Publication Date: Out now!!!
Formats: Hardback & Ebook
Price: Hb £18.99/ Ebook £9.99
Publisher: Penguin (Michael Joseph)
I would like to say a huge thank you to Sriya Varadharajan at Penguin Michael Joseph for inviting me onto this thrilling book’s tour. I would also like to say thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph for allowing me to read and review a physical proof copy. Lastly I would like to say a huge thank you to the creative genius, Alaina Urquhart, for creating such a disturbing, dark and twisted tale that takes elements from infamous serial killers to create a truly chilling monster. Intrigued? Let’s head to the blurb and find out a bit more.
Wren was never afraid of the dark. Until she learned 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 encyclopaedic knowledge for humanities darkest minds, and years of experience in 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 piles 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?……
This is an exceptional, thrilling and gripping book. I found myself captivated by the story and couldn’t put it down till I had finished the whole book. What a page turner!!! If you are looking for a catch me if you can style thriller this is one for all you crime fiction lovers to enjoy. It has everything to get your teeth into. Set in luscious, deep Louisiana (which for me makes the whole setting truly terrifying and unique) amidst the swamps and the whole myths and legends that have sprung up in the part of America. With characters that are both flawed and also shine with their honesty and stubbornness and determination to never give up even if it looks bleak. We have Dr Wren Muller, who’s the forensic medical examiner, who’s commitment to her bodies (or victims she dissects to help police) is second to none. There’s also the detective who’s sole purpose it seems is to catch this man the media dub the Butcher, so that everyone is safe from him.
There are also the victims that are given voice too and of course the killer and his warped mind. But this isn’t really about him as such it’s how an investigation into these killings can stall or pick up speed which can all hinge on one tiny mistake on the killers part and it doesn’t have to be a big thing it can be something so small that even the killer cannot think what it could be. And that can make the difference in this cat and mouse game. I loved how real and tense it got the more you get into the story. I won’t go further and spoil this brilliant book, but I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves Kathy Reichs, Hannibal Lecter, Chris Carter and many more authors and their creations. I am desperate for more by this author.
Ratings: 5 🌟 with a large ☕️ and a large 🍰 (just to warn you, that on finishing this book, you might find you are left with crumbs and empty mugs)
Author’s Blurb:
Alaina Urquhart is the science-loving co-host of the chart-topping show Morbid: A True Crime Podcast. As an autopsy technician by trade, she offers a unique perspective from deep inside the morgue. Alaina hails from Boston, where she lives with her wonderful husband, John, their three amazing daughters, and a ghost Puggle named Bailey. She is about 75 percent coffee, and truly believes she and Agent Clarice Starling could be friends.
Before writing her first psychological horror novel, she received degrees in criminal justice, psychology, and biology. When she isn’t hosting Morbid, she hosts the Parcast original show Crime Countdown, and a horror movie podcast called Scream!. Her days are usually spent either recording or eviscerating. The way she sees it, when she hangs up her microphone for the day, it’s time to let the dead speak.
I hope you have enjoyed this dark, disturbing and thrilling journey into the darkest minds imaginable. If you are desperate to read this wonderful book, you can find this in Waterstones, any independent store and of course on Amazon. I will leave you now to say Happy Reading and see you all soon!!!
Zoe's Book Nook 