This was recommended to me and the premise of the book sounded perfectly to my liking! But unfortunately, the story felt long and disengaging.

Short book that packs an intense story. Told by two POV’s: one being the Bayou Butcher - our serial killer - the other being Dr. Wren Mueller the medical examiner.

The butcher is a psychopath that likes to play with his victims before ending their lives. I have to say I enjoyed his POV more than the good doctor. What does that say about me?

The hunt is on for this madman in the swampland of Louisiana. The cops running into dead ends. The Dr. with a secret of her own. Dark entertaining debut.

As a fan of Morbid, I was really excited to read this. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed the suspense and characters.

Loved this book! The story was strong and I enjoyed the back and forth between the two main characters. Looking forward to the sequel.

I’m a huge fan of the Morbid podcast and I requested this book because of this. It was an excellent first novel! It was a little short, but I hope that the future books in the series will develop and build better. I loved the character of Wren and how snippets of her backstory played out as the story developed. It’s a really original story and I look forward to reading more in this series!

A great whodunnit! Keeps you guessing the whole time. A little bit hard to follow at points but the ending is well worth it.

As much as I love #morbidpodcast I wanted to love this book instantly, and I hate to admit that it was hard for me to get into, BUT the twist?! HOLY CRAP Y'ALL. Thank goodness the ending left room for a sequel #needtoknowwhathappensnext

Recommendation: I was lucky enough to get an ARC but you should DEFINITELY buy it when it comes out on the 13th and stick with it to the end, I promise it's worth it.

Love love loved. I LOVE the morbid podcast! I love the dual POV as well as the twist! I’m not usually one for horror type books- but happy to read a book by Alaina Urquhart! I really got into this book and can’t wait for more from her.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I liked this book a lot. The killer is just creepy enough for you to want to see what he does next. You do not want him to succeed. He is a horrible person and Urquhart paints that clearly. I like that. I don’t want to sympathize with someone who should be doing jail time. This is set in New Orleans and the swamps. This is great, it reaffirms that I don’t need to go there and experience the heat and bugs first hand. This is the first in a sequel and I will read the next book. Mostly because I want Wren to catch her man.

This had way more potential. I was really intrigued by the buzz and the idea of a cat and mouse type of style book. But there were some confusing parts and parts I wish had been more fleshed out. But I am a fan of morbid podcast and for a debut, it was decent.

Read this if…you’re a fan of serial killer thrillers.

Dr. Wren Muller is a forensic pathologist who is known for being the best at her job. But lately, a serial killer, dubbed The Bayou Butcher, has been taunting her. The bodies are piling up and a deadly hunter is set on sucking Wren into his twisted game.

I flew through this book and loved every page until it ended abruptly. The POVs alternate between Wren and the serial killer she is trying to catch. The Bayou Butcher is the perfect bad guy and Wren is well-developed and an MC you can root for. There was tons of suspense that kept the plot moving at break-neck speed. My only complaints were the abrupt ending, which doesn’t leave readers with resolutions for anything, and there’s a gap of time mentioned that I need more clarification on. Otherwise, this was a 5 star read! I am already anxiously awaiting the second installment.

I was intrigued by the cat and mouse game between the serial killer and the medical examiner being the basis of this book, however, it did not live up to its buzz. Perhaps because I read an uncorrected proof the writing was confusing and choppy. For instance, when one of the bodies was found, Wren thinks it is a man at first but then she's removing something from the woman's right hand. The action carried the story along quickly but with very little character development. There was no mention of the reasons behind the serial killer's motives or why he was obsessed with Wren. A tantalizing twist was introduced about 3/4 of the way through but then the book ended so abruptly I thought I was missing something. If this is going to be a series, I would give the next book a try but this one didn't impress me.

I have been a fan of the Morbid podcast for years, and so my review is slightly colored by how much I enjoy the podcast and how happy I am for Alaina. I did very much enjoy this book. I liked the short chapters and the switch between POVs with the killer and the protagonist. The ending was very abrupt. You can tell it is a first novel, and while I think there is a LOT of potential here, it's just not quite there yet.

A twisty mystery from Morbid podcast host Alaina Urquhart. You can tell the author is well versed in crime fiction. Looking forward to seeing more works by Urquhart in the future!

Ok.... where do I begin. I was really looking forward to this book. I love a good thriller - however this did not fully meet my expectations. The killer was smart, love the connection, need to know why....and the ending, really??? Curious whether there will be a second book.

Rating 3.5. This was an enthralling read, reminding me of a Criminal Minds and Bones episode. It's been a long time since I read a thriller from the prospective of the killer and investigator. I enjoyed the writing style that keep the story moving but I just wish it was a bit longer.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect start to get into spooky season.
I enjoyed the duel POVs. The killer was cold and methodical and I still have questions about him. Especially with that ending.
I could easily understand what has fueled Wren to become the woman she is.
The book also deals with two different timelines. Which I didn't pick up on at first but made the reveal between the killer and Wren even better.
This book definitely feels like the start of a series and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Dr. Wren Muller is the best forensic pathologist around. She's armed with the knowledge of historical crimes and plenty of years working for the Medical Examiner. Solving cases came easy until this recent string of murders. The killer is escalating and all she can do is wait for him to slip up.

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

This is a fascinating story featuring two leads - "Butcher," the serial killer, and "Wren," the medical examiner. The action alternates between the two as he kills and she pursues. She seems very much involved in this particular case, but we are not sure why. I really enjoyed reading this well-written novel, with strong, well-developed characters, but I was disappointed in the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Zando Projects for providing an ARC.

I really liked the premise of the story and Louisana is always a great setting for suspense novels, but about halfway through the story, I got confused. I'm not sure if it was formatting issues in my download or if it was the way the story played, but what I thought was occurring currently occurred in the past. It was difficult for me to figure out what was going on and when. I was also disappointed there was no real background developed for the characters. The killer was the most fleshed out, but I know nothing of the other characters, other than their jobs. I need more information about how they got where they are.

There was a scene with a deer that I skipped. I have no idea if it was integral to the development of the killer, but I wasn't going to find out. I am not fond of "cliffhanger" endings. If this turns into a series it makes sense, as a stand-alone, I find it irritating.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy.

This book has a very creative premise and a lot of potential. There aren't many medical examiner main characters in crime fiction these days, but I think it's one of the most fascinating aspects. The technical parts of the novel are done very well, but almost to the detriment of the story. I didn't feel drawn in, absorbed by the book, because the dry technical info took me out of the story. I thought the alternating chapters/POVs were compelling, especially from the killer's eyes. It may just be that I read a ton of thrillers, but this one was transparent to me from the beginning. I do think casual mystery and suspense readers may enjoy it, though. Perhaps with a sharper eye towards editing, this would have worked better for me. I ended up awarding The Butcher and The Wren 2.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the chance to review this advance copy. The Butcher and The Wren is available for purchase everywhere you buy books now!