Never look away vs The Butterfly Garden: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Kidnapping, Missing persons, Thriller, Fiction

Never look away Linwood Barclay · 2010 ★★★★☆ 4.0 423 pages · ≈ 7 h 50 m · Moderate

In this tense, mesmerizing thriller by Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed author of Fear the Worst and Too Close to Home, a man's life unravels around him when the unthinkable strikes.A warm summer Saturday. An…

Real estate development Journalists

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The Butterfly Garden Dot Hutchison · 2016 ★★★★☆ 4.1 295 pages · ≈ 5 h 28 m · Moderate

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees...and a collection of precious butterflies -- young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble…

Kidnapping Victims Mystery Thriller Investigation Crime

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Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
The Butterfly Garden is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 7 for Never look away.
The Butterfly Garden has the widest readership — 316266 ratings behind its score.
The Butterfly Garden runs the darker storyline; Never look away stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The Butterfly Garden ≈ 5h vs 7h for Never look away Want the crowd-tested pick? The Butterfly Garden 316266 ratings vs 21270 for Never look away In the mood for something dark? The Butterfly Garden a darker storyline than Never look away Want something lighter? Never look away an easier tone than The Butterfly Garden

Scores by source

	Never look away	The Butterfly Garden
Goodreads	4.0 (21270)	4.1 (316266)
Hardcover	3.6 (27)	3.9 (199)
Google Books	4.0 (1)	5.0 (2)
Apple Books	4.0 (223)	—

Reception

	Never look away	The Butterfly Garden
Ratings	21270	316266
Editions	23	11
Want to read	12010	340573
Reading it now	1335	39293
Written reviews	1635	30680
Wikipedia attention	—	3077
Pages	423	295

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Never look away or The Butterfly Garden?

The Butterfly Garden has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Butterfly Garden 4.1/5, Never look away 4.0/5).

Which is shorter to read: Never look away or The Butterfly Garden?

The Butterfly Garden is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Butterfly Garden (295 pages, ≈ 5 h 28 m); Never look away (423 pages, ≈ 7 h 50 m).

Which is harder to read: Never look away or The Butterfly Garden?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Never look away: Moderate; The Butterfly Garden: Moderate.