Don't Fear the Reaper

I really enjoy Graham Jone's books and this was no exception. This book continues the story of Jade and her town of Proofrock as a new wave of killings take place. As with the first book, there is an excellent mix of the real and the mystic.

The second book in the Indian Lake trilogy, and it definitely feels like a middle book. The first, My Heart is a Chainsaw, blew my mind and I really enjoyed this though not quite as much. It's probably unfair to compare it, to be honest. Don't Fear the Reaper gives us a terrifying new slasher, kind of a cross between Candyman and Jason Vorhees, and beloved characters Jade/Jennifer, Letha and others are back. Proofrock has a new class of seniors but hasn't really moved on from the Lake Witch Slayings aka the Independence Day Massacre. This book hurls Jade and the readers back into the path of danger and keeps things at a high intensity from there. It's bloody and brutal. I can't wait for the third book.

I didn't like this as much as My Heart in a Chainsaw though I did like the enduring friendship of Jade and Letha and how it didn't pretend the Independence Day Massacre didn't leave its scars. But Dark Mill South's gratuitous violence was a bit much for me. Stacey Graves both both supernatural and had a sort of logic, DMS was just pure evil. I was a bit confused about Cinnamon and Ginger all the way through too. Not sure if I'll read the final book but I do care about the recurring characters...

Like Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon, Stephen Graham Jones balances serious literary chops with an unashamed love of genre fiction. Both My Heart is a Chainsaw and earlier stand-alone novel The Only Good Indians (2020) have attracted accolades both within and outside the horror fiction community, and Don’t Fear the Reaper seems destined to enjoy the same recognition. It’s a satisfying follow-up that leaves one exhilarated and excited for the trilogy’s conclusion. Part of me wonders if three volumes is enough, however. As any scary movie fan can tell you, the best franchises have a habit of outgrowing trilogies.

Read my full review at Grimdark Magazine! www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-dont-fear-the-reaper-by-stephen-graham-jones/