By Jenifer Hillier
Gallery Books, 2024. 334 pages. Fiction.
Thirty years ago, police chief Edward Shank killed the most notorious serial killer in Seattle's history: the Beacon Hill Butcher. Now 80 years old and retired, he's given his home to his grandson, Matt, and settled into a quiet life at Sweetbay Village Retirement Residence. While renovating, Matt discovers a crate buried in the backyard that holds a secret so terrible that it threatens to ruin all their lives if it ever gets out. Especially that of Sam, his girlfriend, whose mother was killed when she was only two years old. Matt struggles with his dark family secret as Sam's obsession with solving her mother's murder grows. A true crime writer now working on a book about the Beacon Hill Butcher, Sam has always suspected her mother was one of his victims, even though she was murdered two years after the Butcher was killed. But then new victims begin to turn up, and the more she digs into the old murders, the more dangerous it gets. Turns out, the truth is closer to home than she ever could have imagined.
In typical Jennifer Hillier fashion, the twists don't just come at the end of the story but are sprinkled throughout keeping you on the edge of your seat. There's also something about the gloomy, rainy backdrop of Seattle that always makes Hillier's books fantastic Fall reads. It almost feels like a character of its own in her stories. Sam was a great protagonist, logical and pragmatic in demeanor, and her search for the truth pushes the narrative along nicely. What was also interesting, but rather difficult, is that you get firsthand accounts of the Beacon Hill Butcher. There are several trigger warnings for those chapters (rape, torture, murder) and while it did add depth and understanding of the depravity of the crimes, it is not for everyone. Overall, if you're looking for a chilling read this Fall that focuses on unsolved crimes and serial killers, The Butcher is the book for you!
If you liked The Butcher, you might also like:
By Clémence Michallon
Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 303 pages. Fiction.
A psychological thriller about trauma, power, and survival, which follows a young woman who has been captured and confined by a serial killer--who is a father, widower, former Marine, and lineman for the local electric company--as he hides the true nature of his double life from his daughter, neighbors, and the local bartender who could be his next victim, unless his captive manages to stop him.
By Alice Feeney
Flatiron Books, 2020. 308 pages. Fiction.
Anna Andrews finally has what she wants. Almost. She's worked hard to become the main TV presenter of the BBC's lunchtime news, putting work before friends, family, and her now ex-husband. So, when someone threatens to take her dream job away, she'll do almost anything to keep it. When asked to cover a murder in Blackdown, Anna is reluctant to go. But when the victim turns out to be one of her childhood friends, she can't leave. It soon becomes clear that Anna isn't just covering the story; she's at the heart of it. CI Jack Harper left London for a reason, but never thought he'd end up working in a place like Blackdown. When the body of a young woman is discovered, Jack decides not to tell anyone that he knew the victim, until he begins to realize he is a suspect in his own murder investigation. One of them knows more than they are letting on. Someone isn't telling the truth.
BW
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