Reviews with content warning for Stalking - The Butcher and the Wren

A solid (and somewhat morbid) serial killer thriller. I enjoyed the two POVs and found it pretty fast-paced, keeping your attention with a pretty good twist. It adds an element of body horror between the serial killer's proclivities and Wren being a medical examiner too.

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guerosushiman666's review

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dark fast-paced

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

1.0

The is objectively a poorly written book. There is an overt use of adjectives that do nothing but take the reader out if the story. There is practically 0 character development in the story. At one point in the book, the author says that a corpse with colored eyes are harder to accept. As if those with colored eyes are more dead than people with brown eyes. There are several times that entire sentences should have been edited out of the book, but are left, serving no real purpose. At one point early in the book, it is said pointed out that Wren cracks her knuckles, acknowledging it is a bad habit, but Wren's habit nonetheless...then never mentioned again. I wondered several times while reading this book if it had an editor: apparently there was, but they did no favors to the author. Examples that made me question if there was any research done or if there was in fact an editor include:

a head shot kill from a glock 22 from tens of yards away, a 17 inch knife fitting inside of a cargo pant pocket, and a shotgun with a scope that shoots bullets.

I found this book extremely predictable and poorly written.

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karlee_reads's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Be warned, this short novel does not shy away from graphic details. The descriptions of the murders and attacks are violent and visceral. While this doesn't bother me, it is something I would warn people about before they dive in. The Lousiana setting feels both perfect and cliche in the same breath, but I'm not mad about that as a reader. I also really like the attention to sound from Urquhart - acknowledging the cacophony of the night in the swamp and using it with the juxtaposition of music in the murders.

The use of the intertwining timelines really helped make this a more engaging story for me. More than just 2 points of view, but 2 different times coming together. Wren being Emily was an awesome twist that I didn't see coming. The spiraling out of Jermey/Cal as he gets sloppy out of frustration, while still being markedely dangerous along the way was a great devolution of the character.

Overall this was a tight and smart thriller that gave a satisfying story to any murder show or podcast fan. Who doesn't love a cliffhanger? Answer: me - haha. Guess I'll have to pick up the next one this fall.

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milesofkiles's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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ktdakotareads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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kaileygh's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

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brittanylee0302's review

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sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book was still a really good read the second time around. Alaina really did a good job even though this was her first book. After reading it the second time, a lot of things that didn't make sense or were confusing the first time were a little more clear & easier to follow. I did think some of the transitions were really choppy & some parts jumped around a little. There were just a few scenes that were a bit unclear but other than that still a great read. (Time to start the long awaited sequel!)

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sierraskai's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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