Don't Fear the Reaper (novel)

Don't Fear the Reaper is a 2023 horror novel by Stephen Graham Jones. It is the second book in the Indian Lake trilogy, following My Heart Is a Chainsaw (2021) and preceding The Angel of Indian Lake (2024). The novel continues the story of Jade Daniels, a film enthusiast with a particular fondness for slasher films, as she navigates another series of horrific events in her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho.

Set four years after the events of My Heart Is a Chainsaw, Don't Fear the Reaper sees the return of Dark Mill South, a serial killer who terrorized Proofrock in the 1980s. Mill South's release from prison coincides with a series of new murders, forcing Jade to confront her past and once again attempt to understand and potentially stop the unfolding horror. The novel blends elements of slasher film tropes with Native American folklore and societal commentary, similar to its predecessor. Key themes include trauma, community, identity, and the power of storytelling, particularly the influence of horror narratives.