Wow!!! Non-stop; adrenaline-filled; nail-biting; heart-stopping. None of those adequately describe the intensity of reading The Fourth Monkey. The characters are so real that you can almost hear their voices, or reach out and tap them on the shoulder.

I recommend turning off the phone and taking the day off work before you start reading this exquisitely crafted serial-killer masterpiece. You are not going to want to put this book down until you've finished it. The Fourth Monkey Killer or 4MK is a twisted and damaged lunatic with an IQ up in the stratosphere. That makes for a whole lot of sick sadistic games and a cat and mouse hunt that gets more complicated at every turn.

A righteous killer and a cop that has nothing left to lose. Who will blink first? It is so difficult to review this book, as even the slightest clue could spoil it. The plot is woven so masterfully. Every thread perfectly placed. It has been said many times before, but it is worth repeating. Se7en has absolutely just had it's butt kicked. I never thought I'd see the day when a serial killer thriller could hold up in terms of suspense and intelligence, but The Fourth Monkey goes above and beyond. You are doing yourself a great disservice if you do not Read This Book!!!

There’s a really clever plot at the heart of this novel. While the usual suspects of a serial killer tale are all here – good guy detective with a troubled back story; twisted psycho with a twisted past; a cast of good, solid, side characters – there are some unexpected twists and turns that are really well done. It is gripping at times, and I did want to keep reading.
The hunt for a missing girl, in the grip of a terrifying serial killer is interspersed with the diary of that killer (found by the lead detective). This was really effective and very interesting too. Finding out what made the killer tick while hoping that Emory would be found really added to the suspense – the reader becomes horribly aware of just what 4MK is capable of.
This is a gory novel. There are some disturbing scenes. This doesn’t usually put me off – but I do prefer subtlety over a sledgehammer, and this was just too overdone for my liking. It wasn’t the gory scenes themselves, it was just that they did seem gratuitous. And sometimes things are more disturbing, more scary, more gripping, if they’re subtle.
I also thought that some of the dialogue – particularly the banter between the police – was a bit clichéd.
So I did sort of enjoy it. It was a good, entertaining read. But I didn’t love it.

The Fourth Monkey is an all inclusive reading experience which through clever and complex plot delivers the becoming of a psychopath, the present urgency for a detective group to find the latest victim (preferably alive) and the fragile mental state of said victim.

So, let’s break it down a bit…

The detective group working on the 4MK case includes 58 year old Sam Porter, Nash and Clair. What I really enjoyed about the group was the dynamics… The relationships in between those characters wasn’t just dry professionalism. It was friendship, caring and banter. Even more, what I enjoyed about the banter in between them, was that it was different in between Sam and Nash, and Nash and Claire, and Claire and Sam. It wasn’t just this single type of reused humor and that showed consideration in author’s part in making the characters distinct and keeping them consistent.

The victim (or should I say, the latest victim of the Fourth Monkey Killer) is 15 year old Emory. I will not be revealing her background in any detail but what I can say is this- her POV chapters were engaging in a chilling way. The situation and ‘place’ she finds herself in really bounces off the pages. I could feel myself mentally deteriorating with Emory. I could feel the anguish and what’s more- I realized, that I’m exactly the kind of person who would have those ‘dialogues’ with the imaginary voice as well when in stressful situations. So, on that level, I was connected and slowly going mad with her.

The star of the show… The Fourth Monkey Killer. As a reader, I always want to get into the ‘bad guy’s‘ head. I want to know why, when and how they came into being. My, did I get a full picture.. I got more than I expected, hoped and dreamed of! I found the way author decided to give that information was brilliant- through the killer’s personal diary. The story that unravels on the pages of that little personal black book is one of the most messed up and at one instance made me pray that what was implied was not true… yuck! I can’t recall feeling quite that horrified and a bit sick while reading in a long while… Plenty of psychopath behavior to go down,though, bound to give every single reader more than a single instance of distress. The story of the killer’s past could be a book in its own but it tied in with the present storyline perfectly.

You may guess the killer’s true identity early on, you may not… but I think it doesn’t matter whether you see that fact staring right at you. The primary goal here is falling into this story like Alice down the rabbithole and having a whole pile of psycho action shoved at you. Connect the dots in between past and present, connect the dots with the clues you’re given.

My favorite part of the book has to be the ending! #sorrynotsorry but that ending made me smile! Eh, you know those times when you learn/find out about the serial killer and while what they do is absolutely insane and fundamentally wrong, yet at the same time you can kind of appreciate their certain warped principles? Yeah, well, don’t lock me up yet… I don’t think like that of the 4MK as a whole… there was just that teeny tiny small part that told me- he has some kind of moral code… even though moral is a strong word here and.. you know, I don’t have to excuse myself- You all love a psycho story as much as the next man! But the ending… It felt just right and so damn satisfying! He may have got hit by a bus (that’s not a spoiler btw!), but is his story really over?

Would I recommend the book? Absolutely… seasoned thriller/crime readers may find some parts predictable but even so I wouldn’t think they’d want to miss out on this mayhem of madness. Chilling, thrilling and nerve tickling!

Tuesday, 27 June 2017
The Fourth Monkey by J D Barker
Most people, I guess, know of The Three Monkeys (sometimes The Three Wise Monkeys) - See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil. This serial killer novel introduces us to the concept of The Fourth Monkey - Do No Evil.

For a while now the murderer known as The Fourth Monkey Killer (4MK) has been punishing various people in Chicago for perceived 'evil-doing' by kidnapping their daughters and sending the 'accused' bits of them back in a small white box. First they receive an ear (Hear No Evil), then eyes (See No Evil) and finally the tongue (Speak). The next day the body of the kidnapped and now mutilated daughter is found in the city.

Where this novel differs from your usual serial killer tale is that as the story opens our murderer has just stepped in front of a bus on his way to post his latest little white box. All else he has on him is a few cents, a laundry ticket and a diary.

From the off the race is on to find and rescue the latest victim who is already minus an ear. Inserted into the story though is the diary which tells of 4MK as a child and gives clues to how he got to where he is. And to be fair it's no surprise he ended up a psychopathic murderer when you look at his family.

Leading the search for the victim (and also studying the diary) is Detective Sam Porter who has been on the 4MK case from day 1. Sam is an interesting character and the realisation bombshell that dropped on me halfway through the book is why I am not discussing him more here (Spoilers!)

All in all, this was an enjoyable read with plenty of twists, turns and WTF moments that had me guessing for a lot of the book and a reveal I never saw coming.

Highly recommended - 4.5/5*

This is the first J D Barker I've read and I'm 100% certain it wont be my last. It's an absolute rollercoaster of a ride serial killer thriller. The Fourth Monkey Killer (or 4MK for short) is clever and sadistic in equal measures and when he's found dead by his own hand, by stepping in front of a bus, his diary is found along with a human ear wrapped in a box...........................Now it's up to the detective who's been chasing him for near on a decade to find the missing person who's ear it is.

I loved the back and forth between real time and the 4MKs diary - in fact I found myself wishing the diary excerpts to come faster and be longer. I normally guess what's going to happen but this left me flummoxed and I absolutely LOVED it.

Bring on more JD Barker, you've just moved onto my list of favourite thriller writers.

I loved the idea behind this book and enjoyed reading it, it is not a straightforward thriller it comes as no surprise to discover that the author has written horror books before, this for me at least was something of a mashup between horror and a thriller it was certainly not for those of a nervous or squeamish disposition.I thought the tension in the book was palpable and it worked for me I also liked the main detectives and the pace of the book was also good.I would take a deep breath and jump into another book written by this author and would recommend this one to fans of the genre.Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I had so many opinions running through my head when I was reading it. At first I was excited and intrigued to find out more, then I was slightly reluctant to read it towards the middle (though I think factors outside of the book were influencing my opinion at that point) and then by the end I was super eager to finish it (in a good way) and see where it went.

This is a fast paced thriller that's going to keep you rooted to your seat. I, unfortunately, had so much to do while reading this book (work and personal life) that I wasn't able to sit and read huge chunks of it and I think that's why I got a little slow to reading it towards the middle. If you're going to read this book, my advice is to free up some of your time so you can bulk read it, otherwise some of the more shocking revelations and continuous fast paced action won't have it's desired effect.

The first thing I loved about this novel is the fact that our protagonist is an older man, not some sprightly new thing coming straight out of police school. It was nice to have that less popular character as our "hero". The second thing I loved was the Diary entries. I (mainly) love books that jump back and forth between past and present so when these skin crawlingly creepy diary entries started, I was pumped! They never let me down, through the entire thing they were disturbing and really added something to the novel.

My only complaint? Well, this was a buddy read with my pal Annie @ The Misstery, and we knew who 4MK was the moment we met them. Kind of a bummer but at the same time it was quite fun to see if we were actually going to be right or not (we were). It was still good fun to find out how everything came together in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and I'm already excited to see another book in the series will be out next year. The ending lines of the novel are chilling and I can't wait for them to be followed up!

Well, this book hit the ground running, grabbed me from the first page, kept my attention nicely, and didn't let me go until the last. Actually, tell a lie, it kept me beyond the last page as I was still thinking about it for a fair while after I had finished. Good job I read it on my day off, although that is supposed to be my chores day, needless to say, I just did the important ones that day!
There's an RTA and a man has died. On investigation, it appears he was carrying something that could identify him as the Four Monkey Killer (4MK), a serial killer of over five years. The thing he was carrying also suggests that there is a new victim. One who may not be dead.
Sam Porter is currently signed off from work for personal reasons, but, as the lead detective on the 4MK task force he is called back in, and when he goes to the scene of the accident, he finds a diary on the man's body. Can this diary help him understand the killer's motive, can it give him clues to the newest victim's location? Can he save the girl and put this monster to bed once and for all?
Nothing is ever that simple...
Oh my, this book was so very well, and tightly plotted. It drew me in right from the start and had me, mostly, guessing throughout. I did get a couple of things early but I was only ever mostly right and had my reasons wrong a few times too. I loved the inclusion of the diary entries. Just at the right times to add context to the present day story. A bit gory at times, this book is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
As with all good psychological thrillers, we had secrets, lies and a fair bit of duplicitous behaviour. It also has a bit of a moral. If serial killers can be classed as moralistic that is. Is it so bad if you just kill bad people?
I have to say that I really loved Sam as a character. He is wounded and still getting over a pretty big personal tragedy but despite this, his determination to get to the bottom of 4MK just has to be admired. His relationship to 4MK could be considered in the same vein as Holmes to Moriarty. The word Nemesis springs to mind and you just know that there is definitely a game afoot.
Pacing was perfect. Balance between description and narrative likewise. There was sufficient to set the scene, usually creepy, but not too much to be intrusive. For me it was a very visual book and I am not usually a visual reader. I think maybe sometimes I wish it hadn't been, given some of the scenes but then, hey I cut my teeth on reading horror books so it wasn't too bad. I would probably go as far as to say that it would translate to the screen very well - as long as it's not ruined of course!
All in all, a cracking read that kept my attention throughout and left me completely satisfied at the end. It has raced into my top 10 so far this year, and I think it will be still there come end of December.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

An original! A book which looks at things from a different perspective and not only that but it's a really good story. First book in a while that I didn't want to put down.

A little bit of gruesome, a wee bit of grisly.....and a whole lot of greatness. Definitely one of the best novels of the last 12 months.

The Fourth Monkey Killer has been at large for 5 years, terrorising the residents of Chicago. When he is killed in a road accident he was on course to deliver a grisly message leading the Detective Sam Porter to believe his latest victim may still be alive. Porter is still reeling from an incident in his personal life....he's not even officially back at work but there's no way he's not getting involved after spending years trying to track him down. On the body is a diary revealing the killers background....or what he wants to reveal anyway. Porter and his colleagues are in a race against time to follow a series of convoluted clues to find his final victim.

The story follows three lines - the diary, the detectives and the last victim. Each is as compulsive as the other but the diary is especially gripping - in the mind of a half genius full psycho is both horrible and entertaining to read. The killer comes from what can only be described (without been too spoilerish) as a very unusual family. Think the classic all American Jones' crossed with the Mansons.

Probably the best American thriller I've read since Silence of the Lambs, it's no surprise to see it's headed for the screen already. Its packed with twists and turns. An easy 5 stars.

There are two interconnected stories in this book. One starts (for the reader anyway) as the other ends, with the death of a man who has flung himself in front of a bus. The man is holding “a small white box tied up with black string” box, ready for posting, that identifies him as the serial murderer known as the Four Monkey Killer (4MK), whom the police – and specifically Sam Porter – have been chasing with little progress, for the past five years and seven victims. Unfortunately, the box alerts the police to an eighth victim, who is possibly still alive. So, story number one is the search for the eighth victim before she dies.
Story number two is contained in the autobiography cum diary of 4MK, which the dead man is carrying in his pocket. It starts: “Hello, my friend. I am a thief, a murderer, a kidnapper. I’ve killed for fun, I’ve killed out of necessity. I have killed for hate. I have killed simply to satisfy the need that tends to grow in me with the passage of time. A need much like a hunger that can only be quenched by the draw of blood or the song found in a tortured scream. Who am I?”.
At this point you know you are in for a classic psycho-thriller. However, after this initial shock, the writer goes on to describe his idyllic childhood, with loving, caring parents. So, how did he turn into the monster that he became? Excerpts from his autobiography punctuate the police investigation, as Sam Cooper reads his way through it. 4MK’s childhood become more and more bizarre as the police close in on finding his final victim. Some of the scenes – both in the autobiography and the investigation – are really distressing and not for the squeamish.
There are many questions posed. If 4MK has indeed committed suicide, why did he do so before having fully dealt with his final victim? Who is the final victim, and why has she been taken? What befell the lovely Mrs Carter? Is the autobiography a factual representation of 4MK’s childhood, or another misleading distraction? And, on a different line altogether, why is everyone so worried about Cooper’s frame of mind, and why doesn’t his wife call him for a change?
Only right near the end are the two tales reconnected, and it all finally make sense – after, of course, the obligatory series of twists and direction changes that you barely see coming. And then there is the final scene – Wow!

This is a psychological thriller that will send you on a rollercoaster of a ride. The story follows a detective named Sam Porter, who has been trying to catch a notorious serial killer, nick named The Four Monkey Killer, or 4MK. One day they get a report in that a man has been knocked down and killed by a bus, and that this man holds an item that is linked to 4MK, so the police go to the scene and think they have finally caught their serial killer. Why would he commit suicide though? Especially when he has recently taken another victim and has her held hostage somewhere. This plot sounds pretty exciting, but this isn't even the edge of what happens in the plot of this book. You get diary entries from 4MK as a child, you get twists and turns and you honestly end up lost and confused.

As you would assume with a book like this, there are many graphic scenes, so if this bothers you then you may not want to pick this up. When I say graphic, I mean one description nearly made me sick, which I loved because that is a sign of how fantastic the writing was.

Despite this being a fantastic psychological thriller, and definitely one I would recommend, I did feel like there was that special something missing, hence why I only gave this four stars rather than five. I didn't get quite as attached to the characters as perhaps I should have done? I was fully engrossed, I just feel like there was that extra special something missing.

This is still a fantastic read though, which I highly recommend, and I can't wait to check out more books by this author.

The 4th Monkey

It's not easy to excel with a serial killer story. There are so many in the genre and many follow a predictable theme. The 4th Monkey breaks the mould with a complex trail of clues and red herrings in a fast paced story that kept me gripped from start to finish.

Be warned, this isn't a story for the feint hearted; the level of detail in parts is graphic but never gratuitous. It's chilling and creepy and JD Barker really delves into the mind of a serial killer. The start is unusual; the killer is run over whilst on his way to post a taunting clue about a victim. But who is the victim and are they still alive. Detective Porter follows the trail in a tale which is relentless. Fast paced, twisted and I really enjoyed the companion narrative; the killer's journal whereby the reader gains insight into the background and devious mind of a psychopath. Porter's dark humour adds some welcome relief and he's a plausible cop character.

I haven't read anything else by JD Barker, but on the strength of this, will certainly look for other books. My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

While I'd been looking forward to The Fourth Monkey for a few months, I was a little wary of the police investigation aspect as sometimes I find those parts aren't as thrilling as they could be. I needn't have worried though as it definitely wasn't short on thrills! It was fast-paced, intriguing and broken up with humour from Porter and Nash. Combined with the chilling diary entries from the serial killer, this made for a completely gripping read.
The voice of 4MK was so lifelike, which meant reading his thoughts was even more shocking.
I must just mention though, that it's definitely not for you if you're really squeamish. I was expecting it to be graphic, but it was REALLY graphic with lots of gory descriptions. Yet it was so fantastically twisted and cleverly written that I was unable to put it down. (It's no wonder that the film and tv rights have been sold, I think it'll make a fantastic film)
The ending was simply amazing. I don't want to say much more, as I think the shock factor really adds to the story and makes it all the more riveting. It's one of those books where you need to go into it knowing as little as possible.
I'm giving The Fourth Monkey 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was impressively written with a chillingly sinister storyline that kept me reading late into the night.

There seemed to be quite a bit of hype on line about this one, so was quite excited to get a copy to read. That can work both ways though, and what is a decent read, felt like it fell a little bit short because of my expectations. Some very three dimensional characters to carry the story forward, but was a little predictable in parts, for example, I never bought into 4MK being the guy who stepped out in front of the bus. I'd still buy J.D. Barkers next book to read though, so that tells you the most important thing you need to know!

Any books that draw a comparison to Silence of the Lambs and Se7en I approach with great caution, they rarely live up to the hype, but The Fourth Monkey does. It is really that great. Most of us are familiar with The Three Wise Monkeys, sometimes called the Three Mystical Apes and are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” The fourth monkey, Shizaru, is lesser known and represents “do no evil” and our sadistic killer follows the proverb in his killing pattern.

The Fourth Monkey is all about the plot. Having terrorised the citizens of Chicago over the past four years, the man known as The Four Monkey Killer (4MK), who tortured his victims before mailing their body parts back piece by piece to their families, is finally dead. Knocked down by a bus on his way to reach a post box to mail an recently amputated ear, it looks like his reign of terror over the city has came to a close. Now that the police have their man on a mortuary slab, the only thing left is to find his final victim, in the hope that she is still alive. A game of cat and mouse commences as the Chicago Police Department race against the clock in one last twisted battle.

This spine tingling story is told from multiple points of view, mainly from Sam Porter, the detective leading the case, and from 4MK, the killer himself through his diary entries. His diary tells his side of the story, starting from early childhood, documenting events as he evolved into the monster he became. Unsurprisingly, the diary chapters were by far my favourite. They were a fascinating insight into the mind of a killer, who didn’t start as a killer, he was just a boy but a combination of nature and nurture led him down that path. 4MK is the archetypal psychopath, completely devoid of any empathy. Cold, calculating, manipulative and detached. He made my blood run cold.

This is a bold and daring read, the author certainly does not hold back with gruesomely detailed depictions of violence, so I wouldn’t recommend this to the faint hearted however the gore only heightened the sense of fear. So much so, that at times I could smell it. There is such a sinister incurrent flowing through keeping the reader in a state of anxiety. Something is not quite right, but it is hard to put the finger on it at first.

Barker’s prose flows effortlessly, seamlessly smooth as it switches from chapter to chapter, but also sharp as the reader is kept teetering on the knife edge of suspense. The characters are highly engaging although flawed, there is something I could identify with in both Porter and 4MK. That feeling when you begin to feel empathy for the killer but then are disturbed by your thoughts and disgusted with yourself was one I felt often whilst reading The Fourth Monkey.

This stunning book gets a massive five stars from me. I can see this being one of the big sellers of summer. If you’ve not read it yet then get clicking and buy it, you will not want to miss out on this one. Thanks to JD Barker, Harlequin and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Do you like gripping all action psychological thrillers, the ones that make you pull the duvet cover up so you can hide in it while you sleep? Well then if the answer is yes you are in for an incredible read which will make you add sleeping under the bed too. This is a serial killer that I will never forget.
Detective Sam Porter has been working on the 4MK serial killer case for the past 5 years which has accumulated an horrific list of murdered young women but due to tragic personal events he is on leave of absence from work at the moment. Well he was until he got a call he couldn’t resist following up on. This crazy serial killler’s reign had coming to an abrupt end in the road accident. Wow I mean I could almost hear the sighs of relief from the pages, that was until I heard about the box ready to be posted to Sam. Just like all the other boxes that were part of this mad man’s ritual. Sam knew the game was playing because in the box was an ear belonging to a girl that the killer had locked away somewhere, until he was ready to send another two boxes before finally killing her.  Now the ‘middle man’ was dead. There was somewhere a girl, a girl still alive that no-one knew who she was or where she was and a Detective that was on a timer to find her before dehydration killed her. The clock was well and truly ticking…………
OMG this is good stuff, there were quit a few stories running along side the main event and each one was so intense I never lost who belonged to each one. There is the back drop story of why Sam Porter had been on an absence of leave, and The Diary.
The diary is that of the killer as a child. This has to be one of the most chilling things that I have ever read. It was like time stopped around me because I was so lost in this child’s stories that I was not aware of anything else. Though to be honest I think I would have been in killing mode myself if anyone had interrupted me reading this book, I wasn’t stopping for anything and no-one. This is real in your face stuff, this is the see the hand stuff because I am not even stopping to say don’t interrupt me. The descriptions are vivid and atmosphere was pure fear, desperation and silent screams that are still in my head that you can only get from reading perfection.
All the time J.D. Barker didn’t let me forget that the clock was still ticking, such a tense and very pacey story that I read with speed but that I didn’t want to end either.
J.D. Barker is going to be a summer block buster of a read and hopefully on the big screen where it will draw a massive audience. Sensational and shocking.

Absolutely loved this book! The villain is one of the darkest, most terrifying villain I have come across in a long time. Weirdly, I couldn't actually brings myself to dislike him as much as I should! The story of his past being told through a diary that intercepts each chapter really adds to the momentum. A fantastic read for all thriller readers.

I had no knowledge of either this book or the author until it was highly recommended by a Goodread friend. I know we all have different opinions and not all recommendations work out but this one proved to be spot on.

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorised the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realise 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 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, unravelling 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 and time is running out fast. This is not for the squeamish and is quite gory at times but is well worth the read and sure to be one of the top reads of 2017.
I would like to thank Net Galley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

As you'll have worked out by now, I love a good serial killer book, but what makes The Fourth Monkey different is the way the author weaves the killer's back story so seamlessly with the ongoing investigation. This is due for release on 27th June. Pre-order your copy today!
The Fourth monkey killer selects the children of his target to punish the parent for their criminal activity. He uses the old proverb 'See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil. Do no evil' as his Modus Operandi- he delivers the ears then the eyes then the tongue of his young victims to their parent.
Detective Sam porter has hunted the Fourth Monkey Killer for a long time, so when he's called to a 'suicide by car' and the victim is The Fourth Monkey, en route to post a parcel to the parent of an abducted girl, the race is on to find the girl before she dies.
On the body of the dead man is a diary recounting his childhood experiences and this chilling account of his backstory is as griping as the ongoing investigation.
Barker has succeeded in creating an ingenious evil psychopathic killer as well as a team of detectives that you really root for. His main detective, Sam Porter, isn't your usual gung ho young detective. He is middle aged, not as fit as he used to be and has issues. The team's dynamics are natural and I hope to meet them again in the future.
The Fourth Monkey is a unique serial killer story. It is nicely twisty, beautifully executed and has a brilliant cliffhanger at the end. I loved it!