Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American and, other than him, Owl Goingback ( Breed) and James Welch ( Fools Crow), my experience with the Native American voice is criminally limited. To put this next part in perspective, I’m a straight white guy who has not read nearly as many minority voices as I should. In about every review of Jones’ work, I always mention how powerful his words are, and that’s no different here. That’s what it’s like reading The Only Good Indians, and Jones’ words are the scenery. It’s like you’re on the river with no paddle, but you know you will inevitably reach your destination, and you’re patient getting there because the scenery is breathtaking. The way he presents it is very dreamlike. Jones skillfully guides you through this story, ebbing and flowing with the current. One of the things I like most about The Only Good Indians is Jones’ voice. Because of what happened, a supernatural entity is seeking revenge and hunting them down. The book centers on four American Indian friends – Ricky, Lewis, Cassidy, and Gabe – and the punishment they must endure for what they did a decade earlier. And when it arrived on my Kindle, I immediately dived in and suddenly I was transported to that campfire I was talking about above, with Jones at the head of it, spinning his yarn. So when I saw the beautiful cover (seriously, just take a moment to appreciate that) for The Only Good Indians, I knew I had to read it.

So after reading Matt’s five-star review of Mongrels, I knew it was high time for me to read a full-on novel by Jones, and boy did it both live up to and exceed my expectations.

I can’t remember the first story I read by Jones, but I do know in my review of The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Eight, I said, “I’m convinced Stephen Graham Jones is mocking me at this point,” because his stories were standouts in the last three anthologies I had read up until that point. For that, I’d turn to authors like Stephen King, Joe R. However, as much as I love his work, Child isn’t the type of author I’d want to tell me a story while sitting around a campfire. I generally devour each new Reacher novel within days after its release and have rarely been disappointed in any of the twenty-plus books I’ve read in the series. Child is a writer who can deliver action and witty dialog like nobody’s business. For example, one of my favorite authors is Lee Child, famous for his Jack Reacher series. Both are equally entertaining, and both fulfill needs that I have at particular times. There are writers and there are storytellers.

The only good indians book cover