This second installment of the Lake Witch trilogy had me hooked from the very beginning. Jade is back in Proofrock after a four year absence and so is an escaped serial killer. She's moved on from her slasher obsession, but finds herself back in one just the same. I loved the first book and this felt a bit faster-paced, easier to dive right in, and it was fascinating to dive into the inner worlds of some familiar characters and see how they've grown...and meet some terrifying new ones.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness!! I'm glad I read the first in this series so when it came time to read the next I understood Stephen Graham Jones writing style. The indigenous commentary from Jones is in the moment a reality. I enjoyed this book more than the first and maybe that is because of knowing the characters already. I am excited for the third book and wondering who the killer is this time! I would highly recommend Stepen Graham Jones and plan on reading all his backlist. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read Don't Fear the Reaper.

Obsessed!!!!!!! So good! Even better than the first one. I was surprised to see its set up for a 3rd one but im excited. SGJ is the best author. My heart was thumping the entire read. The ending of cinnamon/ginger was confusing but a very trippy twist !

This book is AMAZING! I tried to read this book slowly to make it last until it publishes,so I can purchase and reread a million times. It didn't work.

Unlike Chainsaw, this is NOT a slow burn story. There are bodies hitting the ground from the very beginning. We are getting everyone's POV. The action has you flying through the pages. The gore has you cringing while doing so.

I was so glad to see some old familiar faces from the first novel... faces that I thought were dead and buried.

Dark Mill South is a great scary bad guy. I wouldn't mind a spinoff, prequel type novel about him.

It wouldn't be a SGJ novel without the supernatural spin at the end. I was a little confused at first bit ya just have to go with it. It all makes beautiful sense eventually.

This hardly ever happens for me, but I actually liked this 2nd book in the series the *tiniest* amount more than the first one. Just a teeny tiny bit!! But I love both and can't wait to see the 3rd installment!

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the arc!

While this sequel captures the clever writing style and meta horror movie commentary of the first, it doesn’t quite hold up to its predecessor. It really suffers from the sheer amount of characters and it always has too much going on. This reads more like a stream of consciousness story that at times is difficult to follow due to the huge cast and chaotic plot

I don't understand this author whatsoever. Some of the most convoluted prose I've had the displeasure of reading. I'm not even sure why I requested this. Not for me. Couldn't even finish it unfortunately.

Stephen Graham Jones is quickly becoming my favorite horror author. He so clearly loves the genre and really respects horror fans, which is shockingly refreshing. I feel like I was one of the few people who really adored "My Heart is a Chainsaw" so my expectations here were pretty high, and this didn't disappoint. At times it's meandering and focuses a bit too much on random characters who aren't given time to be fleshed out, but overall this works. It's fun, it's scary, and it's a damn good slasher.

Where the author waited till the end for the true carnage in “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” it now starts right from the start. The “Jade tells everyone what’s happening and no one believes her” is not an issue, since she is a final girl and people listen to her. This means that the action never lets up. I also loved how atmospheric it is, how Proofrock, Idaho, is almost another character. As an Idaho resident myself, I can attest how the weather conditions are no exaggeration. The film references will please genre fans. That said, as much as I loved the first volume, just like many of the slasher series the books follow, I didn’t like this one as much. My problem is that I was so invested in Jade (now Jennifer) and Letha’s plight that I wanted it to be all about them. I loved their parts, as well as some of the other characters we already know. I just think that this second outing devotes too much space to the other random victims. The movies never bother because we just don’t care. It is not a bad novel at all, I just couldn’t get into it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Gallery Books, Gallery / Saga Press!

Thank you SO much to Stephan Graham Jones and Gallery Books for this book that comes out on February 7. This is the second book in the Lake Witch series, occurring four years after My Heart is a Chainsaw. Jade, now going by Jennifer, is released from prison right before Christmas after her conviction is overturned. She heads back to Proofrock at the exact same time that convicted serial killer Dark Mill South escapes from his prison transfer. He is seeking revenge for 38 hung Dakota men, and ends up in Proofrock ready to kill. But he isn’t the only one out in the snow. Bodies are turning up all over the place, ending 36 hours later on Friday the 13th.

Thoughts: This book was SUPER gory and crazy and violent and I loved it! This series is full of TONS of horror movie references, and this one had even more. The way Jones writes is a straightforward horror story overlayed with subtext about our inner strength, what makes someone a survivor, dealing with trauma, and so much more. I love that the story surrounds native american lore and the mistreatment of them in our history.

Jade is such an easy character to root for and I loved her journey during this book. The characters here are dynamic and interesting and the story was full of action from beginning to end. There was TONS of gore, so be aware of the unnecessary violence, but it is a horror book so that is to be expected. I’m so excited this is a trilogy, so there will be one more! 4.5- stars for this one!

I didn't like this one as well as the first one. I think the banter and the heavy-handed movie references ran its course for me. That being said, good grief can this guy write... I'm excited for future books from SGJ.

My Heart is a Chainsaw was the sort of book that I was surprised was getting a sequel: it wrapped a whole lot! But as the start of this sequel dawns, it does everything so well. The characters that made it through last book's massacre are forever changed from it. The fact that this book manages to have further character arcs for the main characters is also really well done.

Again, this is an ode to the slasher movie. The references are dense on the ground (including as the chapter titles), and the blood definitely flies in this. Some things are brought back that were hinted at in the previous book, but there's also new stories and characters too.

Stephen Graham Jones' rapid-fire writing style is definitely on display here, and while I love the speed, density, and references in it, I struggled a bit with the shifting cast. There were simply a <i>lot</i> of characters in this, and a lot had their own POV chapters too. I was sometimes thinking "Wait, who's this again?" and wishing there was a cast of characters in the front like in an epic fantasy novel.

That said, despite a little bit of scrabbling sometimes at the beginning of scenes to get my footing, this was a really good read. There were some scenes I teared up in - about family and relationships and growing up - and the town of Proofrock really feels like a character of its own. Bodies are falling like crazy and the action never lets up.

Don't Fear the Reaper (The Lake Witch Trilogy #2) by Stephen Graham Jones. Continuing the story from My Heart Is A Chainsaw, this book is a sequel.

I had never read a Stephen Graham Jones book before, so I jumped into it blindly. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. The book creates a creepy atmosphere by using popular slasher films. The chapter titles are all named after horror movies, which I think is a brilliant idea. While it took me some time to become acquainted with the characters, the author explains the first book's history well.

Synopsis:
After being released from jail in 2019, Jade Daniels, now known as Jennifer, vows to stay out of trouble. While Dark Mill South, a notorious serial killer terrorizes Proofrock, Idaho, Jade realizes there may be more than one killer. No one knows who will make it to Friday the 13th or who the final girl will be. With twenty dead bodies in just 36 hours, it is finished.

After reading this book I bought My Heart is a Chainsaw. For a better understanding of Don't Fear the Reaper, and to continue the series, I don't want to miss the first book.

Don't Fear the Reaper will be available on February 7th.
4.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this amazing thriller with me. Your kindness is appreciated.

#DontFearTheReaper #TheLakeWitchTrilogy2

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones is an amazing thriller. Smart and tense with great writing.

My Heart is a Chainsaw was easily one of my favourite novels from last year and when I discovered that there was going to be a sequel I was eagerly anticipating the possibility of possibly receiving an ARC - low and behold my wish came true when I opened my e-mail to an ARC of Don't Fear the Reaper!

Don't Fear Reaper picks up several years after the tragedies of the previous novel and we find our girl Jade-I mean Jennifer, returning home after being in custody awaiting trial for four long years. She is changed but also still very much the same girl, but tragedy like what she went through hardens her and Jade struggles with who she is and desperately trying not to fall back into the person she was. She wants to move on from being Jade, the girl who is obsessed with horror and slashers to Jennifer - someone else who doesn't carry all the trauma she has and is normal. This proves to be harder than she'd like since there's a vengeful hooked serial killer called Dark Mill South prowling her home town of Proofrock and she finds herself in the role she desperately doesn't want to have - the final girl.

The action and chaos are amped up significantly in this one compared to Chainsaw's slow build to the explosive ending - which I LOVED. There are bodies dropping, misdirection, and moments of high tension right from page one until the end. There are no moments of calm where you can catch you breath and try to figure out what will happen next the pace has you moving from one moment to next with some of the the most incredible imagery and non-stop action you'd expect from a slasher novel. Dark Mill South is sufficiently mysterious and fright inducing with some of the best descriptive imagery of the novel. He is equal parts fascinating and horrifying and being in his head for those moments is written so well that it doesn't feel jarring and unnecessary - as a great antagonist should be! He is written so that you do not forget he is a killer, but are given context as to who he is and the circumstances that lead him to be who he is. It always feels like each POV serves a very important purpose to the story and without that POV the story would not have been complete.

The character exploration and development was so expertly crafted and woven into an already jammed packed story whether it was for Jade, Letha, or even the town sheriff each character was explored and handled with care. I adore Jade, but I really enjoyed having multiple perspectives throughout the novel whether that was the breaks between the main story with the history essays or having Letha interact with Jade from her point of view. It's a clever way to add to the story relevant information, but not throwing the pace of the story off too much. Jade's interactions with the supporting cast - especially Letha and Banner - were a highlight of the novel. Horror novels are sometimes difficult to have well written character moments, but Stephen Graham Jones' voice as Jade is so spot on and so heartfelt. I often felt myself feeling very close and relating to the feelings Jade was having about her life and the life she has lived (aside from the whole having a hooked killer chasing after me and the murder thing of course), and the writing for her really shows how much Jones' cares for Jade as a character on the journey he put her on. The bonds of trauma from Chainsaw's events between Jade and the supporting cast of the characters are such a welcome addition and elevate the material from just being a hollow slasher to a heartfelt character driven story that just happens to also be a slasher horror.

Don't Fear the Reaper does an excellent job at straddling the line between a slasher novel and being equal parts a thriller. The plot twists and turns of the novel are much like with Chainsaw where you aren't quite sure what you are reading and if you are actually understanding what is going on, but you are excited to find out. I spend almost half of the book thinking I had figured it out only to be proven wrong a chapter later, but not in a cheap way where the twist doesn't make logical sense to the story - only that I had not been given all the relevant information yet. Jones applies classic misdirection right until the bitter end and leaves you feeling a cataclysm of feelings. I will confess that even though I did enjoy how things wrapped up I was a little confused about certain events and characters that were involved in the finale of the novel. Reaper is a very busy novel with many things happening at once and character motivations changing constantly so this may just be a case of reading things much too quick and possibly needing a revisit to clarify things in my head a little better.

As a slasher fan myself I adore how Stephen Graham Jones is able to that affection for slashers and turn it into a deep and well crafted set of novels that not only deliver on the slasher front, but deliver on something that is well, not usually a part of slashers - heart. This novel has heart likewise to Chainsaw and it shows on every page of Jones stunning prose and clear direction of where the story is heading to. Its a story about trauma, family, and finding strength in moments when you could easily give up. The perseverance to do whatever it takes to protect those you love at the cost of losing something in yourself.

I know there is one more installment to this series, but the fact that each of these books could probably stand on their own and do not rely on ending with cliffhangers or a filler novel to tide you over until the final novel comes is one of many aspects I enjoy about this series. Whether you started the journey with Jade in Chainsaw or in Reaper they are both mostly self contained and easily readable for anyone to jump in to.

Stephen Graham Jones continues to be one of my favourite authors I've discovered in the last few years and I am excited to read whatever he will throw at me in the future - especially the conclusion to this trilogy in particular! Don't Fear the Reaper was a such a fun read and fantastic addition and to the already incredible My Heart is a Chainsaw and I know I can be excited for the conclusion to Jade's story given that Stephen Graham Jones just doesn't miss when it comes to his ability to make a compelling and beautifully written horror novel that holds depth and also delivers on the gore you expect from such a novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Simon & Schuster for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review!

SGJ has quickly become one of my favorite horror writers and was so excited to read his follow up to My Heart is a Chainsaw.

As a sequel, we dive right back in 5 years after the events of the 4th of July in the previous book and see what has happened to some of these characters we left off with. There is more revenge and slasher vibes and twists and turns. I was at the edge of my seat!

JADE is the ultimate final girl badass.

I would absolutely love to see these adapted on the screen.

I'm giving this 3 stars, as I was very hyped for this book and felt a smidge letdown. I liked the characters and the story but felt a lot of questions were left unanswered.

This second book in Graham’s slasher trilogy hits just as hard as the first! Horror movie lovers will rejoice and get lost in the references to Freddy, Michael, Jason, and countless other terrifying icons (might want to brush up on your trivia before starting this one). Stephen also has a way with prose, needle sharp and direct, making the tense moments that much more effective. A great sequel, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.

This is a sequel to the amazing My Heart is a Chainsaw, and while I think Chainsaw is better in some ways, this is a great sequel and a welcome return to the town of Proofrock, Idaho. Set four years after the previous novel, Jade Daniels our heroine, has returned but now she wants to be called Jennifer. Jade/Jennifer is still trying to make sense of what happened in the town massacre when a serial killer named Dark Mill South escapes from custody and comes to Proofrock to continue his reign of terror. Jones keeps us guessing as to whether a second serial killer is on the loose, and I appreciated the multiple viewpoints from other town characters.

I enjoyed many of the characters especially Letha and Banner and the old sheriff with his walker. As people begin to be murdered in very gruesome ways, Jade and her friends use their intelligence and love of slasher movies to try to outwit the killer. The author writes in a literary manner and invokes issues facing the American Indian community as well as lore and superstitions from their culture in addition to the standard gore. This book is very violent and not for the faint of heart. The story ends in a blinding snowstorm which adds to the terror. I liked the way the chapters were named after horror movies, everything from Scream to It Follows and the chapters referenced some detail from the movie. I did feel the story was a bit long and the dialogue repetitious at times with lots of characters repeating their preferred name over and over. Jones is great at endings and this book had an ending that seemed fitting but also a set up for another book which I will definitely read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I wasn't sure how a sequel to My Heart Is A Chainsaw would work, but yes, it does, in the form of serial killer Dark Mill South's arrival at the town of Proofrock. Stephen Graham Jones leads us seamlessly inside the head of a murderer and all we can do is hang on for a very bumpy ride. So, come on, baby.

I ended up not liking the first book in the series very well, but I told myself that this year I would give sequels a chance lol. I actually really ended up enjoying this and all the pop culture references. Definitely for those of us who like nostaglia and horror.