True crime podcaster Alaina Urquhart takes Dr Wren Muller series to Constable 

Constable, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, has acquired two books in the “propulsive” Dr Wren Muller series of serial killer thrillers by Alaina Urquhart.

Her debut novel and the first in the series, The Butcher and the Wren, was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in 2022 and is set for small-screen adaptation by Sister, the production company behind Chernobyl and Black Doves.

Editor Jen Shannon acquired UK and Commonwealth, excluding Canada, rights to The Butcher Game and The Butcher Legacy from Suzannah Ball at WME. The books are published in North America by Zando on a list founded by Gone Girl editor Molly Stern.

The series follows forensic pathologist Dr Wren Muller as she tracks a ruthless serial killer, the Bayou Butcher, across New Orleans and beyond. Author Alaina Urquhart is a former autopsy technician and creator and co-host of true crime podcast Morbid.

The second instalment in the series, The Butcher Game, was a New York Times bestseller on US release in 2024. Constable has released the e-book and audiobook in the UK and will publish the paperback on 21st May 2026. The third book, The Butcher Legacy, will be published in hardback, e-book and audiobook on 11th August 2026, simultaneously with the US.

Shannon said: “We’re beyond excited to have these chilling, thrilling books on our list. As a true crime podcast obsessive, I devoured Alaina’s first book on release, and am morbidly delighted to say that The Butcher Game and The Butcher Legacy are even more twisted. Alaina has a proven flair for injecting intrigue and thrills into the darkest of subjects, and I can’t wait for even more UK readers to discover her genius.”

Urquhart added: “I’m obsessed with my UK readers and I’ve been dying to get Wren, Jeremy and Leroux across the pond and into their hands. I’m overjoyed to be partnering with Constable for the release of The Butcher Game and The Butcher Legacy. It’s an incredible honour to work with a team known for championing bold, compelling stories.”