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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
First off I am a fan of Morbid so that may color my review. I also know that this is a passion project of Alaina’s and it’s her first book. That being said my biggest take away was that it felt like the story relied too much on the gore of the murders and textual description of the surroundings. Not that these things were bad but the characters definitely needed more background and fleshing out.
Alaina Urquhart's debut, The Butcher and the Wren, follows a forensics pathologist tracking a gruesome serial killer in the Louisiana swamps. While the writing is good, the plot feels familiar, and the characters lack the depth to stand out.
The Butcher, while chilling, echoes other iconic killers in the book even referencing Silence of the Lambs and The Deadliest Game. The ending feels rushed with no satisfying end, trying too hard to set up a series. While enjoyable, the novel ultimately fails to offer anything truly unique.
The Butcher, while chilling, echoes other iconic killers in the book even referencing Silence of the Lambs and The Deadliest Game. The ending feels rushed with no satisfying end, trying too hard to set up a series. While enjoyable, the novel ultimately fails to offer anything truly unique.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
By far one of the best books I have ever read. The story is captivating and just when you think you figure out what is happening it makes a turn. The ending is the exact opposite of what you expect. The coroners life and background makes the story seem real.
dark
tense
fast-paced
While being repetitive at times, the author managed to surprise me with her plot. First book in a series, I'm quite curious to see how the different characters may evolve.
Suspenseful, cat & mouse dual POV narration.
Loved that the author named the characters friends after her own childhood friends! Sucha sweet nod to her girls.
Wren is competent and relatable. Likable enough that you root for her, but not too much to where it’s annoying
The antaganist is cocky and intelligent and just twisted enough to peak my interest but still believable as a RL human.
Will def read the sequel. Would like to see a full length novel from the author.
Loved that the author named the characters friends after her own childhood friends! Sucha sweet nod to her girls.
Wren is competent and relatable. Likable enough that you root for her, but not too much to where it’s annoying
The antaganist is cocky and intelligent and just twisted enough to peak my interest but still believable as a RL human.
Will def read the sequel. Would like to see a full length novel from the author.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Alaina, kudos to your wonderful, spooky brain and the fact that you took a nightmare you had of being chased in a swamp and developed this book to incorporate it 👏. So happy - I enjoyed this so much and the reveal about 60% in got me good!! I love when an author can surprise me! For anyone that lives under a rock, Alaina co-hosts Morbid (a true crime podcast) along side Ash which is my fav podcast so that fact that I can now dive into Alaina’s books makes me ridiculously happy 😅