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Bodies of Work
Not yet published
Expected 7 Apr 26A chilling supernatural revenge novella from the acclaimed author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes. Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and Delilah S. Dawson.
At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that's it. No friends, no family. When he's done with work, he returns home—a remote, single room apartment located above a garage—and that is where his true work begins.
Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere—scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.
Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one's looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.
Winston takes their lives, their voices.
But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge.
Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.
At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that's it. No friends, no family. When he's done with work, he returns home—a remote, single room apartment located above a garage—and that is where his true work begins.
Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere—scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.
Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one's looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.
Winston takes their lives, their voices.
But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge.
Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.
176 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 7, 2026
2527 people want to read
About the author
Clay McLeod Chapman
183 books1,796 followersBooks. Children's books. Comic books. Film.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To say this is just another book about a serial killer would be like saying the Mona Lisa is just another painting of a woman. Yes, it's about a serial killer but it goes deeper and much more dark.
The killer in question is an old man who lives a secluded lonely life as a janitor for a church in a small town. He believes God has given him a work of art to complete and he's awaiting his one last victim to fulfil his duty before he dies.
But his muses, the voices of his previous victims, are going to do everything they can to stop him. And soon, he can hear them.
Again, this is a very basic description. This novella is dark, disturbing, and bone chilling. But we are hearing this man's story from the victims themselves and despite how gruesome things will get the narrative has a lyrical, visceral quality which adds to the overall dread. It's terrifying.
I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
The killer in question is an old man who lives a secluded lonely life as a janitor for a church in a small town. He believes God has given him a work of art to complete and he's awaiting his one last victim to fulfil his duty before he dies.
But his muses, the voices of his previous victims, are going to do everything they can to stop him. And soon, he can hear them.
Again, this is a very basic description. This novella is dark, disturbing, and bone chilling. But we are hearing this man's story from the victims themselves and despite how gruesome things will get the narrative has a lyrical, visceral quality which adds to the overall dread. It's terrifying.
I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
February 2, 2026
Bodies of Work, the newest horror novella by Clay McLeod Chapman, is a weird, creepy, sad, and tense story of revenge. Winston Kemper, an old feeble janitor, has been secretly creating art in his tiny apartment. Collages, drawings, and his magnum opus, a written story about Butterfly Girls and war. As part of his art, he has been murdering forgotten women, his muses, and everything his art revolves around.
I’m a huge fan of Clay’s writing and his lyrical prose is put to excellent use to weave this story about art, creativity, and revenge. It has a very unique POV, told from the perspective of the murdered girls, as they recount Winston’s story and their own stories even as they forget them, as Winston has been rewriting theirs. It’s such a powerful story and examines how we view killers and their victims differently in both art and real life. True crime is a tricky subject and I think it’s so important to remember that these stories were of real people with real stories of their own. And how we don’t always know those stories.
Clay does an excellent job portraying Winston as a complicated, sad, but despicable character and the way he weaves Winston’s back story into the narrative is so well done, explaining, but not excusing, how he came to be how he was.
If you enjoy stories about art and creativity and stories of revenge with a nice dose of lyrical prose, Bodies of Work is another excellent story by one of our modern masters of horror. Check it out.
Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC for review on NetGalley!
I’m a huge fan of Clay’s writing and his lyrical prose is put to excellent use to weave this story about art, creativity, and revenge. It has a very unique POV, told from the perspective of the murdered girls, as they recount Winston’s story and their own stories even as they forget them, as Winston has been rewriting theirs. It’s such a powerful story and examines how we view killers and their victims differently in both art and real life. True crime is a tricky subject and I think it’s so important to remember that these stories were of real people with real stories of their own. And how we don’t always know those stories.
Clay does an excellent job portraying Winston as a complicated, sad, but despicable character and the way he weaves Winston’s back story into the narrative is so well done, explaining, but not excusing, how he came to be how he was.
If you enjoy stories about art and creativity and stories of revenge with a nice dose of lyrical prose, Bodies of Work is another excellent story by one of our modern masters of horror. Check it out.
Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC for review on NetGalley!
February 1, 2026
I’ve read a few of this author’s books and I think my favorite is currently “Acquired Taste,” his short story collection. But the strength of this one was in the visuals, and how art was used as a means to both express the torment of a killer’s mind and set the victims free.
Winston’s artistic method is very interesting to read about, and the perfect level of disturbing due to the materials he uses. It makes me wish I could actually see his work, as much as I hate to admit it.
It took me a moment to realize that the strange interludes with the Butterfly Girls were parts of Winston’s writing. He’s actually not a bad writer. (His obsession with the Morton Salt girl is wild, though.) These sections remind me of something out of a classic Disney film, like Fantasia but with dialogue. I love the colorful descriptions and the gore. It’s a wild mixture of cutesy fairytale visuals and bloody violence.
The narration did take a bit of getting used to, as it’s a collective voice. All of Winston Kemper’s victims are telling the story together, sort of like a Greek Chorus. Maybe that’s why the timeline feels disjointed, and things jump around quite a bit in a way that seems disorienting.
This was an interesting read, though definitely bleak, and it was worth it for the colorful and creative portrayals of the victims and the power of their voices.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Mention of SA, Suicide, Harm to children, Gore
Winston’s artistic method is very interesting to read about, and the perfect level of disturbing due to the materials he uses. It makes me wish I could actually see his work, as much as I hate to admit it.
It took me a moment to realize that the strange interludes with the Butterfly Girls were parts of Winston’s writing. He’s actually not a bad writer. (His obsession with the Morton Salt girl is wild, though.) These sections remind me of something out of a classic Disney film, like Fantasia but with dialogue. I love the colorful descriptions and the gore. It’s a wild mixture of cutesy fairytale visuals and bloody violence.
The narration did take a bit of getting used to, as it’s a collective voice. All of Winston Kemper’s victims are telling the story together, sort of like a Greek Chorus. Maybe that’s why the timeline feels disjointed, and things jump around quite a bit in a way that seems disorienting.
This was an interesting read, though definitely bleak, and it was worth it for the colorful and creative portrayals of the victims and the power of their voices.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Mention of SA, Suicide, Harm to children, Gore
January 9, 2026
This novella was completely unexpected. It tells the story of Winston, a man isolated from the world. A man who, as a child, grew up neglected and abused. A man who used his imagination as an escape from the cruelty of his reality.
This will not be a read for everyone. It is a story within a story, sometimes layered even deeper than that. The writing pulls you through Winston’s mission, what he believes to be a task given to him by God. You witness his actions, experience his imagination, and follow the narrative he believes to be real as that imagination begins to take form.
For such a short novella, it paints a deeply painful portrait of loneliness. You can’t help but feel for Winston, despite the crimes he commits. My only complaint is that I wanted more.
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
This will not be a read for everyone. It is a story within a story, sometimes layered even deeper than that. The writing pulls you through Winston’s mission, what he believes to be a task given to him by God. You witness his actions, experience his imagination, and follow the narrative he believes to be real as that imagination begins to take form.
For such a short novella, it paints a deeply painful portrait of loneliness. You can’t help but feel for Winston, despite the crimes he commits. My only complaint is that I wanted more.
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
January 9, 2026
Bodies of work was strange in the best way. It was creepy, tense, and just feels off from the start. The story slowly gets under your skin without trying too hard. Winston especially stood out to me as he gave serious Ed Gein vibes (I saw someone else say this too!) which made every scene with him even more unsettling. It’s not a fast read and does take a while to get into, but it keeps pulling you back in. If you like dark, uncomfortable stories that stick with you, this one’s worth picking up. 🦋
Thank you NetGalley & Titan Books for the ARC copy!
Thank you NetGalley & Titan Books for the ARC copy!
December 4, 2025
A ghost story? Revenge? A novella about the bonds of sisterhood?
This little bit of grief horror is guaranteed to make you feel some sort of bad way. It reminded me slightly of Tiffany McDaniel's "On the Savage Side" with the extra charged emotion from the disappearance and murders of those considered the "less dead". There is also a fairytale-esque aspect that I can't pin down.
Ugh, this is one of the first reviews and don't want to misrepresent. However, Mr. Chapman does excellent grief horror and this is no different.
This little bit of grief horror is guaranteed to make you feel some sort of bad way. It reminded me slightly of Tiffany McDaniel's "On the Savage Side" with the extra charged emotion from the disappearance and murders of those considered the "less dead". There is also a fairytale-esque aspect that I can't pin down.
Ugh, this is one of the first reviews and don't want to misrepresent. However, Mr. Chapman does excellent grief horror and this is no different.
January 10, 2026
Thank you, Titan, for the ARC!
PUB DATE: April 7, 2026
BODIES OF WORK by Clay McLeod Chapman is a stunning and terrifying novella. It may be Chapman’s best yet; an incredibly unique and harrowing story with a lot to unpack despite its short length.
Chapman writes horror beautifully, weaving grisly scenes with lyrical prose. The book moves the reader through a wide range of emotions; I was scared, sad, and angry. The format adds to the tension as well; Chapman skillfully weaves a story within a story and intersperses the butterfly girls’ voices throughout. The effect is chilling, making us feel as though we are in a dark fairy tale where the line between reality and imagination is blurred.
While the events involving the women in BODIES OF WORK are absolutely horrific, Chapman takes the narrative a step further. He forces us to confront how quickly we forget those who disappear and how society moves on from lost women, sometimes even blaming them for the tragedies they’ve succumbed to. Who will tell their stories, especially if those who stole their voices no longer exist? What happens to the legacies of these women? Who will remember them? BODIES OF WORK also illustrates how men strip women of their power, often by first silencing their voices, for their own gain or because they’ve deemed it “best” for them. It makes the horror in BODIES OF WORK even more realistic, scary, and maddening.
Winston isn't a black-and-white villain. It would have been easy to make him a one-dimensional character, but Chapman makes Winston complex; he is a victim, too, and at times I even felt sorry for him. But then we see and relive the abhorrent acts Winston has committed; he’s robbed these women of their lives and taken advantage of them at their weakest. It is a stark reminder of the cyclical nature of trauma and abuse, which makes the revenge aspect of BODIES OF WORK even stronger and more important.
BODIES OF WORK is a powerful concept, but with Chapman behind the pen, it is a work of art.
PUB DATE: April 7, 2026
BODIES OF WORK by Clay McLeod Chapman is a stunning and terrifying novella. It may be Chapman’s best yet; an incredibly unique and harrowing story with a lot to unpack despite its short length.
Chapman writes horror beautifully, weaving grisly scenes with lyrical prose. The book moves the reader through a wide range of emotions; I was scared, sad, and angry. The format adds to the tension as well; Chapman skillfully weaves a story within a story and intersperses the butterfly girls’ voices throughout. The effect is chilling, making us feel as though we are in a dark fairy tale where the line between reality and imagination is blurred.
While the events involving the women in BODIES OF WORK are absolutely horrific, Chapman takes the narrative a step further. He forces us to confront how quickly we forget those who disappear and how society moves on from lost women, sometimes even blaming them for the tragedies they’ve succumbed to. Who will tell their stories, especially if those who stole their voices no longer exist? What happens to the legacies of these women? Who will remember them? BODIES OF WORK also illustrates how men strip women of their power, often by first silencing their voices, for their own gain or because they’ve deemed it “best” for them. It makes the horror in BODIES OF WORK even more realistic, scary, and maddening.
Winston isn't a black-and-white villain. It would have been easy to make him a one-dimensional character, but Chapman makes Winston complex; he is a victim, too, and at times I even felt sorry for him. But then we see and relive the abhorrent acts Winston has committed; he’s robbed these women of their lives and taken advantage of them at their weakest. It is a stark reminder of the cyclical nature of trauma and abuse, which makes the revenge aspect of BODIES OF WORK even stronger and more important.
BODIES OF WORK is a powerful concept, but with Chapman behind the pen, it is a work of art.
January 18, 2026
This is definitely not my usual horror book, but I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the women the killer has murdered. I did not enjoy the overly graphic and vulgar snippets from the serial killers work of fiction. But I found the sorry gripping and harrowing and definitely worth a read. Thanks Titan for my advanced copy!
January 24, 2026
Winston is an elderly janitor in an isolated church. And Winston has a secret, hiding in six steel drums. Soon to be seven. His magnum opus, his art, requires sacrifice. And muses are hard to come by.
This novella is utterly unique. With prose that is lyrical, flowing, and at times as delicate as a butterfly wing, the story flows like a dream. While the story is dark and bleak, there is beauty in it, and it feels like reading someone’s diary, their thoughts laid bare, so real is the world that is created.
With a combination of third person narrative and internal dialogue, and a mix of fantasy and real life, there is no part of this story that doesn’t feel well-placed. While I can safely say this book will not be for everyone, you can see that you are in the hands of a pro right from the very start. I was heavily invested in the characters, and Winston is so complex that at times I felt real sympathy for him: he felt real, as did his struggles with life, religion, passion, and community.
I likened this story to being inside a David Lynch movie while I was mid-read, and that still feels accurate after I’ve finished. Expect the unexpected, expect darkness, light, psychedelic worlds, art, despair. Expect nothing and everything. Expect butterfly wings.
This novella is utterly unique. With prose that is lyrical, flowing, and at times as delicate as a butterfly wing, the story flows like a dream. While the story is dark and bleak, there is beauty in it, and it feels like reading someone’s diary, their thoughts laid bare, so real is the world that is created.
With a combination of third person narrative and internal dialogue, and a mix of fantasy and real life, there is no part of this story that doesn’t feel well-placed. While I can safely say this book will not be for everyone, you can see that you are in the hands of a pro right from the very start. I was heavily invested in the characters, and Winston is so complex that at times I felt real sympathy for him: he felt real, as did his struggles with life, religion, passion, and community.
I likened this story to being inside a David Lynch movie while I was mid-read, and that still feels accurate after I’ve finished. Expect the unexpected, expect darkness, light, psychedelic worlds, art, despair. Expect nothing and everything. Expect butterfly wings.
January 29, 2026
What happens to the girls who get abducted and taken from this world? With Winston Kemper they get trapped in his mind. Each girl, every story, and of course their voice. He is the keeper of the butterflies he created.
Shiloh Baptist church where Winston finds his muses. One at a time. Will he complete his goal of 7 butterflies? I really enjoy how this novella has two POVs- current day and one speaks for the victims of the killer.
The author uses very descriptive language to really get you to see the scene fully and feel it. This supernatural revenge novella is just what I need to add a little spice to my reading genres.
“Women vanish. People forget their names, and appearances barely demand our attention “ I love this because it’s so true.
Add this to your TBR!!
Shiloh Baptist church where Winston finds his muses. One at a time. Will he complete his goal of 7 butterflies? I really enjoy how this novella has two POVs- current day and one speaks for the victims of the killer.
The author uses very descriptive language to really get you to see the scene fully and feel it. This supernatural revenge novella is just what I need to add a little spice to my reading genres.
“Women vanish. People forget their names, and appearances barely demand our attention “ I love this because it’s so true.
Add this to your TBR!!
January 20, 2026
The fact that everyone is under the impression this is a sweet old man when he is a full on serial killer is so unnerving 🤦🏼♀️ I enjoyed learning about the women he unalived that was probably my favourite part of the book! The plot will definitely take you for a ride!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would LOVE to know what goes on in Clay's head because this is certainly one of his most disturbing pieces of work I have read from him so far. Bodies of Work follows Winston, a church groundskeeper. He has no friends, no family, and is never noticed by anyone. He slips through the cracks day by day, and at night, he goes home to his apartment above his garage, and that's where his day really begins. He is a collector of voices, the Butterfly Girls, girls whom he murders, girls who, like him, slip through the cracks and are never remembered by anyone. He takes their lives and their voices, but he starts hearing these voices, and the voices are out for revenge.
The book is short, but it packs a punch. You can feel the loneliness deep within Winston, but you don't feel sorry for him because of how horrible a person he truly is. It is creepy and tense, and you feel all these emotions until the end of the book, when these girls get their revenge. You witness his actions and how deeply unsettling it truly is. It makes you realize how many women's voices are stolen, how their stories will never be told, and how chilling it is when you apply it to the real world. You also hear the voices of the women he murdered, and learning about them was the best parts of the book.
The book is short, but it is dense. It didn't exactly get five stars from me because of how confusing it was at times for me, how back and forth it was between Winston's story and the girl's, but overall, it is a fantastic horror novella that packs a punch and will leave you thinking way after you finish the book.
The book is short, but it packs a punch. You can feel the loneliness deep within Winston, but you don't feel sorry for him because of how horrible a person he truly is. It is creepy and tense, and you feel all these emotions until the end of the book, when these girls get their revenge. You witness his actions and how deeply unsettling it truly is. It makes you realize how many women's voices are stolen, how their stories will never be told, and how chilling it is when you apply it to the real world. You also hear the voices of the women he murdered, and learning about them was the best parts of the book.
The book is short, but it is dense. It didn't exactly get five stars from me because of how confusing it was at times for me, how back and forth it was between Winston's story and the girl's, but overall, it is a fantastic horror novella that packs a punch and will leave you thinking way after you finish the book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a quirky novella where collecting voices only serves to haunt Winston.
He has an agenda and believes his work is his calling. His butterflies tend not to agree and insist on protecting the last 'sister'.
The voices trouble Winston although it seems that he tries to ignore them. He doesn't appear to think he's done any wrong and,whilst people feel uneasy in his company, nobody expects to find what he does after dark!
Winston's art is intriguing and sad as you hear from the sisters, particularly the last as she tries to adapt to her new place in the world.
He has an agenda and believes his work is his calling. His butterflies tend not to agree and insist on protecting the last 'sister'.
The voices trouble Winston although it seems that he tries to ignore them. He doesn't appear to think he's done any wrong and,whilst people feel uneasy in his company, nobody expects to find what he does after dark!
Winston's art is intriguing and sad as you hear from the sisters, particularly the last as she tries to adapt to her new place in the world.
January 20, 2026
4.5 stars
LOVED this!! What a twisted and sick story, that was simply impossible to put down. Winston was a deplorable man, with violent tendencies disguised as God given powers. I loved the different POVs, they really helped to bring the horrors of this story together. The narrative featuring the girls was also creative and unlike anything I’ve read before. A gripping horror, with the perfect balance of gore and eeriness.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #BodiesOfWork #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
LOVED this!! What a twisted and sick story, that was simply impossible to put down. Winston was a deplorable man, with violent tendencies disguised as God given powers. I loved the different POVs, they really helped to bring the horrors of this story together. The narrative featuring the girls was also creative and unlike anything I’ve read before. A gripping horror, with the perfect balance of gore and eeriness.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #BodiesOfWork #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
January 22, 2026
(ARC) 2.75⭐️ Gah, no! This one had so much potential for me, but ultimately the writing style lost me (sobbing). I kept weaving in and out of loving it and then being completely disinterested, and it all came down to the strange fantasy side quest.
I just wanted the story of the girls haunting their murderer and getting revenge. I kept getting pulled back into this random fantasy realm I never asked to be part of.
The ending helped me understand why it was included, but it wasn’t something I cared about and ultimately felt unnecessary.
I just wanted the story of the girls haunting their murderer and getting revenge. I kept getting pulled back into this random fantasy realm I never asked to be part of.
The ending helped me understand why it was included, but it wasn’t something I cared about and ultimately felt unnecessary.
January 15, 2026
Bodies of Work
is one of the stories that grabs you almost instantly, not because of shocking moments, but more so due to the slow, creeping unease that hooked into me.
Clay McLeod Chapman
continues to prove why he is a fantastic horror writer with this short but impactful novella. Chapman delivers a dark, intimate tale that is both unsettling and reflective. It's the kind of story that gets under your skin with a feeling of dread and atmosphere, making every page feel deliberate. It was a quick read, mostly due to not being able to put it down.
At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that’s it. No friends, no family. When he’s done with work, he returns home—a remote, single room apartment located above a garage—and that is where his true work begins.
Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere—scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.
Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one’s looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.
Winston takes their lives, their voices. But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge. Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.
Bodies of Work is not just a great story, but a uniquely written novella. Chapman uses this format deliberately when telling this story and it works so well. The structure feels a bit unconventional, almost cinematic in the way that screams movie adaptation. It's a way of storytelling that immerses the reader in the tale in a fresh way. Voices bleed into the narrative (memories, victims, and inner monologue) to create a layered effect I haven't seen much in books, keeping us on our feet. It's not just a story being told, it's an experience that is unfolding page by page.
Chapman has a real talent for horror storytelling and it is evident again in Bodies of Work. He does a fantastic job blending psychological unease with surreal, unsettling imagery, to create scenes that are disturbing yet beautiful. The horror is just about the acts that take place, but how it feels. Chapman understands restraint when needed, letting the atmosphere and structure do much of the work, making the story hit just that much harder, and stay with you long after.
Using the novella format to tell this story works so well. There is no excess filler, every moment feels intentional and tightly controlled. Bodies of Work is a complete, haunting story without overstaying its welcome. This is a testament to the different types of horror stories. The compact format hits just as hard as a longer novel.
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman is a compact, tightly written story filled with creeping dread and unease. While I am always down for a longer Chapman horror story, this one hit just right.
Bodies of Work hits bookstores everywhere on April 7, 2026 from Titan Books. The audiobook, narrated by Hannah Cabell, is available for preorder via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Bodies of Work from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that’s it. No friends, no family. When he’s done with work, he returns home—a remote, single room apartment located above a garage—and that is where his true work begins.
Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere—scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.
Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one’s looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.
Winston takes their lives, their voices. But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge. Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.
Bodies of Work is not just a great story, but a uniquely written novella. Chapman uses this format deliberately when telling this story and it works so well. The structure feels a bit unconventional, almost cinematic in the way that screams movie adaptation. It's a way of storytelling that immerses the reader in the tale in a fresh way. Voices bleed into the narrative (memories, victims, and inner monologue) to create a layered effect I haven't seen much in books, keeping us on our feet. It's not just a story being told, it's an experience that is unfolding page by page.
Chapman has a real talent for horror storytelling and it is evident again in Bodies of Work. He does a fantastic job blending psychological unease with surreal, unsettling imagery, to create scenes that are disturbing yet beautiful. The horror is just about the acts that take place, but how it feels. Chapman understands restraint when needed, letting the atmosphere and structure do much of the work, making the story hit just that much harder, and stay with you long after.
Using the novella format to tell this story works so well. There is no excess filler, every moment feels intentional and tightly controlled. Bodies of Work is a complete, haunting story without overstaying its welcome. This is a testament to the different types of horror stories. The compact format hits just as hard as a longer novel.
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman is a compact, tightly written story filled with creeping dread and unease. While I am always down for a longer Chapman horror story, this one hit just right.
Bodies of Work hits bookstores everywhere on April 7, 2026 from Titan Books. The audiobook, narrated by Hannah Cabell, is available for preorder via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Bodies of Work from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
January 15, 2026
4⭐️
LOVED this! Think … Jacobs Ladder meets Ferngully meets the Gilgo Beach Killer.
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman is a meticulously controlled work of psychological horror where symbolism operates as narrative infrastructure.
The story follows Winston, an elderly recluse who has murdered six “forgotten girls,” removed their uvulas using sewing shears, and preserved them in a jar. Running parallel to this reality is an expansive internal narrative Winston has written, depicting the girls as butterflies living in an alternate realm and engaged in a war against masked soldiers. Much of the novella is narrated through the voices of these girls, a perspective that exists entirely within Winston’s fractured psyche.
Winston’s internal mythology is built from sustained childhood trauma and obsession. His father, a Korean War POW, introduced violent imagery into Winston’s early life, including presenting a severed ear and identifying it as a butterfly. His mother reinforced fear and bodily control by repeatedly threatening Winston with sewing shears and ultimately cutting off part of his earlobe. These experiences collapse violence, punishment, and transformation into a single psychological language that Winston later reenacts through ritualized murder.
Color imagery is vivid and persistent throughout Winston’s narrative. His imagined world is saturated with painterly detail, watercolor textures, and dreamlike hues that contrast sharply with the brutality of his actions. This heightened visual palette mirrors his dissociation and reinforces the artificial beauty of the reality he constructs to contain his crimes.
Central to this constructed world is Winston’s fixation on the Morton Salt Girl. As his psyche deteriorated in childhood, he believed the image spoke to him. The butterfly girls in his internal narrative all resemble this figure, an idealized and endlessly replicated symbol of innocence and movement frozen in time. Winston obsessively collects magazine clippings of children who resemble her, numbering in the hundreds or possibly thousands, further collapsing identity into repetition and image into control.
Chapman’s symbolic economy is precise. The gas masked soldiers reflect inherited war trauma. Butterflies signify distorted transformation rather than freedom. The sewing shears evolve from tools of maternal punishment into instruments of violence. Nothing in the narrative functions decoratively. Every image reinforces the same closed psychological system.
Winston is profoundly unstable, operating through dissociation and mythmaking that allows him to rationalize his actions without absolution. The story offers understanding without sympathy and concludes with a decisive reckoning.
For its length, Bodies of Work is exceptionally dense, visually striking, and structurally exact. It demonstrates how psychological horror achieves its greatest impact when imagery, trauma, and consequence are bound into a single, uncompromising design.
Huge, thanks to NetGalley, Clay, and Titan books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
LOVED this! Think … Jacobs Ladder meets Ferngully meets the Gilgo Beach Killer.
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman is a meticulously controlled work of psychological horror where symbolism operates as narrative infrastructure.
The story follows Winston, an elderly recluse who has murdered six “forgotten girls,” removed their uvulas using sewing shears, and preserved them in a jar. Running parallel to this reality is an expansive internal narrative Winston has written, depicting the girls as butterflies living in an alternate realm and engaged in a war against masked soldiers. Much of the novella is narrated through the voices of these girls, a perspective that exists entirely within Winston’s fractured psyche.
Winston’s internal mythology is built from sustained childhood trauma and obsession. His father, a Korean War POW, introduced violent imagery into Winston’s early life, including presenting a severed ear and identifying it as a butterfly. His mother reinforced fear and bodily control by repeatedly threatening Winston with sewing shears and ultimately cutting off part of his earlobe. These experiences collapse violence, punishment, and transformation into a single psychological language that Winston later reenacts through ritualized murder.
Color imagery is vivid and persistent throughout Winston’s narrative. His imagined world is saturated with painterly detail, watercolor textures, and dreamlike hues that contrast sharply with the brutality of his actions. This heightened visual palette mirrors his dissociation and reinforces the artificial beauty of the reality he constructs to contain his crimes.
Central to this constructed world is Winston’s fixation on the Morton Salt Girl. As his psyche deteriorated in childhood, he believed the image spoke to him. The butterfly girls in his internal narrative all resemble this figure, an idealized and endlessly replicated symbol of innocence and movement frozen in time. Winston obsessively collects magazine clippings of children who resemble her, numbering in the hundreds or possibly thousands, further collapsing identity into repetition and image into control.
Chapman’s symbolic economy is precise. The gas masked soldiers reflect inherited war trauma. Butterflies signify distorted transformation rather than freedom. The sewing shears evolve from tools of maternal punishment into instruments of violence. Nothing in the narrative functions decoratively. Every image reinforces the same closed psychological system.
Winston is profoundly unstable, operating through dissociation and mythmaking that allows him to rationalize his actions without absolution. The story offers understanding without sympathy and concludes with a decisive reckoning.
For its length, Bodies of Work is exceptionally dense, visually striking, and structurally exact. It demonstrates how psychological horror achieves its greatest impact when imagery, trauma, and consequence are bound into a single, uncompromising design.
Huge, thanks to NetGalley, Clay, and Titan books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There are a lot of subgenres that I have not yet explored as much as those who adore them and weird lit would be one of those. I’m not unfamiliar with it but I definitely am not an expert either. This book would probably fall into that category alongside those of horror and maybe some body horror, if we want to be more specific. There is a fantastical element to it as well but it is weird. On purpose and it makes the book fun to read but not so fun to review because I struggle knowing what to say about it.
Something that puts me off some of the “weird” books is that they are confusing in a way that’s not fun for me. Give a purpose to that confusion and I’m fine but often that doesn’t happen. I wouldn’t say “Bodies of work” is like that. It confused me how it was told but I understood all of it quickly. Still, I had to read it slowly because of that storytelling choice and that surprised me because it’s a shorter book. I’m not saying it can’t be binge read but I wasn’t able to do it. However, I still think it’s important to point out that it’s not a confusing book that can’t be understood. The plot and the message, while very odd at times, is pretty clear. And I appreciate that.
The premise is very interesting and what caught my attention (after the cover did because it’s so pretty). And yet the book is about so much more but it’s hard to summarise into two paragraphs. It takes a lot of skill to put so much into a smaller page count, honestly. Because the book is about the women Winston killed to turn into his “butterflies” but it’s also about Winston himself and how he became the person he is now. There is a lot of commentary that can be done through his story, especially that of his childhood. It really goes into the psychology of why someone turns the way he did. What factors play a part.
And that’s also the reason for the fantastical element of the story. It’s hard to comment about it without spoiling but I’ll try. That threw me off when I first read it but it also shows what’s going on in Winston’s mind. He’s a troubled person so that confusing storytelling technique makes sense.
I waited a few days to write the review on purpose because I believe this to be a story that will grow on me with time. And I already liked it now so I do look forward to a reread in the future which will probably make me raise the rating. But for now, I think a 3.25 would be the most accurate. Still a book that I would recommend a lot but maybe not to everyone. But a lot of people will get a lot from this story. Also great for anyone looking to step out of their comfort zone a little.
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Something that puts me off some of the “weird” books is that they are confusing in a way that’s not fun for me. Give a purpose to that confusion and I’m fine but often that doesn’t happen. I wouldn’t say “Bodies of work” is like that. It confused me how it was told but I understood all of it quickly. Still, I had to read it slowly because of that storytelling choice and that surprised me because it’s a shorter book. I’m not saying it can’t be binge read but I wasn’t able to do it. However, I still think it’s important to point out that it’s not a confusing book that can’t be understood. The plot and the message, while very odd at times, is pretty clear. And I appreciate that.
The premise is very interesting and what caught my attention (after the cover did because it’s so pretty). And yet the book is about so much more but it’s hard to summarise into two paragraphs. It takes a lot of skill to put so much into a smaller page count, honestly. Because the book is about the women Winston killed to turn into his “butterflies” but it’s also about Winston himself and how he became the person he is now. There is a lot of commentary that can be done through his story, especially that of his childhood. It really goes into the psychology of why someone turns the way he did. What factors play a part.
And that’s also the reason for the fantastical element of the story. It’s hard to comment about it without spoiling but I’ll try. That threw me off when I first read it but it also shows what’s going on in Winston’s mind. He’s a troubled person so that confusing storytelling technique makes sense.
I waited a few days to write the review on purpose because I believe this to be a story that will grow on me with time. And I already liked it now so I do look forward to a reread in the future which will probably make me raise the rating. But for now, I think a 3.25 would be the most accurate. Still a book that I would recommend a lot but maybe not to everyone. But a lot of people will get a lot from this story. Also great for anyone looking to step out of their comfort zone a little.
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Bodies of Work follows sixty-six year old Winston Kemper, who has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. No friends, no family. When he’s done with work, he returns home - and that is where his true work begins. Winston is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his ‘art’ he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one’s looking for. Winston takes their lives, their voices. But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge. Winston might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.
Reading Clay McLeod Chapman’s writing is always like being pulled into a story you know you should look away from, but somehow can’t, and Bodies of Work is another masterful example. I was adamant about starting off 2026 with this supernatural revenge novella, and I couldn’t have picked a better read.
Bodies of Work is haunting and uncomfortable in the best way horror always is. It’s intriguing, sad, engaging, and has a sense of unease that underpins the whole story. The plot gives a terrifying glimpse into the darker corners of art and imagination, and I loved how the blurred lines between creation, obsession, and pain are written.
The writing is vivid and perfectly showcases how much impact a novella can have. Every page is intentional and unsettling, and it’s impressive how such a beautiful, yet disturbing story is told in so few pages.
I’m glad Clay McLeod Chapman finally got to tell the story he’s been wanting to tell.
Thank you so much to Titan Books for sending me this copy to read and review. My opinions are my own.
Reading Clay McLeod Chapman’s writing is always like being pulled into a story you know you should look away from, but somehow can’t, and Bodies of Work is another masterful example. I was adamant about starting off 2026 with this supernatural revenge novella, and I couldn’t have picked a better read.
Bodies of Work is haunting and uncomfortable in the best way horror always is. It’s intriguing, sad, engaging, and has a sense of unease that underpins the whole story. The plot gives a terrifying glimpse into the darker corners of art and imagination, and I loved how the blurred lines between creation, obsession, and pain are written.
The writing is vivid and perfectly showcases how much impact a novella can have. Every page is intentional and unsettling, and it’s impressive how such a beautiful, yet disturbing story is told in so few pages.
I’m glad Clay McLeod Chapman finally got to tell the story he’s been wanting to tell.
Thank you so much to Titan Books for sending me this copy to read and review. My opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Every single time I see Clay hint at a new book I get so excited, they have been so freaking good.
I was so excited to get to read this one early, so thank you thank you!
Where does he come up with these ideas??
Winston is one of those people that get passed by and you think, oh I passed a person but you dont really recall anything about them, like weird glitch.. He does his job, he does what is expected and blends in with the background, until he gets home that is.
I don’t know how to explain to you his collection, so stealing from Clay and staying he collects voices in what might seem like a normal hobby but is dark and sinister in a way I should have expected and did not, perhaps like some of these girls.
Winston is terrible, his voices, his collection is of the worst kind, not of found and collected things but of stolen voices, lives and from what he’s about to find out souls as well, these women are angry and remember their pain, their target and Winston when they were at they’re most lowest took the day things they had left.
This book was a hard read for me, I hated Winston but there were times it almost made me think, wow this guy, but I would be right back to holding my pitch fork as we got deeper in the book, the things he did to these women were terrible horrible things and he did them because he could and he knew that, it some how made all of this more degrading and twisted.
This was another great read from Clay, you start out reading a horror story and end up emotional and feeling like you have whiplash, love it!
I was so excited to get to read this one early, so thank you thank you!
Where does he come up with these ideas??
Winston is one of those people that get passed by and you think, oh I passed a person but you dont really recall anything about them, like weird glitch.. He does his job, he does what is expected and blends in with the background, until he gets home that is.
I don’t know how to explain to you his collection, so stealing from Clay and staying he collects voices in what might seem like a normal hobby but is dark and sinister in a way I should have expected and did not, perhaps like some of these girls.
Winston is terrible, his voices, his collection is of the worst kind, not of found and collected things but of stolen voices, lives and from what he’s about to find out souls as well, these women are angry and remember their pain, their target and Winston when they were at they’re most lowest took the day things they had left.
This book was a hard read for me, I hated Winston but there were times it almost made me think, wow this guy, but I would be right back to holding my pitch fork as we got deeper in the book, the things he did to these women were terrible horrible things and he did them because he could and he knew that, it some how made all of this more degrading and twisted.
This was another great read from Clay, you start out reading a horror story and end up emotional and feeling like you have whiplash, love it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Received an ARC from Netgalley
A supernatural revenge story, told through the perspectives of the murder victim's ghosts? Heck yeah.
TI enjoyed the unique perspective of the story telling, told via multiple voices at once (the women that Winston, our main character, has murdered over the course of many years). It is part revenge story, and also part character study--we learn about Winston's past and all of the various factors that went into him turning out the way that he did. At certain points, you almost feel bad for him. I appreciate a book that can give you complicated feelings about the villain, and that definitely happened here.
The novella-length makes it quite bingeable--it is a snappy little read and I think the author does a great job of packing a story that feels quite fleshed out into a relatively short amount of pages, which is impressive.
I will say this: The writing style is a bit fever-dreamy in the way that the popular "weird" books are these days. The weird lit girlies will probably love it for this very reason. I am personally not a huge fan of this sort of writing style, and I admit that I struggled a little bit in some parts of the book because of this. This is absolutely my personal preference though, and I mention it only as a note for others who feel similarly, not to say that this book was in any way a bad or disappointing read. Overall I enjoyed it and I think it is worth picking up!
A supernatural revenge story, told through the perspectives of the murder victim's ghosts? Heck yeah.
TI enjoyed the unique perspective of the story telling, told via multiple voices at once (the women that Winston, our main character, has murdered over the course of many years). It is part revenge story, and also part character study--we learn about Winston's past and all of the various factors that went into him turning out the way that he did. At certain points, you almost feel bad for him. I appreciate a book that can give you complicated feelings about the villain, and that definitely happened here.
The novella-length makes it quite bingeable--it is a snappy little read and I think the author does a great job of packing a story that feels quite fleshed out into a relatively short amount of pages, which is impressive.
I will say this: The writing style is a bit fever-dreamy in the way that the popular "weird" books are these days. The weird lit girlies will probably love it for this very reason. I am personally not a huge fan of this sort of writing style, and I admit that I struggled a little bit in some parts of the book because of this. This is absolutely my personal preference though, and I mention it only as a note for others who feel similarly, not to say that this book was in any way a bad or disappointing read. Overall I enjoyed it and I think it is worth picking up!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Do our names matter? Not to him."
I have many mixed feelings about this book, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. The premise is intriguing, and there's so much potential for this story. But does it work? Yes and no. The writing and women specifically feel quite juvenile at times, and although I believe it to be intentional, it didn't mean I had to like it. I think the biggest fault of the book is how choppy it can feel. Which, yes, maybe that's another intentional element from the author, but it makes everything all the more confusing at times.
I've never read anything from this author before, so maybe this fever-dream-like style is his forte. It will work for some people, but I know I'm not one of them. The "battles" were my least favorite parts of the story. I touched on this earlier in my review, but I hated how the women spoke. It all felt very childish and a disconnect from the rest of the story. I know I would've preferred this novella a lot more if it stayed on the path of the woman narrating for us.
I'm sure this story will find its target audience, and they'll love it. It had some great moments, but most of the story didn't land well enough for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have many mixed feelings about this book, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. The premise is intriguing, and there's so much potential for this story. But does it work? Yes and no. The writing and women specifically feel quite juvenile at times, and although I believe it to be intentional, it didn't mean I had to like it. I think the biggest fault of the book is how choppy it can feel. Which, yes, maybe that's another intentional element from the author, but it makes everything all the more confusing at times.
I've never read anything from this author before, so maybe this fever-dream-like style is his forte. It will work for some people, but I know I'm not one of them. The "battles" were my least favorite parts of the story. I touched on this earlier in my review, but I hated how the women spoke. It all felt very childish and a disconnect from the rest of the story. I know I would've preferred this novella a lot more if it stayed on the path of the woman narrating for us.
I'm sure this story will find its target audience, and they'll love it. It had some great moments, but most of the story didn't land well enough for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
This was... a weird one. I enjoyed a previous book by the author, so I was interested in reading this one and seeing what the author cooked up.
It was very fever dream-esque. We have our main character, Walter, who is an elderly man convinced he's on a mission to send seven sisters to the Nether Realm to help in the fight against invaders, which means he's killing women in the real world. He believes it's his mission from God, and because no one suspects an old man with questionable hygiene and obvious mental health issues, he manages to kill six women without anyone noticing.
My main problem is that the book just felt a little hard to understand. I was glad it was a novella, because I would've really struggled with something bigger. We're told the story via the dead women, who basically narrate Walter's story and argue with each other. But then we also have scenes in the Nether Realm, and I just found myself a little confused about what was going on. The horror aspect was obviously the subtle body horror and the haunting of Walter, but it just felt a little too confusing for me to really enjoy, or even understand.
This was... a weird one. I enjoyed a previous book by the author, so I was interested in reading this one and seeing what the author cooked up.
It was very fever dream-esque. We have our main character, Walter, who is an elderly man convinced he's on a mission to send seven sisters to the Nether Realm to help in the fight against invaders, which means he's killing women in the real world. He believes it's his mission from God, and because no one suspects an old man with questionable hygiene and obvious mental health issues, he manages to kill six women without anyone noticing.
My main problem is that the book just felt a little hard to understand. I was glad it was a novella, because I would've really struggled with something bigger. We're told the story via the dead women, who basically narrate Walter's story and argue with each other. But then we also have scenes in the Nether Realm, and I just found myself a little confused about what was going on. The horror aspect was obviously the subtle body horror and the haunting of Walter, but it just felt a little too confusing for me to really enjoy, or even understand.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Now that Chapman has officially established himself as the current horror darling with his uber visceral, contemporary sociopolitical nightmare Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, he decided to do something a bit more artistic.
As in, this novella, literally Inspired by real-life works of art, is a dreamier, less message-forward take on the macabre relationship between a serial killer and his victims. Not the most original of dynamics: the victims are all females caught at a difficult time in their lives like butterflies by the killer's net. And then, of course, they unite in gurrrrl power to defeat him.
But what's interesting here is after such tediously heavy-handed recent work, Chapman actually focused on nuance and made every effort to write something beautiful and atmospheric. When not pandering to the crowd with his inimitable choppy, almost stream of conscious style, Chapman can actually write very well. This novella is a nice reminder of that.
And, while the victim characters are rather cliched, the serial killer is fleshed out as a rather complex monster.
The result is me uprating this book to four stars, a full star above Chapman's recent output.
Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
As in, this novella, literally Inspired by real-life works of art, is a dreamier, less message-forward take on the macabre relationship between a serial killer and his victims. Not the most original of dynamics: the victims are all females caught at a difficult time in their lives like butterflies by the killer's net. And then, of course, they unite in gurrrrl power to defeat him.
But what's interesting here is after such tediously heavy-handed recent work, Chapman actually focused on nuance and made every effort to write something beautiful and atmospheric. When not pandering to the crowd with his inimitable choppy, almost stream of conscious style, Chapman can actually write very well. This novella is a nice reminder of that.
And, while the victim characters are rather cliched, the serial killer is fleshed out as a rather complex monster.
The result is me uprating this book to four stars, a full star above Chapman's recent output.
Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Upon reading the acknowledgements, I see that this book was written as a fictional story, but referencing a real man’s life. This real man, Henry Darger, was a poor recluse who worked as a janitor and had a massive and hidden body of artwork and writing that was found upon his death. Sad that he is referenced here in a serial killer story.
This fictional story has named the MMC Kemper, which honestly brings to mind serial killer Edmund Kemper… how could it not? The book’s Kemper is also a serial killer. They both killed 6-7 women. They both had a father in the military, and a dysfunctional relationship with an alcoholic mother. It’s always the mother’s fault, right? It even says so in this book, but the author made it so again.
What bothers me the most is the murdered women in this story are Kemper’s muses and sing his praises. They pity him. They are devoted to him. It’s gross. The ending wasn’t enough to make me like any of the rest of it. It feels like an injustice was done to Henry Darger and to all the women who have been murdered.
Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC. Pub date April 7, 2026
This fictional story has named the MMC Kemper, which honestly brings to mind serial killer Edmund Kemper… how could it not? The book’s Kemper is also a serial killer. They both killed 6-7 women. They both had a father in the military, and a dysfunctional relationship with an alcoholic mother. It’s always the mother’s fault, right? It even says so in this book, but the author made it so again.
What bothers me the most is the murdered women in this story are Kemper’s muses and sing his praises. They pity him. They are devoted to him. It’s gross. The ending wasn’t enough to make me like any of the rest of it. It feels like an injustice was done to Henry Darger and to all the women who have been murdered.
Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC. Pub date April 7, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Clay McLeod Chapman has a reputation for crafting unsettling, atmospheric horror, and the premise of this novella certainly reflects that reputation: a reclusive, ageing janitor whose “art” is built from the voices of the women he has murdered, only for those voices to rise up and demand revenge. It’s a chilling, surreal setup with all the ingredients of a psychological and supernatural descent.
Unfortunately, despite the strength of the concept, I wasn’t able to finish the book. I only made it through the first couple of chapters before realising that the writing style simply didn’t work for me. Chapman leans heavily into a dreamlike, fragmented tone that some readers will find immersive, but I struggled to connect with it. Instead of pulling me deeper into Winston Kemper’s disturbing inner world, the prose kept me at a distance.
For me, though, the execution didn’t quite land. The atmosphere was strong, but the style made it difficult to settle into the story, and I couldn’t push past those early chapters. This is likely a case of the right book for the wrong reader rather than a flaw in the story itself.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bodies of Work is a novella about a man who is an outsider, an artist, and a murderer, haunted by the spirits of the "Butterfly Girls" he killed. Winston is now in his sixties, having spent his life as an outcast, but also working on his magnum opus, which he believes is his calling, and the creation of which doesn't just include words and pictures, but also killing lost women. These women talk to him, dreaming of revenge.
I've had mixed reactions to the other books I've read by Clay McLeod Chapman, and unfortunately this one wasn't up my street. I appreciate the narrative style—partly told through the voices of the murdered women, like a chorus—and the story of a killer hidden in plain sight. However, I found the plot didn't really hold my interest and I didn't like the segments of the dead women in a kind of otherworldly battle, which I don't think had their intended impact on me. Generally, I just don't think this book ended up being my type of horror, as it barely felt like horror at all to me, and by the end I was just thinking about (what I could remember of) The Collector. I'm sure other people will enjoy it, but for me, it was just a bit bland.
I've had mixed reactions to the other books I've read by Clay McLeod Chapman, and unfortunately this one wasn't up my street. I appreciate the narrative style—partly told through the voices of the murdered women, like a chorus—and the story of a killer hidden in plain sight. However, I found the plot didn't really hold my interest and I didn't like the segments of the dead women in a kind of otherworldly battle, which I don't think had their intended impact on me. Generally, I just don't think this book ended up being my type of horror, as it barely felt like horror at all to me, and by the end I was just thinking about (what I could remember of) The Collector. I'm sure other people will enjoy it, but for me, it was just a bit bland.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
I would like to thank @netgalley and Titan Books for this wonderful novella I got from one of my favorite horror authors! @claymcleod
About the novella:
Winston is an old man now, his glory days in the past. The church is his home, his refuge and his hunting place. Yes, he is a murderer. He has killed many times and most likely he will do it again.
The problem you’ll see, is that Winston can’t get rid of them. Not entirely. They stay in his head and having so many women in your head, taking to you all the time, can be deadly.
My thoughts 💭
Thank you Clay! We love you for creating this bizarre, wild, darker than night stories! I just felt for the poor guy and I struggled deeply because hey! He was a murderer, a perverse waste of a human being. But on the other hand, his story…
Here is where Clay McLeod Chapman shows how brilliant he is! Delivering a murderer with such a background story. Talk to me about a moral dilemma! Simply perfection!
I would like to thank @netgalley and Titan Books for this wonderful novella I got from one of my favorite horror authors! @claymcleod
About the novella:
Winston is an old man now, his glory days in the past. The church is his home, his refuge and his hunting place. Yes, he is a murderer. He has killed many times and most likely he will do it again.
The problem you’ll see, is that Winston can’t get rid of them. Not entirely. They stay in his head and having so many women in your head, taking to you all the time, can be deadly.
My thoughts 💭
Thank you Clay! We love you for creating this bizarre, wild, darker than night stories! I just felt for the poor guy and I struggled deeply because hey! He was a murderer, a perverse waste of a human being. But on the other hand, his story…
Here is where Clay McLeod Chapman shows how brilliant he is! Delivering a murderer with such a background story. Talk to me about a moral dilemma! Simply perfection!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What lengths would a person go to fulfill their role in a delusional purpose? Winston must find the seven Butterfly sisters so they may combat the soldiers of the nether realm! How does he fulfill this purpose? By murdering young women who seek shelter in the church he works and hiding the bodies in aging barrels left by FEMA.
At first this book reads in a confusing and disjointed manner until your realize who is actually telling the story. When that voice fleshes (ha) out you find yourself swept up in the telling of anger, revenge, and fear of being forgotten. I feel this book artfully questions morality of serving a higher calling when the acts are so dreadful. As a reader I know it’s wrong, but I can see how the delusional obsession came to be!
This books weaves multiple stories forming a claustrophobic web of multiple realities. There is a stark beauty to the horror as we learn the story of Winston and his Butterfly Girls.
At first this book reads in a confusing and disjointed manner until your realize who is actually telling the story. When that voice fleshes (ha) out you find yourself swept up in the telling of anger, revenge, and fear of being forgotten. I feel this book artfully questions morality of serving a higher calling when the acts are so dreadful. As a reader I know it’s wrong, but I can see how the delusional obsession came to be!
This books weaves multiple stories forming a claustrophobic web of multiple realities. There is a stark beauty to the horror as we learn the story of Winston and his Butterfly Girls.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was not for me. As a big admirer of Clay McLeod Chapman, I was excited to get this ARC but was disappointed. It feels like multiple stories shoved into one novella under 200 pages. The different versions of storytelling don't meld well, and it leaves all of the characters feeling underdeveloped. Chapman states this story is based on Henry Darger, who was an artist that became known after passing away, but making him a murderer in this fictional retelling is an odd choice of homage.
66-year-old Winston Kemper is a janitor at a local church, a bit of a town sad sack, and also a murderer. He has been murdering women for years for the sake of his 'art'. The Butterfly Girls as he calls them, and as they call themselves, are women who fell through the cracks, with no one looking to find them. He is close to his seventh, and final, victim, but the women he has killed before are planning to stop him.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
66-year-old Winston Kemper is a janitor at a local church, a bit of a town sad sack, and also a murderer. He has been murdering women for years for the sake of his 'art'. The Butterfly Girls as he calls them, and as they call themselves, are women who fell through the cracks, with no one looking to find them. He is close to his seventh, and final, victim, but the women he has killed before are planning to stop him.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
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