DON’T FEAR THE REAPER by Stephen Graham Jones (Gallery/Saga Press, February 7, 2023) 457 pages, hardcover.
Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
December 12th, 2019, Jade returns to the rural lake town of Proofrock the same day as convicted Indigenous serial killer Dark Mill South escapes into town to complete his revenge killings, in this riveting sequel to My Heart Is a Chainsaw from New York Times bestselling author, Stephen Graham Jones.
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.
Don’t Fear the Reaper is the page-turning sequel to My Heart Is a Chainsaw from New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones.
My 4.5 Star Rating on the Goodreads website . . . . .
How do you make brilliance better? That's the challenge that must have faced author Stephen Graham Jones. To move forward from the phenomenal MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and make the middle story of this trilogy as thrilling as the first and once again exceed expectations.
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER didn't have the same impact on me as the first book but it is an incredible reading experience and comes so, so close to a repeat performance. Just as the first book did, the final third of this second book commanded my attention, kept me guessing, and on the edge of my reading chair for page after page, chapter after chapter. That final confrontation spanned a massive amount of pages but it was not over-long at all - - - every single image and detail perfectly described and imagined in bloody magnificence. Like a favorite scene from a beloved horror movie, this one will play out on the screen of my mind cinema every time I think of this novel.
While a marvelous tribute to classic slasher films (especially the videotape 1980's) what drove the first book in this Indian Lake trilogy was the character development of Jade Daniels (now Jennifer Daniels). That's the same case with this book, although the secondary characters get equal time and prove to be just as fascinating.
Jennifer is no longer the misfit adolescent with an encyclopedic knowledge of the slasher genre, but four years older as REAPER begins, just released from prison and returning to hometown Proofrock. She's matured but still super-observant and aware, but no longer spouting horror film factoids at every opportunity. There's also no need for her to spend the better part of the novel using her knowledge to try and solve the identity of the slasher because that is established upfront. However, there are enough bloody murders occurring in town that there appears to be more than one killer.
The slasher film references here are not so on-the-nose as in CHAINSAW, but there are a few (but not uttered by Jennifer - - just everyone who's been influenced by her reputation). Some are buried within the story like Easter Eggs for knowledgable fans to recognize.
Book Two is more of a survival tale, with more than just a couple challenges awaiting these characters. It also notes a growth in maturity and wisdom for Jennifer (I like her even more) as well as many of the returning characters from Book One.
Readers who haven't read CHAINSAW before this may struggle with parts of this novel, as Jones doesn't really provide rehashes or flashback scenes, although the backstory of many of the secondary characters is revealed in fascinating details. I eagerly await the third and final volume to see where Jennifer/Jade goes, what the new challenges are, and how she handles them. FINAL RATING: FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.Recommended.
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