The Butcher and the Wren

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses graphic violence and potentially disturbing themes related to a serial killer and his crimes.

“A lot of well-adjusted people admire a well-sculpted skull. Most of them don’t even understand how primitively ominous that particular fixation is. Most people don’t allow themselves to see the savage side of a psyche that was crafted millions of years ago out of their ancestors’ often brutal need to survive. These are the traits that evolution deemed to be useful. People are just too dumb to understand that their own predilections are suggestive of a gene pool that is rooted in brutality.”

This quotation displays Jeremy’s outlook on the world and the superiority complex that is part of his serial killer psychology. He believes that he has a more realistic view of the world and evolution than other people, which is further indicative of his high level of self-regard. This passage also connects medicine and science to violence, which is part of Jeremy’s methodology.

“The thoughts of the depraved fascinated Wren. But the last thoughts of the dead fascinated her even more.”

This quotation introduces Wren’s interest in the psychology of serial killers, which she ruminates on at different points in the narrative (her thoughts about BTK, her thoughts about Israel Keyes). This implicitly refers to the true crime landscape that includes the novel itself and Urquhart’s podcast. It also illustrates her connection to the dead in her role as forensic pathologist and advocate for the victims.

“The Louisiana sun is pretty unforgiving to the living, but it is particularly cruel to the dead.”

The description of the sun both establishes the setting and juxtaposes the image of the sun with cruelty, which is the inverse of conventional association. The sun is conventionally a symbol of positivity and light, but here Urquhart uses the image in an unexpected way, depicting it as a negative influence. This sets the dark tone of the novel.