The Butcher and the Wren

By: Alaina Urquhart

Narrated by: Joe Knezevich, Sophie Amoss

Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The chilling serial killer thriller from the co-host of chart-topping podcast Morbid.

Wren was never afraid of the dark.

Until she learnt that some monsters are real...

In deep Louisiana, a serial killer with a taste for medical experimentation is completing his most ambitious project yet. The media call him 'The Butcher'—and, so far, he's proved impossible to catch.

With her encyclopedic knowledge of humanity's darkest minds, and years of experience examining their victims, forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller is the best there is. The longer the Butcher's killing spree continues, the more determined she is to bring him to justice. And yet, he continues to elude her.

As body after body pile up on Wren's examination table, her obsession grows. Pressure to put an end to the slaughter mounts. And her enemy becomes more brazen.

How far is Wren willing to go to draw the Butcher into the light?

An addictive listen with straight-from-the-morgue details only an autopsy technician could provide, The Butcher and the Wren promises to ensnare all who enter.

©2022 Alaina Urquhart (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Can a medical examiner outsmart a serial killer? The Butcher and the Wren will keep you waiting for an answer until the last bloody page. Prepare to be disturbed. A deliciously dark debut." (Rea Frey, bestselling author for Not Her Daughter and Secrets of Our House)

Alaina I love you

I am a faithful listener of Morbid and of course I had to read/listen to you book!!

it's just as amazing as it's writer and I can't wait for more!!

Too short

It was too short! I really want more please. A bit of a slow start but worth the effort.

And excellent listen.

Riveting from start to finish. The author has weaved a tail that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I found it hard to put it down. The narrators were also excellent, breathing the spark of life into each character.

Just amazing

Loved the book and the way that it’s written takes you right to the inside of the story like you are there.

Was hard to stop listening.

Brilliant book, kept me enthralled to the very end, and wanting more. Highly recommend to any one interested in this genre. I loved the detailed writing, really painted the story. Alaina I can't wait until the next chapter off the story.
I also recommend Alaina and Ashes pod cast Morbid, I love their style.

Gripping storyline with amazing characters

I recommend this book! I could not stop listening. The story is beautifully written. At times, I felt like I was in the killers mind. He is written exceptionally well. I think Alaina nailed the descriptions of the killers psyche, as well as the murder & investigation scenes. The insights into the discovery and autopsy of the dead were so interesting. I was gripped by the storyline from the beginning. I felt like some of the twists didn’t tie into the story in a believable manner, but this is just me being nit-picky. I’m looking forward to reading/ listening to the next book from this talented author!

The Worst

This is one of the worst books I had the misfortune of listening to. Literally a shit storm of bad writing, holy shit.