Love Stephen Graham jones. He really bring stories to life and has such a unique way of telling them. I was so excited to get this arc and wasn’t disappointed.

I’m sad to say that I was let down with this one. It felt too random, too many twists, and I just couldn’t connect. With MHIAC, I could follow along and be part of the journey but with DFTR I could never get into the story long enough

"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."
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"…souls are like livers: they regenerate and regenerate, until you’ve finally poisoned them enough that the only thing they can do is kill you…"

First, while I suppose it is possible to read Don’t Fear the Reaper as a stand-alone, I would not advise it. It is the second entry in The Lake Witch Trilogy. I mean, would you read The Two Towers without having first read The Fellowship of the Ring? Sure, Jones fills in enough details here that you could get by, maybe. But why would you want to? There is too much from the first book that you should know before heading into this one. So, if you have not yet read book #1, My Heart is a Chainsaw, settle back in your favorite reading spot, have a go at that one first, then head back here.

Well, it had been a quiet week in Proofrock, Idaho, "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve." But it somehow makes itself the Cabot Cove of slasherdom. A chapter walks us through the place’s dodgy past, which culminated in the Independence Day Massacre of Book #1, four years before Book #2 picks up.

Jennifer Daniels, Jennifer, not Jade, Jennifer, the kick-ass final girl last time, is out of jail, but only if she can keep from destroying any more government property (as if). It just so happens that there is an epically murderous killer also just out of jail, but not from having been released. Dark Mill South is not a typical name for a killer, for anyone really. But then his killings are not usual either, offering, in addition to severe personal carnage, the placing of bodies facing north. He is supposedly seeking revenge for the hanging of thirty-eight Dakota men in 1862. And, in a nod no doubt, to urban legends, DMS is short one hand, while being plus one hook. A very large, burly person as well, up past 6’5” Jason Voorhees, giving him the BMOC title for slashers. Whoo-hoo! And unlike the main killer of book #1, DMS is an actual flesh-and-blood (lots of blood) monstrosity, not an ageless spook. He can be killed.

"He wasn’t meant to make it as far as he does in the book. The way I initially conceived him, he was gonna be this big bad killer who comes to town, and then within a matter of minutes, he gets put down. But then I built him too bad. He couldn’t be put down easily." - from The Big Thrill interview

Even wildlife gets involved in this one. Not the first time of course. Jones did present a vengeful ungulate in The Only Good Indians, and unhappy ursines were a presence in My Heart is a Chainsaw.

It will give Jade, no, Jennifer, Jennifer, sheesh, the opportunity to go all Final Girl again, but she would rather not, thanks. Who will she identify as the FG this time?

"Her fingernails aren’t painted black, and her boots are the dress-ones her lawyer bought for her. The heels are conservative, there are no aggressive lugs on the soles, and the threads are the same dark brown color as the fake, purply-brown leather."

She has gone mainstream, even has long, healthy (Indian) hair now, and a passel of credits from community college correspondence courses. She is back in town after five years of dealing with the justice system from the wrong side of the bars. It is ten degrees, and there is a nasty winter storm making it tough to get around, effectively isolating Proofrock, and it’s unwelcome visitor. The local population will be compressed into a smaller piece of town, as survivors congregate where they might gain some security.

The bodies start piling up in short order, a range of unpleasantries foisted upon them, the local constabulary, per usual in slasher tales, offering a somewhat less than totally effective level of protection to the community.

At age 17, Jade (yes, she was Jade then) offered us a tutorial on slasher norms. And saw how what was happening in her town fit the slasher-film norms (maybe should be ab-norms?) Her encyclopedic knowledge of the genre gave her an edge, allowed her to predict the future by looking at what had been produced in the cinematic past. This was done in chapters titled Slasher 101. That has been much reduced here. Although there are a few essay chapters in which a student writes to her teacher about similar subject matter, replicating the Jade-Holmes connection. Additional intel is presented through several characters who share Jennifer’s encyclopedic knowledge of the genre.

As with its predecessor, DFtR is an homage to the slasher film genre, particularly the product of the late 20th century golden age. I thought about keeping track of the films named, but it was soon clear that this was a fool’s errand. Like Lieutenant Dunbar says in Dances with Wolves, when Kicking Bird asks how many white men will be coming, they are like the stars. I enjoy slasher films as much as most of you, but am not a maven, by any stretch. One can enjoy this book without being familiar with ALLLLL of the gazillion films that are mentioned, but it did detract from the fun of reading this to feel as if the slasher film experts were passing notes behind my back, and that I was missing the significance of this or that flick nod. Sure, some explanations are offered, but the book would have to be twice as long to explain all of the references, in addition to the dead weight it would have added to the forward progress of the story.

There was almost no weight to be added for this novel.

"Never planned on My Heart is a Chainsaw being the first installment of a trilogy, nope. But then in revisions, Joe Monti, my editor at Saga, said... what if everybody wasn’t dead at the end?
I hemmed and hawed, didn’t want to leave anyone standing, but gave it a shot anyway. And it worked, was amazing. And it meant Chainsaw felt like it wanted to now open up to a trilogy, which I think is the most natural form for a slasher to take." - from The Lineup interview

But Jones did not roll out bed knowing how to structure, to write a trilogy, so he studied some of his favorite film series, Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, to see how it is done. He also corralled a novel into his self-study class and learned a lot, particularly on handling multiple character POVs.

"I wrote Don’t Fear The Reaper right at the end of rereading Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. And that’s in parts, and each part introduces a new character and then it goes into everything else. And it cycles through all their heads. So that’s what I tried to do in Don’t Fear the Reaper—-and following that model was really productive. I don’t think I could have written Don’t Fear the Reaper if I hadn’t just come out of Lonesome Dove." – from the Paste Magazine interview

Part of that cycling includes a peek inside the squirrelly brain of DMS, who, at one point, is in pursuit of two females and relishing the thought of skinning them both alive in a creative way.

There is some other pretty weird material in this one that might take up residence in your nightmares, substances that may or may not be real, that may be or may become human, or humanoid, or some sort of living creature. Thankfully, we do not see things through their eyes. (do they even have eyes?)

Many horror products, films, movies, TV shows, et al, get by with a simple surfacy fright-fest, counting bodies and maybe indulging in creative ways of killing, but the better ones add a layer. Jones looks at things from a Native American perspective, as well as that of a serious slasher-movie fan. Not only is Jennifer a Native American final girl (well, she was in the prior book anyway. We do not know straight away if she will be forced to reprise the role this time.) The Jason-esque killer is a Native American as well. Inclusion all around. As noted above, the literary references SGJ favors are to slasher films, but he is not above tossing in more classical literary references. I particularly enjoyed:

"In the summer of 2015 a rough beast slouched out of the shadows and into the waking nightmares of an unsuspecting world. His name was Dark Mill South, but that wasn’t the only name he went by."

Jones is offering here a reference to a world famous poem by William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming, which ends with an end-times image (what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?) of a nightmare realized. (You can read the poem in EXTRA STUFF) It will certainly be end-times for many residents of Proofrock.

One of the underlying elements of the slasher story is that it is a bubble inside which some form of justice will be meted out.

"Now in 2023, I think the reason we’ve been into slashers the last few years….I think the 24-hour news cycle has greatly contributed to that, and also the election in 2016 that resulted in the news feeding us daily images, hourly images of people doing terrible things at podiums, at rallies, and then walking away unscathed. And what the slasher gives us is the ability to engage for two hours, for six hours, whatever, a world that is brutally fair. A world where if you do something wrong, you’re getting your head chopped off. That sense of fairness is so alluring to us" - from the Paste interview

Maybe not so alluring for the collateral victims who clog up the streets, buildings, and waterways, but there is usually some justifiable revenge taking place. Bullies get comeuppance, which is always satisfying.

While Jade/Jennifer does not get our total attention this time ‘round, she remains our primary POV in a town where, really, not all the women are strong, only some of the men are good-looking, and a fair number of the children are, well, different. She is a great lead, having proven her mettle in Book #1, an outsider, that weird kid, charged with challenging a mortal assault on the residents of her town, her superpower her scary knowledge of slasher canon, and a hefty reservoir of guts. Rooting for Jade/Jennifer is as easy as falling off a log, but hopefully without the dire consequences such an event might have in Indian Lake. You will love her to pieces. There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep you in the story. There is creepiness to make you look around your home just to make sure everything is ok. There is a semi’s worth of blood and gore, a bit more tutorial on the genre, and the action is relentless. Once you begin this series one thing is certain. You are sure to get hooked.

"slashers never really die. They just go to sleep for a few years. But they’re always counting the days until round two."

Review posted - 3/3/23

Publication date – 2/7/23

I received an ARE of Don’t Fear the Reaper from Gallery / Saga Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

To see the review as it was intended, with images, links and all, please head over to https://cootsreviews.com/2023/03/03/dont-fear-the-reaper-by-stephen-graham-jones/

I am not a Slasher fan. I watch the Scream movies, but that’s about it. So, yes, I missed some of the references, but that doesn’t diminish my enjoyment. It also didn’t make me want to watch more slasher films though. And I rarely read horror. However, I loved the first in this trilogy, My Heart Is a Chainsaw, that I made Amber buy a copy. Don’t Fear the Reaper is just as good.

Jade Daniels is our star once again. It’s been four years since the Independence Day Massacre, and while this might work as a standalone, knowing the events and characters from the first will definitely make this one richer. Jade and her chosen final girl, Letha, have grown and changed as they’ve dealt with the consequences. Jade has been in jail and her conviction has just been overturned. Letha is married and has a young daughter. But Jade’s back in town, arriving, as is her luck, the same day an escaped serial killer shows up. Proofrock is in the middle of a massive snowstorm – no electricity, no cell service, no outside help – and a killer’s on the loose.

The book is bloody and violent. There are a lot of people killed in a lot of ways. It’s a little gruesome but it should be.

This time around, we see the action from a lot of viewpoints, almost too many. But that also meant that the victims, Jade, the witnesses, all get their say, are all more than just another body. For a story that moves so quick and has so many twists, the characters still get to shine. Or not shine – Dark Mill South is not the only bad guy in Proofrock.

Don’t Fear the Reaper is the middle book in a trilogy but was still a self-contained story, which I appreciate. Yes, I’m sure it’s setting up the next in the series if only based on who survived this one and I’m anxious to read the finale, but I’m not angry at how it ended. Actually, the ending was perfect, with Jade taking control of her destiny and protecting the people and town she cares about. It’s a lot of fun getting there though, if “fun” is the right word.

Four years after the events in My Heart Is a Chainsaw, Jade Daniels is released from prison and returns to the town of Proofrock. After her disastrous senior year culminated in the Independence Day Massacre that led to her conviction and imprisonment, Jade is now insisting to be called by her given name Jennifer and that her past is behind her. She soon finds herself caught up in yet another maelstrom as convicted serial killer Dark Mill South escapes his prison transport in a blizzard and lands in Proofrock. Hellbent on revenge for the hanging of 38 Dakota men in 1862, Dark Mill South soon leaves a trail of bodies that Jennifer isn't able to ignore for long...

Pros:
- What character development! What drama! What gore! This series has had it all so far. Buckle up for another wild ride.
- If you're a genre fan, you'll love the deep cuts namedropped here.

Cons:
- I found it hard to follow at times, mainly due to the abundance of POVs that are introduced. I feel that Jade is a strong enough character on her own, and I wanted to spend more time with her POV in here. Sometimes I found myself forgetting who I was with in the POV and what their backstory was. Perhaps more of a me issue, but worth mentioning.
- I really should have re-read Chainsaw before reading this and would advise others to do the same. There's a lot of characters and details I found I needed a refresher on from the first installment.

Four stars. It gets fairly convoluted at times, but Jade is such a compelling character that I can't wait to see how this trilogy plays out.

FFO: slashers, injustice, love letters to the genre

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley*

Honestly I love anything this author puts out! I had such a good time reading this. It’s perfectly paced and I would highly
Recommend it to anyone :)

Horror fiction is certainly having a moment right now, a fact that may seem surprising in a world where real life is certainly more frightening than ever, thanks to a global pandemic, the ongoing threat of war, and rising civil unrest around the world, and the looming specter of climate change. Perhaps these nebulous real-world problems mean it’s more likely that the thought of facing an easily identifiable villain appeals to us as readers, but whatever the reason, there are more great horror books heading our way than seemingly ever before this year.

Though author Stephen Graham has written dozens of books, most people are probably familiar with him thanks to his 2020 breakout novel The Only Good Indians, in which four Blackfeet men are pursued by a vengeful elk spirit. But it’s his follow-up Indian Lake trilogy that has firmly established him as one of horror’s most exciting voices of the moment, a series that’s not just a love letter to the slasher genre, but also part history lesson, part meditation on classism in America, and a feminist exploration of what the age-old concept of a Final Girl really means.

The memory of my enjoyment of My Heart is a Chainsaw faded since my original read.. and I delayed picking this one up because of that. I'm so mad I waited. This was a step up from the first and I'm so excited for what's coming next.

A solid follow up to an absolute masterpiece, DFTR brings the gore, the scares and the deep dives into horror movie lore but fails to deliver the emotional punch of the first book in the series. Where Chainsaw kept the reader guessing what's real and what was the result of Jade's troubled psyche, DFTR leans into the set up of thriller/horror flick. Strong female characters still dominate, but the emotional landscape of the book has less pathos and nuance, taken over by the widely increased cast of characters, more fantastical elements and overly complicated plot lines. I would recommend this to any fans of Stephen King or David Wong; however, you will find his first novel in this series "My Heart is a Chainsaw" a superior read.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I never got to read book one but I enjoyed this one! This was everything I expected a horror novel to be- lots of gory scenes filled with death, a slightly distraught heroine, and high stakes to survive.

This was a fun ride and not my typical genre go to but I definitely enjoyed it and would read this author again!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you for the ARC!

This book is spine tingling, unnerving, riveting, and well written! The flow was nice from the first book. The author brings you in and doesn't let go!!

This is book two in the Lake Witch Triology. Book one, My Heart is a Chainsaw, was just okay to me. But this one! AMAZING. So much better than the first, and now I can't wait for the third!

The fact the title names are actually horror movies was a fun little twist!

This one fast forwards four years after book one. Jade is back from prison (she's Jennifer now and swears she has changed), Letha is back, and several other faces we know. They are all in Proofrock and a serial killer, Dark Mill South, has escaped his armed convoy as it passes by Proofrock during his prison transfer. Let the violence begin!!

This story is filled with murder, mayhem and messiness. It will make you uncomfortable. You will be on the edge of your seat. There are so many kills and so much confusion, but this was so well done and I was in.vest.ed!

I also loved the serial killer vs. slasher debate in the book.

I will not be anxiously waiting on the final installment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a story about what it takes to be a final girl.

I loved this book, and I’m thrilled that there’s a book 3 otw. This managed to mix mediums in a way that added to the central narrative, while still being genuinely frightening. My only complaint, is that it somewhat felt drawn out, but overall this was excellent.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Gallary books for the e & physical arcs!

If you like your horror with a healthy dose of blood, gore, and ripping chainsaws with a fresh side of guts, cleavers, and bright, shiny meathooks - look no further than The Indian Lake Trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones.⁣
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I loved My Heart is a Chainsaw and was so stoked for this sequel - and it does not disappoint. We’re back at the lake, but instead of a 4th of JAWS-ly 🦈 floating massacre there’s a maniacal escape convict on the loose terrorizing the town under blankets of snow, loss of power, and hell has indeed frozen over … but warm blood will still spill.⁣
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Jade (now Jennifer) has returned, trying to move on from her past, but how can she when the teens of Proofrock are being gored one by one. It’s a fast-paced, heart pounding race to stop the killer’s rampage and she begins to realize moving on is just not possible for a final girl.⁣
⁣
It’s an epic blizzard of all things grisly and gruesome, perfect for fans of classic horror slasher movies and bad ass final girls - or those who just enjoy a bloody good time.

Jade, now Jennifer Daniels, returns in the sequel to My Heart Is A Chainsaw. A few years after her senior year, Jennifer returns to Proofrock, Idaho. On that very day, a serial killer escapes police custody. As the bodies start piling up, Jennifer must rely on Jade's knowledge of slasher to stop the murder spree.

From page one to the final page you're flipping the pages furiously to see what happens. The characters are all great as well. If you liked My Heart Is a Chainsaw, then you definitely need to read this installment of the trilogy. Note: You MUST read Chainsaw before you read this one. Otherwise, you'll be lost. I can't wait for book three to come out!

My thanks to Gallery Books, Gallery/Saga Press, author Stephen Graham Jones, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I finished this one in under a day because I was so excited to see how things went this time around! Jade will always be my favorite final girl and it was really really wonderful to come back to her world. I didn't love this one as much as I loved the first book but I still enjoyed it and maintain the fact that I would die for Jade.

I think Stephen Graham Jones’ writing style is so unique, in that it’s somehow hard and easy to follow at the same time. It keeps my brain engaged in a different way.
This sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw featured some truly brutal kills that left me shocked, returns from all our favorite characters, and some interesting new POVs. I may not understood every single line, but the vibes were great. Do I have questions? Of course! But the experience of reading this was great.

I will forever be on board with whatever Stephen Graham Jones is putting on the table, especially when it's the follow up novel to a horror that I so deeply loved. Jade is back and better than ever, in the unhinged and over-perseverating way that we have come to expect from her.

If you were a fan of the first book, even by inches, this will cement your spot in the SGJ fandomverse for good. Told with grace, truth, and a true understanding of how to imprint understated fear into the hearts of readers, DON'T FEAR THE REAPER is this year's best horror, and February isn't even over.

Stephen Graham Jones did it again. Like always his books are so freaking good.
I read this all in a day. Could not put it down. When my tablet died I moved over to my phone to keep reading.

Don't Fear the Reaper is an incredible follow up to Stephen Graham Jones' slasher My Heart is a Chainsaw. I have to say I don't read too many slashers that actually have sequels–especially ones that are actually this good–and I loved getting to revisit Jade and Proofrock. Stephen Graham Jones has a special sort of gift for creating a very classic, checks-all-the-boxes slasher while also still managing to create something that feels very deep and literary and really hits notes that the average slasher doesn't quite manage to reach. I loved that this book had very similar style elements to My Heart is a Chainsaw and really felt like a familiar continuation, but also one that brought something new to the table. I cannot wait to see what's in store for the final book in this trilogy!