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Dr. Wren Muller #3
The Butcher Legacy
The thrilling third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dr. Wren Muller series from Alaina Urquhart
Two months after the life-altering events of The Butcher Game, Wren is back in the place she knows best: the New Orleans morgue. She buries herself in routine, surrounded by both familiar and new company, John Leroux and Maya Rodriguez, trying to convince herself that normalcy can be rebuilt. But in the weeks leading up to Halloween, shadows begin to move again as young girls vanish in both cities where Jeremy Rose once ran rampant.
Hundreds of miles away, the pastor to a close-knit congregation in Massachusetts Philip Trudeau is back behind the pulpit. But beneath his practiced composure lies something sinister—gruesome secrets and a hunger that did not die when Jeremy was caged.
With Jeremy behind bars and Philip suddenly nowhere to be found, Wren and Leroux must mobilize, and this twisted triangle clashes at every turn. The Butcher Legacy is a relentless, page-turning descent into the dark.
Two months after the life-altering events of The Butcher Game, Wren is back in the place she knows best: the New Orleans morgue. She buries herself in routine, surrounded by both familiar and new company, John Leroux and Maya Rodriguez, trying to convince herself that normalcy can be rebuilt. But in the weeks leading up to Halloween, shadows begin to move again as young girls vanish in both cities where Jeremy Rose once ran rampant.
Hundreds of miles away, the pastor to a close-knit congregation in Massachusetts Philip Trudeau is back behind the pulpit. But beneath his practiced composure lies something sinister—gruesome secrets and a hunger that did not die when Jeremy was caged.
With Jeremy behind bars and Philip suddenly nowhere to be found, Wren and Leroux must mobilize, and this twisted triangle clashes at every turn. The Butcher Legacy is a relentless, page-turning descent into the dark.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published August 11, 2026
About the author
Alaina Urquhart
4 books5,692 followersAlaina Urquhart is the science-loving co-host of the chart-topping show Morbid: A True Crime Podcast. As an autopsy technician by trade, she offers a unique perspective from deep inside the morgue. Alaina hails from Boston, where she lives with her wonderful husband, John, their three amazing daughters, and a ghost puggle named Bailey. She is about 75 percent coffee, and truly believes she and Agent Clarice Starling could be friends.
Before writing her first psychological horror novel, she received degrees in criminal justice, psychology, and biology. When she isn't hosting Morbid, she hosts the Parcast original show Crime Countdown, and a horror movie podcast called Scream! Her days are usually spent either recording or eviscerating. The way she sees it, when she hangs up her microphone for the day, it's time to let the dead speak.
Before writing her first psychological horror novel, she received degrees in criminal justice, psychology, and biology. When she isn't hosting Morbid, she hosts the Parcast original show Crime Countdown, and a horror movie podcast called Scream! Her days are usually spent either recording or eviscerating. The way she sees it, when she hangs up her microphone for the day, it's time to let the dead speak.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
August 13, 2026
I wanted to like this book/series so badly because I love Morbid and want to support Alaina, but JEEZ.
To introduce someone brand new into the story within the first chapter, never mention him again until the "big reveal" / plot twist at the end was such a bummer for me. As soon as they introduced him I said oh, she just happened to meet this guy "2 months ago" which is also right when the last book ended, and there's only one big thing we know about him...... it just felt like something that should have been fleshed out before book 1 got published. I think it needed A LOT more editing. I don't generally review books but this one was THAT bad.
To introduce someone brand new into the story within the first chapter, never mention him again until the "big reveal" / plot twist at the end was such a bummer for me. As soon as they introduced him I said oh, she just happened to meet this guy "2 months ago" which is also right when the last book ended, and there's only one big thing we know about him...... it just felt like something that should have been fleshed out before book 1 got published. I think it needed A LOT more editing. I don't generally review books but this one was THAT bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2026
I enjoy this series but I do need to say this one lacked the high stakes feeling of the first two books. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but when I finished the book, I was just left with an incomplete feeling.
Almost as if the whole book could have been a novella or an addendum to book 2.
There is room for a continuation of the series with the ending the way it is. I’d like to see more depth and plot in the next book for sure.
Almost as if the whole book could have been a novella or an addendum to book 2.
There is room for a continuation of the series with the ending the way it is. I’d like to see more depth and plot in the next book for sure.
September 25, 2026
And so, the cat and mouse game continues between Dr. Wren Muller a forensic physician and Jeremy Rose a serial killer with unseemingly long reaching tentacles.
I have been looking forward to reading this 3rd installment in The Dr. Wren Muller Series.
This was a good read for me but I will score it 4.25 stars out of 5 as I had to suspend my belief on only a couple items that I cannot share at the risk of putting out huge spoilers. But I will say that one was a way for the author to have a very strong thread tying us to what I am sure will be her 4th novel in the series. It certainly isn't the first time I have had to suspend my belief system while reading. Readers who love dystopian fiction like me do it all the time.
The second reason for a 4.25 score is the pace of the third book, but that's alright it doesn't have to be as rip roaring fast as the first two so I guess that's on me.
For a bit, I felt as if the author had stepped over the line from dark psychological thriller to horror. The storyline got quite macabre but not enough for me to stop reading.
The character development of both the protagonists and the antagonists was superb. I learned much more about each and everyone but yet not revealing enough that I don't want to know more.
How very, very interesting…after checking in to see when the fourth installment was scheduled to come out I read that the author only intended to write a trilogy!!!
BUT WAIT…after reading the last chapter as well as the epilogue it is very hard to believe that that is now her intention. She wrote in some very heavy occurrences that tether us to a fourth novel.
Now I will find my way to Alaina's Instagram to drop a few pertinent questions or see if I can email her directly.
Obsessed? Yes, most certainly but isn't that how an author wants us to feel about their books?
I have been looking forward to reading this 3rd installment in The Dr. Wren Muller Series.
This was a good read for me but I will score it 4.25 stars out of 5 as I had to suspend my belief on only a couple items that I cannot share at the risk of putting out huge spoilers. But I will say that one was a way for the author to have a very strong thread tying us to what I am sure will be her 4th novel in the series. It certainly isn't the first time I have had to suspend my belief system while reading. Readers who love dystopian fiction like me do it all the time.
The second reason for a 4.25 score is the pace of the third book, but that's alright it doesn't have to be as rip roaring fast as the first two so I guess that's on me.
For a bit, I felt as if the author had stepped over the line from dark psychological thriller to horror. The storyline got quite macabre but not enough for me to stop reading.
The character development of both the protagonists and the antagonists was superb. I learned much more about each and everyone but yet not revealing enough that I don't want to know more.
How very, very interesting…after checking in to see when the fourth installment was scheduled to come out I read that the author only intended to write a trilogy!!!
BUT WAIT…after reading the last chapter as well as the epilogue it is very hard to believe that that is now her intention. She wrote in some very heavy occurrences that tether us to a fourth novel.
Now I will find my way to Alaina's Instagram to drop a few pertinent questions or see if I can email her directly.
Obsessed? Yes, most certainly but isn't that how an author wants us to feel about their books?
August 18, 2026
This was just… not very good. I listened to the audiobook and I don’t know if reading it would have made it any better. I couldn’t tell where the characters were most of the time, how much time passed between scenes, and what was the point really. I feel like this book didn’t have much substance and was much longer than it needed to be. Lots of fluff writing and when you get down to the plot, not a lot happened. At all. I wish I loved this series but I just didn’t.
April 23, 2026
It was meh. I don’t know what else to say about it. It was rather predictable.
August 21, 2026
Listen I loved the two books before this one and was excited, but I felt it was way too predictable. Maybe I just read too much but I could tell where the plot was going from the start. I was disappointed and it’s hard I really REALLY wanted to like this book. I love morbid, I love the two previous, but this one needed something more.
October 2, 2026
THE BUTCHER LEGACY
(Dr. Wren Muller #3)
By Alaina Urquhart
Narrated by Joe Knezevich, Sophie Amoss and Cary Hite
A Dark and Gruesome Legacy
In this dark horror thriller with elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological thriller, we pick up with Jeremy in prison while Wren is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Then bodies start turning up in Massachusetts and New Orleans, and Wren and Leroux have to get on the case. All of the victims are disturbingly connected to Jeremy Rose. But Jeremy is in prison, so how can this be?
Apparently, Jeremy’s influence hasn’t ended just because he’s behind bars. This is a story about legacy—and what Jeremy will do to make sure his legacy lives on.
Urquhart’s writing is dark, gritty, and atmospheric, and the pace keeps the story moving with plenty of twists and revelations. I really enjoy Alaina Urquhart’s writing, and she pulls me into the story immediately in every book. Even with Jeremy behind bars, his presence hangs over the entire story, creating a constant sense of unease.
The narration was good, but I think I would have preferred using my own voice for the characters, probably because I read the first two books and already had their voices in my head.
I really enjoyed this series, and The Butcher Legacy ends on an open note, so we’ll see where it goes from here.
(Dr. Wren Muller #3)
By Alaina Urquhart
Narrated by Joe Knezevich, Sophie Amoss and Cary Hite
A Dark and Gruesome Legacy
In this dark horror thriller with elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological thriller, we pick up with Jeremy in prison while Wren is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Then bodies start turning up in Massachusetts and New Orleans, and Wren and Leroux have to get on the case. All of the victims are disturbingly connected to Jeremy Rose. But Jeremy is in prison, so how can this be?
Apparently, Jeremy’s influence hasn’t ended just because he’s behind bars. This is a story about legacy—and what Jeremy will do to make sure his legacy lives on.
Urquhart’s writing is dark, gritty, and atmospheric, and the pace keeps the story moving with plenty of twists and revelations. I really enjoy Alaina Urquhart’s writing, and she pulls me into the story immediately in every book. Even with Jeremy behind bars, his presence hangs over the entire story, creating a constant sense of unease.
The narration was good, but I think I would have preferred using my own voice for the characters, probably because I read the first two books and already had their voices in my head.
I really enjoyed this series, and The Butcher Legacy ends on an open note, so we’ll see where it goes from here.
August 31, 2026
Book one was good, book two was decent, book three was subpar.
August 16, 2026
Wow! 🤯 What a ending!!! Review to come
August 21, 2026
I just couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for the book. I’ve started it a couple of times but I know from experience with the previous in this series, the butcher game, that it took me a couple of goes before I got far enough in that I felt invested in the story, I haven’t got to that point yet so I am setting this book aside for awhile and then I will try it again. I enjoyed number one in the series, the Butcher and the Ren, number two was a struggle, the butcher game, and number three at the moment has beaten me, LOL! Will pick it up again at some point and maybe have a different experience with it.
August 17, 2026
Loved the book series but this last book left a lot to be desired. Felt very rushed at the end. The death and phone call. Very sad and disappointing.
August 18, 2026
*audio
🪦🔪𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪🔪🪦
THE BUTCHER LEGACY
by
ALAINA URQUHART
Publisher: Zando & Penguin Random House
Pub Date: 08/11/2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
“A simple chair in the middle of a room would normally be nothing to cause any alarm. After all, a chair is a place to sit, but this one is nailed to the floor.”
I was fortunate enough to meet Alaina Urquhart at BAM in Arundel Mills and she’s just as cool in person as she is on her podcast.
She was telling us how the first scene she wrote for this book was the Haunt scene and trust me you’ll know when you get there. It was one of my fav scenes in the book and I’ve literally thought those same things while walking through a haunt. It’s bound to be a fan fav for sure. When you need to figure out what body part goes with what…you’ve def got a situation on your hands.
I also loved how when the narrator is discussing the killer’s POV it’s discussed in such a deluded way. For instance how the KILLER refers to his victims as “It” in the narration, it made it all the more unsettling. So creepy. A very nice touch for maximum impact.
I liked the way Wren started putting things together in this book. She becomes more clever with each book and she’s def at the top of her game in this one. Some of the morbid puzzles she solved were gross but also really cool.
I also liked how it was a little bit open ended at the end. It could be a spinoff or an extension of the series although I thought the Butcher legacy was the last book in the series and that storyline does feel complete. So hooray for the final installment of Butcher Trilogy! Don’t worry though Dr. Wren Mueller isn’t going anywhere we are getting more Wren books.
Next up for Alaina’s work…she’s gonna give us 90s horror (and likely a solid book playlist)!!!!!! Cannot wait!
QOTD: What’s the last book event you’ve been to?
#thebutcherlegacy #alainaurquhart #zando #serialkillernovel #morbidpodcast
🪦🔪𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪🔪🪦
THE BUTCHER LEGACY
by
ALAINA URQUHART
Publisher: Zando & Penguin Random House
Pub Date: 08/11/2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
“A simple chair in the middle of a room would normally be nothing to cause any alarm. After all, a chair is a place to sit, but this one is nailed to the floor.”
I was fortunate enough to meet Alaina Urquhart at BAM in Arundel Mills and she’s just as cool in person as she is on her podcast.
She was telling us how the first scene she wrote for this book was the Haunt scene and trust me you’ll know when you get there. It was one of my fav scenes in the book and I’ve literally thought those same things while walking through a haunt. It’s bound to be a fan fav for sure. When you need to figure out what body part goes with what…you’ve def got a situation on your hands.
I also loved how when the narrator is discussing the killer’s POV it’s discussed in such a deluded way. For instance how the KILLER refers to his victims as “It” in the narration, it made it all the more unsettling. So creepy. A very nice touch for maximum impact.
I liked the way Wren started putting things together in this book. She becomes more clever with each book and she’s def at the top of her game in this one. Some of the morbid puzzles she solved were gross but also really cool.
I also liked how it was a little bit open ended at the end. It could be a spinoff or an extension of the series although I thought the Butcher legacy was the last book in the series and that storyline does feel complete. So hooray for the final installment of Butcher Trilogy! Don’t worry though Dr. Wren Mueller isn’t going anywhere we are getting more Wren books.
Next up for Alaina’s work…she’s gonna give us 90s horror (and likely a solid book playlist)!!!!!! Cannot wait!
QOTD: What’s the last book event you’ve been to?
#thebutcherlegacy #alainaurquhart #zando #serialkillernovel #morbidpodcast
April 10, 2026
I would like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read the first two books in the series so I was excited to dive into this one. It starts not long after the second ends. What are Jeremy and Philip up to now? The book kept my interest but it was told from multiple perspectives which is fine but I felt it should’ve been told more from Wren’s perspective overall. Still, overall a fast paced read that kept my interest.
August 28, 2026
Very disappointed in this third book of the series. I’ve been listening to her podcast since 2019, so I feel like I know her and genuinely wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, it felt incredibly obvious and predictable.
I found myself skipping entire chapters at a time and realizing I hadn’t missed any important information. It was so boring that I would go pages without even realizing I hadn’t retained anything I had just read.
Honestly, I think this book would have been much more entertaining if it had been written in first person. I read it because I wanted to support her, but wow… this was brutally boring.
I wouldn’t recommend it, even to the biggest Morbid fans.
I found myself skipping entire chapters at a time and realizing I hadn’t missed any important information. It was so boring that I would go pages without even realizing I hadn’t retained anything I had just read.
Honestly, I think this book would have been much more entertaining if it had been written in first person. I read it because I wanted to support her, but wow… this was brutally boring.
I wouldn’t recommend it, even to the biggest Morbid fans.
August 4, 2026
Just when you think it’s all over… 😳
August 14, 2026
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it proved to be a bit of a let down. While there were a few big reveals, the storyline around them felt rushed and incomplete. It just fell flat, in my opinion, compared to the first two books. Will I continue to read anything AU releases? Almost certainly. Her writing chops are growing stronger with each release, even if this one wasn’t a hit for me personally.
August 23, 2026
Glad we got a third book!!
Not as invigorating at the first two but still good
Not as invigorating at the first two but still good
August 14, 2026
The final installment of the butcher series hits a high note. Can’t wait to see how Dr. Muller and crew continue on in the world.
Urquhart masters the ability to write horror and shows her ability to write intense emotions all in one shot. Grief is often a topic that is so difficult to understand and portray with accuracy and she accomplishes this and then some.
Urquhart masters the ability to write horror and shows her ability to write intense emotions all in one shot. Grief is often a topic that is so difficult to understand and portray with accuracy and she accomplishes this and then some.
August 31, 2026
*listened on audiobook*
I reallllly wanted to like this book because I am a huge fan of Alaina and Morbid. But this book just fell so flat for me. I was iffy on the second book in this series, but said I would read the next one. After this book, I will not continue with the series. I was hoping the writing improved, but it didn’t. The part where Phillip sees one of the detectives looking into his cabin and he’s suddenly recanting the Massachusetts state law for lawful search?? Like huh?? I also couldn’t keep track of how long this book was spanning over time- which could be an audiobook complaint- but I found the story hard to keep up with, but also boring that I didn’t really care to try and keep everything straight. And the big reveal at the end did nothing for me because why would I care about a character introduced for 2 minutes at the beginning of the book who turns out to be evil? I expected more from this book, but I will always continue supporting my girl Alaina in her other endeavors.
I reallllly wanted to like this book because I am a huge fan of Alaina and Morbid. But this book just fell so flat for me. I was iffy on the second book in this series, but said I would read the next one. After this book, I will not continue with the series. I was hoping the writing improved, but it didn’t. The part where Phillip sees one of the detectives looking into his cabin and he’s suddenly recanting the Massachusetts state law for lawful search?? Like huh?? I also couldn’t keep track of how long this book was spanning over time- which could be an audiobook complaint- but I found the story hard to keep up with, but also boring that I didn’t really care to try and keep everything straight. And the big reveal at the end did nothing for me because why would I care about a character introduced for 2 minutes at the beginning of the book who turns out to be evil? I expected more from this book, but I will always continue supporting my girl Alaina in her other endeavors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2026
This was a huge let down coming from the first two that I couldn't put down.
August 20, 2026
I love Alaina Urquhart and really enjoyed the previous books in this series, but unfortunately, The Butcher Legacy missed the mark for me. The story felt semi-predictable, and the plot just wasn’t as gripping as I expected it to be. There were parts that really dragged, and I found myself waiting for something to happen that would pull me back in.
I still love her writing and the world she’s created with this series, but this one just didn’t have the same intensity or excitement for me. Definitely not a bad book, just easily my least favorite of the series so far.
I still love her writing and the world she’s created with this series, but this one just didn’t have the same intensity or excitement for me. Definitely not a bad book, just easily my least favorite of the series so far.
August 20, 2026
I really wanted to like this book because I love the author and am a huge fan of morbid, but I couldn’t justify giving this any more than 2 stars. The entire book felt like fluff to me and I just kept thinking that it could’ve been condensed into an epilogue at the end of the butcher game
August 15, 2026
I really really wanted to enjoy this. I tried hard. It was just not good. I felt like the constant elementary descriptions of places and items and even feelings were too much. I didn’t care about any of plot “twists” once I got to them. They were just “blah”. And I definitely hate that the ending was what it was. Please…no more Jeremy Rose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
Spectacular give me fourteen more of them right now.
October 1, 2026
I think this is my least favorite out of the series. For being almost 400 pages, we got some good highs but lots of lows.
There was a lot of times when I felt bored with the story and I wanted something to happen.
The best scene was the haunted house, but that was the only part that really had me enthralled.
Also, a big thing happened to Wren in the second book. It’s hardly talked about and Wren doesn’t seem to be working through it.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Physical
Pages: 384
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Book 3 in the Dr. Wren Muller Series.
There was a lot of times when I felt bored with the story and I wanted something to happen.
The best scene was the haunted house, but that was the only part that really had me enthralled.
Also, a big thing happened to Wren in the second book. It’s hardly talked about and Wren doesn’t seem to be working through it.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Physical
Pages: 384
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Book 3 in the Dr. Wren Muller Series.
August 14, 2026
💬 Review: Another great book in the series! I devoured this in just a few hours and seriously couldn’t put it down. I do wish Wren had more chapters, but I get why she didn’t based on the direction of the story. This was definitely worth the wait! I took one star away simply because it didn’t quite hit the same as the first book, which I absolutely loved, but this was still such a great read. I’m really enjoying this series and can’t wait to see what comes next!
✔️ Would I recommend it? Yes
✔️ Would I recommend it? Yes
September 22, 2026
This was a let down tbh. I loved the first one, coming in at 4.5*. It was urgent. I couldn’t put it down.
The second landed at 3.5*. Not much urgency. Felt like a different style of writing.
I couldn’t wait to finish this one. It landed flat for me. There was so much focus on Wren’s inner monologue and I was bored with it.
I knew who the killer was the minute ‘it’ was revealed at the beginning of the book. I thought I was being explained to often and the repetition just about killed me. I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would rekindle the urgency in the first book.
I didn’t love the cop’s narration. It came across pretty ott. 1.75x
The second landed at 3.5*. Not much urgency. Felt like a different style of writing.
I couldn’t wait to finish this one. It landed flat for me. There was so much focus on Wren’s inner monologue and I was bored with it.
I knew who the killer was the minute ‘it’ was revealed at the beginning of the book. I thought I was being explained to often and the repetition just about killed me. I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would rekindle the urgency in the first book.
I didn’t love the cop’s narration. It came across pretty ott. 1.75x
September 9, 2026
This was my favorite book of the series so far. I enjoyed it.
September 17, 2026
4.75, I love Wren and I hope to see more of her in the future!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews