A few weeks ago as I walked along the rows and tables occupying Barnes & Noble, the book cover, “The Butcher and The Wren” by Alaina Urquhart, caught my eye. After reading the description of the plot on the back cover, my decision quickly turned to an immediate grab that expressed the “you’re coming home with me!” Tik Tok meme.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I can honestly say that I’m glad that I impulsively purchased it! Bonus points for it being a signed edition! I like psychological thrillers/murder mysteries. Right now I’m really enjoying Frieda McFadden’s books, but I wanted to take a break to read something different from her stories, so that’s part of what motivated me to select this book. The main reason was, as aforementioned, the back cover:
“Lurking in the Louisiana Bayou, a methodical serial killer is hard at work completing his most harrowing crime yet. 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 pilling up on Wren’s examination table, and soon she is sucked into an all-consuming competition 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.”
The story starts right away with action, so if you like a slow build you’re out of luck. But if you like getting straight to it, this is for you! You’re introduced right away to the important main characters and what they are about. This style of storytelling tells both point-of-views with each chapter alternating between both main characters. I think of this story as a cat and mouse game, so the author deciding on that writing style was smart!
The pacing of the plot was comfortable. I didn’t find myself feeling like things were dragging or that I was rushing through. Each chapter was a few pages, but I personally like short chapters, and I think it contributed to how well the pacing was. I think that there was a good balance between the dialogue scenes and the description. I think some of the graphic scenes were described a little too well because I was a bit squirmish at some points, but it was needed to portray how intense the serial killer is.
Even though it is based in Louisiana, the author does a great job at writing the story as taking place in this location, not having the location be the whole story’s personality (think That 70s show vs That 90s show). I’ve visited New Orleans and the swamps in Slidell, so the memory of that visit definitely helped me visualize most of the action in the story. I personally didn’t think that anything was cliche!
Speaking of cliche, I didn’t think any of the characters were either. The supporting characters did their job by, well, supporting. They came and went very quickly. Not quick enough where you’re left wondering what was the point, but quick enough to add more background to either another character or a situation. When I read stories, I don’t typically analyze characters. I’m very simple, either I like them or I don’t. Either they were memorable and served a purpose or they didn’t. But for those of you who enjoy character development, this story lacks it. But I don’t think in a bad way. I just don’t think this story really needs it. However, there is a clear problem, obstacle, and resolution. And a plot twist! The plot twist was unexpecting, but the details revealing it were a little fuzzy. It made sense but at the same time it didn’t. That was the only flaw I noticed.
Overall, I really liked this book! This was the first book I’ve read by Alaina Urquhart. It was a quick read, which I appreciate. The story was well-written. One of my favorite video games is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which also takes place in the Louisiana bayou, and it’s very creepy, graphic, and chilling and that’s the same vibe I got while reading this book. This isn’t a murder mystery. It’s very obvious who is who, but the mystery is truly about why and how. I think having the main character be an autopsy technician was very unique, as I personally haven’t read any other books written from that perspective, so it really approached the details differently.
I would give this book a 9/10, the one point deduction because of the one flaw, and I highly recommend it! There’s also going to be a sequel so that’s exciting!!
Note: this is my honest opinion and I don’t receive anything from writing this, but I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have read this or are interested in reading it!
A Cup of Ordinary 