Don't Fear the Reaper

 Tell me a story... about bloody revenge

Don't Fear the Reaper (The Indian Lake Trilogy #2) by Stephen Graham Jones

Publication date: February 7, 2023

Date read: September 6, 2023

Four years after her tumultuous senior year, Jade Daniels is released from prison right before Christmas when her conviction is overturned. But life beyond bars takes a dangerous turn as soon as she returns to Proofrock. Convicted Serial Killer, Dark Mill South, seeking revenge for thirty-eight Dakota men hanged in 1862, escapes from his prison transfer due to a blizzard, just outside of Proofrock, Idaho. Dark Mill South’s Reunion Tour began on December 12th, 2019, a Thursday. Thirty-six hours and twenty bodies later, on Friday the 13th, it would be over.

Stephen Graham Jones is a polarizing author, I've found. Most people either love him or hate him. After reading both The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw (as well as the first volume of Earthdivers), I was still feeling torn. I like the way he tells a story, but both of those books felt to me like they were a little too long and a little too confusing. (Chainsaw, especially, took a very long time to get to any real action). And his kills are very gory - that didn't bother me, but I know it will be off-putting for some readers. But despite my liking his books but never being blown away, at the same time, if I see he has a new book coming out, it's an immediate must read. 

Which brings me to Don't Fear the Reaper. For anyone who has been feeling like I have - who likes his books but is looking for a little something more - this is the book you have been waiting for. 

Reaper starts out strong and fast with the gory action and rarely lets up. Jade (going by Jennifer now) is more mature, more reserved after serving her time and is done with horror movies. In fact, it's now Letha - back in a bigger role here - who is horror-obsessed and has to convince Jade to pick up the torch when the bodies start dropping once again. But don't let the description fool you - Jade is still as badass as she ever was, but a lot more grounded this time around (which honestly makes her more relatable, in my opinion). I liked Jade in Chainsaw, but she could sometimes be a little much; here, I found her an even more fun character. And I loved getting the addition of the returning supporting cast's POVs as well, especially Letha. 

My only complaint with this book is that there were sometimes a little too much going on (as opposed to the first book, where I didn't feel like there was quite enough). This had it's positives (so many bodies!), but it's negatives as well. Without spoilers, I felt that the ending got a little confusing, and I'm honestly not 100% sure who killed who in some of the scenarios. This is the only reason why the book couldn't get to 5 stars for me. 

Overall, though, this book is a thrill ride. Lots of blood and gore. Lots of classic slasher references (although if you're not well-versed on all of the movies, it's perfectly okay; there were a fair amount of movies mentioned that I have never seen, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything, plot-wise). Fun characters. Crazy serial killers... 

I do recommend reading My Heart is a Chainsaw first. I feel like you could technically read this book as a standalone without being completely lost, but there are so many callbacks to Chainsaw, that I really wouldn't recommend trying. This book is better (in my opinion), but the first book is also very good and will give you such a great background on Jade, that I wouldn't skip it. Also, keep an eye out for March 26, 2024, when the final book in the trilogy - The Angel of Indian Lake - is set to drop. I know I plan on grabbing myself a copy. 

Rating: (a strong) 4/5 stars

Content warnings: gore, murder, child abandonment, racism, animal death

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.