C.J. Leede Books in Order

Recommended Reading Order: Where to Start

Because C.J. Leede specializes in standalone horror, there is no single overarching storyline or chronological sequence you must follow. However, to fully appreciate her progression as a writer and her unique thematic lens, we recommend reading her books in publication order. This path allows you to see how she refines her signature blend of extreme violence, dark humor, and feminist social commentary.

Here is our recommended reading pathway:

1. Maeve Fly (2023): Start here. It is Leede's spectacular debut and remains her signature book. It provides the perfect introduction to her unapologetic style, dark humor, and first-person character work.
2. American Rapture (2024): Read this second. It takes her signature interest in female rage and body horror and scales it up to a post-apocalyptic road trip across the American Midwest.
3. Headlights (2026): Read this third. This book pivots into a supernatural crime procedural, showcasing Leede's ability to weave detective fiction with bizarre, body-horror-infused crime scenes.
4. "Red Tide" in One Bad Night & Other Stories (2025): Finish with this short story contribution to the Aardvark Book Club anthology for a quick, concentrated hit of her writing.

Publication Order of C.J. Leede’s Novels

If you prefer to tackle her bibliography chronologically by release date, here is the official publication order for C.J. Leede's novels and stories:

• Maeve Fly (2023) – Standalone Novel
• American Rapture (2024) – Standalone Novel
• "Red Tide" in One Bad Night & Other Stories (2025) – Short Story Anthology Contribution
• Headlights (2026) – Standalone Novel

Maeve Fly (2023)

Set against the neon-lit backdrop of Los Angeles, C.J. Leede's debut novel is a gritty, visceral slasher that reads like a modern feminist response to Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. By day, Maeve works as a beloved ice princess at a famous Anaheim theme park, maintaining an aura of clean, corporate perfection. By night, she wanders the dive bars of the Sunset Strip, harboring a dark, Patrick Bateman-inspired urge for extreme violence.

As Maeve's inner darkness begins to spill over, the novel explores female rage, societal expectations, and the cost of artificial cheer. The book is highly acclaimed within the horror community, winning the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award and the Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel, alongside a Bram Stoker Award nomination. Readers should be prepared for explicit splatterpunk elements and a deeply unsettling first-person narrative.

American Rapture (2024)

Leede shifts her setting from the artificial glitter of California to the desolate landscapes of the Midwestern United States. American Rapture is an apocalyptic horror novel featuring a terrifying, sexually charged virus that strips infected people of their inhibitions, turning them into feral predators driven by uncontrollable lust and violence.

The story follows Solange, a sheltered Catholic teenager who must navigate this nightmarish landscape while dealing with her own religious trauma, shame, and identity. Unlike typical zombie apocalypses, Leede focuses on the psychological weight of the pandemic and the intersection of faith, sexuality, and survival. The novel was highly praised, earning a spot on Esquire’s list of the best horror books of 2024.

"Red Tide" in One Bad Night & Other Stories (2025)

For readers who want to experience Leede's writing in a shorter format, she contributed the short story "Red Tide" to One Bad Night & Other Stories. Published in October 2025 to mark the three-year anniversary of the Aardvark Book Club, this original horror anthology collects tales from prominent genre voices. Leede's contribution showcases her ability to build dread and write compelling, unsettling characters in a condensed narrative.

Headlights (2026)

Released in June 2026, Headlights shows Leede expanding her repertoire into supernatural crime fiction. The story is set in Colorado and follows FBI Special Agent Daniel Stansfield on his final day on the job. He is pulled back into a bizarre, unresolved case involving victims who wake up on the side of a highway with no memory of how they got there, wearing the skin of individuals they have never met, and with a single strand of hair tied around their tongues.

Blending the procedural grit of a detective thriller with supernatural and body horror elements, Headlights proves Leede's versatility as an author who continues to push the boundaries of modern genre fiction.

What to Know Before You Start: Themes and Style

Before diving into C.J. Leede's bibliography, new readers should understand a few key aspects of her style:

• Explicit Content and Gore: Leede's works are classified as extreme horror or splatterpunk. They contain intense graphic violence, body horror, and explicit sexual themes. They are not recommended for the faint of heart.
• Feminist Subversion: Rather than writing victimized women, Leede specializes in unapologetic female leads who embrace monstrosity and rage without needing a past trauma to justify their actions.
• Vivid Geographic Settings: Each of Leede's books is deeply grounded in its setting, whether it is the gritty neon of Los Angeles, the desolate highways of the Midwest, or the chilly heights of Colorado.