men that say they are the law, and Tommy’s dad is accused of horse stealing, a crime punishable by hanging. They hold a mock trial where he is found guilty and immediately hanged right before Tommy. Unbelievably, the outlaws take the wagon's horse but leave him a mule. Loading up his dead father, Tommy heads for home. Shortly though, he is approached again by two more men, only this time they really are the law. They take Tommy home only to find that everyone has been brutally murdered, but they cannot find Tommy’s sister, so they believe that she has been kidnapped, and the story begins.

Join Tommy in trying to sort out the horror that has happened while the law searches for his sister and the killers…

What did I like? John authored this book based on actual life events, an occurrence that I had never heard of, but after reading this account, I am glad that I did not live in that town in the path of these young killers that had it out for the world of white men.

What will you like? This book gives us a brutal account of the past recounted with all the horror of the killings, giving us the events of the search for the killers and life-changing events for Tommy’s family. The fact is that these types of events did happen more times than we want to admit. White slavery was a genuine thing then and even now. Thank the stars for the people that fight every day to stop it and save countless from those very horrors. From the master of horror, John A Russo gives us the terrifying events in his latest “The Night They Came Home,” available NOW!

• ASIN: B09VVWK9NJ
• Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
• Publication Date: 4/13/2022
• File Size: 2762 KB
• Print Length: 199 pages
• Genre: Western Horror Fiction, Historical Thrillers, US Horror Fiction
Profile Image for Barry Jenkins.
348 reviews5 followers
June 15, 2022
Not a living legend of the authors use excessive profanity

Best selling author??
Living legend??
Certainly NOT in my mind.
I have read hundreds of western novels and very few of the writers use excessive profanity.
However, Mr Russo goes to the extreme use of profanity, using the Lord's name in vain over and over in this book.
It is totally unnecessary, it adds absolutely nothing to the story.
But it prevents me and many others from reading his books.
Am I a prude, absolutely not, but I am a Christian and I will not read this kind of filth.
Upon scanning the book for this profanity I don't care how good a writer he is or anything else.
There are scores of western writers that put out great stories without stooping to use such language.
Profile Image for Laci Rambo.
124 reviews4 followers
May 2, 2024
This is NOT a Western Horror novel like I thought it would be. So, don’t be fooled like me. The story is crazy though and it’s a cool, quick read. I’m not a fan of the racism, but I’m trying to remind myself that this plot was set in the 1800’s and they were still publicly hanging people. It doesn’t make it okay, but it’s historically accurate as stated in the books description of “being based on true life events”. The chapters alternate between the good guys trying to find/capture the bad guys and then the bad guys on the run from the good guys. I noticed A LOT of typos and misspelled words towards the end and it got on my nerves so bad. Would I recommend? Maybe if someone is asking specifically for a Western story, but no other reason.
40 reviews
April 7, 2024
Excellent story and insight into history

Very much enjoyed this well told tale based on real events and an insight into the history and culture of the West. First-class characters and a balanced narrative which conveys in part the tragic history of native Americans and the potential for madness and murder within all people.
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