The Dr. Wren Muller books must be read in chronological order, which coincides with the publication order, by following this sequence:⁠[1-3]

Order Cover Title First published Notes
1 Book cover of The Butcher and the Wren. The Butcher and the Wren 2022⁠[6-8] Introduces Wren, Jeremy, and the unresolved central conflict.
2 Book cover of The Butcher Game. The Butcher Game 2024⁠[9] Continues from Jeremy’s escape and Wren’s trauma.
3 Book cover of The Butcher Legacy. The Butcher Legacy 2026⁠[10] To be published on August 11, 2026.
Reading order of the Dr. Wren Muller books.
Reading order of the Dr. Wren Muller books.

1. The Butcher and the Wren

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of The Butcher and the Wren.
Book cover of The Butcher and the Wren.

The Butcher and the Wren (2022)⁠[11-13] establishes the series’ central opposition between Dr. Wren Muller, a forensic pathologist in New Orleans, and Jeremy Rose, the killer known as the Bayou Butcher.⁠[4]

This novel combines Wren’s work on a series of staged bodies with Jeremy’s own escalating crimes, gradually revealing why this investigation is personal as well as professional.⁠[4]

2. The Butcher Game

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of The Butcher Game.
Book cover of The Butcher Game.

The Butcher Game (2024)⁠[14]follows the consequences of the first novel rather than beginning a separate case. Wren is recovering from her prior encounter with Jeremy when evidence points toward his survival and a renewed trail of violence in the Northeast.⁠[5]

This book expands the pursuit beyond Louisiana while keeping Wren, Jeremy, and the fallout from their earlier confrontation at the center of the series.⁠[5]

3. The Butcher Legacy

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of The Butcher Legacy.
Book cover of The Butcher Legacy.

The Butcher Legacy (2026)⁠[10] follows Wren’s return to the New Orleans morgue two months after the events of The Butcher Game, relying on routine and the presence of John Leroux and Maya Rodriguez to rebuild stability. As Halloween approaches, young girls begin disappearing in the cities where Jeremy Rose previously operated.

In Massachusetts, pastor Philip Trudeau resumes his role before a close congregation while concealing violence and an appetite connected to Jeremy’s crimes. With Jeremy imprisoned and Philip missing, Wren and Leroux are forced to act as the link between the two men becomes more urgent and the new disappearances remain unresolved.

References

  1. The Butcher and the Wren. Zando.
  2. The Butcher Game. Zando.
  3. The Butcher Legacy. Zando.
  4. The Butcher and the Wren. Zando. ISBN: 9781638930969.
  5. The Butcher Game. Zando. ISBN: 9781638933366.
  6. The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart: 9781638930969. Penguin Random House.
  7. The Butcher and the Wren. Penguin Books UK.
  8. The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart. Penguin Books Australia.
  9. The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart: 9781638933366. Penguin Random House.
  10. The Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart: 9781638933403. Penguin Random House.
  11. The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart: 9781638930969. Penguin Random House.
  12. The Butcher and the Wren. Penguin Books UK.
  13. The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart. Penguin Books Australia.
  14. The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart: 9781638933366. Penguin Random House.