From cover to content this book delivers. Not for the faint of heart. This was my first book by these authors but after reading this I will be checking out their other books. .

This was a perfectly serviceable thriller. I didn't love it, though. I thought, for one thing, that it was a little too brisk, with not as much development of the story and/or characters that I would have liked. For another, as this is part of a series, there's never really a sense of danger for the main character. He's the title character of the series--I don't think they're going to kill him off.

In this fast-paced read, you’ll be on the edge of your seat and wanting to find justice for the little girls that have been murdered. Shea and Hutchinson did not waste any time getting right into the story, which I really appreciated. While this is a series, they can be read as a standalone. The authors give a very brief explanation as to why an FBI Agent is working overseas. I was right along for the ride with Agent Gray trying to figure out who the killer was, but I couldn’t figure it out! I suspected someone that was good to go bad, but that didn’t happen. I think I read too many thrillers!

If you are looking for some gritty, dark thriller/crime mystery, you can give this book a shot.

The plot was really captivating, kept me on edge throughout the book.
In fact the Belarus- Poland border migrant crisis is real which is the central theme of this book. The authors managed to show the horrific reality of migrant camps which made me uncomfortable to the core.
It was fast paced with satisfying ending.

The writing is easily understandable but could have been a little bit better.
The characters could have a little bit more depth to them but other than that I really enjoyed this book.

The Butcher of Belarus by Brian Shea and Ty Hutchinson was a pleasant surprise.
I am unfamiliar with the authors or the character but the premise sounded promising.
"As a brutal serial killer terrorizes a migrant camp on the Polish border, an FBI profiler must get inside his twisted mind before another little girl is killed…"
The character of FBI profiler Sterling Gray was likable and the rest of the cast of characters were quickly engaging. It really was a page turning thriller.
"Gray is an expert at reading troubled minds. On loan to Interpol, he is called in on behalf of the Polish government to assist in identifying the killer. Gray goes undercover as a member of the Doctors Without Borders program, using his time inside the camp to profile the killer, but quickly finds other dangers lurking around every corner…
Gray’s profile of the killer leads to a swift arrest, but something doesn’t feel right. And when a new shocking truth emerges, Gray must risk everything to return to the camps…or another little girl will die.
The clock is ticking. The hunt is on for the Butcher a Belarus."
Thank you to #NetGalley, #SevernRiverPublishing, and the authors for the ARC of #TheButcherofBelarus.

Apparently this book is part of a series.

Sterling Gray is a FBI agent on loan for Interpol in England.

Today I learned a new vocabulary word. A horrid political tactic called Tacit Warfare.

Gray is asked to go to Poland. He is to assist other operatives in investigating the murder of 3 young girls. Except, the murders are not in Poland, but Belarus. The team will enter the migrant camp that borders Poland. They have a short time to investigate and find the murderer.

Gray, a doctor, sets up camp as part of Doctors without Borders. It is a deadly operation because if caught, they will be the executed. The soldiers are brutal and deviant. The camp is filthy and deadly.

As the team desperately investigates, things get cold heartedly violent and Gray is not sure he can continue. But he is determined to help a migrant family and find justice for these little girls.

I found the writing style forthright and simple. The dialogue was straight to the point, the time progression tight and the plot educational but distubing.

I had to read up on Belarus. Apparently there are sanctions against. the country due to human rights violations, election manipulations. Currently, 2022, they are allies to Russian in their invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you herbalist for the giveaway

Thank you NetGalley, Severn River Publishing, Brian Shea and Ty Hutchinson for letting me read “The Butcher if Belarus” in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning ⚠️ violence, abuse, rape amongst others

A new set of authors for me, exciting!

The cover is really dark and threatening. Barbed wire with blood dripping. Kind of like I imagine concentration camps back then. I knew the story was about a migrant camp on the Polish border. I googled Belarus border crisis and sadly that imagine is quite accurate. Plus the current situation that Europe is experiencing… it has been and is a sad reality for many.

I have not read any of the other series before nor any other works by the authors.

FBI profiler Sterling Gray is on loan to Interpol and gets send to Poland to investigate the mysterious deaths of three young girls in a migrant camp on the Belarusian border. All he knows is that three girls are murdered. No suspect, no clues, not even a timeline. So he goes incognito under the rue of working for Doctors Without Borders. He struggles with what he sees and experience. Apparently a new role for him, not to take action. They take a man into custody for questioning but he becomes the scapegoat, cases close, until another murder happened. They will return to the camp, hunting for the killer once again.

The writing is not bad, a tad shallow I might say. I expected it to be a lot darker, something is missing for me. I think it tries, but only scratches the surface. The story progresses in a super fast past and before you know it, you’re done. It does not have time to be developed. It was rather meh. Not good, not bad, somewhere in the middle. I felt intimidated by the description, but it turned out I had no reason to worry.

I had high hopes for this book and wanted to enjoy it alot more than I did. It was a fine book and the story moved along well and had some good action sequences. It just didn't demand my attention like a bunch of other books I have read. I enjoyed the plot line and liked the humanity of Dr. Gray but it didn't pull me in. Maybe it was the location that I had a hard time connecting with. 3.5/5. I would still like to read more from the authors in the future.