The Butcher and the Wren: A chilling debut thriller from the co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast MORBID

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This book had all the perfect twists and the chapter cliff hangers kept me reading (and kept me up WAY past my bed time).

Nena cares as much about her work as she does her family, and the lines separating the two blur only occasionally. While I liked the alternating points of view, each chapter is so short that there wasn't time to get back into one character's head before jumping back to the other. In black and gold and a bright arsenic green, this is undeniably one of the best-looking books about true crime to ever grace my desk. I have been a fan of the Morbid podcast for years, and so my review is slightly colored by how much I enjoy the podcast and how happy I am for Alaina.True crime forces us to face the reality that evil people exist, and that we can’t always pick them out at first glance. And how did Jeremy set up this fake execution with a random man and be able to run away while his house was being seized? About Brittney BenderIn love with media, from TV to film, you'll find me writing recaps, TV/Film reviews, TV news, opinion pieces and more! Her two real-life careers as an autopsy technician and the host of a true crime podcast allow her to infuse both sides of the story with a feeling of authenticity that draws you into their world. If you are lucky enough to pick this book up randomly, you won't be disappointed: no knowledge of the podcast or the author is necessary to enjoy this book.

But I just wish there was a bit more substance to it, a bit more backstory and character development to ground us within this story and these characters. In one of the episodes of the podcast, either Alaina or her cohost, Ashleigh, talks about seeing a ghost woman who 'didn't have a body; she was just made of bones,' and oddly enough, I feel like that is the perfect description of The Butcher and the Wren. I didn't feel drawn in, absorbed by the book, because the dry technical info took me out of the story. With her encyclopaedic knowledge of humanity's darkest minds, and years of experience examining victims, forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller is the best there is.I truly, truly believe if she continues (warning, left a cliffhanger), that each one will be better and better. Because we learn about him as we go along, there was no real character surprise at the end like other books. Reasons to read: If you're a big Morbid fan, you'll love to see one of your fav hosts writing a book.