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He is a good man, a brilliant corporate executive, an honest, handsome family man admired by men and desired by women. the alternating view points: usually you find out who did it at the end but this time, they essentially tell you the person in the beginning and you learn more about him as you go along. We are introduced to a mastermind serial killer, a sadist killer—Jeremy (known as The Bayou Butcher); chronically understimulated, he fed his own huger by experimentation. His father's early advice echoed in his mind over the years. "You want to learn about something, son? You have to open it up."
While Wren usually has a genial relationship with Police Detective John Leroux, she is a bit annoyed when he laughs off this observation. Frustrated, she tells him: I absolutely loved the short chapters which helped to keep the pace up. I also really enjoyed the twist which I did not see coming. It took me a while to wrap my head around it because it completely blindsided me! However, after the twist I felt things slipping a little. The ending felt really abrupt and came out of nowhere. It is clear it was setting up for a sequel but I was left feeling a little unsatisfied. That being said, I loved the sprinkling of true crime facts throughout and will definitely be reading the sequel if there is one! I think this was an impressive debut that shows a lot of promise! From the popular true-crime podcast MORBID, co-host and creator Alaina Urquhart comes an edgy killer thriller debut, THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN —bloody good! As body after body piles up on Wren's examination table, her obsession grows. Pressure to put an end to the slaughter mounts. And her enemy becomes more brazen. To sum this one up, it was a true cat and mouse thriller providing interweaving perspectives between a serial killer dubbed 'The Bayou Butcher,' and a forensic pathologist named Dr. Wren Muller. At the beginning of this extremely fast-paced novel, we meet our killer, who is on the hunt for his next victim. I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of the Butcher, which had me captivated immediately - his thoughts provided nonstop entertainment, in more ways than one! The next chapter we meet Wren, who is a no-nonsense kind of gal, with an encyclopedic knowledge of historical crimes such as this current case, and dead set on stopping the murders, at all costs. As the chapters fly by, we eventually learn this is in fact not her first run-in with him, the previous encounter occurring years earlier while she was still a student, providing insight into why Wren is so intent on catching the Butcher, who has hunted the Bayou for years. If I wasn't already invested in the chase, I definitely was at that point! As the bodies pile up, Wren and her team begin the piece together clues, and when a victim finally survives, they are closer than ever to finally discovering the true identity of The Butcher....or are they??Urquhart paints a tense and dangerous world for us right from the start and delivers it all with a skilled and evocative hand.” —Aaron Mahnke, creator of the Lore podcast and author of The World of Lore series To me, this felt more like a beta read. Which would make for a GREAT novel because the bones are there and there is SO much to work with/ add on. But since this almost the final copy, I am not sure how these plot holes, flat characters, and underdeveloped storylines will be fixed in time of pub date? There is nothing Alaina can say or write, that I won't read or listen. I absolutely love her storytelling ability on Morbid which is why I requested this book. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. Wren is a fascinating character, and you will root for her to the end. The serial killer is evil, ruthless, and chilling. Move over, Joe there is a new psycho in town. A short book, which I read in one sitting. Morbid podcast fans and crime junkies will devour! A mix of crime, psychic, and medical thrillers. A Psychological thriller that takes you in the mind of the killer, and the ME who desperately wants him caught. The Louisiana bayou holds many deadly creatures, including a killer who is set on taunting authorities and making no mistakes. However, Wren Muller is on the case and she has yet to fail at solving a case. As their stories intertwine however, Wren must face the demons of her past or else she will let down those who can no longer speak that lay on her table in the morgue.
Alaina is a first-time author and the press that published this book is smaller. As I was reading, there were several times I felt myself thinking, "this is definitely her first book." And that's not a bad thing! I do think that Alaina's skill will definitely improve with each book she (hopefully) publishes, and I'm excited to see her grow as a writer. As a proud Weirdo, I was so excited to have the chance to read this novel from one of my favorite podcasters, and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait to read what happens to Wren and the gang.
Member Reviews
Alaina Urquhart: I love being an autopsy technician. Working with the dead has given me a different perspective on life. It makes me confront my own habits and misconceptions and reveals how intricate and fragile the human body truly is. An addictive read with straight-from-the-morgue details only an autopsy technician could provide, The Butcher and the Wren promises to ensnare all who enter.
I love Alaina, truly. She is a wonderful podcaster, human, advocate, etc. I cannot imagine the time and energy that went into this book. We got to see a lot of his quirks come through in this book, and I only wish the other characters were as developed as he was :( One thing I did like was how Jeremy was all for the chase. In most of the horror books I read (not many), the killer takes his time, sure, but he is more eager and sloppy than Jeremy is. So I appreciated reading the meticulous planning and thought that goes into Jeremey's actions in every chapter. The writing is a lot of telling and not much showing. It's choppy in most places with bouts of info-dumping and repetitive descriptions of the hot NOLA weather. Too many short sentences one after another can take the reader out of the story. It could benefit from a lot of appositives and basic reworking to look more presentable to the reader, but this is just my opinion since most readers wouldn't mind.With San Francisco under siege and every cop a suspect, the Women's Murder Club must risk their lives to save the city-and each other. I’m so excited to be reviewing this book as a fan of Morbid, the true crime podcast that the author co-hosts. I was not at all surprised when Alaina announced that she had written a book. She is very smart, super passionate, and is always popping in with some colorful language, so I have been excited to get my hands on this book. Based on the writing alone, I wouldn’t guess that this is her first novel. I am very impressed with how the language is used in a way to paint a clear picture of the scene and all the emotions in it. The case was interesting, Jeremy’s perspective was dark and Wren had room for character growth. There was a lot of potential here, I just wish there was more. CrimeReads needs your help. The mystery world is vast, and we need your support to cover it the way
The downfalls for me were the ending and flaws in the writing that probably should have been patched up during the editing stage.
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On top of that, for a book set in New Orleans, written by someone 'supposedly' obsessed with New Orleans - it's painfully apparent she's never been and didn't even bother to research the basics. It's so full of stereotypes and clichés i.e Bourbon Street, French Quarter, jazz, Mardis Gras, tarot readers, spooky cemeteries etc. to the point it reads like parody. HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TO NOT LIQUIFY THIS WEEK? I simply can NOT wait to bring this to you beauties! 🖤🤘🏻🤯🔪🥂📺 https://t.co/2IeSKlNRSd
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