Blinking Witness

by Lesley A. Camphouse

Saved from the streets, Kait now works the camera in a so-called Red Room. To most people, such rooms are an urban myth online, for Kait, it's her daily job.

Spaces designed for torture and murder to be livestreamed on the Dark Web for those willing to pay.

Then she's assigned to stay with a subject for five days, to record their misery and deterioration... or perhaps it starts her own...

Genres: Horror

82 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2026

About the author

Lesley 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.

Reviews

[Ashley Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was my bad for expecting this to be less fucked up due to it being erotica too. But nope! Absolutely fucking depraved. All stops out. Kait absolutely loses it in her fucked up desires and spirals further and further until there's no point of return.

[Erica★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing everything, Kait finds herself homeless and living under a bridge. When a man approaches her with an offer, she’s pulled into filming disturbing acts in the Red Rooms. Tasked with staying in one of these rooms for five days alongside a new victim, Kait begins to unravel and discovers a dark new desire taking hold.

Blinking Witness was my first into erotic extreme horror, and it definitely delivered. It was gruesome, unsettling, and oddly entertaining, with Lesley Camphouse constantly surprising me with what came next. My only complaint is that it felt too short I wasn’t ready for it to end.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My poor blackened heart simply devoured this one 😈

Kait, finds herself homeless not a place any one would wish to be. A man approaches her when she’s at the bleakest part of her life offering her an opportunity, a place to live and a job. She accepts without knowing the details, some of us know that dire circumstances will allow you to make decisions that the fore thought others would determine were too good to be true!

𝙰 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗. ’𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺’

Was recommend this by a book friend, and as we share the same tastes I knew I wouldn’t be let down. If you are in the least bit squeamish, I suggest you find a ‘fluffy’ read because this though a quick read is packed full of action, gore, bl00d, suspect spicy times 😬, m^*der, t0rture and obviously d3ath 🤣 The story is great, the writing is brilliant in a way that ensures you are drawn into each chapter of Kait’s existence with effective visuals. I can not tell a lie I was right there for it all ☠️

[Morgen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disgusting and delicious! Lesley never fails to make a page turner that I have to read in one sitting while simultaneously making face after face.
A hard hitting truth of the depths people are willing to go to save themselves and how darkness lives in everyone, just sometimes needs the right push to be released!

[kellyjo walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could easily be turned into a horror movie!!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was bloody AF and absolutely insane. CampHouse excels when it comes to writing the hard things. This book made me so uncomfortable but I couldn't stop reading. It truly showcased just how far a person can be pushed into doing deplorable things just to ensure their own survival.

[shyra ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

blood gore sex rage blood gore sex rage blood gore sex rage blood gore sex rage!!
hold on did i mention blood gore sex rage??? 📸🩸

“my stomach growls, but the only hunger i want to satisfy right now is a different kind.”

wdym that was it???
i absorbed the entire job of livestreaming in a slaughterhouse centering in a red room on the dark web that 82 pages is not nearly enough!!
it wasn’t just about the horror eroticism but mostly about the reality of misogyny survival and violent truths buried in the depths within the human mind

injected through my veins. this is layered with non stop graphic torture, raging depravity & exposing inhumane sweat slicked horrors with 0 limit.
calling all extreme horror & gore whore girlies you absolutely need to give this a go, trust me!!
i’m very excited to read further into lesley’s books, this was a pleasurable introduction!!

“because this is my life now, one that i accepted, recording in a so-called red room on the dark web. the cameras in these spaces are nothing more than blinking witnesses to the depravity that occurs in such rooms. to most people, these rooms are nothing more than an urban legend, a hoax, but to me, they are my reality. they are not some myth on the dark web; they exist. their attraction stems from the desire for voyeurism, power, and anonymity.”

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderfully dark and disgustingly violent read by Lesley A. Camphouse.

A novella that follows one woman's descent into madness and the snapping of the human psyche. How much heartbreak, deceit and exposure to human horrors could your mind take? Or was that darkness always part of who you are?

Beautifully written gore accompanied by wonderfully dark smut, the perfect, twisted erotic horror cocktail!

Lesley never fails to suck the readers in and inflict the most wonderful and enjoyable trauma on us.

Thank you so much to Lesley for the arc of Blinking Witness. All opinions are mine and have been left voluntarily.

[Madame Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Blinking Witness” - Just when you thought you’ve “seen” it all.

★★★★★

Getting to read Lesley’s stories is always a pleasure, getting to BETA read is a privilege I am incredibly grateful for.

If you are familiar with Lesley’s work you know what to expect. And once again she manages to give us dark, depraved, unhinged, twisty, smutty and manages to create something humane and monstrous. This story doesn’t shy away from the darkest corners of human mind and dark web. Get ready to sink your teeth into this one, you know you want to even if it’ll cost you your sanity.

[BookSplatterBritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crazy! This story was completely insane. So much blood and sex. This girl definitely needed a therapist ha! It was gory, sexual, and just insane and it was awesome!

[Honey Dy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it getting hot in here or what???

Not usually a fan of SMUT, this is the kind of SMUT I'll be happy to read over and over again, especially if its written by my good friend Lesley Camphouse!

Its juicy, unhinged and creeps up on you when you least expect it...its EXTREME HORROR SMUT!

Lesley needs her own category cos there is no corner left unturned nor topic too taboo to write about...mixing 💦💦💦with🩸🩸🩸

This is the kind if kinky shit i would recommend to girls AND boys on valentines day...so...💔🔥

Whether you’re single, coupled up, or deep in an “it’s complicated” situationship, Blinking Witness is here to ruin your peace in the best possible way.

At just 80-something pages, this novella goes HARD from page one and never lets up.

If you're a fan of Lesley's work, you'll know that there's NO FILTER. NO ROOM TO BREATHE. Just relentless, gut-punch storytelling.

We’re talking body horror, gore, pain, rage, with themes of sexual assault, and a kind of lust that feels wrong to witness.

You'll feel uncomfortable,yet slightly turned on? But you'll be addicted right from page one.

For such a short read the character development is quite strong.

The pacing is on point, and the violence is brutal without being pointless.

This is erotic horror like you've never experienced before. Lesley knew what she was doing and isn’t afraid to drag you into the darkest corners of the human psyche making you watch, but also daring you to look away.

❤️ Blinking Witness drops February 14th, making it a perfectly deranged read for Valentine’s Day.

[Screams & Reviews 💋🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear when you read all of lesley camphouse books and you think " oh I don't think I can be shocked anymore" nope,you are wrong and you don't know what is going on in this author head and yes once again I am shocked and have my mouth left open! You always open to my mind to something else that I find I enjoy and make me think twice about what going on in my head 😆

👀👀👀 spoiler👀👀👀
All I have to say is " screwdriver shoved up somebody’s nose, and yelled at not to remove it" let just say that image is stuck in my head FOREVER!

Now carry on…. You have Kait that married her boss and finds out the hard way he isn’t a great guy! So now living on the street she gets taken in and starts a job Monday. But she knows nothing about this job until she gets there. This is a CRAZY ride and make sure you check your triggers cause you might think you have none, but Lesley will pull them out of you.

This book had me kicking my feet and giggling with some of the stuff that was going on. I was even sending it to one of my good friends saying are you reading this too? 🤣 Zina and I always BR Lesley camphouse books together and it has become a little tradition with us.

Again you have sucked me in and spit me out. I can’t wait to see what else you come out with this year. You are an amazing person and so glad I found your books! I don’t think I could have read something more better on valentine day!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Screams and Reviews 🖤💋

[Rebecca Bectoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ebook from the lovely author as an arc.

Only a short read but wow what a story. Kait has such a hard time from start to finish with what she goes through no wonder she finally snaps. This book is so dark, gruesome but it's also quite sad and you do honestly feel for her. Lesley's story telling is amazing you can really feel for the main character I highly recommend any of her books ☺️

[Dani-Lynn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮
🌶️🌶️ - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸🩸🩸🩸 - 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮

🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Kait & Manny

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
📕violence against women/men
📕disregard for human life
📕misogyny
📕blood play
📕graphic violence & gore

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
What’s better than another brutal story centered around red rooms? One that develops around a female who holds the camera. You think they’re the most sane in the room, until you discover their true morbid intuitions. Blinking Witness grabs you by the heartstrings and pulls them out from your flesh slowly so you can feel every excruciating moment it has to offer. If you’ve ready anything by Camphouse, you know it’s going to be full of unappetizing and grotesque imagery that literally places you in the room with Kait.

*spoilers*

Kait has never had it easy in life. Even being warned, her ignorance causes her to marry her own boss. And after she comes home early to find him sleeping with another woman, he still blames her and forces her to leave with nothing. Even forcing her to sign divorce papers immediately before proceeding with what she walked in on.

While living homeless under a bridge, Manny, a friend, comes to her aid. He offers her a hole in the wall which she sees as better than being outside but it comes with a catch. She must work for him in order to pay off her debts. Without thinking, she accepts the offer and discovers a cruel world hidden from view that she has become part of.

See, Manny works in some building that hosts Red Rooms, where Sera, her crush and dominatrix, tortured men on camera while she has to hold the camera. At first, the sounds and sights of such atrocious acts makes her feel weak until she’s forced to stay five days in hell so that Manny can serve his revenge.

So much more happens and you will never guess the ending that ends perfectly where you sit there satisfied but also wanting more. Camphouse stories will do that to you as well as make you churn as you read the brutality on each page. The horrendous acts Manny does to the downward spiral Kait falls in that becomes her downfall. A great splatter-fied entrance into 2026.

[Claudia Rambles · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing everything and finding herself living under a bridge, Kait found shelter and a job behind a camera, witnessing vile acts during the day and now for five days, at night.
There’s a new victim that she needs to keep an eye on, but how dedicated will she be to her new task?

Blinking Witness gives us an inside look at what happens in these dark web Red Rooms and the story of a girl with no options in life.
It tugs at our emotions while delivering gruesome scenes powered by desire and revenge.
All in less than 80 pages.

I, for one, loved how Kait becomes so unhinged and lets lust take over.

If you’ve never read erotic horror and want to give it a go, this is a good place to start.

This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked sexual desires and heart wrenching situation to go through. For those who have faced being cornered by society and struggled to keep themselves up, I see how terrifying it must be to go through with this kind of job just to be safe.

[Abby Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Feminine rage? Sleep token? Smut AND gore??! What more could a girl ask for!! If any of that sounds like your cup of tea I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book.

[Addison Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting to say the least lol fast paced and super dark/gross but also kinda hot? im alittle sad at the ending but really it couldnt of ended any other way

[Julie Hiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blinking Witness is an absolutely brilliant work of Erotic Extreme Horror!

I am thrilled that I was able to get a copy of this. I crushed it within 24 hours, and it left me tingling from head to toe.

Kait is a young woman in a desperate situation. From the moment we meet her, we are enchanted by her. She's complex, tough yet vulnerable, and has one hell of a story to tell about how she became a camera woman in a red room.

As Kait follows the only path she can, deep emotions mixed with trauma take her in a new direction. An unhinged, yet liberating one.

This book will have it's violent, lustful, dark and delicious claws in you the moment you read the opening paragraph.

I'm left with a deep desire to explore Lesley's entire repertoire.

[The.ghost_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5 rounding up
To most people, Red rooms are urban myths. The online rooms designed for torture and murder are live streamed on the dark web and sold to the highest bidder, but to Kait these rooms are just part of her normal day. See Kait was rescued from the streets and put in charge of running the camera in a so- called Red room. She’s seen it all and can’t complain about the job too much when she has a roof over her head and food in her stomach. That is until she’s tasked to stay with a subject for 5 days in the red room, recording their deterioration and as the days pass this may be Kait’s own downfall…
Camphouse has done it again. Her stories are always depraved, gory and fun and this one is no different. If you’re looking for a short horror erotic book that may make you question your sanity, but will have you enjoying the ride, then look no further because this is the one for you.
I loved the premise that everyone has a point of no return, and I highly enjoyed reading about Kait’s descent into madness once her buttons had been pressed for the last time. Getting to read Kati’s downward spiral was both gruesome and entertaining and had me turning the pages with a quickness. I love Camphouse’s writing because she doesn’t hold anything back and it’s straight to the point. Camphouse isn’t afraid to push human boundaries, and this story is no different, the human brutality throughout the read is written so well and will have you finishing this one in a single sitting.
The only thing I wish Camphouse has done differently was continue. I wanted MORE. The story was perfect and I just wasn’t ready to leave this messed up little world yet and it ended way too soon. Fingers crossed that maybe Camphouse will take pity on us mere mortals and write more from this universe, would love to see a Manny story blossom. I would also maybe love to see Kait’s ex-husband get what’s coming to him…
If you’re looking for a dark, deranged story featuring gore, body horror, rage and themes of sexual assault mixed with a sort of lust that makes you wonder if you should continue witnessing, then you’ve found the perfect read. As always, check trigger warnings.

[Nicole Rubbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kait is homeless and out of options when Manny rescues her from the streets. He gives her shelter, food and a job.
The job has her behind a camera in an abandoned slaughterhouse for snuff films.
She accepts this as a better option to living in the street. When she is told she has to stay at the filming location for a 5 day shoot she unveils a part of herself she didn’t know existed.
Erotic. grotesque and graphic this story cuts deep.

[Thebatandthebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was blessed with an ARC from the author!!

This was my second erotic horror i have read in my lifetime. I know *gasp*!!

But let me tell you it was beyond worth a read. This book could easily be made into a horror movie that most would obsess over.

To top it of it makes you want to cradle and protect the main character so much and than 💥 you end up actually fearing her a little instead.

it's unhinged in all the gory good ways.

[Ieva Valentinavičiūtė · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was intense and brilliant! It made me feel squeamish a few times and I loved it!

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an excellent horror movie!!

[Daniel Vessey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Lesley for the Arc of this book!

I remember being instantly hooked when I first started reading Lesley's books and it makes me so happy to say that the queen of extreme horror continues to be on top form with this story!!

A story filled to the brim with equal amounts of passion, rage, gore and stomach churning descriptions of violence all packed into a neat 82 pages. Red Rooms may still be considered a myth by large portions of the internet but witnessing Kait's journey throughout this story might be enough to make one reconsider.

[Jasmine Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

disgustingly amazing

[xbabygirl_2223x · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I think I’ve read something even more disturbing and horrifying from Lesley, I am sorely mistaken. Every time that she has a new book being released, I come RUNNING. She is the QUEEN of Splatterpunk, erotic horror and horror. Hands down.

Blinking Witness was a novella that made me feel like I was watching a Hostel movie but with a female that finally had something snap inside of her and made her become something that she had been watching and recording for years. When you become desperate and “heartbroken” with not many options around you, what would you do or turn to?

Lesley’s books make you feel dirty but in a way that makes you never forget what you have read. It makes you look inside and think of why her books keep bringing you back for more.

If you want an amazing, detailed, and engaging erotic horror novella to read for a nice change to your usual reading, start with this one and if you can get through it, grab Lesley’s other books as well 💋🖤

[haunted.kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was FUN and so gory!!

[Breanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story escalated so fast! Follow Kait as her Psyche breaks working the cameras in a Red Room. It's violent, spicy, and absolutely unhinged in the best way. The tension keeps building until it feels impossible to look away, even when things get brutal.

[Jojobean_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, like every book that Lesley has written, was dark, depraved and entirely f**ked up.
It doesn't hold back and it definitely doesn't leave anything behind.
There is nothing this woman touches that doesnt turn to gold and I will not be told otherwise!!!!