Even though man's best friend was domesticated from wolves, the latter still have a bad reputation in many sectors, so it's not surprising that they are framed as the villains in Robert U. Montgomery's book, They're Back!: Sometimes You Should Be Afraid of the Dark.
Livestock are being killed, pets are missing, and citizens are attacked in Parkland, Missouri, and wolves are being blamed, thanks to the machinations of certain entities. But wolf lovers Richard and Bonnie are certain of the canines' innocence. Can the duo prove that the wolves are not to blame before it's too late?
They're Back! hit the ground running and took me on a grand ride that was sometimes full speed and other times in first gear or even neutral or park. Whatever the speed, I was strapped in and fully engaged. One of my favorite things about the narrative was its multiple storylines and facets, all of which brought something to the story table, thereby giving me a variety of things to feast upon. I especially enjoyed the sections that focused on the wolves, even though the wolves' introduction turned me off a bit. Secondary character Thomas also introduced new and interesting information, and I greatly enjoyed the chapters that featured him. Likewise, the villains were suitably vile, and I couldn't wait until they got theirs, though I did feel like the author kind of rushed the tale's aftermath.
As an animal lover, I adored the underlying theme that wolves are not as bad as people think; while I do realize that this is a fictional accounting, I also believe the protagonists' characterization of wolves as fearful of humans and willing to let us lie as long as we leave them alone. After all, as I noted in the introduction, they are dogs' ancestors, so they can't be all bad.
As entertaining as this tome was to read, I do have to note that it was rife with grammatical errors. By far, the biggest transgressions were missing periods and incorrect verb tenses, but there were also several misspellings and punctuation mishaps. For this reason, I am rating They're Back!: Sometimes You Should Be Afraid of the Dark 4 out of 5 stars.
It is without hesitation that I recommend this book to fans of mysteries, readers who like animal secondary characters, and people who cheer for the underwolf...or underdog. At the same time, I caution that this novel contains profanity and alludes to cruelty to animals and children. Additionally, one character is a stripper and there are scenes where she engages in her profession, though the scenes are somewhat tame, all things considered. There are other scenes where characters have sexual relations, as well, but such scenes are not graphic.
- Grandfather, They're Back!: Sometimes You Should Be Afraid of the DarkAll who howl are not wolves.
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They're Back!
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Rob Carr 
