Tuesday Reviews: The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart

From the New York Times bestselling author and cohost of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid comes the thrilling book two in her national bestselling series, told from the dueling perspectives of a notorious serial killer and a medical examiner seeking justice.

Destruction follows the ruthless serial killer, Jeremy Rose, the Bayou Butcher, as he heads north to evade capture for his horrific crimes. As he seeks safe harbor with a former friend, he remains focused on unfinished business with forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller, the only target who’s ever escaped him—twice. But not this time. He’s determined to make Wren suffer, and he’s promised to make her play by his own twisted rules.

Still in shock over the harrowing encounter with her old nemesis, Wren is on forced medical leave in New Orleans, attempting to mend the deep scars of her traumatic past. But with growing evidence that Jeremy is leaving a fresh trail of mutilated victims across Massachusetts, Wren realizes the best way to heal is to renew her pursuit of this vicious killer. She sets her sights on Jeremy, only to discover that she may have walked directly into his trap. As their twisted cat-and-mouse game rachets up to a violent clash of good versus evil, Wren prepares to sacrifice everything to bring Jeremy to justice.

With intense true-to-life details from autopsy technician and Morbid podcast cohost, Alaina Urquhart, The Butcher Game is a gripping addition to the New York Times bestselling Dr. Wren Muller series.

Alaina Urquhart, co-host of the Morbid podcast and author of The Butcher and the Wren, returns with a chilling, high-stakes sequel that raises the bar in every possible way. The Butcher Game is a visceral, tension-packed cat-and-mouse thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the brutal final act.

We’re once again thrown into the dark, sweltering world of New Orleans where medical examiner Dr. Wren Muller is still reeling from her encounter with Jeremy—the sadistic killer known as The Butcher. But this time, the game has changed. A new threat emerges, one even more twisted and cunning, forcing Wren to confront her own darkness while trying to stay one step ahead of a killer who seems to know her every move.

Urquhart masterfully blends her real-life forensic knowledge with atmospheric storytelling, creating a narrative that feels both authentic and unrelentingly tense. The forensic details are gruesome, clinical, and fascinating without feeling gratuitous—an element fans of The Silence of the Lambs or Kathy Reichs will appreciate.

Wren remains a strong, complicated heroine. Her mental and emotional scars are on full display here, making her even more compelling as she walks the fine line between hunter and hunted. The new antagonist is disturbingly intelligent and theatrical in a way that sets this apart from typical serial killer fare—think Hannibal meets True Detective Season 1.

The pacing is relentless, though the story takes time to delve into moral ambiguity and psychological trauma, which gives it unexpected emotional weight. There are a few moments where suspension of disbelief is required, and some readers might crave deeper development for the supporting cast, but the tightly woven plot and cinematic tension make up for it.

Verdict:
The Butcher Game is a dark, pulse-pounding sequel that delivers both brains and blood. It’s smart, sinister, and utterly addictive—Alaina Urquhart proves once again that she knows how to dissect the human psyche as expertly as she does a corpse.