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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Review: The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart

Author: Alaina Urquhart
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: September 2022

Something dark is lurking in the Louisiana bayou: a methodical killer with a penchant for medical experimentation is hard at work completing his most harrowing crime yet, taunting the authorities who desperately try to catch up.


But forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller is the best there is. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of historical crimes, and years of experience working in the Medical Examiner's office, she's never encountered a case she couldn't solve. Until now. Case after case is piling up on Wren's examination table, and soon she is sucked into an all-consuming cat-and-mouse chase with a brutal murderer getting more brazen by the day.

I am a fan of the podcast Morbid, so  of course I had to pick up the first book written by one of the hosts.  The Butcher and The Wren follows a medical examiner as she tracks down a serial killer operating in New Orleans. We also get the serial killer's perspective.  While I would love to say that I loved this book, I have to be honest.  It was OK. I loved the premise, but it fell short of my expectations.

The beginning of the book had me hooked.  The Serial Killer was sufficiently evil and the murder scenes were bloody.  I also was completely surprised by the mid-book twist.  But, it wasn't enough for me to love this.  I felt like I knew next to nothing about Wren's basic background or anything about the serial killer and his motivations.  It all felt very surface level.  The pacing throughout most of the book was slow. The ending was on of my least favorite tropes.  It ended on a cliff hanger.  I may read a next book should there be one.  Hopefully, there will be many more answers and insights into the characters.  I listened to the audio and I would recommend it in that platform.   



1 comment:

shelleyrae @ book'd out said...

A lot of people seem to have amixed response, thanks for sharing your thoughts