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The Yuletide Butcher
For 20 years the Yuletide Butcher has left police a body the morning after Christmas. Once and only once a year the killer strikes. He’s never been caught. Not even close. Detective Allen and FBI Agent Hawks have a possible lead. The first in years. Together, they’re on the killer’s trail and scrambling to stop the Butcher from striking again.Meanwhile, Jack Randal, a pillar of the community, secretly dreads Christmas time. He hates his in-laws and can’t stand his wife and kids. This year it’s finally too much. He’s about to have a public meltdown. Somewhere in their city, the Yuletide Butcher is checking his list twice, with plans to be naughty, not nice, and no one knows who his next victim might be.
- GenresHorror
66 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2019
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 10, 2020
Sigh...Mike, Mike, Mike...
I'm going against the tide with this one and, to be totally honest, I've had a bad day and I'm actually a little pissed off at the author.
Mr. Duke is a former cop, right. So, what I EXPECTED, was realism.
Please explain to me how:
1. The FBI will only give a single agent to help with the investigation of a 19 time serial killer who strikes at exactly the same time every year.
2. The FBI, who has been studying Geographic Profiling since the mid 1980's, will not think of doing such a profile - for 19 years - but a detective does, narrowing the suspects down to 10 men?
3. With no suggestion to the sexual angle of these crimes (and no possible suspects), they know it is a man?
Okay, so let's say we suspend belief, like two drunk guys in a bar swapping fishing stories (or 'how big is my dick' bullshit, if I may be that blunt), to rate the story on writing skill alone.
(Ahem, there are editing mistakes on the Kindle version, like the first paragraph of the third chapter which appears twice, but I'm not even going to hassle you about that.)
You took a really great idea - kudos on the idea, which is why you get two stars - and you give me a straight forward: This is the good guy and this is the bad guy. This is what they did for two days.
I'm really sorry, I try not to be pissy, but for the sake of fuck, this story is hugely underwhelming for me.
I'm going against the tide with this one and, to be totally honest, I've had a bad day and I'm actually a little pissed off at the author.
Mr. Duke is a former cop, right. So, what I EXPECTED, was realism.
Please explain to me how:
1. The FBI will only give a single agent to help with the investigation of a 19 time serial killer who strikes at exactly the same time every year.
2. The FBI, who has been studying Geographic Profiling since the mid 1980's, will not think of doing such a profile - for 19 years - but a detective does, narrowing the suspects down to 10 men?
3. With no suggestion to the sexual angle of these crimes (and no possible suspects), they know it is a man?
Okay, so let's say we suspend belief, like two drunk guys in a bar swapping fishing stories (or 'how big is my dick' bullshit, if I may be that blunt), to rate the story on writing skill alone.
(Ahem, there are editing mistakes on the Kindle version, like the first paragraph of the third chapter which appears twice, but I'm not even going to hassle you about that.)
You took a really great idea - kudos on the idea, which is why you get two stars - and you give me a straight forward: This is the good guy and this is the bad guy. This is what they did for two days.
I'm really sorry, I try not to be pissy, but for the sake of fuck, this story is hugely underwhelming for me.
December 24, 2024
A very brief, yet highly entertaining holiday crime thriller. Our lead, Jack, is miserable at home with his family, hates the holidays, and is being investigated by the police. Is he the infamous Yuletide Butcher? Or just a guy that wants to change his life? Lots of good intrigue here with some very good plot points and a satisfying conclusion. Mike Duke's writing style also kept me glued to the pages. My only critique is that I wanted a lot more from the story. There were many chapters that only had a paragraph of content and the pacing felt too quick. Jack is a really dynamic character that deserved some more time to shine, which would have elevated this from being very good to great. However, not without some flaws, it is still one helluva wild ride.
December 6, 2021
Fun read for Christmas and horror fans
This was a very well written horror story about a man named Jack, who seemed to be really stressed when Christmas came around. Which I feel everyone, specially people that have kids and celebrate Christmas, are stressed during the Christmas season as well, and I can totally see how some people snap this time of year. Jack just took it to a whole new level.
This was a very well written horror story about a man named Jack, who seemed to be really stressed when Christmas came around. Which I feel everyone, specially people that have kids and celebrate Christmas, are stressed during the Christmas season as well, and I can totally see how some people snap this time of year. Jack just took it to a whole new level.
November 3, 2023
I saw this on another bookstagram and grabbed a copy for my holiday reading.
20 years after the first body was found, a detective is gearing up for another year of the Yuletide Butcher, a serial killer that only strikes once a year on Christmas. It’s always a single body that’s found, but the MO is ever changing. The crimes only linked by the killer’s use of holly leaves.
This was an interesting novella because it gives the dual POVs of the killer and the detective that’s after him. The reader is enlightened, but the detective is not, so I thought that was pretty cool. I liked how as the detective finds more and more evidence, the other POV is becoming more deranged and ill tempered. Neither know it, but it plays well while reading it.
I definitely think there was enough here to make a full length novel, but there’s nothing wrong with novellas. Short, easy to read, and devilish.
Personally. 4/5*
20 years after the first body was found, a detective is gearing up for another year of the Yuletide Butcher, a serial killer that only strikes once a year on Christmas. It’s always a single body that’s found, but the MO is ever changing. The crimes only linked by the killer’s use of holly leaves.
This was an interesting novella because it gives the dual POVs of the killer and the detective that’s after him. The reader is enlightened, but the detective is not, so I thought that was pretty cool. I liked how as the detective finds more and more evidence, the other POV is becoming more deranged and ill tempered. Neither know it, but it plays well while reading it.
I definitely think there was enough here to make a full length novel, but there’s nothing wrong with novellas. Short, easy to read, and devilish.
Personally. 4/5*
December 4, 2024
Jack has had enough. He's fed up with his moany wife and his spoiled kids. He's fed up with his in-laws staying every Christmas. And he's fed up of this shitty life he lives. So he dumps them at the mall, and instead of picking them up again, he calls up his prostitute, books into a motel, and plans his escape.
Meanwhile, the police are trying to finally put an end to the 20 year murder spree by the Yuletide Butcher.
This was a fun little read. It was only short, but packed a punch. Yes, some of it seemed silly and not very realistic. Yes, there were quite a lot of typos and misprints. But honestly, I actually enjoyed it.
Meanwhile, the police are trying to finally put an end to the 20 year murder spree by the Yuletide Butcher.
This was a fun little read. It was only short, but packed a punch. Yes, some of it seemed silly and not very realistic. Yes, there were quite a lot of typos and misprints. But honestly, I actually enjoyed it.
December 22, 2019
I always love a book full of good holiday cheer!
Exactly what I expect from Mike Duke. Loads of holiday fun!
Exactly what I expect from Mike Duke. Loads of holiday fun!
December 26, 2019
The Yuletide Butcher does just that, he kills one victim every Christmas night. A detective and FBI agent are on the mission to stop him before he strikes. It's fast, fun gruesome and festive with a harrowing finale. I furiously gulped it down in one sitting and need to read more by this author.
December 10, 2022
Not everyone loves the holidays
Great book from Mike Duke! I love the way you don't really know where the story is taking you at the beginning. I was expecting it to go one way, but it went completely in a different direction. Really enjoyed this Christmas serial killer story!
Great book from Mike Duke! I love the way you don't really know where the story is taking you at the beginning. I was expecting it to go one way, but it went completely in a different direction. Really enjoyed this Christmas serial killer story!
December 26, 2019
Quick and gory, a perfect read for Christmas 😆 I had a lot of fun reading this one!
December 26, 2019
I love a story with a happy ending ( or at least what my morbid sense of humor considers a happy ending). I've been wanting to read something by Mike Duke for a while now, so I was uber excited that this book was free on Christmas. Anyways, this is a good short read. A long term serial killer, law enforcement has no clue who he is. I loved how it described in detail the kills of the Yuletide Butcher. And not to spoil it for everyone, but the ending with the crosses is epic
What I liked about this story was that it wasn't so much about the detectives as it was the killer.
I look forward to reading more from this author
What I liked about this story was that it wasn't so much about the detectives as it was the killer.
I look forward to reading more from this author
January 21, 2020
I enjoyed this story. I liked the writers style and the structure of this little horror tale.
It's one of these stories that could probably be developed with more meat given the duration of the Yuletide Butchers reign on the city. However, for a novella I think the writer picked an excellent point to throw readers in at.
It was enough for me to finish and add Mike Duke to my reading list - as the first story I've read from this writer, it won't be my last.
It's one of these stories that could probably be developed with more meat given the duration of the Yuletide Butchers reign on the city. However, for a novella I think the writer picked an excellent point to throw readers in at.
It was enough for me to finish and add Mike Duke to my reading list - as the first story I've read from this writer, it won't be my last.
December 25, 2019
Fun read
Fast, fun read. Could have used some better editing but overall quite fun read, so perfect this for Xmas eve.
Fast, fun read. Could have used some better editing but overall quite fun read, so perfect this for Xmas eve.
December 28, 2019
Fast read from Mike. Bringing a bit of Xmas cheer (ho ho ho!?!) to the festive period.
December 25, 2019
Mike Duke brings the holiday cheer with his Christmas novella The Yuletide Butcher. Every year for the last twenty years, there has been a single murder victim found the morning after Christmas Day. The methods of murder vary each time, but the killer always leaves his calling card: holly leaves. Detective Rick Allen has spent the better part of his career trying to crack the case and catch the killer each year before he strikes. Will this year be the year he finally gets his man?
The Yuletide Butcher is short, brutal, and to the point. As usual, Duke creates rather believable characters. The length of the story, however, prevents any real character development or growth. That doesn’t pose too much of an issue here. This is a quick, fun read that really keeps you turning the pages. There isn’t all that much violence or gore to be found, with most of the story being the cat-and-mouse game of the investigation. The parts that do describe the Butcher’s work are absolutely savage. While not too over-the-top, Duke crafts some beautifully brutal violence that truly earns the Butcher his name.
With a fairly straightforward plot and no huge surprises, The Yuletide Butcher is an entertaining read. You won’t necessarily find yourself scratching your head, playing whodunnit with Detective Allen, but the journey is still a fun one. While I think that the premise could have worked well in a more fleshed out medium, this novella does the job well. The Yuletide Butcher is a satisfying ride, with a decent serving of Duke’s classic no-holds-barred brutality.
The Yuletide Butcher is short, brutal, and to the point. As usual, Duke creates rather believable characters. The length of the story, however, prevents any real character development or growth. That doesn’t pose too much of an issue here. This is a quick, fun read that really keeps you turning the pages. There isn’t all that much violence or gore to be found, with most of the story being the cat-and-mouse game of the investigation. The parts that do describe the Butcher’s work are absolutely savage. While not too over-the-top, Duke crafts some beautifully brutal violence that truly earns the Butcher his name.
With a fairly straightforward plot and no huge surprises, The Yuletide Butcher is an entertaining read. You won’t necessarily find yourself scratching your head, playing whodunnit with Detective Allen, but the journey is still a fun one. While I think that the premise could have worked well in a more fleshed out medium, this novella does the job well. The Yuletide Butcher is a satisfying ride, with a decent serving of Duke’s classic no-holds-barred brutality.
November 9, 2024
“Once again, it appeared law-enforcement would be able to do nothing more than wait for another body to drop, and capable of catching the Yuletide butcher.”
“The Yuletide Butcher” by Mike Duke gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Yuletide Butcher has avoided capture for twenty years. Each year a person is gruesomely taken on Christmas and left to be found by the authorities. The only consistent thing leading to this serial killer is the use of holly leaves but no one has been able to find them.
This year, Jack Randall, a pillar in the community, has had enough of his life - career, wife and kids. Every year he dreads Christmas time because of all the materialistic greed from his family and expectations from his community. He finally gets the courage to make the decision to leave it all behind.
As always, novellas are short leaving me wanting more to the story. I wanted to know more about the killer’s background and yearn to do these horrible acts. The story sucks the reader in right away and spits you out. The ending is abrupt but closes all the loose ends in a brutal way. Overall, this is a quick, gut punch of a crime thriller for the holiday season.
Please visit my GoodReads profile or instagram (Ashesandlore) for more reviews. Thank you!
“The Yuletide Butcher” by Mike Duke gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Yuletide Butcher has avoided capture for twenty years. Each year a person is gruesomely taken on Christmas and left to be found by the authorities. The only consistent thing leading to this serial killer is the use of holly leaves but no one has been able to find them.
This year, Jack Randall, a pillar in the community, has had enough of his life - career, wife and kids. Every year he dreads Christmas time because of all the materialistic greed from his family and expectations from his community. He finally gets the courage to make the decision to leave it all behind.
As always, novellas are short leaving me wanting more to the story. I wanted to know more about the killer’s background and yearn to do these horrible acts. The story sucks the reader in right away and spits you out. The ending is abrupt but closes all the loose ends in a brutal way. Overall, this is a quick, gut punch of a crime thriller for the holiday season.
Please visit my GoodReads profile or instagram (Ashesandlore) for more reviews. Thank you!
December 26, 2019
I promised the author I would give him another try after Warm Dark Places fell flat for me. i
It was perfect timing that this was offered up for free on Christmas since I was caught out with nothing to read!
50-ish pages, so you aren’t getting emotionally involved for long.
I think the idea behind this story had potential, in someone else’s hands, but fell flat for me for much the same reason Warm Dark did.
Editing- needs a lot of work. This tends, for me, to be easily overlooked in a great story, but its very glaring here.
Sex scenes- contrived and unrealistic to the point of being juvenile.
Language- comes across very pre-pubescent considering some of the overt adult themes. I laughed out loud at ‘spanking the monkey’.
Character development: not once do we learn what the main character does for a living. We never learn a thing about how his marriage came to the point it is. No idea where things began to fail.
The detectives are flat and not a single character makes you care enough to give a flying shit if they live/die.
Overall, I just can’t like it.
It was perfect timing that this was offered up for free on Christmas since I was caught out with nothing to read!
50-ish pages, so you aren’t getting emotionally involved for long.
I think the idea behind this story had potential, in someone else’s hands, but fell flat for me for much the same reason Warm Dark did.
Editing- needs a lot of work. This tends, for me, to be easily overlooked in a great story, but its very glaring here.
Sex scenes- contrived and unrealistic to the point of being juvenile.
Language- comes across very pre-pubescent considering some of the overt adult themes. I laughed out loud at ‘spanking the monkey’.
Character development: not once do we learn what the main character does for a living. We never learn a thing about how his marriage came to the point it is. No idea where things began to fail.
The detectives are flat and not a single character makes you care enough to give a flying shit if they live/die.
Overall, I just can’t like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2020
I make no bones or apologies for my love of Mike Duke’s writing. I have reviewed several of his other books here. That being said, this was a well written story of a man who is just fed up with his life...
Jack Randall seems to have the American dream. Well paying job, wife, two kids...but boy howdy, does he hate Christmas. The story begins with his leaving his family at the mall and going to a hotel and ordering...shall we say...”room service?”
Meanwhile, the local authorities are trying to solve a twenty year string of murders that occur every Christmas day. They have no idea who this serial killer is.
Jack is implicated, and then...well, I do not spoil stories.
This is a very fast read, a very enjoyable read and you won’t be disappointed if you read it.
Now...merry mayhem, happy hunting and a gory new year to all!
Jack Randall seems to have the American dream. Well paying job, wife, two kids...but boy howdy, does he hate Christmas. The story begins with his leaving his family at the mall and going to a hotel and ordering...shall we say...”room service?”
Meanwhile, the local authorities are trying to solve a twenty year string of murders that occur every Christmas day. They have no idea who this serial killer is.
Jack is implicated, and then...well, I do not spoil stories.
This is a very fast read, a very enjoyable read and you won’t be disappointed if you read it.
Now...merry mayhem, happy hunting and a gory new year to all!
December 14, 2024
The Yuletide Butcher is a bloody little novella about a serial killer who strikes just once every year on Christmas. As the holiday draws near, everyone in town knows they’d better watch out, including the Randal family. While Jack tries to maintain a positive public image, he secretly hates Christmas and all that comes with it, including his in-laws. Meanwhile, for 20 years, Detective Allen has tried to solve this baffling case, and now, with FBI Agent Hawks, he’s closer than ever. But this holiday killer has evaded detection for decades and has no intention of being caught. And this Christmas just may bring the most memorable murder to date. I have yet to read anything by Mike Duke that I haven’t enjoyed, and this was no exception. If you’re looking for a quick Christmas read and serial killers are up your alley, I highly recommend this one!
December 26, 2019
"Can't go into retirement without a whimper, he thought. No sir, The Yuletide Butcher is going to leave his mark on this city. A mark they will not forget for many, many Christmases to come."
Every Mike Duke book I've read has packed a punch and this one did not disappoint.
The horror that was packed into 55 short pages is incredible. I read this book today to celebrate Christmas and loved every second of it. I highly recommend Mike Duke to anyone who loves the horror genre, you will not be disappointed.
Every Mike Duke book I've read has packed a punch and this one did not disappoint.
The horror that was packed into 55 short pages is incredible. I read this book today to celebrate Christmas and loved every second of it. I highly recommend Mike Duke to anyone who loves the horror genre, you will not be disappointed.
January 20, 2020
Mike Duke does it again...and it’s a Holiday horror story!!! Detective Rick Allen Is trying to crack a very disturbing case where for the last twenty years one person is killed on Christmas Day....not only killed..but killed in different ways. The only clue that links these cases together is holly leaves that the killer stuffs into all kinds of orifices.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a book of Mike Dukes’, then what are you waiting for?????? You will NOT be sorry, I promise you. I have had the absolute privilege and pleasure of beta reading for Mike and hope to continue doing so!!!
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a book of Mike Dukes’, then what are you waiting for?????? You will NOT be sorry, I promise you. I have had the absolute privilege and pleasure of beta reading for Mike and hope to continue doing so!!!
December 13, 2023
What a comeback! After disliking one of Mike Dukes other novellas, I decided to try The Christmas Butcher (every author has a doozy!). Let’s just say I have no regrets! The pacing was absolutely perfect, the detectives just gritty enough but not too much, and the characters were well-developed for a 50 page book. LOVED the ending.
December 26, 2019
Christmas Horror
This book was a nice short horror story for the Christmas season. If that is what you are looking for this ones for you!
This book was a nice short horror story for the Christmas season. If that is what you are looking for this ones for you!
January 9, 2020
WOW!
What a rush, this short will have you flipping pages as fast as you can. A definite must read for fans of the serial killer/horror genre!
What a rush, this short will have you flipping pages as fast as you can. A definite must read for fans of the serial killer/horror genre!
February 11, 2020
Quick, fun read by Mike Duke. I really enjoyed it and it's perfect for the holidays (though I was a bit late)!
February 1, 2022
This was a fun, quick read !
December 3, 2022
Another gem by Mike Duke!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews