The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart is a tense and thrilling crime novel in the Dr. Wren Muller series. With a chilling cat-and-mouse chase between a medical examiner and a serial killer, the book delivers suspense, twists, and dark intrigue. A must-read for fans of gritty crime thrillers.

Alaina Urquhart, co-host of the Morbid podcast and author of The Butcher and the Wren, returns with a chilling, high-stakes sequel that raises the bar in every possible way. The Butcher Game is a visceral, tension-packed cat-and-mouse thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the brutal final act.

We’re once again thrown into the dark, sweltering world of New Orleans where medical examiner Dr. Wren Muller is still reeling from her encounter with Jeremy—the sadistic killer known as The Butcher. But this time, the game has changed. A new threat emerges, one even more twisted and cunning, forcing Wren to confront her own darkness while trying to stay one step ahead of a killer who seems to know her every move.

Urquhart masterfully blends her real-life forensic knowledge with atmospheric storytelling, creating a narrative that feels both authentic and unrelentingly tense. The forensic details are gruesome, clinical, and fascinating without feeling gratuitous—an element fans of The Silence of the Lambs or Kathy Reichs will appreciate.

Wren remains a strong, complicated heroine. Her mental and emotional scars are on full display here, making her even more compelling as she walks the fine line between hunter and hunted. The new antagonist is disturbingly intelligent and theatrical in a way that sets this apart from typical serial killer fare—think Hannibal meets True Detective Season 1.

The pacing is relentless, though the story takes time to delve into moral ambiguity and psychological trauma, which gives it unexpected emotional weight. There are a few moments where suspension of disbelief is required, and some readers might crave deeper development for the supporting cast, but the tightly woven plot and cinematic tension make up for it.

Verdict:
The Butcher Game is a dark, pulse-pounding sequel that delivers both brains and blood. It’s smart, sinister, and utterly addictive—Alaina Urquhart proves once again that she knows how to dissect the human psyche as expertly as she does a corpse.

This is the second book in the Dr. Wren Muller series, and while I enjoyed it, I think it would have been better if I had read the first book first. Dr. Wren Muller, a forensic psychologist, is drawn into a disturbing case involving a serial killer targeting women. As the investigation unfolded, the dark twists and tension kept me engaged, but I felt like I was missing some background on Wren’s character and past from the first book. Overall, it’s a solid thriller with great suspense, but I’d recommend reading the first novel in the series to get the full experience.

3.75 rounded up!

I’m INVESTED in this story and I’m chomping at the bit to see where it will go. I loved it just like the first.

Huge thank you to the Publishers at Zando and NetGalley the opportunity to review the ARC of The Butcher Game.

Dr. Wren Muller #2. Wren has worked hard to establish her career as a forensic pathologist and her close ties with her colleagues. What few realize however is that Wren was once Emily, the victim that survived and escaped the notorious serial killer the Butcher. The Butcher has lain low for several months but his anger and resentment is building. Determined to track down Wren and finish what he started he begins a campaign to draw her out. Wren realizes that her friends and loved ones are endangered and she must resolve this once and for all. This second entry into this series is even more chilling and compelling than the first. The deadly cat and mouse game is intense and I could not turn the pages quickly enough. Spoiler Warning: This narrative contains graphic and explicit scenes of torture, mutilation and extreme violence particularly against women. Every chapter is darkly atmospheric spiced with tension and dread. Wren is such a well developed character and the author's portrayal of her inner musing and doubts only makes the reader more drawn to her and her colleagues. The pace is intense throughout the narrative and the plot's twists and unexpected developments are introduced smoothly into the story. I was unfamiliar with this author before I began this series but I am a convert and hope she continues to pen gritty compelling thrillers.

The Butcher Game was a fun and wild romp. I loved the sequel and thought the character exploration was great. Thrilling!

if you were a fan of the first, then alaina urquhart does it again!! phenomenal and informative world builder, i was at the edge of my seat the whole way through

Dr Wren Mueller is now one of my favorite mystery series. Dark and keeping you guessing. I loved it!

A great sequel to The Butcher Game! Reads like a prime time police procedural in a good way. I also am a sucker for a bad guy POV and it was pretty well done here!


Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC of this book

good mystery about a couple and staying in a house and the other couple there. kept me on my toes . good mystery and figuring stuff out.

The Butcher Game is the second book in the Dr. Wren Muller Series. Despite the first book ending on a massive cliffhanger, which I usually find irritating, I was invested enough to continue with the second book.

It took a bit for me to become absorbed in the story. The start was somewhat slow in the beginning, but it eventually reeled me. The alternating perspectives of Jeremy (the Bayou Butcher) and Wren, detailing their cat-and-mouse pursuit, made the narrative attention holding and gripping.

In summary, the writing quality is good. Once again, the story ends leaving it wide open for a third book. The storyline itself may not be suitable for those with triggers or are faint-hearted, but for those seeking a fast-paced thriller with explicit gore, this one's for you.

The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart

My rating:
3.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is the second book in the Dr Wren Muller series and I enjoyed it more than the first! I will say it has been a while since I read the first book so I think that some of the details were most likely missed on my end due to the time between reading them. I loved the Butcher’s POV and the overall storyline. I think that while I enjoyed this one, I felt bored at times and felt like it was a bit wordy and it took away from the story.

I would definitely give this one a read if you enjoyed the first book!
Thank you netgalley and Zando publishing for the ARC! You can read this one now!

I want to start out by saying that I did like the story overall. I think the characters are great and Wren is pretty easy to root for. But I did have some issues with the book. The first is that during the story, I often felt like I was being told how to feel instead of letting me feel it for myself. There was a lot of description, but not a lot of use of sensory details to SHOW me how to feel instead of telling me. Sometimes I felt myself being pulled out of the story because I thought I was experiencing the story differently than the author was telling me to. Another thing I wasn’t stoked on was Jeremy’s perspective. I generally don’t mind dual perspective stories involving the protagonist. But it seemed to me like his perspective was added only for shock value. And this is coming from someone who is a fan of gory stories. It just didn’t fit this one. It felt more like it was stuffed in as an afterthought. Like I said, I did like the story overall. I think it could have used some more developmental editing though. With that being said, I will read the next book (it was definitely left for a third), but I’m going into it expecting the same style of writing.

Huge thanks to Zando and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Man, this one was truly surprising and delivered one heckuva gut punch!

In The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart, forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller is up against the "Bayou Butcher," Jeremy Rose, once again.

This twisted serial killer has been obsessed with making Wren his final victim ever since she escaped him—twice. He has no plans of leaving her alone and enlists someone to help him out.

Leaving a trail of gruesome clues across Massachusetts, Wren is forced to follow him before anyone else gets hurt.

But as Wren tracks him, she’s forced to face her own fears and trauma, knowing that Jeremy isn't too far away.

This intense story dives into their chilling cat-and-mouse game, testing how far she’s willing to go to stop him once and for all​.

This one literally made my jaw drop!

I enjoyed The Butcher and the Wren so I was really excited to get an ARC of The Butcher Game. This book did not disappoint. I am also a huge fan of Morbid so as I read the book, I always hear it read in Alaina's voice.

The Dr. Wren Muller is very creepy. I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2 did not disappoint. Alaina’s writing has grown and so has her story telling.

This was okay, it definitely wasn’t as good as the first book. A bit slow paced and I think it would have been good to end the series on the first and not continue.

The first book was gripping and this one followed suit. Dark, disturbing and twisty as only the best serial killer stories can be.
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The Butcher and the Wren left me needing more of Wren’s story. Was glad to see her working on recovery buy back at it. The Salem setting was delightfully creepy and getting Jeremy’s POV added to the story!
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Thanks to NetGalley, Zando for an eARC and Dreamscape Media for an ALC. The audio was well done and eerie.

Thanks for the advanced reader copy!
Second book in the series and I enjoyed it! I like the author and storyline.

Alaina Urquhart is quickly becoming one of my favorites! She does the cat and mouse serial killer dance like no other!