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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.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 7, 2026
6 people are currently reading
1766 people want to read
About the author
Clay McLeod Chapman
181 books1,760 followersBooks. Children's books. Comic books. Film.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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 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!
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!
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Woah. I found myself deep in the trenches of this book. As it started- I didn’t know which way was up- but as the story progressed I found myself understanding what I was reading- and how awful it was that I was reading it. I was angry until I started to understand the MC- but it reminded me that nothing makes these things okay.
I know what I just said doesn’t make much sense, but it will. How often we find ourselves telling a story about a human to justify the atrocities they commit. There is no trauma that can make heinous things forgivable- but the line that’s tread, that of “but I understand why” is so hard to reconcile in your brain- “it’s not okay, I can’t understand it, but I can see something was wrong with them” is that more right? Idk.
What a conundrum. How can you humanize a predator? What if that predator was previously prey? Does that make it easier to digest? No. Yes? What if they truly believe their insane musings? Does that make it easier to swallow? No. Idk.
This will live with me forever.
Synopsis:
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.
I know what I just said doesn’t make much sense, but it will. How often we find ourselves telling a story about a human to justify the atrocities they commit. There is no trauma that can make heinous things forgivable- but the line that’s tread, that of “but I understand why” is so hard to reconcile in your brain- “it’s not okay, I can’t understand it, but I can see something was wrong with them” is that more right? Idk.
What a conundrum. How can you humanize a predator? What if that predator was previously prey? Does that make it easier to digest? No. Yes? What if they truly believe their insane musings? Does that make it easier to swallow? No. Idk.
This will live with me forever.
Synopsis:
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.
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
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!
December 20, 2025
Every victim deserves a voice, just as every villain has their origin story.
Winston’s story may seem typical - generational trauma, domestic abuse, poverty and an alcoholic mother.
Yet somehow, after all that he’s done, I think I actually feel sorry for him. And in some strange way, so do his victims.
Definite Delilah Dawson vibes, with a smattering of T. Kingfisher.
Some of the key points I would have missed were it not for the blurb, but a good story nonetheless
******************
Thanks again to Titan books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
165 pages (paperback)
Winston’s story may seem typical - generational trauma, domestic abuse, poverty and an alcoholic mother.
Yet somehow, after all that he’s done, I think I actually feel sorry for him. And in some strange way, so do his victims.
Definite Delilah Dawson vibes, with a smattering of T. Kingfisher.
Some of the key points I would have missed were it not for the blurb, but a good story nonetheless
******************
Thanks again to Titan books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
165 pages (paperback)
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Winston Kemper is primarily nonexistent to others. He lives essentially inside his own head, conjuring up a world some might find appalling, horrific, insane. But for Winston, he is unaware that the lines are blurred between creativity and madness. A terrifying look at the dark side of art and imagination, told mainly through a steady stream of consciousness. Reminiscent of John Fowles' THE COLLECTOR. This is how I end 2025!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4+ ⭐
My first thought on this, was that it wasn't long enough
My second thought, was thank goodness. Because I couldn't stay up all night reading!!
Quite unlike anything I remember reading, it kept me reading to the end in one sitting.
At turns full of beauty and colour, then dark and despairing... It's quite the read
I highly recommend.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
My first thought on this, was that it wasn't long enough
My second thought, was thank goodness. Because I couldn't stay up all night reading!!
Quite unlike anything I remember reading, it kept me reading to the end in one sitting.
At turns full of beauty and colour, then dark and despairing... It's quite the read
I highly recommend.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Clay McLeod Chapman deftly handles the true horror of a serial killer alongside a surprisingly empowering arc for said killer's victims. This is not just a dive into a deranged mind; it's a stunning portrayal of outsider art and how one's body of work ties into their worldview. Tense, vibrantly written, and wholeheartedly disturbing, you'll consume this novella in one sitting.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed being inside of Winston's head, getting the voices of the women he murdered. To the outside world, Winston is a harmless old man who comes off as a little odd. To the women in his head, they know better, just a little too late. I really enjoyed how the story ended.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
I enjoyed this, the cadence was a little off in certain portions in terms of the butterfly girls segments, but for the most part it was an engaging story.
I enjoyed this, the cadence was a little off in certain portions in terms of the butterfly girls segments, but for the most part it was an engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews