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sberry225's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier might just be my favorite novel by her. The multiple points of view and dual timelines added depth to the story, and I was hooked from start to finish. The Butcher himself was a chillingly evil villain who managed to outdo his own vile deeds repeatedly. The final twist was shocking and disturbing in the best way possible. For fans of serial killer thrillers, this is a must-read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Pedophilia, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Vomit
_thelitlibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
TW: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Incest, Racism, Child abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Vomit
3.25 stars
-
As a Jennifer Hillier fan, I've been slowly working through the backlist of books I haven't read. In 1985 everyone feared a serial killer known as the Beaconhill Butcher, that is until he was shot by police chief Edward Shank. Shank is now retired and in the process of moving to a retirement community, and gifts his house to his grandson Matt - an up-and-coming chef.
Matt is settling into his childhood home when he discovers a secret that will shock and change his life forever. As Matt occupies himself with renovations and a successful business, his girlfriend Sam (a true-crime writer) will stop at nothing to prove that her mother was killed by the butcher after his supposed death. I really liked how all the stories intertwined, this is a reverse whodunnit and we find out the true identity of the butcher very early on. It was interesting knowing the who, but uncovering the why as we went.
This book reminded me of one of those dramatic made for tv movies, no matter what, it was clear from the beginning that there was no hope for any of our characters. I enjoyed having chapters from the butcher's point of view, his character was pure evil and his mind was truly twisted. The ending was thrilling and brought justice to some awful characters, I however wasn't a fan of the last few pages where the author gives an insight as to what happened to Sam.
3.25 stars
-
As a Jennifer Hillier fan, I've been slowly working through the backlist of books I haven't read. In 1985 everyone feared a serial killer known as the Beaconhill Butcher, that is until he was shot by police chief Edward Shank. Shank is now retired and in the process of moving to a retirement community, and gifts his house to his grandson Matt - an up-and-coming chef.
Matt is settling into his childhood home when he discovers a secret that will shock and change his life forever. As Matt occupies himself with renovations and a successful business, his girlfriend Sam (a true-crime writer) will stop at nothing to prove that her mother was killed by the butcher after his supposed death. I really liked how all the stories intertwined, this is a reverse whodunnit and we find out the true identity of the butcher very early on. It was interesting knowing the who, but uncovering the why as we went.
This book reminded me of one of those dramatic made for tv movies, no matter what, it was clear from the beginning that there was no hope for any of our characters. I enjoyed having chapters from the butcher's point of view, his character was pure evil and his mind was truly twisted. The ending was thrilling and brought justice to some awful characters, I however wasn't a fan of the last few pages where the author gives an insight as to what happened to Sam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
jasm6457's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Addiction, Suicide, and Vomit