The Butcher and the Wren
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- Create Date：2022-09-09 04:52:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Alaina Urquhart
- ISBN：0241610605
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Summary
From the co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid， a thrilling debut novel told from the duelling perspectives of a notorious serial killer and the medical examiner following where his trail of victims leads。。。
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。。。
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。
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。。。
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。
Reviews
Ashley Dioguardi
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I want to preface this by saying a HUGE thank you to Zando for this #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review！ I practically cried when I received this beautiful book mail last week。 I have wanted a copy of The Butcher and the Wren ever since hearing about it on Morbid a few months prior。 I am a Morbid SUPER FAN， okay？ I am talking a Wondery + subscriber just to listen to their episodes early！ And of course I am an Alaina Urquhart stan。 It is SO fun to read a piece of literature created by so I want to preface this by saying a HUGE thank you to Zando for this #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review！ I practically cried when I received this beautiful book mail last week。 I have wanted a copy of The Butcher and the Wren ever since hearing about it on Morbid a few months prior。 I am a Morbid SUPER FAN， okay？ I am talking a Wondery + subscriber just to listen to their episodes early！ And of course I am an Alaina Urquhart stan。 It is SO fun to read a piece of literature created by someone you so deeply admire， and so for that， I am super grateful to have read this story！However， this book was an insane let down for me。 I rate it 2。5 stars， but am rounding up to 3 in the name of Goodreads。 To start， this book is not a dynamic/well-rounded read。 The characters and overall storylines fall flat and don't develop at all。 For example， our MC Wren is a ME （medical examiner） who is married and that is quite literally all I know about her。 There is a twist that comes about 3/4 of the way through this book， but even with the twist， it just doesnt make sense。 Wren herself doesn't make sense。 Who is she？ What does she like？ What is she like outside of work， when she is on the couch with his husband and watching their favorite TV show？ What is her quirk？ What is her worst quality？ I want these answers so I can actually form some sort of connection to the MC I am reading about。 When Wren discovers that the victims she has been working on are the victims of her same abuser/almost killer a number of years prior， it's already pretty far into the book。 I am lost as to how she has not discovered this before？ She is a smart gal， even was in medical school in the past， yet she doesn't seem to make the connection about the trends that keep popping up with the killer's victims until the killer quite literally leaves physical evidence （in the form of her old bracelet） on his latest victim。 It's almost as if the killer got tired of Wren not understanding his game （as are the readers）。 If I could give one big mark， it's definitely that the readers would LOVE to see Wren develop， or do anything outside of work。 Since we don't see Wren as an actual person with interests or personality traits， we need to see more interactions。 Even in the one scene where she goes out to get drinks with her friends， I was left feeling incredibly *cringe* at the topics of conversations and overall vibes of the scenes。 （read below）-For example， this is an actual line in the book: "。。。 she spots them among the massive crowd of people laughing and enjoying their beautiful plates of Louisiana seafood" beautiful plates of Louisiana seafood。beautiful plates of Louisiana seafood。 ^there's gotta be a better way to describe this， right？（I know some people have issues with her descriptions of Louisiana。 Having family there and being very familiar with the state， I do see these points。 BUT it's really hard to write in a climate that's not your own， so I do give her props to writing in a setting she is not familiar with）。 Moving on。。。The MC， Jeremy， is the serial killer。 I actually really enjoyed his character because he had a funny personality and we got to see him go through a range of emotions in almost every chapter。 We also got a tiny tiny glimpse into his childhood， which of course helped his character arc。 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 husband， the cops， and her friends: I am not sure why they were even in this story？ I feel like Tara had more personality/ character development than Leroux did， and she was only in the book for a chapter or two。 Also I still don't understand how the cops and Leroux knew who this guy was for so long yet they almost waited around to catch him？ Only for Tara to be practically slaughtered。 And the ending。 It was actually so confusing that I went back to re-read it only to find out I won't get any answers。 Who was the man who was shot？ And how did Jeremy set up this fake execution with a random man and be able to run away while his house was being seized？ I am confused on the logistics。 But I do know we are set up for a Book 2， so hopefully we get those answers then。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？I still love my weirdos， and I imagine writing a book is HARD。 So I will continue listening to my 2 fav gals kill it on Morbid every week！ 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph， Penguin Random House for an advance copy of The Butcher and the Wren， a psychological thriller set in New Orleans。A serial killer is working in New Orleans。 His murders are violent， leading to the moniker The Butcher， and every one is different。 He becomes a bit of an obsession for forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller。 How far will she go to catch him？I found The Butcher and the Wren to be a mixed bag with things I liked and things that didn’t a I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph， Penguin Random House for an advance copy of The Butcher and the Wren， a psychological thriller set in New Orleans。A serial killer is working in New Orleans。 His murders are violent， leading to the moniker The Butcher， and every one is different。 He becomes a bit of an obsession for forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller。 How far will she go to catch him？I found The Butcher and the Wren to be a mixed bag with things I liked and things that didn’t appeal。 I like the plot premise， the various things that happen in the novel and a couple of good twists， but I wasn’t so keen on the execution。It is told alternately from Wren and the killer’s points of view。 These are not identified， so the reader has to adjust accordingly every few paragraphs。 It’s not confusing， but it’s disorienting to have to continually adjust perspective。It’s not a long read and packs in a fair amount of bodies and discovery scenes， so this comes at the expense of characterisation。 There is quite a lot about the killer’s thoughts， but no real emotion or reason for his actions。 At the same time the other characters， Wren and the detectives she works with， are not fleshed out。 There is little hint of their likes and dislikes or how they run their lives， so it’s difficult to identify with them。 It makes the novel more a litany of events than an absorbing read。The novel ends in a cliffhanger， paving the way for a potential sequel。 I don’t think I would be interested enough to follow up， but that’s personal taste。 The Butcher and the Wren is a solid read。 。。。more
Kendra
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3。5 ⭐️
Lynda
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A debut novel from what I believe is a successful crime podcaster， however， I wasn’t aware of her。 It was a short quick read， took me a couple of hours， and it was a good book。 Told from the POV’ of Dr Wren Muller， a forensic pathologist and ‘Jeremy， ‘the killer’。 The killings and some the autopsy details are described in a pretty graphic manner， you have been warned！ Briefly， in the Louisiana bayou a killer is taunting the police as the body count rises at an astonishing rate， but Wren is deter A debut novel from what I believe is a successful crime podcaster， however， I wasn’t aware of her。 It was a short quick read， took me a couple of hours， and it was a good book。 Told from the POV’ of Dr Wren Muller， a forensic pathologist and ‘Jeremy， ‘the killer’。 The killings and some the autopsy details are described in a pretty graphic manner， you have been warned！ Briefly， in the Louisiana bayou a killer is taunting the police as the body count rises at an astonishing rate， but Wren is determined to find him。 She has never failed yet。 But this time she’s up against a killer who enjoys the game。 He doesn’t just kill them。 He plays with them。 But why？ What is his end game？This is definitely going to compared with the television series Dexter， but that’s no bad thing。 The writer clearly knows what she is talking about ‘forensically’ speaking and it was well done。 The ending was good and there was a great twist but I’m guessing that cliffhanger is leading on to a second in the series。 I hope so。 I found it an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Iris
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Excellent Debut Alaina！ Hard to swallow that it was left on a cliffhanger！ But very well done！！！
Megan Griest
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The Butcher and The Wren is a suspenseful story of a serial killer and medical examiner， told from both perspectives。 The narrators （particularly Sophie Amoss） did a great job conveying the emotion of Dr。 Wren Muller and the Butcher as each tries to stay one step ahead of the other。 Without giving too much away， there were a few parts that surprised me， and one I should have seen coming but didn't。 The plot was fast-paced and kept me engaged。 The end of the story seemed to set up a sequel， and i The Butcher and The Wren is a suspenseful story of a serial killer and medical examiner， told from both perspectives。 The narrators （particularly Sophie Amoss） did a great job conveying the emotion of Dr。 Wren Muller and the Butcher as each tries to stay one step ahead of the other。 Without giving too much away， there were a few parts that surprised me， and one I should have seen coming but didn't。 The plot was fast-paced and kept me engaged。 The end of the story seemed to set up a sequel， and if that's the case， I look forward to reading it！ 。。。more
Miriam Smith （A Mother’s Musings）
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THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN - He’s hunting victims。 She’s hunting him……。 -Written by Alaina Urquhart， who is already knowledgeable in the art of storytelling due to her participation in the true crime podcast ‘Morbid’， has written a fabulous novel， that shows just how much potential the author has in future crime fiction writing。I do love a good serial killer， the more twisted and evil the better and a cat and mouse game to catch them， adds to the nail biting tension。 This book had all the traditio THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN - He’s hunting victims。 She’s hunting him……。 -Written by Alaina Urquhart， who is already knowledgeable in the art of storytelling due to her participation in the true crime podcast ‘Morbid’， has written a fabulous novel， that shows just how much potential the author has in future crime fiction writing。I do love a good serial killer， the more twisted and evil the better and a cat and mouse game to catch them， adds to the nail biting tension。 This book had all the traditional hallmarks of the psychological murder genre， with its chilling atmosphere， brutal murders， a sinister killer and truly frightening scenarios。 This was a really quick story to read， 240 pages and I had this covered in less than twenty four hours。 Now some might be saying that is was too quick and needed a bit more fleshing out but you know， it worked just as well as it is， needless filler would have lengthened the book but the scenes that mattered were sharp， tense， dark and menacing。 If the likes of ‘Silence of the Lambs’ and the earlier books by Patricia Cornwall are your bag， then you’ll enjoy this twisted and grisly psychological frightener with gusto。 Wren is a lovely character and a knowledgable forensic pathologist， obviously due to the authors own personal knowledge of mortuary work。 Wren has time for her trainees and to listen intently to what the dead can tell her about their suspicious deaths。 Like a Clarice Starling of the medical world， the killer gets into her mind and is determined to help assist in their capture。I would however agree that the ending was possibly cut too short。 I continued reading thinking it was another chapter but it was actually the acknowledgments but all that did was pique my interest in a follow up， which I now just have to read！ I’m desperate to read more and hope the author doesn’t wait too long to pen the second in the Wren Muller， forensic pathologist series。 Alaina Urquhart is the co-host of the chart-topping show #Morbid - A True Crime Podcast， with over 1m listeners and 3m views on Tik Tok。 An autopsy technician by trade， she has degrees in criminal justice， psychology and biology。 #TheButcherAndTheWren - 4 stars 。。。more
Doreen
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9/5/2023 4 stars for the mid-book twist， 3 stars for the ending。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 9/5/2023 4 stars for the mid-book twist， 3 stars for the ending。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 。。。more
Kim Martin
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An easy read and I enjoyed it， I will definitely read more
Nicole
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Thank you to Netgalley， Zando Projects， and the author for an ARC of this book。If you're looking for a fast-paced， page-turner， this one is for you。 There's a lot happening here that shows much promise for Urquhart， the well-known host of the podcast Morbid。 In this novel， Urquhart creates her own fictional tale of terror when a young medical examiner （and her detective colleagues） engage in a race against time to stop a serial killer known as The Butcher。 What I liked about this was that is was Thank you to Netgalley， Zando Projects， and the author for an ARC of this book。If you're looking for a fast-paced， page-turner， this one is for you。 There's a lot happening here that shows much promise for Urquhart， the well-known host of the podcast Morbid。 In this novel， Urquhart creates her own fictional tale of terror when a young medical examiner （and her detective colleagues） engage in a race against time to stop a serial killer known as The Butcher。 What I liked about this was that is was dark and twisty--even if it doesn't go full dark。 I loved that the lead detective on the case， Leroux， is a gay man。 We don't see that often--it's about time。 Urquhart also works as an autopsy technician in real life so she knows a lot of first-hand information about what a medical examiner would encounter in her work。 The story shows that her protagonist's work is well-represented and not just a prop for a fictional character。 In addition， we see a few tidbits of real-life serial killers and dark historical tales that pique a reader's interest to find out more。 （I was really interested in Jamaican Ginger paralysis--I hadn't ever heard of that！）So why the three stars？ I fluctuated on this rating。 I enjoyed this and was anxious to get back to it。 I'm also hoping for a sequel in the not-too-distant future。 However， this is a first novel and the writing could be a bit stronger。 The novel is quite short and the ending is rather abrupt。 There are a few questionable narrative turns。 Dialogue is often stilted （don't be afraid to use contraptions in dialogue！）。 And the characters could really be fleshed out。 All this means there's lot of fertile ground to cover in future novels in a series， if the author chooses to keep going with these characters--and I hope she does。 With some stronger story-telling and writing skills， this series could be really quite good。 I'm glad I read this， and I enjoyed the process。 I look forward to future installments in this series。 。。。more
Judy Collins
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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！Perfect for fans of Dexter， a cat-and-mouse game battle of wits， told from the POVs of a notorious evil serial killer and a determined medical examiner on a mission to bring him down。A long-awaited delight。。。a thrill-ride escape！ Set in the alluring and sultry Louisiana， New Orleans， surrounded by the swamps and bayous， historic landmarks， j 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！Perfect for fans of Dexter， a cat-and-mouse game battle of wits， told from the POVs of a notorious evil serial killer and a determined medical examiner on a mission to bring him down。A long-awaited delight。。。a thrill-ride escape！ Set in the alluring and sultry Louisiana， New Orleans， surrounded by the swamps and bayous， historic landmarks， jazz， music， food， heat and humidity， tarot card readings， and of course， ghosts， the dead， the cemetery， and a serial killer， all set the mood。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。"As a kid， he took out books at the library on lobotomies。 He became entranced with medical procedures of Dr。 Freeman。 We hear about his earlier time in a lab and his lab partners。 He blends in。 Based on his profile Wren believes he was able to convince most of his victims to leave with him willingly。 He is interested in causing chaos from afar， not becoming entrenched in it himself。His grand return。 Seven years。 Seven years of plans and work。 "Wrens are truly magnificent little creatures。 They signify rebirth and protection， immortality， and strength。 Because of the wren's small stature， most larger birds and predators underestimate its incredible ingenuity and intelligence。 But while technically fragile， the wren outwits its underprepared predator to come out on top when threatened。"Dr。 Wren Muller is a Forensic pathologist in Louisiana。 She is seeing cases she has not seen before。 The serial killer leaves clues about this his next body drops。 However， seems oddly familiar。With the help of police detectives and others in her office， Wren tries to stay one step of Jeremy， but can she stop him before she becomes the next victim？ Wren is a fascinating character， 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。The author brilliantly crafts a darkly， intelligent， addictive， and twisty unputdownable （hopefully a new series） psychological crime thriller mixed with humor， keeping you on the edge of your seat。 As an autopsy technician by trade， the author offers a unique perspective from deep inside the morgue with expertise。 THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN is the perfect addition to the author's portfolio with her Morbid Podcast — an author to watch。 I cannot wait to see what comes next， and my fingers are crossed for a series。 #CoverCrushFor fans of authors Jennifer Hillier， Caroline Kepnes， and Lisa Gardner。 A special thank you to #Zando and #Negtalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Also pre-ordered the audiobook and cannot wait since narrated by @joeknezevich （my new favorite narrator） and @sophie_amoss_vo_actorBlog Review Posted @www。JudithDCollins。com @JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooksPub Date: Sept 13， 2022My Rating: 5 Stars Sept 2022 Must-Read Books 。。。more
Jodie
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The butcher and the Wren was a fast paced cannot put it down book。 It is told in two perspectives the hunter and the hunted。 The reason for 4 stars and not five are some little things that didn’t complete the book for me。 The characters I feel were not fully developed but I did like or come to like Wren。 The synopsis of the book is what pulled me in and I will say it did keep me engaged but feel the ending was a bit abrupt and some things were not truly emplaned now I don’t know if that means a The butcher and the Wren was a fast paced cannot put it down book。 It is told in two perspectives the hunter and the hunted。 The reason for 4 stars and not five are some little things that didn’t complete the book for me。 The characters I feel were not fully developed but I did like or come to like Wren。 The synopsis of the book is what pulled me in and I will say it did keep me engaged but feel the ending was a bit abrupt and some things were not truly emplaned now I don’t know if that means a sequel？ I will keep my eyes out for that as I would like to know what happens after。 Overall it kept me intrigued and was fast paced with some more depth maybe with a ending not so abrupt I would have given it a 5 star！ 。。。more
Amanda Mae
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So I have previously listened to Morbid， so I heard about Alaina writing a book， and was curious on how the book turned out。 I want to give props for completing her goal， but this book isn’t my cup of tea and is lacking in some areas。 This is a dual-perspective and dual time-line-which I think causes some issues。 I feel like I know more about the killer than the hero。 When the “twist” happens in the middle of the story， without giving any spoilers makes the timeline more confusing。 I didn’t nece So I have previously listened to Morbid， so I heard about Alaina writing a book， and was curious on how the book turned out。 I want to give props for completing her goal， but this book isn’t my cup of tea and is lacking in some areas。 This is a dual-perspective and dual time-line-which I think causes some issues。 I feel like I know more about the killer than the hero。 When the “twist” happens in the middle of the story， without giving any spoilers makes the timeline more confusing。 I didn’t necessarily enjoy her prose， at times it felt unnecessarily wordy。 She used a lot of references to real life serial killers and Buffalo Bill/silence of the lambs， I wish she wouldn’t have and instead take more time to flesh out the main character。 She set it up for a sequel， so hopefully the next one will be better。 。。。more
Amy
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A twisted serial killer is abducting and torturing women in the Louisiana woods。 Wren Muller is the forensic pathologist that is determined to catch him。 She has dedicated her life to helping victims speak by uncovering clues and evidence that will put away their murderers。 Her past serves as motivation and creates a drive that makes her successful 。 This time she is up against a killer that is making it personal 。 He is leaving messages for Wren。 Told in alternating perspectives this was a well A twisted serial killer is abducting and torturing women in the Louisiana woods。 Wren Muller is the forensic pathologist that is determined to catch him。 She has dedicated her life to helping victims speak by uncovering clues and evidence that will put away their murderers。 Her past serves as motivation and creates a drive that makes her successful 。 This time she is up against a killer that is making it personal 。 He is leaving messages for Wren。 Told in alternating perspectives this was a well told story that unravels at the perfect pace。！ This one has so many great scenes and creates so much tension。 I loved it up until the end。 It was just too short。 I need more！！！ Without going in to detail it just left me completely unsatisfied。 I am okay with the unconventional ending—I love a good cliff hanger， or a shocking turn of events or even something completely off the rails but this one just stopped。 Hopefully there will be more from this author because I was so engaged and into this story！！ I just need a more！！！The audiobook was excellent with different narrators narrating the different points of view， loved it！Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。3 ⭐️ 。 。。。more
Emily Christopher
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The Butcher and the Wren⭐️⭐️。5Genre: Horror / ThrillerFormat: Kindle eBook Date Published: 9/13/22Author: Alaina UrquhartPublisher: Zando ProjectsPages: 256Goodreads Rating: 3。63I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Zando Projects and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased。Synopsis: 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 The Butcher and the Wren⭐️⭐️。5Genre: Horror / ThrillerFormat: Kindle eBook Date Published: 9/13/22Author: Alaina UrquhartPublisher: Zando ProjectsPages: 256Goodreads Rating: 3。63I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Zando Projects and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased。Synopsis: 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， 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。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。My Thoughts: This story is narrated by Dr。 Wren Muller and the serial killer， in a dual POV， that was fascinating to read。 This was a unique premise， which drew me to the book， along with the beautiful cover。 I really wanted to like this book but there were some things that fell short for me。 The setting of NOLA didn’t feel flushed out， I did not feel like I was there。 It was more of an overview of NOLA that we all know from other shows。 The characters were not flushed out enough。 I wanted to know more about the serial killer， as what made him become a murderer。 I could not connect with Wren either， I would loved to see more background on her。 Then there is the ending， I will not give to much to not spoil it， but felt it was too open and vague。 Even if this book is part of a series， there should be some type of resolution。 This was not a bad book， I was just left wanting more in those areas。 Now， as a debut writer， Urquhart has a strong start and I know her podcasts are amazing。 。。。more
Sam
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AN: I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 Also， I have not listened to Alaina Urquhart’s work on the podcast Morbid。Told from the differing perspectives of a brilliant medical examiner pitted against a sadistic serial killer， The Butcher and the Wren is a thrilling chase throughout the Louisiana Bayou as each person tries to outsmart the other— great for fans of Kathy Reichs/Bones and Dexter。Alaina Urquhart was meticulous in detail and weaved a pr AN: I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 Also， I have not listened to Alaina Urquhart’s work on the podcast Morbid。Told from the differing perspectives of a brilliant medical examiner pitted against a sadistic serial killer， The Butcher and the Wren is a thrilling chase throughout the Louisiana Bayou as each person tries to outsmart the other— great for fans of Kathy Reichs/Bones and Dexter。Alaina Urquhart was meticulous in detail and weaved a propelling narrative utilizing her background as an autopsy technician making the dual protagonists distinctive and compelling。 Jeremy is almost textbook in his antisocial demeanor and penchant for multisyllabic words but that makes him no less horrific considering his thoughtful methodology。 Wren， similarly， is an introvert with a heart and mind for medical science that makes her an expert in the field， （though significantly less sociopathic）。 Additionally， Urquhart’s descriptions of the killings and Louisiana’s bayou were equally visceral。That being said， it took me a while to get into as the pace didn’t pick up until about a quarter of the way through。 The narrators performed well— their voices carrying the nuances of each character。 I was particularly invested in Jeremy’s chapters which were puckered with nods and name-drops to history’s most infamous。 My main criticism lies within the prose itself。 As a thriller， certain tropes are to be expected like a cool-headed yet passionate detective and a “nail this sicko，” thrown in for good measure。 Urqhart did well enough in subverting these tropes， but there was little depth to the side characters and the dialogue still felt like a stiff procedural at times。 I also expected the twist to land a bit more as my initial reaction was confusion。 I found myself fumbling for the rewind button and second-guessing my understanding of the plot。 Though clever and unexpected， it felt constructed as opposed to organic。Overall， The Butcher and the Wren was an enjoyable， fast debut novel if you’re a crime junkie in it for plot over characters。 。。。more
Linda Garcia
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The author is co-host from one my favorite podcasts and when they announced she had written a book and it would be out soon， I was like meh， not interested。 When I had the opportunity to get an advance copy from #netgalley， I said well why not。 I immediately connected with Wren and you can tell the Author， who is an autopsy tech， wrote from a place she knew。 As a kid， I always wanted to be a forensic pathologist， loved anything horror and scary and was always called a Morbid （WINK WINK Hope I ge The author is co-host from one my favorite podcasts and when they announced she had written a book and it would be out soon， I was like meh， not interested。 When I had the opportunity to get an advance copy from #netgalley， I said well why not。 I immediately connected with Wren and you can tell the Author， who is an autopsy tech， wrote from a place she knew。 As a kid， I always wanted to be a forensic pathologist， loved anything horror and scary and was always called a Morbid （WINK WINK Hope I get a shout out！） little kid。 However， I didn't connect with the Butcher for at least 50 pages。 I was like this dude is boring and unsuspecting and who the hell would ever talk to him？ Umm DUH LINDA are you NOT a life long True Crime fan？？ Isn't this how ALL these killers are？？ The story progressed at a nice pace and wasn't boring but something was lacking until BAM！ SLAP RIGHT IN THE FACE。 I said CHRIST ON A F'ING CRACKER！ After that， I couldn't stop reading。 I HAD to know what the hell happened。 The book is short; a little less than 250 pages but it really is good and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes mysteries， thrillers and semi-horror。 This book gave me Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta vibes and I am absolutely begging for a series from this author。 You know what else would be good？ Call Apple+ or HULU and make this a show！Thank you to #netgalley for providing an advanced copy for an honest review#morbidatruecrimepodcast #netgalley #thebutcherandthewren 。。。more
Susan
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This book is a game of cat and mouse between a serial killer and a medical examiner。 There is a fascinating twist about midway through the book that I found fascinating。 The character of the butcher is creepy and although we did get some backstory， it wasn't a novel inside the novel。 Though some found the ending of this book to be unsatisfactory I had prepared myself and got exactly what I was expecting。 Also some complained about the accuracy of the description of New Orleans but I didn't find This book is a game of cat and mouse between a serial killer and a medical examiner。 There is a fascinating twist about midway through the book that I found fascinating。 The character of the butcher is creepy and although we did get some backstory， it wasn't a novel inside the novel。 Though some found the ending of this book to be unsatisfactory I had prepared myself and got exactly what I was expecting。 Also some complained about the accuracy of the description of New Orleans but I didn't find this at all a distraction to the story。 。。。more
Marissa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Hey weirdos！Gah！ I’m not usually surprised with a plot twist in the triller genre， but this one got me！ And it ended on a cliffhanger。 I need more of Dr。 Mueller asap。 She’s THE final girl and I’m living for it。 I knew that Alaina could weave a story from listening to her podcast “Morbid”（that I’m current on） but this is beyond what I could’ve imagined！ I’m excited for a sequel， but I suppose I’ll have to wait。 Keep it weird， but not so weird that you write an amazing debut novel that ends on a Hey weirdos！Gah！ I’m not usually surprised with a plot twist in the triller genre， but this one got me！ And it ended on a cliffhanger。 I need more of Dr。 Mueller asap。 She’s THE final girl and I’m living for it。 I knew that Alaina could weave a story from listening to her podcast “Morbid”（that I’m current on） but this is beyond what I could’ve imagined！ I’m excited for a sequel， but I suppose I’ll have to wait。 Keep it weird， but not so weird that you write an amazing debut novel that ends on a cliffhanger that makes me want to scream for more immediately。 Actually， you can keep it that weird。 Okay， byyyeeeeee！ 。。。more
lovemyshelf
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This book was too vile and gory for me。 Jeremy is disgusting and an abominable psychopath and I hated being in his brain。 While I liked Dr。 Wren， I did not enjoy all of the medical talk about the gory murders performed。 These details do not a story make。 It is just a collection of shocking images created to sell books。 Not impressed。
AtomicBooks
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This is a fast paced， chilling， thriller， full of plenty of perfectly timed twists and turns。 The Butcher is a dark， clever and precise killer who appears to be teasing and taunting the Medical Examiner， Wren， with lots of little clues just for her but Wren is equally as smart and determined to catch the killer。 This is a well written tense cat and mouse thriller that left me wondering if we might meet Wren again…
Geneva Logan
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I love books that Alaina Urquhart has written and I believe this will be one of her best。 I love dark secret mysteries as a forensic lab tech and officer I find things to be a little strange at times but eventually figure them all out。 I am looking forward to reading this book。
Suzanne Taylor
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I was able to read a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 The Butcher and the Wren follows Medical Examiner Dr。 Wren Muller as the New Orleans police department is embroiled in a tense investigation of a possible serial killer。 Muller seems intent on connecting with each victim she finds on her autopsy table， and often stays late trying to glean their tragic stories。 As more bodies come into her autopsy suite， however， readers begin to wonder if she is just the person to help fi I was able to read a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 The Butcher and the Wren follows Medical Examiner Dr。 Wren Muller as the New Orleans police department is embroiled in a tense investigation of a possible serial killer。 Muller seems intent on connecting with each victim she finds on her autopsy table， and often stays late trying to glean their tragic stories。 As more bodies come into her autopsy suite， however， readers begin to wonder if she is just the person to help find this killer。This book moves quickly and all but guarantees readers will want to stay tuned to find out the secrets buried in the bayou。 Not only is the plot fast moving， but the author takes advantage of her own medical knowledge to bring her audience along for each gory detail。 If that isn't enough， we are also treated to not one， but two utterly jaw-dropping twists。 Urquhart also crafts one of the most unsettling killers I've encountered in fiction all while giving nods to real-life serial killer cases。Although the plot is undeniably gripping， I felt that the book could have been longer so that Urquhart could develop her world and characters more。 Given the short length， I felt readers were only given sparse looks into the setting and the main viewpoint character herself。 In conjunction with this short work， the story ends abruptly， nearly with no warning which may irritate some readers。 However， if my biggest criticism is that I would want more of the book itself， I believe those who love crime and mystery fiction would enjoy it。 3。5/5 。。。more
Corinne Dye
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review。 I think this was a good first book。 The author provided a wealth of knowledge in the medical examiner realm。 I have been looking for a book like this to learn more about the death process while being entertained with a mystery。 I found our main character， Wren， charming and quick as a whip。 I really enjoyed her relationship with John， the detective。 I found the serial killer， Jeremy， interesting and haunting。 I found the author to Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review。 I think this was a good first book。 The author provided a wealth of knowledge in the medical examiner realm。 I have been looking for a book like this to learn more about the death process while being entertained with a mystery。 I found our main character， Wren， charming and quick as a whip。 I really enjoyed her relationship with John， the detective。 I found the serial killer， Jeremy， interesting and haunting。 I found the author took bits and pieces from famous serial killers and created this ass-wipe of a serial killer。 I do like that the author did not glorify Jeremy as this evil genius but as this "smart" dumbass。 I'm glad we got to see how he messed up his own schemes and that he wasn't smart beyond reality as a lot of authors write their killers。 I found the location as New Orleans to be a great choice as a setting。 And I think that the author made New Orleans a sort of character in itself as it aided the killer in a lot of instances。 I have never personally been to New Orleans but this was how I would imagine it。 My qualms with the novel would have to be that I wanted more depth for the main characters。 I wanted deeper feelings from Wren and reactions to this trauma that happened to her。 I want to just know more of how she had to start over and how she continued to live for 7 years knowing the Bayou Butcher was free。 I wanted a greater revelation that Jeremy had been stalking her with the discovery of the ring。 I also wanted John to have more of a backstory and see deeper into his role as a detective and how he slept at night seeing all the things he had seen。 Also， I was going to rate this a four stars out of five until the ending。 It felt out of nowhere and in the middle of a scene。 It was extremely disappointing to learn that that was how it ended and I'm assuming there will be a second novel because it felt so unfinished。 Even with letting Jeremy still be free and not caught， they could of wrapped it up a little bit tighter to show it was the end。 I had to double check my copy to make sure that there weren't pages missing。 That was how random it felt。Overall， this felt like a cozy medical examiner mystery。 I am not sure this was the intent and I say cozy only for the lack of rounded characters。 I know that is not everyone's cup of tea but I still enjoyed it。 I just wanted more from it。 I can't wait to see what Alaina comes out with next。 I'm a devoted Morbid fan and can't wait to see how Alaina grows as an author。 。。。more
Kristin
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Right off the bat， after reading the premise and knowing that the author was from a podcast that I have listened to， I wanted to read this book。 This book is told from alternating perspective， the butcher （the serial killer） and the Wren （the medical examiner）， which includes a twist that I enjoyed。 Some of the descriptions of the actions of the butcher were so great that it made me cringe！ The ending was great， and it was left open ended so that there could be another book！ If there is， I will Right off the bat， after reading the premise and knowing that the author was from a podcast that I have listened to， I wanted to read this book。 This book is told from alternating perspective， the butcher （the serial killer） and the Wren （the medical examiner）， which includes a twist that I enjoyed。 Some of the descriptions of the actions of the butcher were so great that it made me cringe！ The ending was great， and it was left open ended so that there could be another book！ If there is， I will read it。There were some issues though。 Some of the writing seemed a bit juvenile。 Additionally， the flow of the book needed some extra work in some places。 There was an instance where Wren was at home， and then the next sentence she was swiping into work， but there was no transitional sentence such as she left her house to get to work。 The other thing that really bothered me is how realistic it is for a medical examiner to be THAT involved in a case from the outset， other than doing what is supposed to be their job。Overall， 3。5 stars， rounded up to 4。 I would recommend this book to those that like to read a fast， easy to read， enjoyable thriller。 。。。more
Dee
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⭐️ 3。5 ⭐️The Butcher and the Wren is another mixed bag for me。I was hooked from the beginning and the story had me in its grip until the end。 I flew through the pages because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next; I also enjoyed the creepy sense of atmosphere Urquhart has created。The characters are fairly one dimensional and lacking in any sort of real depth。 We don’t get to know that much about any of them （particularly in the case of Wren）。I thought the storyline was interestin ⭐️ 3。5 ⭐️The Butcher and the Wren is another mixed bag for me。I was hooked from the beginning and the story had me in its grip until the end。 I flew through the pages because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next; I also enjoyed the creepy sense of atmosphere Urquhart has created。The characters are fairly one dimensional and lacking in any sort of real depth。 We don’t get to know that much about any of them （particularly in the case of Wren）。I thought the storyline was interesting and I did find it an addictive read but there are some obvious plot holes and story continuity issues。 I was also disappointed with the lack of explanation to the implausible ending and the questions that needed answers。Overall， an enjoyable read with niggles。Many thanks to the publisher for the proof copy， in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
Lynda
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Good book
Kevin
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3。5 stars - review to follow。
Amber （seekingdystopia）
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I’m going to call this what it is: a popcorn thriller。 But I don’t think there is anything wrong with that。 At less than 250 pages， I finished this book in just a few hours and was thoroughly entertained。 I’m not a true crime fanatic， so even though some other reviewers were disappointed by that， it didn’t phase me。 I loved the dual POV， but Jeremy’s was my favorite of the two。 It reminded me a lot of the narration for YOU， which I also thoroughly enjoyed。 The characters are not the most well ro I’m going to call this what it is: a popcorn thriller。 But I don’t think there is anything wrong with that。 At less than 250 pages， I finished this book in just a few hours and was thoroughly entertained。 I’m not a true crime fanatic， so even though some other reviewers were disappointed by that， it didn’t phase me。 I loved the dual POV， but Jeremy’s was my favorite of the two。 It reminded me a lot of the narration for YOU， which I also thoroughly enjoyed。 The characters are not the most well rounded I’ve ever read， but again， it didn’t bother me because it was incredibly entertaining。 I will agree with the other reviewers that the writing was a bit choppy and there was one section I had to reread multiple times in my printed ARC where there was a MAJOR continuity error from one paragraph to the next。 However， this was so obvious that I assume it will be fixed by the final printing。 The one thing I wish we had a little bit more clarity around were the timelines。 The twist confused me a LOT， not because of what was revealed， but because of the ordering of things we had already read。 I think the chapter directly following the twist did not serve its purpose very well because it did not continue the flow of the reveal。 We had to go back to the other POV again to continue with it。 Overall， I do recommend this book for something quick and entertaining if you are in need of a brain break。 Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC！ 。。。more
Bre
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This book follows a serial killer named the butcher and Wren a medical examiner。 The book is very fast paced and you learn about the butcher through him and his victims through Wren。 There is a plot twist that you do not expect！ I was very excited to read this book because I am a big fan of the morbid podcast！ I was not very thrilled with the ending though but maybe it was left like that for the possibility of another book？ This review is very short and simple because I do not want to give away This book follows a serial killer named the butcher and Wren a medical examiner。 The book is very fast paced and you learn about the butcher through him and his victims through Wren。 There is a plot twist that you do not expect！ I was very excited to read this book because I am a big fan of the morbid podcast！ I was not very thrilled with the ending though but maybe it was left like that for the possibility of another book？ This review is very short and simple because I do not want to give away any of the story！ Overall I enjoyed reading this book！ Thank you to Zando Projects & the NetGalley for a ARC of this book to read！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Butcher and the Wren
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Butcher and the Wren&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft