Published: September 13th, 2022
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Medical Thriller, Police Procedural, Horror Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the deliciously dark, menacing and eerie The Butcher and the Wren. Thank you to Michael Joseph for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.
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SYNOPSIS:
THE CHILLING SERIAL KILLER THRILLER FROM THE CO-HOST OF CHART-TOPPING PODCAST MORBID
WREN WAS NEVER AFRAID OF THE DARK. UNTIL SHE LEARNED THAT SOME MONSTERS ARE REAL . . .
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In deep Louisiana, a serial killer with a taste for medical experimentation is completing his most ambitious project yet. The media call him ‘The Butcher’ – and, so far, he’s proved impossible to catch.
With her encyclopaedic knowledge of humanity’s darkest minds, and years of experience examining their victims, forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller is the best there is. The longer the Butcher’s killing spree continues, the more determined she is to bring him to justice.
And yet, he continues to elude her.
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.
How far is Wren willing to go to draw the Butcher into the light . . .?
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.
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MY REVIEW:
Wren was never afraid of the dark. Until she learned that some monsters are real…
The Butcher and the Wren is a dark, menacing and forbidding game of cat and mouse that will send shivers down your spine. This is one of those books best read in the daytime because if you read it in the dark you will never close your eyes…
Forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller is determined to bring the killer known as ‘The Bayou Butcher’ to justice. But as the body count rises, she fears she is no closer to finding the brutal murderer with a penchant for experimenting on his victims. Then one day she notices a clue that changes the game completely. Now she knows who he is and she is willing to do whatever it takes to stop him.
“Catch me if you can.”
Alaina Urquhart wields a scalpel as sharp as her protagonist in this outstanding debut. Intricately woven, tightly plotted, fast-paced and unbearably tense, it oozed fear from its every pore and had me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing. Darkly atmospheric and cleverly written, the author uses the power of suggestion to make your imagination go wild, conjuring imagery more horrifying than graphic descriptions could ever portray, though there are some gruesome moments too. I devoured it quickly, unable to turn away even though I desperately wanted to.
“The feeling in this place is dark and ominous, saturated with the evil that has touched it for so long.”
Not only has Urquhart written a chilling story, but she’s created a truly terrifying villain. Jeremy is particularly frightening because he seems like he could be anyone you know. He is completely sane and aware of his actions, meticulously plans his every move, and seems so normal that his victims willingly accompany him to their doom. He’s the monster that lurks in the shadows or under your bed while also being the person sitting next to you on the bus or who chats to you at a bar. He is what we don’t want to believe evil is made of.
Ominous, suspenseful and filled with jaw-dropping twists that will take you by surprise, this is a must-read for any thriller lover. Urquhart is my new favourite sinister storyteller and I can’t wait to read what she writes next. Hopefully it will include Wren as I’d love to see her featured in a series.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
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BUY THE BOOK:
Waterstones* | Amazon*| Bookshop.org*
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊 Emma xxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.
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