If you love disturbing suspense, thrillers, you are going to enjoy every moment of THE FOURTH MONKEY. You will get immediately pulled into the game of cat and mouse between a serial killer and a detective. Be warned, if you are not a fan of books of terror, stay away. I'm a fan!

For me this is going to be a book hangover kind of book. What do I read next that will hold my attention as much as this one did?

You should all know that little saying with the monkeys..see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?


The four monkey killer takes that to extremes. He has four little monkeys by adding in 'do no evil'...those monkeys are evil little henchmen. Just saying.

Detective Sam Porter (who is frigging awesome) has been chasing old monkey killer boy for five years. Now they find out that someone has jumped in front of a bus and it's looking like it might have been Monkey boy.
BUT he has a surprise. He has that ever awful box that serial killers love.



And a diary in his pocket.

That little diary is the history of how the Monkey killer came to exist..and it's a hot mess. Our boy has been busy.


This was one of those that just fit all the pieces for me. The detective and his crew were just perfect..snarky and dedicated. (I'd share some of the quotes from the book that made my day but mine was an ARC copy and we are supposed to behave until the book is out...stupid rules.)
The killer is smart and a creepo. I didn't figure stuff out that happened..I thought I had but my butt was dead wrong. Pure goodness.
There was one little place that didn't fit into the story by tying it up that bugged me but it wasn't enough to keep me from throwing up all the stars for this one.

Give me book two in a dang hurry!

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

I got The Fourth Monkey by J D Barker book in Feb'17. And the best part about author and PR they never pushed us to finish the book. It took me more than 6 months to start the book and another month to finish it. The only reason behind slower speed was mobi version. Well, if you have watched Dexter or similar series, you will like the book Those reading this book the first time don't think it is a sequel. Actually, the author has started the story of a serial killer not from his first victim but from sixth or seventh one.

Porter is trying to solve the 4MK case for last 5 years in which 6 killings were already taken place. The killer was like Dexter, his main target would be a criminal who was cleaned in police records. Instead of killing criminal killer will kill female close relative (mainly daughter or sister) of the person. Before killing he would send warnings to criminals in a small box. The first warning would be the ear of girl which indicates "Hear No Evil". The second warning would be eye ball of girl which indicates 'See No Evil". The third warning would be the tongue of the victim which indicates 'Speak No Evil". By the time third warning box reaches criminal, the dead body would be found along with records of crimes done by the criminal. Killer had never left any clues unless he wanted police to know about something. But this time things were different. Warning box delivery guy met with an accident and ear in the box led to one of the richest and most powerful fellows of Chicago city. How would Porter solve the case? Along with box, Porter found diary left by 4MK. Well the book is in two parallels. Case which I mentioned above and incident of 4MK's teenage.

The author claimed books rights for movie and series are sold before publishing the book. And I actually found book pace slow as series. 400+ pages long book can be filmed in 10-12 episodes easily. The language of the book is quite easy and straight. The author has covered areas of psychology and criminal science while writing the story. Well, I have read fewer books in this genre so I liked it.

Very good book! I had a hard time putting it down and kept wanting to turn the page. The way the author gives background on the killer was very interesting, it really kept the story going. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and family members.

Not since Peter Swanson's "The Kind Worth Killing" have I read a novel in this genre as unpredictable and with as perfect an ending.

But this plot is very different from that one, and is spine-tingling (I want to say, bloody) ingenious!

The short, cliffhanging chapters, alternating among two of the police officers, the killer's diary, and the abductee — spanning only two days — make it hard to put down.

I loved everything about the witty, gory, smart, affecting story, and am glad I didn't have to bid adieu, only à bientôt, to the characters. 4MK #2 cannot release soon enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the advance reader copy.

Silence of the lambs? Se7en? Could it really be that good? Yes! Yes it can. I loved everything about this book, the plot, the characters, the gore, the suspense, not to mention the twists! Great book from beginning to end! Highly recommend!

An absolutely riveting story that I read in one day. This book was so good. I love serial killers -- in fiction. And this one in particular was really interesting. We get to know him based on his diary that he leaves for the police detective to find. It starts off by saying to not blame his parents, since he had a wonderful childhood. But we quickly see what was really going on at home. Of course, do have we read the truth -- or is this diary an embellished story from the killer?

By the way, there's a sequel, so there's no concrete ending.
And I can't wait to read the next one!

4 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Generally I get a bit skeptical when I see so much hype about a book, but I have to admit, this is a really good book. The Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the citizens of Chicago for five years. Det. Sam Porter has been on the case since day one. When the killer's body is found it's discovered that he has taken another victim. He also left behind a diary which gives Det. Porter a glimpse into the depraved mind of the killer. With the help of the diary, Det. Porter races the clock to find the kidnapped girl before it's too late.

This book is very fast-paced and engaging. The chapters are short and it is hard to put down. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and the ending was not what I expected. you need to read this book. I will definitely read the next book in this series.

This story was thrilling, fast-paced, and mesmerizing! I loved the writing style, the gory, descriptive details, and most surprisingly, was completely enamored by the villain!

Yes, rest in peace to my morals...

The "bad guy" in this story stole the show! He outshined the rest of the characters in such a way that I couldn't help but sympathize with him. While there were multiple POVs utilized in this story, the 4MK flashback scenes were the most captivating!

Minor issues?

This book put me in a fantastic mood because of the humorous and light, witty banter spinkled throughout the text. It helped to counterbalance with the darker content so the story didn't seem overtly horror-ish. But some of the comical dialogues between Clair and Brian quickly became a bit too cutesy and bordered on cheesy. At times, it almost seemed like Clair was a filler character, but it'll be interesting to see how and if her role progresses in The Fifth to Die. Brian's character fell along the lines of the dumbed-down silly guy who everyone tolerated just because he was there to provide the comic relief and snacks. He seemed a bit flat considering his role and title, but he provided some funnies.

▣ Overall, this was a great story and the ending was perfection! Yes, some areas were predictable, but this was still an enjoyable book.

▣ First time reading this author's work and I look forward to reading more!

Absolutely brilliant! I loved this book!
I was hooked from the first few pages and was kept on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
I really liked Porter and his team and J D Barker has written this in such a way that I felt their frustration at times in the book.
The Fourth Monkey killer is a force to be reckoned with and I enjoyed how his story unfolded too.
I highly recommend this book to all crime fiction fans.
And I think I've found a new favourite author!
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers for sending me this copy to read.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and JD Barker for an advance reader copy of The Fourth Monkey.

Wow! What a great read. With comparisons drawn between The Fourth Monkey and Seven (arguably one of the smartest serial killer flicks in years) I worried I had expectations no book could live up to, but I was wrong.

Brilliantly written from multiple points of view, The Fourth Monkey chronicles the journey of a victim, a detective, and a killer (told in hindsight from the point of view of his formative years).

First, I have to explain who the fourth monkey is. You know “see no evil,” “hear no evil,” “speak no evil?” The fourth is “do no evil,” and 4MK (killer’s moniker in short) deals in making villains pay for their sins through the flesh of a loved one. Typically a child. He mails an ear, then eyes, then a tongue to the parent (all taken while the victim is alive), and up until this final victim whose life hangs in the balance, their dead body surfaces shortly thereafter. Since we understand 4MK’s MO, it stands to reason that young Emory (his latest victim) is in serious trouble.

Enter Porter, a detective whose wife has been recently murdered and who, from the outset is a well-rounded, likable hero. His backstory evokes immediate sympathy and by the end we see how dedicated this man is to justice. He is a great character well worth rooting for. The perfect anti-4MK.

Which brings us to the killer, assumedly dead on the road after stepping in front of a bus—or is he? The clues found on the body will lead to the missing girl, if the detectives can “puzzle it out” in time. 4MK leaves behind a diary for detectives to find, detailing years of not “abuse” per se because he wasn’t an abused child, but what do I call this? An unusual upbringing? Serial killer training? Torture boot camp? God, his parents were real pieces of work. Think American Psycho. Well-rounded, upper middle class (Dad drives a Porsche, mom’s the stay-at-home type) with a penchant for killing, etiquette, and grammar. This might seem done before, but one of the ways JD Barker is effective in his storytelling from multiple viewpoints is that each character has a distinct voice, in 4MK’s case and oddly proper one (atypical for a young man).

It’s difficult to write one compelling story, but that JD Barker manages to write three at an almost unrelenting pace is to be commended. I didn’t mind the back and forth because the stories drew me along between past and present, and other than Clair’s POV (which I might say is one too many), I couldn’t stop turning the page.

Be aware, this is a serial killer tale and as such is graphic in its depiction of violence. JD Barker doesn’t shy away from the grim details, and writes with authority where police procedure is concerned. He commits to the minutia and honestly, I have a hard time finding fault with anything in this well thought out book. Everything is so purposeful. And the ending! Talk about leaving readers clamoring for more. I’m a stickler for tying up of loose ends. I hadn’t realized when I picked up this book that it’s the beginning of a series, which normally might turn me off. Some authors will leave a cliffhanger and too much unresolved in favor of the next book but not JD Barker. Even if I wasn’t dying for the next book (which I am), The Fourth Monkey stands alone nicely.

I can’t praise this book enough. Congratulations, JD Barker. I’m a new fan!

This book was a book that really held my attention. There was also a side story going on which made it even more interesting. Certainly a 4.5 stars

For more than five years, the Chicago police department has been on the hunt for a serial killer they’ve deemed as the Four Monkey Killer, 4MK for short. When his body is found after being hit by a bus, they find information that leads them to think his most recent victim is still alive. Detective Sam Porter is working the case, and is determined to save the girl that’s been taken my 4MK, and when he finds a diary in the pocket of the body, he finds himself in the mind of a psychopath that will stop at nothing to exact “punishment” on his victims.

Told in alternating timelines between the present day and diary entries that detail 4MK’s childhood, The Fourth Monkey is an edge of your seat thriller that you won’t want to miss!

The Fourth Monkey was one of my most anticipated thrillers of the year, and I’m so glad I finally got the change to sit down and read it! I loved every minute of it, and couldn’t get enough! The writing was superb, and every time I finished a chapter I kept telling myself “just one more!” because I was dying to know what would happen next.

I loved Detective Porter as our lead, and we got to see some of his personal life as well, which I really enjoyed. I would love to read more books about him and his team! The build up in this book was excellent, and there was a twist I didn’t see coming when all of the pieces of the puzzle were revealed, and I LOVED it! I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again now – I love when a book is able to surprise me! These days, I read so many thrillers that I can often see the “big reveals” coming, but this one caught me off guard. I also thought the ending of the book was perfect, and I was left speechless when I finished the book and put it down.

Overall, this is a book that quickly moved into my “favorite thrillers” list, and I’d recommend it for fans of the thriller genre! There are some parts that are a little gruesome, but as long as you’re okay with that, definitely pick this one up! You won’t want to miss it, and I think people will be talking about this book soon! This was a strong 5 star read for me. A huge thank you to Netgalley, J.D. Barker, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review

I'd always heard of the three monkeys of ancient Asian myth - see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Who knew there was a fourth, Do No Evil?

In this decently fast-paced and tense crime fiction thriller, we meet the admittedly demented Fourth Monkey Killer (aka 4MK), a man who abducts female loved ones of men who he believes have committed (and thus have become) evil, through his hand-written diary. The diary is revealed in segments as the current plot unfolds, which reveals the "how" of 4MK's fall into psychopathy.

While I found the molding of 4MK himself intriguing, I didn't quite feel like I got to know the detectives, Porter and Nash, all that well, yet they were primary characters, those who were investigating 4MK's cases. With the exception of 4MK, most of the characters were not developed well enough. For example, when one of the "big reveals" about a character hits, I found myself thinking "huh, I didn't really know enough about this character to suppose that, but whatever". It wasn't the intended shock, just a "huh'.

There were graphic torture scenes depicted, which were fascinating and what I'd guess were realistic, and the unapologetic murder scenes were effectively harsh. There was no question left about how or why 4MK ended up so completely and totally screwed up. That map was clearly drawn.

Overall, this was a decent novel, but not at all the edge-of-my- seat blockbuster it was hyped to be. I'd love to read another of J.D Barker's works, to see if it speaks to me, but sadly this one did not.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, J.D. Barker, and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the opportunity to read and review.

This is an outstanding police procedural that uses pages from the killer's diary as a counterpoint to action in the present. Subplots provide drama and define personalities of the players. The writing is clear and easy to read. Descriptions are limited to what is needed to support the plot. Suspense builds as surprise after surprise creates new issues. The ongoing suspense and twists in the main story and the historical diary makes this book impossible to put down. Every chapter seems to end with a cliff hanger to keep the reader engrossed. Chapters are devoted to various members of the investigation team, the killer, and the victim. The writing is so vivid the reader can feel the pain of the victim and the officers. Don't miss this one.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Some of the hardest books for me to read are those which make me want to speed through yet slow down and read every word; this is one of those books. So much to enjoy but you want to get to the end.

I like a good serial killer mystery and so I knew that I had to read this one immediately I saw the blurb. I liked the idea of the story starting with the death of the killer. The mention of a personal diary had me even more intrigued. I knew it would be a very twisted tale and I was right.

The Fourth Monkey by J.D Barker begins with the death of the serial killer dubbed, The Fourth Monkey due to his MO. At the scene, investigators find clues about the killer’s latest victim and so begin the chase. In this case, they are looking for the final victim. One of the clues found at the scene is the killer’s diary. This introduces an additional narration by the unsub. It starts with a childhood event that helps readers understand the current events. This diary was dark, unsettling, twisted yet utterly captivating. I was engrossed by the narrative despite its horrors and kept looking forward to these sections. I am always curious about what makes a killer and I think this diary accurately explained this in this case.

The story is narrated in alternating POVs by the lead detective (Sam Porter), victim and also killer. I liked the fact that the characters were multi-dimensional. I enjoy reading stories about detectives who have a life outside the case because they seem more realistic. In this case, the lead detective is going through issues which add a second layer to the story although as a minor plot-line.

This book is dark yes, but also quite twisted. I really thought that I had figured out everything until the final big twist which left me in shock. I was tempted to go back to the start and see if there were clues that I had missed. At the same time, I couldn’t stop reading to find out what would happen next. The entire book is interesting but the final chapters are more addictive than the first ones. If you like a good crime thriller or serial killer mystery then this one is for you. It does get quite graphic at some point though so if you are squeamish then this might bother you. Rumors have it that there will be other books. Needless to say, I will definitely be waiting for them especially after reading the final chapter of this one.

This book reminded me of one of my favorite movies "The Bone Collector".  It was very intense and definitely not easy to figure out.  It was a bit graphic, so if you are not into that, tread lightly here.  

I really enjoyed the characters of Sam and his team on the task force.  They had a great camaraderie and  it made the story flow.  This was a fast read and one that I would happily read a sequel to.

It took me awhile to read and review this book due to life getting in the way but once I could set some time to read,I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I found it to be very good, especially half way through it when the plot did a turn around, at least to me it did. This was a thrilling book to read and I would recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers, and crime books. Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review it. :)