Tag Horror

The Butcher and the Wren – Book Review

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If you are into true crime, you may have heard of Morbid. It is a podcast on true crime, creepy history and all things spooky. It is co-hosted by Alaina Urquhart who is the author of The Butcher and the Wren. Ms. Urquhart is not just a co-host of the podcast, but she is also an autopsy technician, which to me brought a whole new element into reading her book!

With such a huge following of the Morbid podcast, the moment this book was released, it easily became a bestseller! This book is set in the Louisiana bayou and introduces us to forensic pathologist Wren Muller who works for the medical examiner’s office. There is a brutal killer on the lose who is leaving a string of victims. Can the dead reveal who this monster is? Can Wren give the detectives evidence to help them track down who the serial killer is? With several twists and turns, the book is a fast paced, cat and mouse thriller.

I think the fact that the author has the experience of being an autopsy technician added validity to the scenes in the book where Wren is in the autopsy room. The author was very knowledgeable in this area, but then, the book fell short. Ms. Urquhart didn’t really develop her characters very well. I really didn’t get a good sense of who Wren was in the book. She lacked depth and personality. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her – I don’t mind hating a character in a book – it was that I didn’t know her well enough to form any opinion of her. The same thing went for the serial killer. He was brutal, but that was all. What made him the monster he was? Tell me the history of his home, tell me of his depraved thoughts and mind, or of his past. Tell me more so I can get this creep into my mind and then into my nightmares! There were gory parts, but that seemed all it was. The book felt bland where we are just given some substance, but not context. There was great potential for the book, but in the end, it fell flat for me. The constant use of short sentences with minimal adjectives, didn’t allow the reader to fall into the book or get lost in it. Even as I write, I struggle to remember the main characters in the book. The twist towards the end did redeem it slightly for me, but then the end left me a bit confused and then disappointed. It really didn’t make any sense.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is amazing, and I liked the word play of the title, but in the end, it gets a 2.5 out of 5 star rating for me. I didn’t completely hate it, but I didn’t like it either. It will not go on my permanent bookshelf. Although, I do believe this book would be a good book for someone who is maybe just getting into reading. I would also recommend it to younger adults who are into slashers or thrillers and doesn’t care too much about character building or context.

You can buy this book at The Shire Bookstore or click here.

Genre: Thriller/ Suspense/ Mystery/ Horror
Pages: 242
Published: September 13, 2022
Goodreads Rating: 3.75

The Shining – Book Review

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I’ve never seen the movie The Shining. Don’t judge me. I know it’s a classic, but I just never got around to it. Although, I have seen the forever-famous scene of Jack Nicholson baring his pearly whites all wild-eyed exclaiming “here’s Johnny”. That is all I know of the movie. Oh yeah, and the little boy riding his tricycle and staring down the twin girls in the hotel hallway. That’s about it. book3

This is the first time I have read Stephen King as an adult. I read “Pet Sematary” as a teenager and couldn’t finish it. I just couldn’t handle some of the scenes in the book. Little children coming back from the dead just isn’t my thing.

The Shining is a book about a remote hotel set in the Colorado mountains and our main character, Jack, not Johnny, gets a job as the caretaker during the off-season which spans from October until May. During the off season, Jack (also a recovering alcoholic) has to maintain the grounds and the hotel. He takes with him his wife and young son to wait out the winter and early spring months. During this off season, the family is closed off from all communication due to the extreme weather. As they are left on their own, soon the family starts seeing and hearing things. The different scenes are awful and I don’t know how he did it, but Mr. King makes the most mundane things scary! Things like clocks, hallways and topiary animals creep me out now!johnny

 

It was hard reading this book because of Jack’s alcoholism. Mr. King develops his characters very well. I hated Jack, I pined for Danny to be free of him. The hotel took on a character of its own, and I hated the hotel’s manipulation. Towards the end of the book, you are gripped with fear, almost unable to breathe until the horror finally ends.

The book is very well written. There is a reason why Mr. King is a famous author. This book just sucks you in and you are there to witness every moment of the terror this family experiences. But if you have struggled with an alcoholic and/or abusive parent or spouse in your past, this book will trigger you. It did me. To my core.

I recently found out that there is a sequel to the book called “Dr. Sleep”. I am not sure if I will read it. I think I need a break from Mr. King, but we will see.

If you like horror, I recommend this book.

I do plan on watching the movie with the hubby, just so I can compare the book and the movie. I have heard that Mr. King didn’t really like the movie. It will be good to see why. I did let my husband know that I would be forwarding the more intense scenes. Yes, I’m a wuss.

If you are interested in buying the book. Just click here.

The book is 659 pages long!