Don’t Fear the Reaper

In the long-awaited sequel to My Heart Is a Chainsaw (best-selling author Jones’s first novel to feature protagonist Jade Daniels), Jade has to contend with serial killer Dark Mill South, who has escaped from his prison transfer just outside of Proofrock, ID. It’s a delicate balance to portray a serial killer like Dark Mill, something that Jones does with great aplomb. This villain has been known by many different names, including the Ninety-Eye Slasher and Bowman Butcher. He claims to want to avenge 38 Dakota men, who were hanged in 1862 in his home state of Minnesota in the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Told through alternating points of view, including Dark Mill South’s, the novel takes its time building up steam until readers can reunite with Jade, but in the meantime, the narrative is full of pulse-pounding scares and epic slasher scenes that build intensity as the chapters go on.