The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

By: Stephen Graham Jones

Narrated by: Shane Ghostkeeper, Marin Ireland, Owen Teale

New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2025

A Barack Obama Summer Read

A Time, The Washington Post, NPR, Shelf Awareness, and Publishers Weekly Best of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Best Historical Fiction

The New York Times bestseller and “horror masterpiece” (NPR) from Stephen Graham Jones—the master of modern horror—is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

“Jones has written his Interview with the Indigenous Vampire. A landmark of horror and historical fiction alike, perhaps the closest thing we have to horror’s Moby-Dick.” —Vulture

“Inventive and spine-tingling…a master class in voice. Queasy, uneasy, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter plays with the interplay between religion and historical guilt, identity and appetite.” —The Washington Post

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

Critic reviews

"Listeners don’t just experience a fascinating historical drama—they also become steeped in a bloody gothic Western. Stellar performances are the center of this compelling listening experience. Narrator Marin Ireland fully embodies the beleaguered humanities professor who, while deep diving into the campus archive, discovers the story of her ancestors. At the same time, she is struggling with her tenure committee. In a deft transition back to 1912, Owen Teale’s performance of a Lutheran pastor exhibits gravitas as he slowly unwinds the secrets of his relationship with Good Stab, a Blackfeet Indian who mysteriously appears in his congregation. Shane Ghostkeeper provides Good Stab with a subtle yet ferocious performance as the two face each other’s buried truths. Complete with creative production touches, the result is a dark, satisfying listen."

Compelling story

I like this author very much. I really liked the overall narrative arc. The details about how the main characters lived were interesting and their context was well developed. The violence seemed excessive and definitely gratuitous at times.

another gem

I always enjoy Stephen Graham Jones works. This is no exception. Highly recommend this if you enjoy horror fiction. It will not disappoint.

Slow start

The beginning and most of this book is very slow. It seems to be the same thing over and over for many chapters. After a certain point in the story it begins to pick up and gets pretty interesting. It had some interesting twists which I enjoyed, but I wish it would have fleshed out some of the characters a little more. All in all not a bad read! Just be prepared to get through a lot before it picks up.

Incredible

This book blew me away. The way the story feels so real and raw and just makes you think. You really feel the pain of Good Stab

A book where history is blended with the unknown

Wow! As a historian, I love historical fiction and this was a phenomenal book. It not only was rich in historical facts, it blended the unknown together that ended in a book that has earned a place on my bookshelf.