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Dr. Wren Muller #2
Играта на Касапина
„Играта на Касапина� е дългоочакваното продължение на хорър сензацията „Касапин� и орехчето� .
Серийният убиец Джеръми, прочут като Касапина от блатата, се отправя на север от Луизиана, за да не бъде заловен и съден за жестоките си престъпления. Той намира убежище при свой приятел от детството, но продължава да бъде обсебен от мисълта за съдебната лекарка Рен Мълър. Единствената, която успява да му се изплъзне, при това два пъти. Но не и този път. Този път той ще я накара да играе по неговите правила и да страда.
Рен се опитва да преодолее травмата от сблъсъка лице в лице с Касапина, но въпреки подкрепата на съпруга си, кошмарите не ѝ дават мира. Взема си отпуск от работа, но научава за жестоко убийство в Масачузетс, което наподобява стила на Джеръми. Възможно ли е Касапина да се е завърнал или става въпрос за негов имитатор? За кратко случаите нарастват, убиецът е все по-брутален и скоро Рен и детектив Леру са убедени, че това е Джеръми. Двамата попадат на следа, но дали тя няма да ги отведе директно в заложения от Касапина капан?
Серийният убиец Джеръми, прочут като Касапина от блатата, се отправя на север от Луизиана, за да не бъде заловен и съден за жестоките си престъпления. Той намира убежище при свой приятел от детството, но продължава да бъде обсебен от мисълта за съдебната лекарка Рен Мълър. Единствената, която успява да му се изплъзне, при това два пъти. Но не и този път. Този път той ще я накара да играе по неговите правила и да страда.
Рен се опитва да преодолее травмата от сблъсъка лице в лице с Касапина, но въпреки подкрепата на съпруга си, кошмарите не ѝ дават мира. Взема си отпуск от работа, но научава за жестоко убийство в Масачузетс, което наподобява стила на Джеръми. Възможно ли е Касапина да се е завърнал или става въпрос за негов имитатор? За кратко случаите нарастват, убиецът е все по-брутален и скоро Рен и детектив Леру са убедени, че това е Джеръми. Двамата попадат на следа, но дали тя няма да ги отведе директно в заложения от Касапина капан?
328 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2024
3,118 people are currently reading
38.3k people want to read
About the author
Alaina Urquhart
6books4,230followersAlaina 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,202 reviews
October 12, 2024
Absolutely terrifying!😱
Book two of the Dr. Wren Muller series.
I couldn’t even imagine a book more chilling than book one, The Butcher and The Wren. Yet here we are with the next installment, and it’s left its predecessor in the dust!
Evil is alive and well, and his name is Jeremy!
I could only listen to this in short intervals as my fear ratcheted up every time the POV was from the butcher himself.
I listened to the interview with the author, Alaina Urquhart, at the end of the audiobook and all I could think was “how did someone with such a fun, happy voice create such an evil monster!�? Please explain Alaina?💁🏼♀�
I’m hoping for some recovery time before she delivers the next in the series! Aww� who am I kidding! I’m ready! Bring it!
🎧The narration provided by Sophie Amoss & Joe Knezevich, was amazing once again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select
Book two of the Dr. Wren Muller series.
I couldn’t even imagine a book more chilling than book one, The Butcher and The Wren. Yet here we are with the next installment, and it’s left its predecessor in the dust!
Evil is alive and well, and his name is Jeremy!
I could only listen to this in short intervals as my fear ratcheted up every time the POV was from the butcher himself.
I listened to the interview with the author, Alaina Urquhart, at the end of the audiobook and all I could think was “how did someone with such a fun, happy voice create such an evil monster!�? Please explain Alaina?💁🏼♀�
I’m hoping for some recovery time before she delivers the next in the series! Aww� who am I kidding! I’m ready! Bring it!
🎧The narration provided by Sophie Amoss & Joe Knezevich, was amazing once again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select
August 20, 2024
WOWZA!!!!! Dark, gripping, tense, pulse pounding and hard to put down, is a bloody fantastic page turner! It is also the second book in the Dr. Wren Muller series and I highly recommend reading, prior to reading this book. Would this book work as a stand-alone? Perhaps, but you would be missing so much backstory, the events that led the characters to this book, and fabulous writing. Plus, Alaina Urquhart gives readers a real treat- POV's from both Wren and the Butcher!
I was so excited when I saw that Alaina Urquhart had another book coming in this series. She did not disappoint with this dark, deadly, and thrilling book. Whew! This has some gruesome scenes people so be warned. It also has some brilliant cat-and-mouse scenes that kept me on my toes and with a grin on my face.
Wren is an intelligent, diligent, and courageous medical examiner who is traumatized by events in the first book. The Butcher (Jeremy) is a twisted, clever, diabolical and vicious serial killer. Wren wants justice, but will she get it? You will have to read to find out!
Whew! This book kept me on my toes, and I could not stop turning the pages. I was fully invested in this book from the very beginning. It was hard to put this book down when life got in the way. I loved the plot, the cat-and-mouse, and the introduction of another character with ties to the butcher, who plays an 'interesting' part in this book.
This book is oozing with atmosphere, tension, dread, danger, vivid descriptions, and suspense. It's chilling, graphic, dark, and oh-so-good! Plus, the ending! Man, this book put me through the ringer and left me wanting more. Thankfully, with that ending, there must be another book in the series!!!! I for one, can't wait!
I highly recommended this book series.
*A thrilling buddy read with Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill! Please read her review of this fabulous book as well to get her thoughts on !
4.5 stars
Thank you to Zando and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at 📖
I was so excited when I saw that Alaina Urquhart had another book coming in this series. She did not disappoint with this dark, deadly, and thrilling book. Whew! This has some gruesome scenes people so be warned. It also has some brilliant cat-and-mouse scenes that kept me on my toes and with a grin on my face.
Wren is an intelligent, diligent, and courageous medical examiner who is traumatized by events in the first book. The Butcher (Jeremy) is a twisted, clever, diabolical and vicious serial killer. Wren wants justice, but will she get it? You will have to read to find out!
Whew! This book kept me on my toes, and I could not stop turning the pages. I was fully invested in this book from the very beginning. It was hard to put this book down when life got in the way. I loved the plot, the cat-and-mouse, and the introduction of another character with ties to the butcher, who plays an 'interesting' part in this book.
This book is oozing with atmosphere, tension, dread, danger, vivid descriptions, and suspense. It's chilling, graphic, dark, and oh-so-good! Plus, the ending! Man, this book put me through the ringer and left me wanting more. Thankfully, with that ending, there must be another book in the series!!!! I for one, can't wait!
I highly recommended this book series.
*A thrilling buddy read with Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill! Please read her review of this fabulous book as well to get her thoughts on !
4.5 stars
Thank you to Zando and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at 📖
September 19, 2024
This def falls into the “did there really need to be a sequel?� category, but it was riveting nevertheless. Some slow moments. Some moments where Jeremy felt too cliche, but his relationship with his childhood friend Phil added dimension to his character. I saw the first twist coming, and was a little let down by how predictable it was, and then I felt like it wasn’t really developed well??
And, I’ll say it� does there really need to be a THIRD?
And, I’ll say it� does there really need to be a THIRD?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2024
I write this with so much love and respect for Alaina as I am a fan of her and her storytelling, but the writing was not great. It was a lot more telling than showing and unnecessarily wordy in places. Lots of over-explaining in places. I did enjoy the story itself- there were lots of twists and turns and the ending shocked me. I felt like she was doing a bit of a checklist of things she talks about on Morbid in regards to serial killers and true crime: nature vs nurture, corrupt cops, cult-like leaders, Satanic panic, Salem, etc. which I felt wasn’t all necessary. That being said, I will read the next book in the series.
September 27, 2024
It giving teenage murder thriller, fraught with far too many similes. I found the overwhelming amount of metaphors, overused descriptors, and excessive use of “darkness�, “carnival�, “demon�, and “hell� immature and more fit for a younger, YA audience.
Coming from a former Autopsy Tech, I hoped for SO much more time in the morgue, autopsies, dissections, etc than what was delivered (same with TBATW).
The good that came from reading this is a clear confirmation that I can write better than this and it spurns me to get back to writing my own book.
Coming from a former Autopsy Tech, I hoped for SO much more time in the morgue, autopsies, dissections, etc than what was delivered (same with TBATW).
The good that came from reading this is a clear confirmation that I can write better than this and it spurns me to get back to writing my own book.
September 20, 2024
I realllly wanted to like this book. Unfortunately I was constantly vacillating between extreme boredom and annoyance. I felt like I never really got to know or connect to the characters enough to care about them, and the secondary characters especially (ie, the victims) were so two dimensional they read more as caricatures who were so dumb they deserved the brutal death the butcher tolls out. The ending was bizarre and lackluster and while it’s set up for a third book at some point in the future, I don’t care enough about the MC to want to continue her story.
December 6, 2024
I could not get invested for the life of me.
September 28, 2024
the first book was ok. on the reread it was great, fantastic even. i was so excited for the second, told many people to be ready and excited. unfortunately i had to tell all of those same people “nvm� because the second book tried way too hard. i’m sorry. also the editor needs a kick in the butt because if i hear the word dichotomy again ima scream. with all this being said, clearly there will be a third book- and i will still read it. don’t stop on my account. but fire your editor.
October 9, 2024
I really need to remember to not read the second book in a series if I didn’t like the first one.
July 27, 2024
The Butcher Game, much like The Butcher and the Wren, was a graphic and disturbing serial killer story, and I could not get enough!! In order to fully understand and appreciate this story, I highly recommend reading the first book, otherwise you will miss so much. I started this one thinking that I would read a few chapters before bed, and I ended up finishing the whole thing! It is dark, it is pretty messed up, it will get into your head.
I loved that this picked up shortly after the previous book ended. Wren is trying to recover from the events in that first book, but Jeremy Rose, the Butcher of Bayou is not done with her yet. This time it is personal. The Salem setting was creepy and perfect! It was so interesting to have a point of view from the killer as well as Wren. It was quite emotional and once again, a cliffhanger ending!! agh, bring on book 3 already!! I need more.
Thanks to Zando for my advanced copy of this fantastic sequel. Publishes on September 17th.
I loved that this picked up shortly after the previous book ended. Wren is trying to recover from the events in that first book, but Jeremy Rose, the Butcher of Bayou is not done with her yet. This time it is personal. The Salem setting was creepy and perfect! It was so interesting to have a point of view from the killer as well as Wren. It was quite emotional and once again, a cliffhanger ending!! agh, bring on book 3 already!! I need more.
Thanks to Zando for my advanced copy of this fantastic sequel. Publishes on September 17th.
August 18, 2024
Wow!! Review to come 🖤
September 27, 2024
What does it say about me that I liked the serial killer’s POVs way better than the main character’s
September 18, 2024
Not even close to being as good as book 1. I just finished this and can't tell you anything about it. Totally forgettable. I finished book 1 in November 2023 and I can talk about that one right now in detail. I am not a fan of cliffhangers and didn't see any clear mention that there will be a book 3 BEFORE reading book 2. This book has put a sour taste in my mouth towards this author. I will never give her a dime of my money.
October 23, 2024
I loved book one of this series and I thought it ended on a cliffhanger but, nothing prepared me for book two, The Butcher Game. The creepy drama continues!!
The Butcher Game picks up where The Butcher and the Wren left off. We follow Wren and her pursuit of Jeremy “The Butcher�. She knows he’s still out there but, where? Jeremy won’t be able to stop until he gets what he wants.
The cliffhanger in this book will leave you wanting to throw the book across the room and wishing the next book was at the bookstore ready to buy!! But, waiting is what we will have to do I’m afraid.
The Butcher Game picks up where The Butcher and the Wren left off. We follow Wren and her pursuit of Jeremy “The Butcher�. She knows he’s still out there but, where? Jeremy won’t be able to stop until he gets what he wants.
The cliffhanger in this book will leave you wanting to throw the book across the room and wishing the next book was at the bookstore ready to buy!! But, waiting is what we will have to do I’m afraid.
September 19, 2024
A major miss for me! The dual POVs were unnecessary and the villain was so cartoonish that it took me out of the story a lot. The ending left a LOT to be desired and was messy. I feel like I can predict how the 3rd book will go based on the ending and I know I won’t enjoy that dynamic.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the advanced audiobook access!
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the advanced audiobook access!
January 4, 2025
This was everything I needed in a sequel after absolutely loving The Butcher and The Wren. Similar to the first book I could not get enough of the alternating POVs between our medical examiner Wren and the viciously twisted serial killer she’s hunting down, and as dark as Jeremy’s mind was to be in - I devoured each of his chapters.
If you loved the Butcher and The Wren, I highly recommend preordering The Butcher’s Game for its release on September 17th!
If you loved the Butcher and The Wren, I highly recommend preordering The Butcher’s Game for its release on September 17th!
February 7, 2025
The first book in this series didn’t really work for me, but I am glad I gave this one a try!
This book is dark and twisted. The characters felt more developed and the writing was a lot less choppy. I was teetering between 4.5-5 stars, but the ending of this book felt incredibly rushed and left me dissatisfied. Still a 4 star book! Definitely recommend on audio🎧
This book is dark and twisted. The characters felt more developed and the writing was a lot less choppy. I was teetering between 4.5-5 stars, but the ending of this book felt incredibly rushed and left me dissatisfied. Still a 4 star book! Definitely recommend on audio🎧
September 4, 2024
What a sequel! This was perfect and picked up right where it left off (If you haven’t read The Butcher and the Wren you need too) It was dark, gritty and had some gore. I loved the cat and mouse game that continued throughout and it made me race through the novel.
Multiple POVs in a thriller are my favorite, especially when one is the antagonist. Those were my personal favorite. I also enjoyed the addition of some new characters (no spoilers) All and all this was a solid sequel and it’s safe to say we will be getting more of Dr. Wren Muller. Thank you @zandoprojects for my copy!
Multiple POVs in a thriller are my favorite, especially when one is the antagonist. Those were my personal favorite. I also enjoyed the addition of some new characters (no spoilers) All and all this was a solid sequel and it’s safe to say we will be getting more of Dr. Wren Muller. Thank you @zandoprojects for my copy!
October 4, 2024
The second book in the Dr. Wren Muller series delivered!
I think reading first is a must to truly understand the dynamics of story, characters and what's at stake. I did a reread before diving straight into this and it mad for such a terrifyingly wild ride.
Wren and her colleague Detective John Leroux head to Massachusetts to investigate a murder that is reminiscent of the Bayou Butcher, a serial killer they investigated in their past.
This book is dark and brutal and not for the faint of heart, but wow is it so good. Alaina Urquhart brings such authenticity to the story and does a fantastic job of freaking me the heck out! This story moved at such a fast clip and much like a horror movie where you're screaming at the tv "Don't go into the basement" I was definitely screaming at the characters in this book!
I love her writing style and storytelling and trust me -- if you want a creepy book to launch your spooky season reading this is it!
I think reading first is a must to truly understand the dynamics of story, characters and what's at stake. I did a reread before diving straight into this and it mad for such a terrifyingly wild ride.
Wren and her colleague Detective John Leroux head to Massachusetts to investigate a murder that is reminiscent of the Bayou Butcher, a serial killer they investigated in their past.
This book is dark and brutal and not for the faint of heart, but wow is it so good. Alaina Urquhart brings such authenticity to the story and does a fantastic job of freaking me the heck out! This story moved at such a fast clip and much like a horror movie where you're screaming at the tv "Don't go into the basement" I was definitely screaming at the characters in this book!
I love her writing style and storytelling and trust me -- if you want a creepy book to launch your spooky season reading this is it!
November 12, 2024
Im truly unsure if a second book was required and now a third book will come out (as it doesn't like wrap up)
I will say the POV of the Butcher was better than Dr. Wren in terms of making me care ...but still done in a choppy manner.
I love a serial killer but it didn't feel inventive or refreshing . It felt more like when a toddler wants to dress themselves for the first time and you are about to leave when suddenly you see your child. And they are wearing snow shoes, a bathing suit , 6 pony tails and a scarf. You don't know where they went wrong but you just don't have time to figure it out.
I will say the POV of the Butcher was better than Dr. Wren in terms of making me care ...but still done in a choppy manner.
I love a serial killer but it didn't feel inventive or refreshing . It felt more like when a toddler wants to dress themselves for the first time and you are about to leave when suddenly you see your child. And they are wearing snow shoes, a bathing suit , 6 pony tails and a scarf. You don't know where they went wrong but you just don't have time to figure it out.
October 21, 2024
So many pages for such little plot. Without the mystery that carried the first novel, all that was left in this one was a messy plot and two bland MCs - the protagonist boring and the antagonist almost laughably cliche. A disappointing follow up after the first was a surprising hit for me, definitely the end of the road for me and this series.
September 19, 2024
This is the second book in the butcher installment. I read the first and gave it five stars over a year ago now. I was hoping I’d remember enough from the previous plot to enjoy this one, and I did. I would recommend reading the first book for maximum enjoyment, but you could also read this as a stand alone. The book picked right back up where it ended and the depravity of the butcher doesn’t stop. I really enjoyed the pacing and was always wondering what would happen next. Wren is such an interesting character and we still don’t know everything about her. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next installation!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 19, 2025
3.75. This one was fun! I enjoyed book 2 more than book 1, shit got crazy! Really like being shocked at the end of books and definitely was with this one.
September 18, 2024
I know I loved the first book a lot� so the hype was real with this one. I just wasn’t as engrossed in it like I remember the first one.
I’ve also probably read about 500 books about the cat and mouse, serial killer vs detective chase SINCE I read the first one.
I’ve definitely read better ones. NOTHING taken away from it, it’s a good book. I’m just well versed in these types of the trope. 😂😂
I’ve also probably read about 500 books about the cat and mouse, serial killer vs detective chase SINCE I read the first one.
I’ve definitely read better ones. NOTHING taken away from it, it’s a good book. I’m just well versed in these types of the trope. 😂😂
September 18, 2024
This just wasn't for me.
October 8, 2024
3.75 stars rounded up - enjoyed more than the first book
Thoughts:
Thoughts:
October 29, 2024
The pursuit of serial killer Jeremy Rose, aka the Bayou Butcher, takes Dr Wren Muller and New Orleans Police Detective Leroux to Massachusetts where Jeremy is leaving a bold trail in his deadly cat and mouse game.
Gritty and gory, the plot keep the reader riveted as these smart detectives pit their wits against this horrifying killer who taunts them with subtle clues. As in book one, the target become very personal. And once again, clues Wren notices at the end of the story will lead to more in book three. I will be looking forward to that!
Gritty and gory, the plot keep the reader riveted as these smart detectives pit their wits against this horrifying killer who taunts them with subtle clues. As in book one, the target become very personal. And once again, clues Wren notices at the end of the story will lead to more in book three. I will be looking forward to that!
March 29, 2024
Thank you to Edelweiss Plus and Zando Projects for the digital ARC. The second installment of the series of The Butcher and The Wren. Jeremy Rose narrowly escaped capture in Louisiana and is making his way cross country bringing havoc and horror with him. Again there were a few disconnects in this installment that show the writing and editing still needs work. Example how Wren stands at a bookcase in her office and feels that Jeremy is in Massachusetts. Or how Jeremy refers to Wren as his “dark soul mate� which is similar to the Dexter series and the term “dark passenger�. Still an entertaining read but the author needs to time finding her own writing style and how to close gaping holes in the narrative.
September 24, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this audiobook for review! As with the first book in this series, I am extremely impressed with Urquhart's ability to write an engaging, gritting, and wonderfully gruesome story with characters whose inner thoughts never stop being interesting.
The villian of this story is diabolical in the best (and worst) ways - IFYKYK. True crime fans will enjoy this book through and through.
My only disappointment was that there was no conclusion to the story, meaning there will be a part three (I am assuming) and that is just a little too long-winded for me with the same bad guy.
The villian of this story is diabolical in the best (and worst) ways - IFYKYK. True crime fans will enjoy this book through and through.
My only disappointment was that there was no conclusion to the story, meaning there will be a part three (I am assuming) and that is just a little too long-winded for me with the same bad guy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
I need book 3 NOW.
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