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The Butcher's Boy

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 117 ratings · 43 reviews

What happens when a newly divorced mother, her eleven year old son, and their overprotective Rottweiler move into a house that is haunted by the victims of a long ago grisly murder? Can young Michael fight through the madness and terror to figure out what happened so long ago? If he does, maybe the tormented souls can be put to rest. If he fails, he just might become one o...more

ebook, 325 pages

Published December 8th 2010 by Michael Robb Mathias Jr.

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Nov 15, 2011 Vone Savan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Butcher's Boy by Michael Robb was clearly a novel the author really wanted to write; a book without compromise; a book that held a lot of integrity with Robb's sensibilities; and a book with great honesty. But along with this honesty came a very graphic, gruesome and explicit novel. Something I wasn’t quite expecting, but fully embraced.

The story begins during the fall of 1984 with the murder trial of William Buxley Sr., the man accused of murdering his entire family (Dorothy (wife), Emma (...more The Butcher's Boy by Michael Robb was clearly a novel the author really wanted to write; a book without compromise; a book that held a lot of integrity with Robb's sensibilities; and a book with great honesty. But along with this honesty came a very graphic, gruesome and explicit novel. Something I wasn’t quite expecting, but fully embraced.

The story begins during the fall of 1984 with the murder trial of William Buxley Sr., the man accused of murdering his entire family (Dorothy (wife), Emma (daughter), William Jr. (son), and Elizabeth (another daughter)). Though he was found guilty, he declared his innocence to the day of his execution. After Buxley’s death, Richard King, William Buxley’s attorney, was given ownership of his house as part of his payment for defending him. But, a year later, King was found dead in the Buxley home—he was electrocuted. The death was ruled accidental. The Buxley house was then given to King’s sister who didn’t want anything to do with the house; thus, the house was left to deteriorate.

Fast forward to the summer of 2011. A Mr. Parker now owned the Buxley house. He sold it to Janet Hale, a woman who recently went through a bitter divorce and was looking to get away from the city. She thought living in the country would offer her peace of mind and so, she moved into the Buxley home, completely unaware of the history of the house, with her eleven-year-old son, Michael, and their trusty Rottweiler, Lucy (Lucy-fur is her nickname). After settling in, all sorts of strange phenomena start to happen, relating back to the Buxley family and their gruesome murders. From there, the plot unfolds in all kinds of direction; too many to even attempt to summarize.

I really enjoyed The Butcher's Boy. The plot was convoluted but well-developed, the characters were substantial and well fleshed-out, and the pace of the book was consistent. All these great qualities really kept me on edge. I liked how Robb was able to combine the concepts of a psychological thriller with the elements of the supernatural; and he did it in a way that was seamless and relevant.

Robb also used a lot of foreshadowing and portending in the book, which I enjoyed as well, because it’s so necessary for genres like this. He would introduce characters like Steve Duncan (the counselor to Oliver), Oliver (a recovering drug addict), Willie Tee (the town drunk), Detective Howell (his title speaks for itself), Tommy McMurphy (the missing neighbor’s child), and several other characters, and then expect us to play a game of “who done what to whom.” Part of the charm of the novel was this little game; it got me really engrossed in the plot.

The one unfavorable part of the book for some people might be the novel’s graphic depiction of the death scenes, intertwined with the explicit sexual content. While I did cringe in certain parts of the book, I still applaud Robb for writing a novel the way he wanted to. I always give credit to authors who aren’t afraid to be provocative or push the envelope; to express their art the way they really want to; and to endorse anti-censorship. While reading The Butcher's Boy, that’s the intent I got from Robb—super kudos!

All in all, I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or scary novels. There’s enough content in the book to satiate a reader’s voracious appetite for these particular genres. I also appreciated the finality of the novel, which brings closure to a great injustice; an injustice that was the driving force behind the entire plot. I have to give props to Robb for his great use of cohesion and integration with all the different elements of the book.
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May 18, 2011 Chelesbells rated it 5 of 5 stars

The thriller The Butcher’s Boy is a perfect mix of horror and mystery. It left me thinking, “I’d love to see this made into a movie”! But then I realized I would be too afraid to actually see it. While I did pinpoint the “bad guy” early on, it didn’t keep me from being on the edge of my seat the entire book. There were still plenty of twists and turns in this great story. I fell in love with Janet and Michael and I adored Lucy. I was also caught by surprise by the emotion the author evoked in me...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Judi Coltman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Butcher's Boy by Michael Robb is a ghost story. Robb does not simply write scenes that are creepy, spine chilling and suggestive of a haunting, he straight up tells you. So, if you don't like graphic angry spirits invading bodies of innocent humans, this may not be for you. I need to ponder this a bit more, but it was well written and intense.

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Apr 09, 2011 Martha Cheves rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Butcher’s Boy by Michael Robb – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“The prosecution has sickened us with grizzly photographs of the crime scene. They have brought in experts and skilled technicians. They have dazzled us with their qualifications and then had us listen to their various opinions as to what happened to those three children and their living mother.” He heaved in a sigh and then began pacing slowly as he drew the jury in. “They have produced lab findings, co...more The Butcher’s Boy by Michael Robb – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“The prosecution has sickened us with grizzly photographs of the crime scene. They have brought in experts and skilled technicians. They have dazzled us with their qualifications and then had us listen to their various opinions as to what happened to those three children and their living mother.” He heaved in a sigh and then began pacing slowly as he drew the jury in. “They have produced lab findings, coroner’s reports, officers’ testimonies and arrest documentation. They have paraded witness after witness before us but not one of them could say they saw who murdered the Buxly family, or why. Why did they bore us to tears with all of this irrelevant information and then tear out our heats with those photos of young Elizabeth Buxly?”… “I’ll tell you why. It is because they have no evidence that the defendant did this. This has all been a smoke screen. There is so much reasonable doubt here that I cannot believe we are even having this lengthy trial at all.”

This was part of Defense Attorney Richard King’s closing statement to the jury in the murder trial of William H. Buxly who has been accused of brutally murdering his wife, two daughters, son and then setting fire to the house. Along with the massacre at his home, many believed him to be responsible for the attack on a couple of young girls that were assaulted and had their throats slashed. One hard enough to cause decapitation. But, with witnesses that placed Buxly at various places that would make it seem totally impossible for him to have committed the crimes against his family, he was sure to be found "Not Guilty." That just wasn’t to be. Buxly was found "Guilty," sentenced to death, and five years later was executed, still claiming his innocence.

As part of his defense fee, Richard King acquired the home where William Howard Buxly, better known as “Buxly The Butcher,” supposedly butchered his family. A year after Buxly’s execution, King was found dead in the home. Years later the house was bought by Janet Hale for herself, her son Michael, and their dog Lucy.

Their first scare came when they found a local bum called Willie Tee hanging around the house. Willie lived part of his life down by the railroad tracks, and the other part at Hope House, which turned out to be a shelter run by Steve Duncan. When Janet met Steve, the sparks between them flew and they soon became an item. But as it turned out, Willie was only the beginning of the problems they were soon to deal with. It turned out that the house was haunted by none other than those who had been murdered there, and they were visiting Michael in the attempt to get their message across that he and his mother were both in danger. This, as well as his discovery that the murders of young girls had started back up again, leads Michael to believe that someone that was supposed to be dead wasn’t really dead, and he was determined to find out who that person might be.

The Butcher’s Boy kept me wanting to read more and more. I had my ideas as to who was actually committing the murders, but couldn’t quite come up with the why nor how. My suspicions turned out to be correct, but his punishment was something I would have never guessed happening. All-in-all, The Butcher’s Boy became an on the edge of the seat read, keeping me glued to every page.

230 Pages
2010
ISBN 978-1-4524-1365-5
Publisher: Michael Robb Mathias Jr.
aka M. R. Mathias

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat
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Dec 09, 2010 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars out of 5

You know a book is good when a particular scene will play in your mind repeatedly. I remember watching the Shining and seeing Jack Nicholson dragging his leg through the maze with that ax. It was not the gore, the surprises, or the story that was memorable; it was that particular scene and the methodical slowness in which Jack dragged himself through the maze. It scares me to this day.

The Butcher’s Boy has that same quality to it. Certain scenes keep playing in my head making...more

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May 03, 2011 Jessica Van Vleet rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a great book! I would recommend this to anyone who like suspense or supernatural. I stayed up reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open (and when I slept, I dreamed about it!). I cannot wait to pick up Michaels other books. Wonderful writer.

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Dec 12, 2011 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nook

4.5 out of 5.

They set the scene up for you and present to you the grisly details of what went down and now we move forward into the present-day. Don't get me wrong, what went down surrounding that house was not a typical, everyday family event and it was in no means something to be forgotten. Someone had to be blamed for that event but after all was said and done in the courtroom, were the dead really safe in their wooden boxes and were they all tucked in tight? In the end, Janet just wanted a g...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Misty Rayburn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thirty-one years ago, Buxly the Butcher was tried for murdering his family. He was found guilty and sentenced to die for those grizzly acts. Now a newly divorced nurse has bought and moved into the house, completely unaware of what happened so long ago.

The transition to a new life for Janet and her son Michael seems to go well. Janet meets a handsome charmer and decides she likes him enough to start dating again. She leaves Michael with a babysitter. Fueled by tales of the house being haunted, M...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pretty good, usually these types of books have you knowing by the end of the book who the bad guy is and this one is no different, so the surprise wasn't there but a couple times this book really scared me. I would recommend it.

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Jun 26, 2012 eva rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: critiqued-reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 21, 2012 Tobyann Aparisi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In all honesty, I have read this book and LOVED it! I bought it and read it on my kindle. I would just signed up with the hopes of winning an actual copy of the book.

This book is one of the best horror/thriller books I have read. It really haunts you until the very end. I could literally not put this down (I stayed up all night reading it)! The characters are well built and you love them (or hate them depending on who they are). The suspense is like being on a rollercoaster I have heard of that...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Didn't really know anything about this author but gave it a try. I was glad I opened up and read this book. It freaked me out and gripped me from the beginning. How would you feel if you bought a house that you didn't know was haunted due to a murderous event?? More so...how would you feel if your kid saw and apparition and said it had to do with who was murdered in the house??? Then, as if I wasn't already freaked out, you see in the news that there is a murderer on the loose killing young wome...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Cesar Cesar rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was quite an interesting Horror story, from an author who has written a chain of epic fantasy books. It starts out in a court room where William Buxly is on trial for killing his whole family, found guilty, he gets the death penalty. Many years later a lady called Janet buys the Buxly house for herself and her son Michael, totally unaware of the horrors of the killings that once happened within the house. It doesn't take long for the ghosts inside to make themselves known, first through so...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

The Butcher's Boy catches your attention from the first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat for a wild and scary ride. A variety of things happen in this book including possession, murder, kidnapping and redemption. I really liked all the characters, especially Michael. They were well developed and I thought their actions and reactions were realistic. The ending was exciting but brutal and I thought maybe a bit cheesey.

This is a standalone book with a well t...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Alex Laybourne rated it 5 of 5 stars

To put it simply, this book was one of the best ghost stories I have read in... well, quite possibly ever. It was perfectly paced, the build up had me sitting with Goosebumps at times. The urge to continue turning the page was intense, and the mix of characters was well through out they complimented each other perfectly.
From the opening page you know that there is something more than just a haunted house behind this story, and from the moment you meet the creepy, senile woman who lives next doo...more To put it simply, this book was one of the best ghost stories I have read in... well, quite possibly ever. It was perfectly paced, the build up had me sitting with Goosebumps at times. The urge to continue turning the page was intense, and the mix of characters was well through out they complimented each other perfectly.
From the opening page you know that there is something more than just a haunted house behind this story, and from the moment you meet the creepy, senile woman who lives next door, you know that you had better hold on tight for a wild ride.

As a horror writer myself, I certain feel as though I have learned a lot from reading this book. Besides enjoying it for the great read it was, I found advice and solid teaching throughout, and for that reason alone, I will definitely be re-reading The Butcher's Boy one day.

If I had to pick a weak point with it, there would only really be one. It is a ridiculously simple thing, and will vary I am sure, from reader to reader.

There was one line of text in the book, early on which for me gave away the big reveal at the end. Maybe it was just me, the way I read it etc, but I read that line and just knew what was happening. Now, I will not give any spoilers, and can honestly say that the book was not made any weaker because of this line. In fact, maybe having such a strong suspicion as I had encouraged me to keep reading long into the early hours. To see if I was right.

That aside, this book, in my opinion is as close to perfect as you get. To be complete, I can not recall any glaring grammar of punctuation errors, not formatting problems or other issues of a technical nature.

For anybody reading this, who is already a fan of the fantasy books from this author brace yourself for a fantastic paragraph of self promotion. Inserted so smoothly and professionally, it just about made my day to read it.

I don't think I can find the superlatives to further articulate my appreciation of this novel, and so I will leave it as this. The Butcher's Boy is a must read for anybody. Forget about genre, forget about tastes, because this novel comes close to transcending them all. (less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Ms.Smoker rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was another Kindle read for me. I started it back in April, but didn't have a whole lot of spare time to pick it up again until this past week.

While it did a fairly good job of holding my interest, I am not a big fan of this book.

First of all, it's disgusting in ways that it does not need to be disgusting. I feel like the author may have been aiming for some sort of shock reaction out of the reader by being so graphic/disturbing. Without being specific, I just really think that a lot of t...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Carla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books

This book was great fun. Not quite as scary as I'd hoped (probably because I found the plot somewhat predictable), but it had enough twists to keep me wanting to read it.

There are several likable characters, and a couple of truly hateful ones. This setup usually makes for some exciting scenes, and there are quite a few of them in this book. There was also a bit of confusion (at least for me, but I can be dense at times) especially in the beginning when trying to keep the various dead entities s...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Dawn Judd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Of course I love a good ghost story, but this is so much more than that. The ghosts of the past aren't the only mystery entangled within the story and it doesn't take long to figure out that something is amiss. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I realized there was so much more to it. Truly a brilliant piece of work.

P.S. The product placement of The Royal Dragoneers was a hoot! Thanks for the laugh Michael!

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Mar 10, 2011 Kim Bowen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I have always loved a good ghost story. It is rare to find one that is truly scary without a lot of gore or cheap sex. I really liked this one. I started it late one night and was very glad I was lying in bed with my husband asleep next to me. It scared me and I would have been peeing my pants if I had to walk through my dark house alone.

I did have the mystery figured out about halfway through. It didn't keep me from enjoying it. It would make a good movie!

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May 20, 2012 Marjorie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Michael Mathias tells a frightening tale, which blends a paranormal story with the goings-on involving a serial killer. The story is good, and he tells it well if you can overlook a fair number of editing problems. It's not a story for the faint of heart as, beyond the halfway point of the book, the details regarding both the paranormal and human activities become very graphic. If you have a strong stomach, it's an interesting story.

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Dec 26, 2010 J.c. Phelps rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished The Butcher's Boy. The book didn't take long for me to read because I was totally engrossed in the story. The Butcher's Boy is the perfect mixture of paranormal, horror and gore. It grabbed me from the very beginning and held on until I reluctantly read the last pages of the book. The story is told from several point of view of the characters but the flow between them was done very well and felt perfectly natural as I was pulled along. I definitely recommend this book!

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Sep 27, 2012 Mel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Interesting blend of psychological thriller and ghost story. Maybe a little predictable: I have to admit that I called the twist & villain at the 17% mark. I did enjoy it, but found it to be a little uneven and a mixture of too many supernatural angles. Can't say more without having to add the spoiler tag.

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Jan 26, 2013 Jeffrey Newman rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranornal Book Lovers

Recommended to Jeffrey by: The author himself

Shelves: kindle

Excellent work with a total ironic ending. Paranormal activity with a great mystery plot makes for a great book. Totally twisted, just like I like it. Would suggest for my students to read, but there is more of a mature theme throughout. Nice work and a great read for those paranormal readers.

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Apr 23, 2011 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Catching up on my reviews, etc... This was a quick read-fast paced, good old fashioned ghost story, in the vein of "Amityville Horror". Great descriptive, solid, well defined characters, and unexpected plot twists. I hate to get into plot synopses in reviewing what I've read..I'll leave that to professionals. Overall, I really enjoyed The Butcher's Boy, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good horror story that still allows you to sleep with the lights off. It's not Stephen King's"It"...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Kilgallen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, ghost

The Butchers boy is a well written story that kept my intrest the whole way! There seem to be so few good ghost stories and this is right up there with the best. There is an element of "sex and violence" but always in order to advance the story line. A reccomended read for sure!

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Jul 16, 2011 Nanci de Suffren rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one really scary book! Janet and her son, Michael, unknowingly move into a house with horrific history of mass murder. Ghosts with very unfinished business abound. The story is very intense. The ending is chilling.

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Mar 19, 2011 Colette Guerin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was just a bad example. Bad parenting, bad friendship, bad police work, bad judgement, bad writing, the list goes on.

The marriage of serial murderer and paranormal just didn't work for me.

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May 05, 2012 Nanda Zacharias rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ooh I really liked this one. I thought the ending was a bit weird and disturbing. I didn't think the bad guy would end up that way, I guess it would be a good punishment for what he did though.

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Jun 25, 2012 Cyndi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not for the faint of heart. A good ghost story for sure with a very dark and disturbed ending!

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May 15, 2011 Katy Walters rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was engaging. The plot was well thought out, the characters realistic and the haunting chilling.

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About M.R. Mathias

The jewel you see glowing in the ring in my authors photo isn't really a jewel at all. It is the crystallized tear of a real dragon. In my novel "The Royal Dragoneers" you might find the moment where this wonderfully magical tear drop fell from a green dragons eye and hardened on its way down to land in a mess of troll corpses that the dragon was laying on.

My grandfather died before I was born, bu...more

More about M.R. Mathias...

Books by M.R. Mathias

The Sword and the Dragon (The Wardstone Trilogy, #1)

The First Dragoneer (The Dragoneers Saga, #0)

The Royal Dragoneers (The Dragoneers Saga, #1)

Kings, Queens, Heroes, & Fools (The Wardstone Trilogy, #2)

Cold Hearted Son of a Witch (The Dragoneers Saga, #2)

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“I hope the reader is entertained, thrilled, terrified. Fiction is virtual reality escapism in its purest form, projected on its best most complex screen. No HDTV or movie theater screen can compare to the mind’s eye.” — 0 people liked it

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