Headlights by CJ Leede

An FBI agent with an uncanny ability to sense danger must hunt down a serial killer through the wilderness of Colorado, in this tense and gripping thrill ride perfect for fans of The Shining and Longlegs.

Special Agent Daniel Stanfield has always trusted his instincts—a gift some call intuition, but he knows it’s something darker. And on the day of his resignation from the FBI, that sixth sense is louder than ever.

But before he can turn in his badge, Daniel is summoned back to Denver, the city he swore he'd never return to, with a chilling message: It’s happening again.

Across Colorado, ordinary people are waking up on the side of highways—disoriented, terrified, and wearing the skin of strangers they’ve allegedly never met. Each victim shares one haunting detail: a strand of someone else’s hair is tied around their tongue.

As Daniel tracks the killer through the frozen wilderness, every clue pulls him deeper into the shadows of his own past. To a trauma he’s tried to bury, and a truth that could destroy him. The only way to stop the cycle—and the murders—is to face what’s been hunting him all along.

Also by CJ Leede:

American Rapture

Maeve Fly

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Praise for this book

Praise for CJ Leede:

“Gory and brutal and beautiful and painful and terrifying and a pure delight.”

—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

“A firecracker of a book that explodes in your hand before you realize you've lit it.”

—May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives

“Bold, fiercely sharp, and deeply unsettling.”

—Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Lucky Day

“Blood-soaked, heart-wrenching, grim and glorious. CJ Leede is a singular talent.”

—Rachel Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of So Thirsty



“Sensual, brutal, sly, joyfully unnerving....It scared the hell out of me.”

—Keith Rosson, author of Fever House

“A blistering, feverish ride through a uniquely American apocalypse."

—Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of The Staircase in the Woods

“Plenty of page-turning suspense … hard to put down.”

—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“An adrenaline rush of a novel.”

—Shelf Awareness, STARRED review

"Full of action, gore, and heartbreak."

—Booklist

“Leede blends heart and horror, taking readers on an utterly bonkers and horrific ride. Buckle up.”

—Jimmy Juliano, author of Dead Eleven

“Thoughtful, wild, frightening, and fun.”

—Rivka Galchen, author of Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

About the Author

CJ LEEDE is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She is the author of Maeve Fly and American Rapture. Her debut novel Maeve Fly won the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award and Splatterpunk Award, and earned a Bram Stoker Award nomination. When she is not driving around the country, CJ can be found in LA with her boyfriend and rescue dogs.

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Title: Headlights
Author(s): CJ Leede
ISBN: 9781250857965
Copyright 2026
Release Date: June 09, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats

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