The Butcher
Books | Fiction / Psychological
3.8
(117)
Jennifer Hillier
In this “skillfully penned tale of murder and cover-up that will keep readers enthralled until the powerful finish” (Fresh Fiction), family secrets and a serial killer from the past converge in this electrifying thriller. In 1985, Edward Shank famously gunned down the Beacon Hill Butcher, ending the serial killer’s reign of terror over the city of Seattle. But now in his eighties, Edward’s action-packed glory days are long behind him. The decorated former Seattle police chief has given up his high-maintenance Victorian home to his grandson Matt for a quiet life at the nearby Sweetbay Village Retirement Residence, where mac-n-cheese Wednesdays have become the highlight of his week. Though it’s hard to watch his grandfather get older, Matt is thrilled to inherit the large house he grew up in. Already an accomplished chef with a popular restaurant and a TV show in the works, Matt’s dream life is finally within reach…until he discovers a crate buried in the backyard that holds a secret about his grandfather so terrible, it threatens to ruin all their lives if it ever gets out. Especially his girlfriend Sam’s, whose mother was killed when she was only two years old. As Matt struggles with his dark family secret, Sam’s obsession with solving her mother’s murder continues to grow. A true crime writer now working on a book about the Butcher, Sam has always suspected her mother was one of his victims, even though she was killed two years after the Butcher was supposedly gunned down. But when new victims begin to turn up, their murders eerily similar to the Butcher’s all those years ago, Sam realizes she might be right. The more she digs into the old murders, the more dangerous it gets…and the truth is closer to home than she ever could have imagined. “A tense, suspenseful, thoroughly creepy thriller” (Booklist), The Butcher sinks its teeth in you from the very first page.
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More Details:
Author
Jennifer Hillier
Pages
344
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2015-02-24
ISBN
1476734232 9781476734231
Community ReviewsSee all
"SPOILERS:
There were definitely parts of this story I liked, the originality of knowing who the killer is straight away; however there were definitely parts I didn't like. The MC is supposed to be a crime author yet isn't familiar with DNA?? Also, the detective's nickname for the mc "my sweets" just ick. Also a few other parts that were absolutely so unbelievable I found myself laughing. And, **** Matt. Like seriously, **** you. you are a horrible *****. Overall, enjoyable enough to keep me entertained. 3.75 stars "
"Best book I’ve ever read. "
B K
Bostjan Kolaric
"Fleur sees the most achingly handsome and dangerous-looking man walk into the bar she tends.<br/><br/>"The only pretty feature about him was his eyes, crystal blue like the waters along the white shores of a tropical paradise. More brilliant than the sky on a clear day, but the rest of his face was harsh with sharp cheekbones, a jawline that could cut glass, and a mouth that looked like it could do more damage than a bullet from a gun."<br/><br/>Bastien was supposed to be a one-night stand to forget about her cheating husband, who refused to divorce her. This fling should have made her husband back down and accept her rejection, but knowing she was with another man and refusing to forgive him, he made threats to her that he would have this "new man" regret seeing her to trying to get her to change her mind about him and not see him again. Bastien is not just a normal man. He's powerful, lethal, and wicked, and his nickname of "The Butcher" is known all over Paris by the authorities and thugs in the city. No one messed with him, and now that he was obsessed with Fleur, the first woman he ever wanted to see more than the usual two encounters, he made sure her husband granted her the divorce she wanted.<br/><br/>"Trust is like glass, it takes time to heat and temper to make it transparent for both parties to see through, but once it's shattered, there are so many broken pieces on the floor that it's impossible to put back together. A year may pass, and you'll step into the kitchen barefoot for a glass of water and get a shard in your heel, and you'll remember how it got there." <br/><br/>Fleur starts to learn about Bastien's "job", but she doesn't fear him. She has never felt so alive, so safe, as when she was with him. He makes it clear that he wants her, respects her, and cares for her. What she didn't know was how opposite his family member was, and the trouble he's caused the city and Bastien. While Bastien deals with that issue, he makes it very clear about how he feels about Fleur and what he expects from her, and she is scared that she went from one relationship to another and if Bastien will break her heart too, but this time, if it end,s it will tear her apart. <br/><br/>There is side information discussed about his "job" and the trouble he deals with in the city, and the person behind it. It seems to just be a scratch at the surface, and I assume things will escalate in the upcoming books, and Fleur will be at the forefront of his mind, and he in hers. <br/><br/>This novella is mostly open-door spice that focuses on their growing infatuation with each other and their relationship as her previous one ends. It's fast-paced with some disturbing topics that aren't for everyone. If you aren't into dark romance, this book isn't for you. I couldn't stop listening. <br/><br/>I received an ALC from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to listen to the next book."
"I was not ready for Bastian. But I definitely embraced and loved him. He is brutally honest to a fault and feared by his enemies. Fluer is a strong and independent heroine and a perfect match for Bastian. <br/><br/>I love the Persian background and the darker side of Paris. Plus you can never go wrong with a secret society. The Butcher is must read book. I can't wait to see what happens next. <br/><br/>Side note. The cover is stunning. My nurses in the hospital kept asking me about this cover and what was I reading."
C B
Crystal Bell