Jennifer Hillier | THE BUTCHER

Plot (via Goodreads):

A rash of grisly serial murders plagued Seattle until the infamous "Beacon Hill Butcher" was finally hunted down and killed by police chief Edward Shank in 1985. Now, some thirty years later, Shank, retired and widowed, is giving up his large rambling Victorian house to his grandson Matt, whom he helped raise.

Settling back into his childhood home and doing some renovations in the backyard to make the house feel like his own, Matt, a young up-and-coming chef and restaurateur, stumbles upon a locked crate he’s never seen before. Curious, he picks the padlock and makes a discovery so gruesome it will forever haunt him… Faced with this deep dark family secret, Matt must decide whether to keep what he knows buried in the past, go to the police, or take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile Matt’s girlfriend, Sam, has always suspected that her mother was murdered by the Beacon Hill Butcher—two years after the supposed Butcher was gunned down. As she pursues leads that will prove her right, Sam heads right into the path of Matt’s terrible secret.

Review:

When I read Jar of Hearts, I became an instant-fan of Jennifer Hillier. Her writing is addictive, her characters were fantastic and realistic, and her story was just so dark. Well, then I decided in anticipation for Little Secrets, I would go back to her back catalog. The minute I read the synopsis to The Butcher, I just knew I had to dive into this one - so I ordered it and I didn’t look back.

I read this one in one single evening. The plot was captivating and uncomfortably addictive. I didn’t want to put it down and I just knew that I was in for another wild ride. One thing I absolutely love about Hillier is that her stories are harrowing and dark, there’s no fluff in the writing at all. With this one, the darker moments were uncomfortable at times and also made me even more immersed in the story. The characters really sold me on this one and Hillier did a fantastic job of not only making them vivid, but by going back and forth between three different viewpoints, making it impossible to put down. These characters were not only well-plotted, but they were by far perfect and Hillier made them at times anti-heroes and then would switch back to turning them into people you wanted to root for. Each chapter kind of ends on little cliffhangers that leave you feverish for more, but the fun part is that you have more chapters to go before you pick up on that character again and I’m beginning to think if I plan to read her entire back catalog, I might have to do so on the weekends so I never have to worry about putting them down.

Jennifer Hillier is now an auto-buy author for me. I have only three more of her books to read before the new release and I am devastated there aren’t more. A wonderfully crafted storyline, unapologetic characters, and a plethora of twists and turns, you don’t want to miss out on this one or any of Hilliers stories.

Rating: 4/5