At one point in THE ANGEL OF INDIAN LAKE, the final entry in Stephen Graham Jones’ Indian Lake trilogy, Jade Daniels asks, “Do you like scary movies, Mr. Holmes? I used to. Until I had to try to live through them.”

Our engaging, one-of-a-kind protagonist is talking out loud to one of her late teachers with whom she often has one-sided conversations. Jade is an expert in all things horror, a proud half-Native American, an ex-con, a current history teacher and, depending on who you ask, either the savior or the damnation of her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho.

"I have always been a huge fan of Stephen Graham Jones’ work, but I truly applaud what he has accomplished with this trilogy and the tireless amount of work he needed to draw from to keep the constant horror references popping."

If you have not read the previous two novels, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and DON’T FEAR THE REAPER, then I highly recommend that you do so prior to diving into this one. Additionally, if horror and hearing non-stop about it through often obscure references is not your thing, then you should have a lot of fun educating yourself in this area. That means deep-diving way beyond just the Halloween and Scream franchises. Horror is the language of preference used by Jade, and for aficionados of the genre like me, she quickly will become your new hero if she isn’t already.

When we met Jade, she was the self-professed ultimate “final girl,” primarily due to her love of slasher movies and the uncanny survival instinct she gained from them. She has been able to thwart a serial killer in each of the first two books, and then another one, Dark Mill South --- following an unforeseen prison stint --- in DON’T FEAR THE REAPER.

Now, Jade has returned to Proofrock once again. While some of the players have changed, along with her surprisingly turning establishment and taking a job as a high school history teacher, the tragic history of Proofrock always looms overhead threatening to strike again. Bad things will happen, this time in the form of the legendary and feared Angel of Indian Lake.

Jones refers to this quote from American professor and medieval history expert Carol Clover: “There’s never been a final girl like this.” I can think of no better way to define Jade, an extremely memorable character who makes a great impression on anyone who has followed her story. She is going to need every ounce of her willpower and encyclopedic knowledge of horror literature and films to battle the curse of the infamous Lake Witch that is back to punish Proofrock’s hapless residents.

Jade does not have many allies in this battle and has to join forces with the new sheriff to take on the evil that has returned. Initially, she is turned on to the threat because of the number of citizens who have disappeared or been tragically killed while exploring the town’s dark past. This is all interspersed with non-stop horror references that will leave fanboys and fangirls giddy with joy.

Another great storytelling gimmick Jones employs is various notes from Jade’s record that explore her integration back into society post-prison and PTSD, as well as a full psychological profile on her that lets you know what the real world thinks of her. Her bill of mental health alone will have you second-guessing everything she does.

All sorts of supernatural shenanigans get stirred up, which leads to an epic finale. There is never a dull moment in this final installment, and it will be difficult to say goodbye to Jade. I can only share what Jones noted about THE ANGEL OF INDIAN LAKE: It was “time to say goodbye to Jade Daniels.” Whether this is bidding her a fond farewell or watching her ultimate demise, I will leave to the surprise of the lucky readers who have stuck with her through one of the most memorable horror series I have ever experienced.

I have always been a huge fan of Stephen Graham Jones’ work, but I truly applaud what he has accomplished with this trilogy and the tireless amount of work he needed to draw from to keep the constant horror references popping.