Butch
~Victor Peter
Off we go down the yellow brick….sorry, wrong hallucination!
In Butch, Peter takes us back into Jake’s chaotic world, this time pulling Butch Cleaver into the spotlight - a position he’d rather avoid. Known as the clean-up guy for Viktor and others who leave behind messy trails, Butch’s story is anything but tidy.
An amateur hit gone wrong, two men dead, a crash scene wiped clean except for a plain white business card – leading straight to Butch, and a missing parcel quickly set the stage for Detective Margot Stone’s investigation. And she's determined to figure out what Butch is really up to.
Along the way, we cross paths with familiar faces - Jake, Viktor, The Twins (Jarrod and Jessica), Mr. Snuggles - and meet new ones like Zofi, each woven into the mystery of who has the missing parcel and just how far they’ll go to keep it.
One of Peter’s greatest strengths has always been character development, and Butch is no exception. While we’ve seen glimpses of Butch in earlier books, here we finally get to step inside his psyche. He isn’t simply the butcher by trade and nickname - he’s a man with vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and limits that make him unexpectedly relatable (though his limits are far from ordinary). Jake, on the other hand, continues his descent, and his hallucinogenic episodes give us an even closer look at his unraveling mind – and questions, who is really writing who at this point.
Compared to previous books, Butch starts at a slower burn but quickly builds momentum into a wild ride. Peter’s skillful transitions keep the pacing tight, with scene and POV shifts handled smoothly. His descriptive style shines, from the gritty crash scene to the unsettling details of the butcher shop. Even Jake’s journal entries feel eerily authentic, pulling the reader deeper into his fractured reality, making them question everyone, even themselves.
As always, Peter delivers a gripping, character-driven narrative that rewards loyal readers. My strongest recommendation: don’t start here. Begin with Jake (book one in the series) to catch every layered reference and appreciate the full impact of Peter’s storytelling. Once you do, Butch will hit even harder.
Pre-order Butch now for release on October 16, 2025, and if you haven't read Jake, definitely start there. You can find all books by Victor Peter on Amazon.
I would like to thank Victor Peter for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC Butch. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author for a fair and honest review.