Body of Work: Where the dead whisper and the living obey...

by E.L. Wilk

E. L. Wilk weaves a chilling, thought-provoking thriller that blurs the line between medical science, morality, and the human soul. At its heart lies a question both intimate and what does it truly mean to possess a body, and what happens when that body becomes a commodity. Body of Work is a haunting, fast-paced medical thriller that explores the razor’s edge where innovation, exploitation, and humanity collide. At its center is Olivia, a devoted mother of twins and a woman whose sharp intelligence and compassion mask deep vulnerabilities. Her family’s life on a quiet farm seems far removed from the corporate and clinical worlds of cutting-edge medicine. But when her path crosses with Haloderm—a powerful biomedical company promising to reshape the future of surgery, organ preservation, and long-distance space medicine—Olivia is drawn into a web that reaches far beyond her rural life. Haloderm presents itself as a force for good, developing robotic surgical suites that could save lives on Earth and beyond. Yet behind closed doors, it wages a battle against the “ghouls,” profiteers who traffic in human skin and organs. The company’s mission is shadowed by secrecy, ambition, and the ethical minefields of a medical industry where bodies are often treated as currency. As Olivia becomes entwined with Haloderm’s work, the stakes turn deeply personal. Her roles as mother, wife, and survivor collide with forces that would claim her body, her choices, and even her family’s future. On the farm, surrounded by the simple rhythms of rural life, she struggles to hold onto a sense of normalcy while navigating a reality where science and morality no longer align. At its heart, Body of Work is about not only the dangers of unchecked innovation but also resilience and love. How do we protect ourselves when the body itself becomes a battlefield? And when corporations and traffickers alike see flesh as profit, who has the right to say what a life is worth? E. L. Wilk blends chilling real-world medical research with speculative possibility to deliver a story that is both intimate and universal. Body of Work is a meditation on motherhood, survival, and integrity in an age when every body has a price tag. Olivia’s fight—set against the stark contrast of a family farm and the sterile world of biotechnology—becomes a testament to the endurance of love in the face of exploitation. Thrilling, poignant, and deeply human, Body of Work leaves readers questioning the future of medicine, the cost of progress, and the lengths we go to protect those we love.
Where the dead whisper and the living obey...

Genres: Fiction, Thriller Suspense, Science Fiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2025

About the author

E. L. Wilk is an Eric Hoffer Award gold medal finalist for best fiction. She is an author and amateur astronomer, originally from Boston, with roots that span Hong Kong and Brussels. A Wellesley College graduate with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she is also an alumna of the International School of Brussels.
Her third novel, Body of Work, blends science and storytelling to explore the boundaries of medicine, morality, and the human soul. She and her husband share their time between Boston and Florida with their dog Khaleesi.

Reviews

[Rostyslav Drachko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body of Work is a gripping medical thriller that goes beyond science and dives straight into the human soul.
It asks difficult questions about morality, identity, and how far we’re willing to go in the name of progress.
Both chilling and deeply human.

[Leann Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars and I would give it more if I could.Its such an Awesome Thriller with action and such a story keeps me on the edge of my seat!! You have to Purchase It! Awesome job Elyse W.

[ForestGardenGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange and intriguing...

But I would not call it a thriller. A good portion of the book was a deep deep deep dive into the characters and exactly how they found themselves in this precise situation- this book goes so far beyond normal character development that it borders on TMI. However, once you finally get to it, this book did have a very interesting medical sci-fi premise that will stick with you and leave you wondering just how much of it is science and not sci-fi.

A number of times certain popular conspiracy theories were brought up by a character and I kept cringing and saying to myself, "Oh no please don't let this book be about that." Rest assured, dear reader, this book is not about those theories. But you will have to be patient. This nearly 400 page book has roughly about 250 pages of background, 100 pages of mystery, suspense, and light horror, and 30 pages of thriller and climax.

Finally, the editing was fairly horrible. While it was readable, there were certain things said that are simply untrue and easily disproved and quite a few improper terms and redundant phrases used. Altogether the effect will be to aggravate many readers and oddly enough it may particularly annoy equestrians, linguists, and anyone familiar with the term antebellum. The premise is solid; with the help of a good editor for correcting errors and better flow, this could be a five star book.

Trigger warnings include misdirected or appropriated cadavers, suspicious fentanyl ODs and murder, forced organ harvesting.

I received this book free as a Goodreads Giveaway, but this review reflects my own opinion. I have not been compensated in any way.

[Arnold White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought it from a discount deal on Amazon and had second thoughts about it at first. Never heard of the author. I enjoyed it so much that I’m looking forward to the next one.

[Lynn Schlanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
A book that makes you question how far is too far when medical technology evolves further than we ever imagined. Down to earth characters that you find yourself loving are asking just this question. If it were you and your loved ones what would your answer be?

[Magdi Abdullah Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Body of Work — A Review Worth Reading

Body of Work by Elyse Wilk is a chilling, deeply thoughtful medical thriller that doesn’t just entertain — it haunts your mind and your conscience long after you finish the last page. Set at the razor’s edge of innovation and morality, this novel pushes the reader to confront what we are willing to sacrifice in the name of progress — and whether the human soul should ever be part of that cost.

Wilk demonstrates remarkable command over pacing and tension. This is a fast-moving yet richly layered narrative that blends medical science with philosophical urgency. As the plot unfolds, each twist feels organic, driven by character choices that reflect real ethical quandaries rather than contrived sensationalism.

What makes this book stand out in a crowded genre is its balance between smart science and human complexity. The stakes are scientific and intellectual, yet the emotional weight never feels shortchanged. The characters are believable, flawed, and deeply human — people whose decisions linger in your thoughts, long after the chapter ends.

The narrative also explores how far we’ll go to push boundaries. It doesn’t shy away from probing questions about morality, identity, and the cost of discovery, making it much more than a conventional thriller. Wilk raises issues that resonate in our contemporary world — where breakthroughs in medicine can feel as frightening as they are hopeful.

In short:

Gripping from page one
Thought-provoking ethical tension
Rich character work anchored in believable science
A finale that stays with you
Body of Work is a standout in modern thrillers — intelligent, daring, and haunting. If you love stories that make you think as hard as they make you turn pages, this is a must-read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommended.


Magdi A Ahmed

[Mary Beth Lesak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through good reads giveaway and am so glad I did. Although it’s not quite the book I normally read, I actually enjoyed it. I loved the characters in the book. Fell in love with Hattie and George, and really enjoyed all their lives being told ‘ I am so hopeful for a second book to find out if HD was able to bring Olivia back to a body, will the baby survive.. will she reunite with William? Will Hattie beat cancer? So many questions! Wouldn’t it be amazing for something like this in the future to happen!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you E.L. Wilk and Goodreads for my Goodreads Giveaway. 3.5 Stars rounded up. Enjoyable read. It was a little different than I was expecting and had a slow start but it was still nice getting to know the characters. Interesting ending and open ended for a sequel. Kind of getting a peak into the dark side of potential scientific advancement and organ procurement for profit.

[Keith Ballenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I couldn’t put it down! Great characters and a wild ride combined with the very real moral questions that AI introduces in society provided a page turner.

[Vasyl Kazmirchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive work. The writing feels authentic and emotionally strong. You can tell it was written with real passion — congratulations, E.L. Wilk.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m convinced this was written by AI, absolutely slop.

[Keasha M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story

So this story unraveled in an interesting way and you didnt get to the medical thriller aspect till later in the book. This follows a group of people surrounding the main characters, Olivia and William. They're struggling financially so he goes to get a job with a medical company that prepares cadavers. Well leading up to it is an bargain with a crooked vet that spirals into a tragedy. The end has me more curious that ever.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

After wading through a none eventful plot, I was disappointed with the ending. I found the end of this book not only disappointing but also ridiculous. It was also disturbing. The author developed characters through out the book and then created an ending that sickened me. I found this book to be a waste of time.

[Betty Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good book I never read any think by him before.

[Cherri Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read. The beginning seemed a bit slow but not too bad. I saw so many ways the book could have gone and maybe they will in the (to be continued) Overall the book was enjoyable.

[Alan T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never heard of this author before. I entered a BookTok giveaway for this book and afterward noticed it was available for free on Stuff Your Kindle Day last month. Glad I snagged it because I really enjoyed reading it. The ending took me by surprise.

[Ronda Smith-stoddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads and E.L. Wilk for the opportunity to read this book. Fast paced and intriguing all the way to the ending. Such an interesting concept on AI in the medical field. This was a one of a kind story. Such a delightful change from all the run of the mill thrillers. It left with a cliffhanger at the end. I do look forward to the conclusion.

[Arnold T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrid book. The story starts with a transphobic myth to drive the plot. Then goes on to bring in racism, patriarchy, misogyny, trad-wife, anti-vax fear mongering, rich white people and military service worship. I only finished reading it to see how bad it could get. Fortunately it was a fast read as there was no subtlety to the plot or depth to the characters. The editing was awful, they even got the name of a secondary character's dog wrong in one of the chapters and spend pages on plot recaps as the author obviously feels people reading this can't figure the story for themselves.

[jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely the worst book I've ever read. Let's start with the charcters. Olivia steals a painting from her mother and sells it for the money. Then she feels bad so leaves home and doesn't contact her mother for 5 years.
She marries William a whimppy insecure man who lives on a farm and they have a set of twins. Olivia gets up in the morning to milk the cow, feed her horse, clean out the stalls and the chicken coop. Then she comes in and makes cinnamon buns for breakfast. She also is a dog breeder and gives riding lessons. Oh and she's an amazing cook and apparently so good with autistic kids that she gets Barbara speaking after one visit. Hello reality!! They are having problems paying the bills so William gets a job cutting up cadavers. Do your self a favor and don't read this book.

[Stephanie Matteson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time. Not suspenseful in any way. This should have been a DNF but I kept thinking it would get better but never did.

[Sheila Dworkis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this thriller. Can’t wait for the next when to come out. Up all night reading it.

[William L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great concept. Don't know much about this writer. Liked the book a lot. Got it for $.99 on my Kindle and gave it a try. Glad i did.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Won the ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I couldn't make it past the first page before realizing how terrible it is. I tried jumping ahead to see if it gets any better, but no. I unfortunately landed on a page that describes a (human) man seemingly enjoying the thought of his HORSE having an orgasm. Jump ahead, details about transporting an organ transplant that is so medically inaccurate that I physically cringed.

[Catherine Lanier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking!

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and was thrilled to start it. I really enjoyed “getting to know” the characters! The plot was very thought provoking, and I quite enjoyed the read.

I gave this 4 stars only because the editing left a lot to be desired. There were many places where quotation marks were missing, as well as a couple of other editorial mistakes. It didn’t detract from the storyline, but gave it an “unpolished” feel.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome

This book is SO GOOD. First type of HD/AI book I have read! Who thinks up this! It is not an AI generated book but a book using future AI. SO COOL! Love the story line! Love the couple, twins, friends, connections, and animals. Love William's job, although weird, love it! I would love to read "to be continued" next book!!! Need to find out more about Olivia!!

I won this book from Goodreads Giveaways!

[Sarah Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you for the giveaway! I’m going to give this 4 ⭐️s. It was a great read. Definitely kept the pace, kept me intrigued, definitely parts that were shocking! Especially the end! There was warmth, evil, love, blessings, real life moments. The whole time I was thinking this could truly be a true crime story or non-fiction. I believe there may be a sequel coming based on the Epilogue! Definitely recommend! It really makes you think! Definitely makes me think I need to reevaluate some things regarding organ donation!

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the worst book I’ve read this year. It dragged on and ended up being completely unbelievable. If I could DNF a book, this would’ve been the one.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Comically poorly written
Good ideas but needs a new editor

[Audrey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started out slowly but drew me in, and I couldn't put it down.

[Caroline Puell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, and since this is my first review, I wanted to be honest and transparent about my experience reading it.

Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me. I felt it was in desperate need of stronger editing. There were frequent grammatical issues throughout the book, and a lot of the descriptions felt unnecessarily long and distracting. For example, there were entire paragraphs dedicated to brand names and food preferences that didn’t seem to add anything meaningful to the story. At one point, I found myself wondering why I was reading so much detail about different brands of macaroni and cheese.

The pacing was also extremely slow. By around 60% into the book, I still felt like the main point of the story had not fully come together. Character integration felt choppy, and early on it was difficult to tell who the actual main character was supposed to be.

I was especially disappointed because the medical and mystery elements, which I expected to be central to the story, ended up feeling like a very small percentage of the book overall. In my opinion, the story could have been much more effective at around 200 pages instead of its current length.

I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book and hoped I would have positive things to say about it, especially since I won it through Goodreads. But ultimately, I found the reading experience messy and frustrating, and I would not personally recommend it.