Reviews with content warning for Incest - The Butcher

It was a solid read, but I had a hard time getting engaged in it. I felt like I figured out all the twists well before they were revealed, and knew some of the directions the plot was going to take basically from the beginning. It was very much like an episode of Criminal Minds, in my opinion, but that isn't a bad thing. I have no issues with the book, it just wasn't perfect for me.

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asr1a1's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

4.25

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hailsbooknook's review against another edition

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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
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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.

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reena2's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I love gruesome murder stories and this was one hell of a story. The butcher is a fast read and will grip you from the start.

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xoxo__adr's review

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jennifer Hillier never disappoints! This is my fourth book by this author and I have loved every single one. The way this woman can tell a story is unparalleled. It all unfolds so perfectly. Loved it! Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

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jasmine256's review against another edition

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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

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dalmavatai's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I love stories about serial killers and this one really gripped me in the beginning, especially as we're following 3 perspectives who have various (and complicated) relationships with one another and who know and don't know different things in the story. However, in the middle the book dragged a lot for me, I felt like it got pretty repetitive and all we did was follow this awful, sadistic, misogynistic piece of shit and for some people that might be fine but I just wanted less of that and more of an actual mystery. The twist at the end was pretty shocking even though I think you could see it coming but I didn't and it was pretty satisfying!

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