The Butcher and The Wren by Alaina Urquhart was a highly anticipated novel for me and thousands of true-crime fans. Alaina Urquhart cohosts the incredibly popular podcast, Morbid, alongside her niece/best friend, Ash Kelley. Due to this, I was apprehensive that the book would be overhyped and wouldn’t live up to its expectations. Luckily, it did just the opposite for me!
A Quick Summary
A serial killer is lurking in the bayou of New Orleans, Louisiana, while forensic pathologist, Wren Muller is determined to find the reasons behind the killings. Author Alaina Urquhart is not only the cohost of Morbid, but is also an autopsy technician in her day-to-day job. This unique perspective brings the readers closer to the details of Wren Muller’s career. While the serial killer keeps finding new victims, Wren and her team are getting closer to finding the monster in charge.
My Thoughts
I was worried that I would be disappointed in this book, because I am a fan of Alaina Urquhart’s podcast. However, I LOVED this book! I’m in multiple book groups online and a lot of my fellow readers were disappointed in the ending of this novel. I, however, really enjoyed the twisted ending. Hearing the medical side, as well as the intensity of a serial killer’s mind, gave the novel a never-ending cycle of wanting more. Every other chapter was read from either the serial killer’s or Wren’s perspective, so I was constantly craving more.
I will admit that there are some scenes from the serial killer’s perspective that are hard to visualize. While I do have a general image of the places he kept his victims, it was hard to keep up. The places are meant to be confusing for the victims, but in the end, it made it hard to read. It is likely that there will be a second book and I am super excited to keep reading. Especially since The Butcher and The Wren ends on a cliffhanger!
Another Review?
If you want to check out another review that I wrote, I recently was published on Online Bookclub. I reviewed the novel Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin. Spoiler alert: I was not a fan!
Current Reads
I’m currently reading both Have I Told You This Already by Lauren Graham and All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. What are you currently reading?
