AU: I love watching autopsies in television shows and movies. Though I’m a firm believer in suspending my disbelief for the sake of storytelling, I can’t help myself from occasionally yelling out, “That’s not how they really do that!!”

Dark and twisted, The Butcher And The Wren is a gripping game of cat and mouse in the Louisiana bayou that will leave you wanting for more! Alaina Urquhart is a fresh new voice in crime fiction and I can't wait to read what she writes next LAURE VAN RENSBURG, author of Nobody But Us Urquhart does a fantastic job distinguishing between the voices of her two narrators, in both their tone and style of language. The fast-paced story and constant suspense keep you hooked, making it very difficult to put the novel down once you start reading it.” - Alexis Enderle, The Tufts DailyCAPTIVATING. The reader might want to shut their eyes, but the joust between the killer and the pathologist makes that impossible' DAILY MAIL Something dark is lurking in the Louisiana bayou: a methodical killer with a penchant for medical experimentation is hard at work completing his most harrowing crime yet, taunting the authorities who desperately try to catch up. Alaina Urquhart's debut novel is incredibly accomplished. Set deep in Louisiana, you can almost feel the heat and humidity. A grisly serial killer, a tenacious medical examiner, and a few amazing twists make this a searing, unputdownable book Samantha Downing, Sunday Times Bestselling Author

MO: So, I’m a big fan of Bones, but I know that entertainment can get things wrong. What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to fictional autopsies? He blends in. Based on his profile Wren believes he was able to convince most of his victims to leave with him willingly. He is interested in causing chaos from afar, not becoming entrenched in it himself. From the popular true-crime podcast MORBID, co-host and creator Alaina Urquhart comes an edgy killer thriller debut, THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN —bloody good! A serial killer novel like none you have ever read, The Butcher and the Wren takes a cat-and-mouse chase between two instantly memorable antagonists and turns all the conventions of the genre upside down. Dark, twisty, full of authentic detail, it'll have you listening to the night in an entirely different way Neil Nyren, Booktrib 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.I want to preface this by saying a HUGE thank you to Zando for this #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review! I practically cried when I received this beautiful book mail last week. I have wanted a copy of The Butcher and the Wren ever since hearing about it on Morbid a few months prior. Set in the alluring and sultry Louisiana, New Orleans, surrounded by the swamps and bayous, historic landmarks, jazz, music, food, heat and humidity, tarot card readings, and of course, ghosts, the dead, the cemetery, and a serial killer, all set the mood. 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. I'm sorry, but this was very, very poor writing. A true, good publisher would never have let this happen without numerous edits. Alaina Urquhart: I love being an autopsy technician. Working with the dead has given me a different perspective on life. It makes me confront my own habits and misconceptions and reveals how intricate and fragile the human body truly is. MO: Your protagonist shares your career. What are some differences between you and your main character?

To me, this felt more like a beta read. Which would make for a GREAT novel because the bones are there and there is SO much to work with/ add on. But since this almost the final copy, I am not sure how these plot holes, flat characters, and underdeveloped storylines will be fixed in time of pub date?