Review: The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker
A tense thriller and an in-depth look at a twisted all American family and it's all in one book! Also, don't forget to enter the Giveaway! It's ending tonight.
My Thoughts
4 1/2 Evil Patrick's
I don’t read a ton of straight up thrillers because the police procedural bits usually don’t thrill me but this one did. It’s about a serial killer (those I do like!) and not only does it follow the current day rush to find a kidnapped teen left for dead, it also tells the creepy tale of the killer’s super weird and rather disturbing childhood. He and his parents lived in a picture perfect neighborhood and had the picture perfect marriage but they weren’t like other parents and I was riveted from page one of the killers spectacularly lurid diary that was filled with juicy secrets. Oh how I love juicy secrets!
I’m not going to tell you much of anything about the plot because I’m too lazy and you don’t really want things spoiled for yourself, do you? Why read the book if a review tells you everything? And this is one you’ll want to read and discover all on your own. If you’re into thrillers and dysfunctional households, I think you’re really going to enjoy this one.
What I will tell you is that the way this story is told is what kept me hooked. It alternates between the victim’s ordeal, the authorities attempts to figure it all out within tight time constraints and the killer’s diary. All of these stories are compelling and kept things moving. The characterization is pretty awesome too and that’s a rarity in many of the books I read, especially in these sorts of books. The dynamic between the group working on the case felt very realistic and the main man on the case is wounded to his very soul and is extremely sympathetic. I liked him, I felt for him and I ached for his heartbreak. It takes a lot to make me feel much of anything but when it’s done right, as it is here, I am glued to the pages. This darn book kept me up until 1:30 in the morning when I had to get up at 6 for work. I NEVER do that but I had to learn all the secrets and get all the answers. I’m totally regretting it today.
I also loved the creepy characterization of the young killer in the diary. He reminded me a lot of young Norman Bates of Bates Motel (oh, how I miss that show) and his too adult for his age word choices didn’t seem at all out of place in his strange little world.
I’m terrible at figuring out mysteries and most clues completely go over my head and, as per usual, I didn’t see many of these twists coming but that’s not saying a whole heck of a lot. If you’re a die-hard mystery/thriller fan you may have a different experience – or you might not. Either way, it’s tough to put down and I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a read.
The twisted quote below is my absolute favorite. It makes me laugh every time I read it but please don't read it if you don't want to see anything remotely spoilery!
Other books by J.D. Barker:
A Bit About the Author
As a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.
I would never go down to the basement.
Never.
I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.
Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.
I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.
Visit J. D. Barker's website here.
The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker
Thriller/Serial Killer Fiction
Released June 27, 2017
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
Thriller/Serial Killer Fiction
Released June 27, 2017
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
The most anticipated thriller of the year - Optioned for both film and television
Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, “A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind.”
For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.
As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.
With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.
Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, “A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind.”
For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.
As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.
With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.
My Thoughts
I don’t read a ton of straight up thrillers because the police procedural bits usually don’t thrill me but this one did. It’s about a serial killer (those I do like!) and not only does it follow the current day rush to find a kidnapped teen left for dead, it also tells the creepy tale of the killer’s super weird and rather disturbing childhood. He and his parents lived in a picture perfect neighborhood and had the picture perfect marriage but they weren’t like other parents and I was riveted from page one of the killers spectacularly lurid diary that was filled with juicy secrets. Oh how I love juicy secrets!
I’m not going to tell you much of anything about the plot because I’m too lazy and you don’t really want things spoiled for yourself, do you? Why read the book if a review tells you everything? And this is one you’ll want to read and discover all on your own. If you’re into thrillers and dysfunctional households, I think you’re really going to enjoy this one.
I also loved the creepy characterization of the young killer in the diary. He reminded me a lot of young Norman Bates of Bates Motel (oh, how I miss that show) and his too adult for his age word choices didn’t seem at all out of place in his strange little world.
I’m terrible at figuring out mysteries and most clues completely go over my head and, as per usual, I didn’t see many of these twists coming but that’s not saying a whole heck of a lot. If you’re a die-hard mystery/thriller fan you may have a different experience – or you might not. Either way, it’s tough to put down and I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a read.
The twisted quote below is my absolute favorite. It makes me laugh every time I read it but please don't read it if you don't want to see anything remotely spoilery!
Other books by J.D. Barker:
A Bit About the AuthorAs a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.
I would never go down to the basement.
Never.
I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.
Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.
I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.
Visit J. D. Barker's website here.
Hee Hede! I love your review. And those gifs make it so fun. Gots to have this book. And I know my sister would love this author.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good one, I think it might be interesting the way it's told.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my kind of book. I will have to check this one out. Great review!
ReplyDeleteHmmm I'm not into the procedural parts either but since you liked it anyway I'll look into it.
ReplyDeleteFor What It's Worth