The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

 

Things are going great for Matt.  His restaurant, where he recreates the meals his grandmother taught him how to cook, is thriving.  He has a wonderful girlfriend, Samantha.  His grandfather just gave him the house he grew up in when he moved to a retirement center.  A foodie television channel wants to make him the star of his own show.

But....  His relationship with Sam is faltering because he can't make a commitment.  His employees, most who have been with him for years are complaining about his attitude and he's so busy he rarely gets to cook in his own restaurant.  But all of that pales beside the discovery he has made at the house.

His grandfather was the Chief of Police when he retired.  He made his reputation solving the case of The Butcher, a serial killer plaguing the city in the 1980's.  But when Matt finds the box buried in his backyard, he realizes the horrible truth.  His grandfather set up someone as the Butcher when in reality he was the serial killer himself.  Now what is Matt to do?

This is a wonderfully creepy tale.  Hillier reveals the truth about the killer early but the reader can't put the book aside as they discover the depths of depravity the killer will descend to.  The relationship between Matt and Sam is interesting and the fact that Sam is a true crime writer adds to the suspense.  This book is recommended for thriller readers.