Headlights is many things, but it is primarily a novel about the reverberations of deep, overwhelming, profound grief and loss.
Covers sometimes sell books, and the artist for this one is located HERE - just in case you are interested, after all.
I was thrilled at the prospect of a new novel from Leede, so much so that I got an ARC and read the book, rather than waiting and hoping for an audio copy. And honestly, this one, is so creepy and atmospheric that I am unsure if I could have done the audio without crawling out of my skin.
I would share some photos of new jumpscares I have encountered in my neighborhood, but... they literally are just bushes. Bushes that will NEVER BE THE SAME- thank you CJ Leede!
Readers meet Daniel - a hard boiled FBI agent whose chosen name is Daniel because of King's The Shining. Daniel has had a harrowing past, full of intense grief. When we encounter him, he's ready to leave it all behind and take on another stint of military service, but then... he gets a message that "It's happening again" He's compelled to return to Colorado- and work through a series of bizarre crimes that had perpetrators that are also somehow victims, and absolutely gruesome details. As an avid reader of old school detective/murder novels I was ready for this. I quickly became a "ride or die" for Danny- which is maybe why the twists and turns in the second and third act were pretty devastating for this reader.
When he suddenly finds himself a potential suspect- things start to go absolutely sideways - not only is Danny running from his law colleagues, he appears to also be running from his own past demons. Of course, these aren't all mental demons, because this is CJ Leede. We've got mental demons but also... ones that manifest out the night - Voom!
What he finds unearths a reckoning with himself and others, and a final solution that honestly I am not so sure I loved.- the last - 3rd act if you will felt a little forced, and possibly not quite as clear/neat as I would have preferred. But, honestly in some ways, the way that it devolved into utter supernatural chaos fit the novel and I found myself just sitting, staring into space, wondering how on earth I could review this one with elements of Splatter punk, horror, myth and legend, all tied up in a bit of a hair.
Readers meet Daniel - a hard boiled FBI agent whose chosen name is Daniel because of King's The Shining. Daniel has had a harrowing past, full of intense grief. When we encounter him, he's ready to leave it all behind and take on another stint of military service, but then... he gets a message that "It's happening again" He's compelled to return to Colorado- and work through a series of bizarre crimes that had perpetrators that are also somehow victims, and absolutely gruesome details. As an avid reader of old school detective/murder novels I was ready for this. I quickly became a "ride or die" for Danny- which is maybe why the twists and turns in the second and third act were pretty devastating for this reader.
When he suddenly finds himself a potential suspect- things start to go absolutely sideways - not only is Danny running from his law colleagues, he appears to also be running from his own past demons. Of course, these aren't all mental demons, because this is CJ Leede. We've got mental demons but also... ones that manifest out the night - Voom!
What he finds unearths a reckoning with himself and others, and a final solution that honestly I am not so sure I loved.- the last - 3rd act if you will felt a little forced, and possibly not quite as clear/neat as I would have preferred. But, honestly in some ways, the way that it devolved into utter supernatural chaos fit the novel and I found myself just sitting, staring into space, wondering how on earth I could review this one with elements of Splatter punk, horror, myth and legend, all tied up in a bit of a hair.
It this a book for book clubs? Probably not your Mom's local library book club. Definitely not my local library book club!
But readers who enjoy horror, splatterpunk, and a good detective story will find that this one offers a chaotic but well crafted multilayered and elegant meditation on extreme grief- and those reverberations of such grief through a life.
First Published : 6/9/26
Pages: 400
Available as an Audio Book : yes ~ 9-12 hrs
Trigger Warnings: Violence, body horror, loss of parents, parental incarceration, divorce, alcohol use, accidental and on purpose cannibalism, more body horror, ghosts (this is not a full list, read responsibly)
So, is this a retelling of The Shining? Wild!
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