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Apex Prey #2
Apex Prey
Meet Polly.
Polly values her youthful looks. Her youth is everything to her, and she ensures it is kept for as long as possible.
There are many things she can buy, like Botox, peelings, gym subscriptions, etc., but there’s one thing she can’t get except from them…
Her looks lure them in.
Predators are looking for their next defenseless prey.
They never came across a prey like her. An Apex Prey...
but then he comes along, and Polly needs to make a decision… love or youth?
This is an extreme horror novella. Consider this a trigger warning for just about everything. 18+
Polly values her youthful looks. Her youth is everything to her, and she ensures it is kept for as long as possible.
There are many things she can buy, like Botox, peelings, gym subscriptions, etc., but there’s one thing she can’t get except from them…
Her looks lure them in.
Predators are looking for their next defenseless prey.
They never came across a prey like her. An Apex Prey...
but then he comes along, and Polly needs to make a decision… love or youth?
This is an extreme horror novella. Consider this a trigger warning for just about everything. 18+
- GenresHorrorDark Romance
175 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2025
55 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Lesley A. Camphouse
21 books208 followersLesley lives secluded in the Netherlands with her husband and five cats. She enjoys writing Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, and Dark Romantasy.
Besides writing, she likes to read, and those exact categories are the ones she devours.
She's also a hoarder of trinkets and cool things and collects a lot of stuff, from oddities and curiosities to manga, comics, and figurines.
Besides writing, she likes to read, and those exact categories are the ones she devours.
She's also a hoarder of trinkets and cool things and collects a lot of stuff, from oddities and curiosities to manga, comics, and figurines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 9, 2025
Wow…just wow. All of the trigger warnings here were completely warranted. This was extreme horror ‘to a t.’ Polly, our lead, had an ungodly amount of trauma and abuse. And it all shaped her into a sadistic, vengeful, self-destructive killer. Her entire adult life, which hadn’t been long at all, was all devised around her unfortunate circumstances. The use of PTSD was fantastic and relatively accurate. And I want to compliment the author for not trying too hard to make Polly’s reasoning for her lifestyle choices logical. At her level of trauma, sound reasoning is sort of out the window. I did want to see more of her dynamics with Dylan, which felt very rushed. Tons of plot points thrown in at a rapid fire pace overcomplicated things a bit too much. And with so much repetitive focus on the body horror of her victims, it got old rather quickly. By reducing maybe a few of those instances and putting the attention on the budding ‘mad love’ dynamic between Polly and Dylan, it would have made everything feel more balanced and with proper resolution. Still a very powerful, gritty, and intense reading experience from Lesley Camphouse
June 11, 2025
This prey eats its predators alive and enjoys it.
Apex Prey is a story of utterly chaotic and dangerous feminine rage.
Polly is a nineteen year old woman dealing with deep, unresolved trauma. Absolutely obsessed with maintaining a youthful appearance due to severe abuse in childhood— she lives a calculated life to sustain her intentionally juvenile looks. Constantly mistaken for a twelve year old, Polly uses her childlike presentation for vengeance.
She spends her time on the Teen Whores online forum as PollytheDolly2010, where she scouts out and lures pedophilic men to their excruciating deaths.
Men serve Polly no purpose. They’re sick, disgusting, and hold fantasies within them that are nothing short of monstrous. Men are for playtime— for killing and slaughtering with fun tools and experimental methods.
So when Polly comes across Dylan, a man who may be different than the rest— she’s thrown further into the rabbit hole of emotions.
But Dylan has his own traumas, ones that don’t mix with Polly’s. This crazy, psychotic, and trauma-fueled connection calls for another storyline that will leave your jaw on the floor.
Apex Prey was an absolutely vile read. Polly has to be one of the most raging women I’ve read about in a long time— but she is one that chooses to dump her trauma on those that especially deserve it. The intense, graphic kill scenes made absolute sense and stood as more than gore for gore’s sake.
I mean, she’s annihilating pedophiles.
But aside from the gore-infused pages, there’s more to this story on its underside. Apex Prey is about societal standards and pressures towards women. What is expected of them, how women deserve to be treated when they do or don’t hit that expectation (which is negative in most cases either way), and the trauma many young girls and women face at the hands of men.
This book was actually splatterpunk— gore with underlying and powerful themes.
Apex Prey was a ★ ★ ★ ★ star read for me. I found the premise intriguing, the main character to be absolutely filled with feminine rage, and the kills were over the top and necessary. The writing was blunt, which I figured to be intentional— but sometimes it took me out of the story. I did find the ending to be abrupt and unfulfilling, but that’s just my personal opinion. This was my first time reading a Camphouse splatterpunk, and I’ll definitely be looking into other books by the author.
Apex Prey is a story of utterly chaotic and dangerous feminine rage.
Polly is a nineteen year old woman dealing with deep, unresolved trauma. Absolutely obsessed with maintaining a youthful appearance due to severe abuse in childhood— she lives a calculated life to sustain her intentionally juvenile looks. Constantly mistaken for a twelve year old, Polly uses her childlike presentation for vengeance.
She spends her time on the Teen Whores online forum as PollytheDolly2010, where she scouts out and lures pedophilic men to their excruciating deaths.
Men serve Polly no purpose. They’re sick, disgusting, and hold fantasies within them that are nothing short of monstrous. Men are for playtime— for killing and slaughtering with fun tools and experimental methods.
So when Polly comes across Dylan, a man who may be different than the rest— she’s thrown further into the rabbit hole of emotions.
But Dylan has his own traumas, ones that don’t mix with Polly’s. This crazy, psychotic, and trauma-fueled connection calls for another storyline that will leave your jaw on the floor.
Apex Prey was an absolutely vile read. Polly has to be one of the most raging women I’ve read about in a long time— but she is one that chooses to dump her trauma on those that especially deserve it. The intense, graphic kill scenes made absolute sense and stood as more than gore for gore’s sake.
I mean, she’s annihilating pedophiles.
But aside from the gore-infused pages, there’s more to this story on its underside. Apex Prey is about societal standards and pressures towards women. What is expected of them, how women deserve to be treated when they do or don’t hit that expectation (which is negative in most cases either way), and the trauma many young girls and women face at the hands of men.
This book was actually splatterpunk— gore with underlying and powerful themes.
Apex Prey was a ★ ★ ★ ★ star read for me. I found the premise intriguing, the main character to be absolutely filled with feminine rage, and the kills were over the top and necessary. The writing was blunt, which I figured to be intentional— but sometimes it took me out of the story. I did find the ending to be abrupt and unfulfilling, but that’s just my personal opinion. This was my first time reading a Camphouse splatterpunk, and I’ll definitely be looking into other books by the author.
June 17, 2025
The best way to describe this book as Dexter Meets Dateline.
This book is about a woman name Polly. She spares no expense to keep her youth in place. She does the good Lord’s work with luring these predators in but they don’t check out. The best way to lure predators in is to look appealing, young , and as innocent as possible.
Three words to describe this book: Creepy, Dark, and Twisted.
This book is best describe as a roller coaster ride with snippets of her past which is a nice touch that adds to the multiple layers of this book. Honestly at this point anything Lesley writes I’ll read. Her talent is amazing and she is a gifted storyteller. Definitely will recommend this book to anyone that has a strong stomach and likes to be captured in a story. Make sure your stomach is strong and your triggers are checked.
This book is about a woman name Polly. She spares no expense to keep her youth in place. She does the good Lord’s work with luring these predators in but they don’t check out. The best way to lure predators in is to look appealing, young , and as innocent as possible.
Three words to describe this book: Creepy, Dark, and Twisted.
This book is best describe as a roller coaster ride with snippets of her past which is a nice touch that adds to the multiple layers of this book. Honestly at this point anything Lesley writes I’ll read. Her talent is amazing and she is a gifted storyteller. Definitely will recommend this book to anyone that has a strong stomach and likes to be captured in a story. Make sure your stomach is strong and your triggers are checked.
January 12, 2025
Female rage with a delulu woman? I love nothing more than that. Hunting down pedophiles and use them for her own vanity? Honestly ✨️so cute✨️.
You can feel the anger through the pages. It hurts, but it's beautiful. Both the anger and the killing of pedophiles, ofcourse.
And my penis (that I do not own!!) HURT LIKE HELL while reading. Camphouse sure as hell knows how to make one suffer.
You can feel the anger through the pages. It hurts, but it's beautiful. Both the anger and the killing of pedophiles, ofcourse.
And my penis (that I do not own!!) HURT LIKE HELL while reading. Camphouse sure as hell knows how to make one suffer.
January 25, 2025
This novella comes with a full page of trigger warnings, so please take that seriously. The story follows Polly, an adult survivor of unimaginable trauma who has made it her life’s mission to hunt and kill pedophiles. Once the prey, now the hunter. Given the subject matter, you can imagine the content warnings as the author lays bare Polly’s harrowing story.
What stood out to me was the writing. It’s matter-of-fact, reflecting Polly’s direct and no-nonsense way of thinking. I also appreciated how the story didn’t solely focus on Polly’s mission—it dives into her personal life, touching on her relationships, health, and her attempts to build something resembling “normalcy”. By the end, though, we’re left with the harsh reminder that sometimes, no matter how much control we think we have, life has a way of taking that from us.
And Cleopatra bathing in milk to stay young? Yeah, there’s a parallel here, but this version is steeped in blood and vengeance.
Beyond the gore and violence, this book explores the harsh realities of being a woman in today’s society. It shines a light on the impossible standards we’re expected to meet—how we should look, act, and behave to “fit” in. Even worse, when terrible things happen to us, society has a way of making us blame ourselves for what was never our fault to begin with.
September 23, 2025
I finished "Apex Prey" by Lesley A. Camphouse this morning. A couple of days later than I projected, but I was not able to read these past two evenings, no reflection on the book.
I have mixed emotions about the book, but I must say that it was highly readable and captured my attention. The short novel does have an underlying message albeit not a new one. It has extreme horror content to spare but the author provides just enough backstory for the novel to meet a splatterpunk designation in my opinion.
My tentative rating is 3.75 rounded to 4.0. I would like to explore some of my qualms and highlights in a proper revieew.
BOOK REVIEW PENDING
I have mixed emotions about the book, but I must say that it was highly readable and captured my attention. The short novel does have an underlying message albeit not a new one. It has extreme horror content to spare but the author provides just enough backstory for the novel to meet a splatterpunk designation in my opinion.
My tentative rating is 3.75 rounded to 4.0. I would like to explore some of my qualms and highlights in a proper revieew.
BOOK REVIEW PENDING
February 13, 2025
You can find this review and all my others over at Read Book. Repeat
Polly is pretty. Polly is youthful. Polly is deadly.
Everything she needs to stay looking young, she can buy; Botox, gym memberships, facial peels, everything except for one...she can only get this from them. The predators that she hunts; those looking for helpless prey. They don't expect Polly though, they don't expect an apex prey. Her life is regimented until she meets him. He makes her question everything, even whether she stays youthful, or does she choose love?
I haven't read a lot of extreme horror or Splatterpunk, but I've been slowly branching out because I want to try all facets of horror. I own a horror bookstore after all. This one did push me. But I weirdly enjoyed it. It was like a crazy fever dream of violence, gore and sex. I will admit, some of the ways that Polly would dispatch her prey made me cringe and grit my teeth, while her methods were deserved completely, it didn't take away the teeth hurting thought of the level of pain they were experiencing.
You learn from the get-go why Polly does what she does, we'll not exactly the why, but you learn what she's doing straight away and in all honesty? I'm all for it. There's a reason, there is a solid damn reason, and I can't fault her for her choices. When you do learn the why behind literally everything, I really felt for her. Besides the things that she experienced in her childhood, there are some solid themes that run throughout this book. Namely that around society and how it views women. Always having ads and products thrown in our faces to look younger, thinner, have more stamina, look prettier; it's a never-ending cycle and I love that this story does give a look at the extents that some people do go to in order to be all of those things, simply because society tells them they should.
I did have to take some breaks while reading this one because it holds zero punches, and it can be quite full on at times. I felt like I was barely holding my head above water sometimes, because it is quite dark. If you have triggers, might I suggest checking those warnings before jumping in. Just when I thought we'd gone pretty far down the hole, something else would happen that would make me go "Nope, there's still more". I loved the story line itself, you have Polly who is doing what she's doing, but when you add in a love interest, it does tend to complicate things. So, it was interesting seeing how she juggled her extracurricular activities and a new lover as well. One thing I also noticed as I was reading, was the voice of Polly. I'm not sure if it's because, in reality, mentally Polly was probably still a preteen, or whether it was an unintentional happenstance from the author, but Polly's voice did sound quite young, her thought patterns and the way she reacted to different things was almost like a child, and whether this was deliberate or not, it doesn't matter, because it did work for it.
While I did feel for Polly, she also frightened me, which is what you want from a horror novel, she was both the protagonist and the antagonist I feel. I wanted to like Polly, but I don't think that I actually did if I'm honest. I was heavily invested in her story, but man, she was screwed up. I feel like this story also really illustrated how trauma can affect someone, especially trauma experienced as a child. It can really impact people way more than anyone realises, I believe.
All in all, I don't want to go too in depth because I don't want to spoil anything. If you're looking for a splatterpunk read that has interesting characters and feels like some kind of fever dream, look no further, this is your book. Do be careful before diving in, as there is a lot of gore, violence and other things happening in this story that may impact someone's mental health.
Polly is pretty. Polly is youthful. Polly is deadly.
Everything she needs to stay looking young, she can buy; Botox, gym memberships, facial peels, everything except for one...she can only get this from them. The predators that she hunts; those looking for helpless prey. They don't expect Polly though, they don't expect an apex prey. Her life is regimented until she meets him. He makes her question everything, even whether she stays youthful, or does she choose love?
I haven't read a lot of extreme horror or Splatterpunk, but I've been slowly branching out because I want to try all facets of horror. I own a horror bookstore after all. This one did push me. But I weirdly enjoyed it. It was like a crazy fever dream of violence, gore and sex. I will admit, some of the ways that Polly would dispatch her prey made me cringe and grit my teeth, while her methods were deserved completely, it didn't take away the teeth hurting thought of the level of pain they were experiencing.
You learn from the get-go why Polly does what she does, we'll not exactly the why, but you learn what she's doing straight away and in all honesty? I'm all for it. There's a reason, there is a solid damn reason, and I can't fault her for her choices. When you do learn the why behind literally everything, I really felt for her. Besides the things that she experienced in her childhood, there are some solid themes that run throughout this book. Namely that around society and how it views women. Always having ads and products thrown in our faces to look younger, thinner, have more stamina, look prettier; it's a never-ending cycle and I love that this story does give a look at the extents that some people do go to in order to be all of those things, simply because society tells them they should.
I did have to take some breaks while reading this one because it holds zero punches, and it can be quite full on at times. I felt like I was barely holding my head above water sometimes, because it is quite dark. If you have triggers, might I suggest checking those warnings before jumping in. Just when I thought we'd gone pretty far down the hole, something else would happen that would make me go "Nope, there's still more". I loved the story line itself, you have Polly who is doing what she's doing, but when you add in a love interest, it does tend to complicate things. So, it was interesting seeing how she juggled her extracurricular activities and a new lover as well. One thing I also noticed as I was reading, was the voice of Polly. I'm not sure if it's because, in reality, mentally Polly was probably still a preteen, or whether it was an unintentional happenstance from the author, but Polly's voice did sound quite young, her thought patterns and the way she reacted to different things was almost like a child, and whether this was deliberate or not, it doesn't matter, because it did work for it.
While I did feel for Polly, she also frightened me, which is what you want from a horror novel, she was both the protagonist and the antagonist I feel. I wanted to like Polly, but I don't think that I actually did if I'm honest. I was heavily invested in her story, but man, she was screwed up. I feel like this story also really illustrated how trauma can affect someone, especially trauma experienced as a child. It can really impact people way more than anyone realises, I believe.
All in all, I don't want to go too in depth because I don't want to spoil anything. If you're looking for a splatterpunk read that has interesting characters and feels like some kind of fever dream, look no further, this is your book. Do be careful before diving in, as there is a lot of gore, violence and other things happening in this story that may impact someone's mental health.
May 13, 2025
so here's the thing.
while the story concept was interesting and the torture scenes were really creative and fun, my experience of a book is usually led by the writing style, and my brain just found this writing style hard to read. between spelling/grammar errors and strange switching in time perspective, i feel like this book could have used a few more drafts to work out some of those kinks to make it more easily readable.
now to the actual story. which i really appreciated for the most part. to me this is so vampire core without being about actual vampires. but it gets to the gist of it, the addiction and obsession, the hunting, the doomed romance. there were a few plot points that felt a bit shoehorned in to me (particularly near the end) and some parts i found really interesting were rushed over pretty quickly or even skipped entirely. the emotional core was not as strong as i would have liked it to be, in the sense that the book quite rarely explored what was beneath the rage and need for revenge. because of that, it ended up becoming a little too one note near the end.
anyway, fun torture good gore. nauseauting /pos
while the story concept was interesting and the torture scenes were really creative and fun, my experience of a book is usually led by the writing style, and my brain just found this writing style hard to read. between spelling/grammar errors and strange switching in time perspective, i feel like this book could have used a few more drafts to work out some of those kinks to make it more easily readable.
now to the actual story. which i really appreciated for the most part. to me this is so vampire core without being about actual vampires. but it gets to the gist of it, the addiction and obsession, the hunting, the doomed romance. there were a few plot points that felt a bit shoehorned in to me (particularly near the end) and some parts i found really interesting were rushed over pretty quickly or even skipped entirely. the emotional core was not as strong as i would have liked it to be, in the sense that the book quite rarely explored what was beneath the rage and need for revenge. because of that, it ended up becoming a little too one note near the end.
anyway, fun torture good gore. nauseauting /pos
January 16, 2025
Apex Prey introduces us to Polly, a character who is obsessed with maintaining her youthful appearance - a fixation which serves a sinister purpose that evoked in me a visceral response and lingered long after the final page. Perfectly in tune with the genre. Polly's dark and twisted path lays bare the psyche of prey turned predator, and how the tables have turned! Lesley Camphouse's portrayal of the Polly captures the raw anger of a woman seeking justice, taking vengeance into her own hands in her own explicit way.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. But let's be honest, you're here because you crave the gorey, the harrowing and the weird, which you will absolutely find here. If you're looking for a bold, bloody and tormented tale of revenge, "Apex Prey" is a must-read which bites back!
This novel is not for the faint of heart. But let's be honest, you're here because you crave the gorey, the harrowing and the weird, which you will absolutely find here. If you're looking for a bold, bloody and tormented tale of revenge, "Apex Prey" is a must-read which bites back!
February 11, 2025
I love a good revenge story, and this one is amazing!
Apex Prey introduces us to Polly, a somewhat morally grey character who gives off major Patrick Bateman vibes. Obssessed with retaining her youthful appearance, she does everything she can to appear more appealing to men who are attracted to young girls. She then spends her time torturing and killing them, whilst also trying to juggle a new relationship.
There are some good twists as the story progresses and as her meticulous planning starts to slip. There is constant gore throughout which, despite the premise of the book, doesn’t ever feel repetitive; Polly is very creative!
Apex Prey introduces us to Polly, a somewhat morally grey character who gives off major Patrick Bateman vibes. Obssessed with retaining her youthful appearance, she does everything she can to appear more appealing to men who are attracted to young girls. She then spends her time torturing and killing them, whilst also trying to juggle a new relationship.
There are some good twists as the story progresses and as her meticulous planning starts to slip. There is constant gore throughout which, despite the premise of the book, doesn’t ever feel repetitive; Polly is very creative!
August 13, 2025
Abused women who snap and go on killing sprees is probably more common that we think. Hunting down Paedophiles, luring them in and returning their sick fantasy's back to them... what's not to love about that? The underlying truth that encompasses this story of how being abused can impact a person makes this read even more haunting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2025
Polly is one messed up chick
April 26, 2025
Polly uses the internet to hunt down pedophiles and makes them suffer in the worst ways imaginable. She has no shame in her game and knows the acts she commits are for the greater good. She wants their blood, in more ways than one. When a possible love interest enters her world, things get a bit complicated.
~MY THOUGHTS~
Lots of trigger earnings as is expected when reading a Lesley Camphouse book. This time falling on the more sexual, deviant, torturous and mutilating side.
I enjoy an unhinged powerful woman protagonist. The fact that she is ruthless and sassy just adds to the whole female rage plot that I very much enjoyed. Polly does what Polly wants. She’s ridding the world of the most despicable human beings and happy to do it.
Adding Dylan into the mix was a nice touch.
What a character. What an ending. What. A. Book! I was hooked from beginning to end in the worst most vile way possible. If you’re into extreme horror, you gotta get your hands on this book!
~MY THOUGHTS~
Lots of trigger earnings as is expected when reading a Lesley Camphouse book. This time falling on the more sexual, deviant, torturous and mutilating side.
I enjoy an unhinged powerful woman protagonist. The fact that she is ruthless and sassy just adds to the whole female rage plot that I very much enjoyed. Polly does what Polly wants. She’s ridding the world of the most despicable human beings and happy to do it.
Adding Dylan into the mix was a nice touch.
What a character. What an ending. What. A. Book! I was hooked from beginning to end in the worst most vile way possible. If you’re into extreme horror, you gotta get your hands on this book!
January 14, 2025
If you need a book to live out the feminine rage, look no further! 🫡
✨Gory, deliciously weird and satisfying✨
✨Gory, deliciously weird and satisfying✨
January 25, 2025
4.5⭐️ rounded up
Female rage to the max! Polly does not hold back on these pedos! Justice is served!
Excellent debut!
Female rage to the max! Polly does not hold back on these pedos! Justice is served!
Excellent debut!
April 6, 2025
...𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲.
I am in my female rage era, and this book hit that sweet spot! Polly is a young woman who was brutalized as a child by someone who should have protected her. Now she spends her days obsessively keeping he appearance youthful and trolling the Dark Web for men who like a certain type. She ensnares them, traps them, and unleashes hell.
Despite the entire page of trigger warnings (which you should definitely take note of if you're new to this genre) this is not a blood-soaked free-for-all. There is solid plotting, thorough characterization, and a tenderness you'll feel toward Polly for the child she was who was so brutally destroyed. My second read from this author, and she's already earned a spot on my auto-buy list! This book is available now!
I am in my female rage era, and this book hit that sweet spot! Polly is a young woman who was brutalized as a child by someone who should have protected her. Now she spends her days obsessively keeping he appearance youthful and trolling the Dark Web for men who like a certain type. She ensnares them, traps them, and unleashes hell.
Despite the entire page of trigger warnings (which you should definitely take note of if you're new to this genre) this is not a blood-soaked free-for-all. There is solid plotting, thorough characterization, and a tenderness you'll feel toward Polly for the child she was who was so brutally destroyed. My second read from this author, and she's already earned a spot on my auto-buy list! This book is available now!
February 1, 2025
This was one hell of a debut! I honestly couldn’t believe it. I binged this story in one sitting and couldn’t stop reading once I picked this up. This is perfect for those who enjoy feminine rage!
Apex Prey follows Polly, a nineteen year old woman who poses as a twelve year old girl. She lures in pedophiles and child abusers and takes them out herself. She takes meticulous care of her body to look as young as possible, such as botox, laser hair removal and extensive skin care routines. In the midst of eliminating these sick individuals, Polly meets a man who seems to be falling in love with her and she feels like that feeling might be mutual. She’s not sure because she’s never felt this way before. Polly’s background is horrific and sad. Her childhood was tainted by her father and it’s what ultimately led her to who she is today and why she takes justice into her own hands. This book never let up for a second and took a turn that I honestly didn’t see coming.
This story was disgusting, brutal and heartbreaking. Lesley did a fantastic job crafting this Splatterpunk story and the writing was done extremely well. The descriptions were done in a way where it was never over the top which I really respected because given the subject matter, can be a really difficult thing to do in order to portray events in a clear and concise way.
Apex Prey releases in February 22nd, 2025. Splatterpunk fans be sure to add this one to your TBR!
P.S. The Titanic reference had me chucking a little too hard. I was totally caught off guard with that one 😂 and the scene with Manuel? My lord 😳 Brutal af.
Apex Prey follows Polly, a nineteen year old woman who poses as a twelve year old girl. She lures in pedophiles and child abusers and takes them out herself. She takes meticulous care of her body to look as young as possible, such as botox, laser hair removal and extensive skin care routines. In the midst of eliminating these sick individuals, Polly meets a man who seems to be falling in love with her and she feels like that feeling might be mutual. She’s not sure because she’s never felt this way before. Polly’s background is horrific and sad. Her childhood was tainted by her father and it’s what ultimately led her to who she is today and why she takes justice into her own hands. This book never let up for a second and took a turn that I honestly didn’t see coming.
This story was disgusting, brutal and heartbreaking. Lesley did a fantastic job crafting this Splatterpunk story and the writing was done extremely well. The descriptions were done in a way where it was never over the top which I really respected because given the subject matter, can be a really difficult thing to do in order to portray events in a clear and concise way.
Apex Prey releases in February 22nd, 2025. Splatterpunk fans be sure to add this one to your TBR!
P.S. The Titanic reference had me chucking a little too hard. I was totally caught off guard with that one 😂 and the scene with Manuel? My lord 😳 Brutal af.
April 18, 2025
A Camphouse novella always guarantees a lot of torture and gore, but also a great storyline and deepened characters and this one is of no exception.
Apex prey is feminine rage to the max! I loved the brutal tale of this damaged character Polly who is looking for some sort of gratification on the things her daddy once did to her. The child molesters in Apex prey get what they deserve! 🔥💪🏻 If you are a sucker for revenge stories you should read this! 🤩
4,5⭐️
Apex prey is feminine rage to the max! I loved the brutal tale of this damaged character Polly who is looking for some sort of gratification on the things her daddy once did to her. The child molesters in Apex prey get what they deserve! 🔥💪🏻 If you are a sucker for revenge stories you should read this! 🤩
4,5⭐️
February 11, 2025
Polly gets Botox and has a healthy diet to remain looking young. She's only 19 but she wants to look younger to catch those dirty predators online.
I loved her reasoning for it and how much brutality she served. When she meets someone she thinks she can settle down with, all goes well. Until she reaches her limit and decides enough is enough. This was incredible as her first book let me tell you. She is a dark horse in the genre with this! It was beautifully written and just enough for me at under 200 pages. This took me on one hell of a ride and the ending surprised me. I do love a surprise ending! Fantastic book and can't wait for it to be in the public eye very soon!
I loved her reasoning for it and how much brutality she served. When she meets someone she thinks she can settle down with, all goes well. Until she reaches her limit and decides enough is enough. This was incredible as her first book let me tell you. She is a dark horse in the genre with this! It was beautifully written and just enough for me at under 200 pages. This took me on one hell of a ride and the ending surprised me. I do love a surprise ending! Fantastic book and can't wait for it to be in the public eye very soon!
June 7, 2025
This story follows Polly, a young 19 year old woman, who has gone through some of the most devastating and unimaginable trauma. Polly is obsessed with maintaining her youthful appearance and goes to extreme measures to do so. Her mission: hunt pedophiles and teach them their final lesson. Polly poses as a 12 year old girl to lure men in. Her looks may make Polly seem like she is the prey, but she is really the wolf in sheep's clothing.
I loved all of the real life topics and how women are treated and the high standards that we're expected to meet. This touched some really difficult topics as well, and I really loved that Polly was very blunt and matter of fact. I was cheering Polly on throughout the story.
"I give them the death penalty because, in my reality, that is the only correct punishment for these child molesters."
I DEVOURED this book. The feminine rage was absolute perfection.
4.5/5
I loved all of the real life topics and how women are treated and the high standards that we're expected to meet. This touched some really difficult topics as well, and I really loved that Polly was very blunt and matter of fact. I was cheering Polly on throughout the story.
"I give them the death penalty because, in my reality, that is the only correct punishment for these child molesters."
I DEVOURED this book. The feminine rage was absolute perfection.
4.5/5
June 19, 2025
A novella full of rage. A revenge story. I loved Polly!
November 16, 2025
Disturbing and gory. At times funny in it's extremeness. A palate cleanser for sure.
May 5, 2025
Predators beware! Polly does everything thinkable (and unthinkable) to maintain her youthful appearance to lure predators in; then she meets him. Now she must choose between love or youth. Well-written, agonizing, brutal, lovestory that caused my stomach to twist, flutter and flop. ⚠️Expect gruesome details, bloody scenes and significant rage inspired vengeance where pedophiles get more than they bargain for and it’s well deserved. There is no safe word or safe space when delving into Polly’s world.
February 15, 2025
This is my first novella by Lesley, and I was hooked! I read the trigger warnings, but trigger, schmigger! As someone who devours extreme horror, I thought I was prepared—but this novella knocked me sideways in the best possible way.
From the very first page, the pacing was relentless. The story didn’t just move; it lunged at me like funnily enough the apex predator. I felt like I was being dragged, wide-eyed and breathless, through Polly’s blood-soaked world. There were no moments of safety, no time to catch my breath. It was pure, it was undiluted, it was intense, and I couldn’t get enough.
I’ve always been fascinated by unhinged feminine rage in horror, and Polly was absolute perfection. Highly calculated and organised, the way she pursued the predators was nothing short of disturbing, and watching her turn flip the switch on these so-called hunters was so satisfying… until the moment she falls for one and it PUNCHED ME IN THE GUTS!!!
THAT TWIST was one of the major highlights. It was unexpected, perfectly executed, and left me feeling unsettled in the best possible way.
Narrated entirely in Polly's POV, Lesley absolutely nailed it, especially with the chatroom scenes. Another major highlight! Watching her lure those predators in with her messages and the way she responded to the creepy responses? It was pure gold.
What can I say? Lesley is an absolute fkn genius! The extremities in this novella? Perfection. The extreme horror is broken up by the comedic relief in the way Lesley describes ears flying, eyeballs being poked and tossed around, and dicks being cut off was chef’s kiss. Honestly, I was hoping Lesley would take it one step further and have Polly chop off a guy’s ball sack, throw it around, making them eat it. Now that would’ve been amazing!
Overall, Apex Prey had me on the edge of my seat, sweating like I was the one being hunted, and laughing so hard I nearly peed myself.
If you're a sucker for unhinged feminine rage, this book DELIVERS. Extreme horror fans—don’t sleep on this one. 🖤
From the very first page, the pacing was relentless. The story didn’t just move; it lunged at me like funnily enough the apex predator. I felt like I was being dragged, wide-eyed and breathless, through Polly’s blood-soaked world. There were no moments of safety, no time to catch my breath. It was pure, it was undiluted, it was intense, and I couldn’t get enough.
I’ve always been fascinated by unhinged feminine rage in horror, and Polly was absolute perfection. Highly calculated and organised, the way she pursued the predators was nothing short of disturbing, and watching her turn flip the switch on these so-called hunters was so satisfying… until the moment she falls for one and it PUNCHED ME IN THE GUTS!!!
THAT TWIST was one of the major highlights. It was unexpected, perfectly executed, and left me feeling unsettled in the best possible way.
Narrated entirely in Polly's POV, Lesley absolutely nailed it, especially with the chatroom scenes. Another major highlight! Watching her lure those predators in with her messages and the way she responded to the creepy responses? It was pure gold.
What can I say? Lesley is an absolute fkn genius! The extremities in this novella? Perfection. The extreme horror is broken up by the comedic relief in the way Lesley describes ears flying, eyeballs being poked and tossed around, and dicks being cut off was chef’s kiss. Honestly, I was hoping Lesley would take it one step further and have Polly chop off a guy’s ball sack, throw it around, making them eat it. Now that would’ve been amazing!
Overall, Apex Prey had me on the edge of my seat, sweating like I was the one being hunted, and laughing so hard I nearly peed myself.
If you're a sucker for unhinged feminine rage, this book DELIVERS. Extreme horror fans—don’t sleep on this one. 🖤
March 4, 2025
ɪ ᴊᴜᴍᴘᴇᴅ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ sᴛᴏᴘ! ᴀᴘᴇx ᴘʀᴇʏ ᴘᴀᴄᴋs ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs ᴘᴜɴᴄʜ 👊🏼 ᴘᴏʟʟʏ ɪs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsᴛɪᴄ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ—ʙᴀᴅᴀss, sᴀʀᴄᴀsᴛɪᴄ, ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜʟʟ ᴏғ ғɪʀᴇ. sʜᴇ’s ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀᴏɪɴᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʙᴜᴛ ʀᴏᴏᴛ ғᴏʀ.
ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɢᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏʟʟʏ, ʀᴀᴡ, ᴜɴᴄᴜᴛ, ʀᴇʟᴇɴᴛʟᴇss, ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ ᴍᴇss ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. sʜᴇ’s ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʜᴜɴᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs, ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ɪᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪᴛʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢʀᴀʙs ʏᴏᴜ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴀᴛ.
ᴛʜɪs ғᴀsᴛ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ, ᴡɪʟᴅ ʀɪᴅᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍᴇ ɢʟᴜᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇs ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ ɪᴛ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ғɪᴇʀᴄᴇ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇx ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴡʜᴏ’ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜʟᴇss, ᴀᴘᴇx ᴘʀᴇʏ ɪs ᴀ ᴍᴜsᴛ-ʀᴇᴀᴅ! 💉🔪🩸
ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɢᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏʟʟʏ, ʀᴀᴡ, ᴜɴᴄᴜᴛ, ʀᴇʟᴇɴᴛʟᴇss, ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ ᴍᴇss ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. sʜᴇ’s ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʜᴜɴᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs, ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ɪᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪᴛʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢʀᴀʙs ʏᴏᴜ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴀᴛ.
ᴛʜɪs ғᴀsᴛ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ, ᴡɪʟᴅ ʀɪᴅᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍᴇ ɢʟᴜᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇs ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ ɪᴛ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ғɪᴇʀᴄᴇ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇx ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴡʜᴏ’ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜʟᴇss, ᴀᴘᴇx ᴘʀᴇʏ ɪs ᴀ ᴍᴜsᴛ-ʀᴇᴀᴅ! 💉🔪🩸
June 22, 2025
Polly, Apex Prey and The Reaping - Lesley A. Camphouse @authorlacamphouse
This whole trilogy gets published on the 7th of July, 2025 so put this date on your calendar. 🤩
My heart goes out to Polly and her older sister Hazel who are being born in the vile family of a useless mother and a monstrosity as a father. Let me tell you that life didn’t treat them well, to put it extremely mild. This is the story of Polly, how she became the revengeful woman she is nowadays and her sense of justice towards minors being assaulted.
Hooked from chapter one, book one where Polly sees the light of day and meets her parents. I was so cringed by how Polly’s father treated his newborn child. Lesley always knows how to shock me to the core and it’s the best feeling hehe. We follow her through her earliest years and it was really interesting to learn more about it.
In book two Polly goes on a killing spree to hunt a specific ingredient she extracts from human bodies only to maintain a youthful appearance.
In book three Polly awakes from a coma in a hospital/asylum. She needs to break free from it to fulfill her promise to Dylan. That doesn’t happen without a few hitches getting in the way, but Polly is perfectly capable of dealing with that.
Brutally, bloody and wild!! 🔥🔥🔥I devoured everything Lesley came up with and the pacing is perfect as always. I’ve read each book in one sitting. Amazing how other storylines came together with Polly’s and my feeling says there’s more to come! Or is it just pure longing from my side? 😁🖤
Three more gems from Lesley A Camphouse’s brilliant mind. It almost gets monotone, but all the books in the trilogy get 5 stars from me.
This whole trilogy gets published on the 7th of July, 2025 so put this date on your calendar. 🤩
My heart goes out to Polly and her older sister Hazel who are being born in the vile family of a useless mother and a monstrosity as a father. Let me tell you that life didn’t treat them well, to put it extremely mild. This is the story of Polly, how she became the revengeful woman she is nowadays and her sense of justice towards minors being assaulted.
Hooked from chapter one, book one where Polly sees the light of day and meets her parents. I was so cringed by how Polly’s father treated his newborn child. Lesley always knows how to shock me to the core and it’s the best feeling hehe. We follow her through her earliest years and it was really interesting to learn more about it.
In book two Polly goes on a killing spree to hunt a specific ingredient she extracts from human bodies only to maintain a youthful appearance.
In book three Polly awakes from a coma in a hospital/asylum. She needs to break free from it to fulfill her promise to Dylan. That doesn’t happen without a few hitches getting in the way, but Polly is perfectly capable of dealing with that.
Brutally, bloody and wild!! 🔥🔥🔥I devoured everything Lesley came up with and the pacing is perfect as always. I’ve read each book in one sitting. Amazing how other storylines came together with Polly’s and my feeling says there’s more to come! Or is it just pure longing from my side? 😁🖤
Three more gems from Lesley A Camphouse’s brilliant mind. It almost gets monotone, but all the books in the trilogy get 5 stars from me.
April 5, 2025
Apex Prey is the ultimate tale of f' around and find out, and there are no winners. Polly believes she's doing the right thing by ridding the world of predators, but it's more than that; it's a hobby. When she meets Dylan, her unhinged psyche completely falls off the frame. This is Lesley Camphouse's debut novel, and it's a good one. The characters are well-written and have so much dimension to them. The plot has a lot of depth and the twist ending was pretty interesting.
Technically speaking, there are some grammatical errors here and there, and some words are either used incorrectly or not used the way we use them in the US. I can only assume that's because Lesley is Dutch and maybe English is not her first language. For example, she wrote, "My lips are croaked from dehydration," whereas we would say, "My lips are cracked from dehydration." These are minor points and take nothing away from the enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I highly recommend you give this one a read if you're a fan of extreme horror.
Technically speaking, there are some grammatical errors here and there, and some words are either used incorrectly or not used the way we use them in the US. I can only assume that's because Lesley is Dutch and maybe English is not her first language. For example, she wrote, "My lips are croaked from dehydration," whereas we would say, "My lips are cracked from dehydration." These are minor points and take nothing away from the enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I highly recommend you give this one a read if you're a fan of extreme horror.
May 21, 2025
What would you do to be beautiful? How far would you go?
Did I mention I’m living in my Splatterpunk era? Because I am—and I’m devouring every book I can get my hands on.
Apex Prey hooked me with that cover. I mean, look at it. Look at those eyes. You just know you need to hear her story.
Polly is savage, okay? She’s like a storm, a tornado. She’s been through some seriously dark stuff that left deep emotional scars. She needs to be beautiful—at any cost. In her mind, if you’re not beautiful, bad things—really bad things—happen.
Countess Bathory vibes? I’m so here for it. Polly’s like a living Damocles sword, and honestly? She’s doing the Lord’s work if you ask me. No matter how gory it gets... they deserve it. 😉
Another killer read by Lesley—I'm hooked.
Did I mention I’m living in my Splatterpunk era? Because I am—and I’m devouring every book I can get my hands on.
Apex Prey hooked me with that cover. I mean, look at it. Look at those eyes. You just know you need to hear her story.
Polly is savage, okay? She’s like a storm, a tornado. She’s been through some seriously dark stuff that left deep emotional scars. She needs to be beautiful—at any cost. In her mind, if you’re not beautiful, bad things—really bad things—happen.
Countess Bathory vibes? I’m so here for it. Polly’s like a living Damocles sword, and honestly? She’s doing the Lord’s work if you ask me. No matter how gory it gets... they deserve it. 😉
Another killer read by Lesley—I'm hooked.
July 7, 2025
After finally extracting herself from the clutches of her grotesquely depraved father and her emotionally derelict mother, Polly settles into a routine of extreme healthy eating, excessive exercise, questionable beauty treatments, oh, and injecting herself with the blood of young perverts she lures to her home, because everyone knows that’s the best way to stay youthful, right?
This entire book is carnage and I loved every damn second of it!
Polly unleashes holy hell on every male she encounters, even the love of her life, Dylan. She is the embodiment of every woman’s hurt and rage at the way they’re treated by men and society at large.
Fair warning; You WILL lose your lunch if you don’t have a strong constitution because dayyyuuuum some of the scenes are INSANE! 🖤🤮 Dylan’s playtime at the end was a particular favourite of mine 😬
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire book is carnage and I loved every damn second of it!
Polly unleashes holy hell on every male she encounters, even the love of her life, Dylan. She is the embodiment of every woman’s hurt and rage at the way they’re treated by men and society at large.
Fair warning; You WILL lose your lunch if you don’t have a strong constitution because dayyyuuuum some of the scenes are INSANE! 🖤🤮 Dylan’s playtime at the end was a particular favourite of mine 😬
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 5, 2025
ARC REVIEW “APEX PREY” ✨💀 Book 2 in Apex Prey Trilogy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well, if I said the first book was “okay” this one is intense. The books portrays Polly’s rage over pe@ophilles and predators as a “tribut” for her abusive father. We follow her rage and spree killing while she signed up over all the websites with predators. She gradually kills them at her home until she meets Dylan a guy from the gym. They fall in love, but that doesn’t stop Polly from doing her hobby.
This book was insane, full of details and gore and I was terrified almost at every guy we had the chance to meet. The horror fans are going to love this one! Polly is a baddie, but at what cost… read the ending.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well, if I said the first book was “okay” this one is intense. The books portrays Polly’s rage over pe@ophilles and predators as a “tribut” for her abusive father. We follow her rage and spree killing while she signed up over all the websites with predators. She gradually kills them at her home until she meets Dylan a guy from the gym. They fall in love, but that doesn’t stop Polly from doing her hobby.
This book was insane, full of details and gore and I was terrified almost at every guy we had the chance to meet. The horror fans are going to love this one! Polly is a baddie, but at what cost… read the ending.
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