4.5 stars

I wasn’t going to read this one. You know the deal. It looks good, but not attractive enough to toss on top of the TBR mountain, especially since I’ve been deleting unread books like mad trying to make things manageable. On the other hand, it was hard to ignore the 5-star after 5-star after 5-star reviews that were piling up. Finally, one of my trusted booky friends gave me a shove, and I went for it. Turned out to be a great move!

This is a book in which the reader can really become immersed. We get a dead body, an important dead body, right off the bat, and the ride is nonstop from there. The Fourth Monkey, aka 4MK (speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil, do no evil—remember those 4 monkeys?), has struck again and it’s a race to find the young victim before she dies. This however is more than a simple serial killer read. The plot is intricate and rich with intrigue; I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who figures it all out before the reveals.

I loved Sam Porter, the lead detective on the case, which is set in Chicago. I also liked the repartee between his team members Clair (what a firecracker) and Nash. The star of the show though is 4MK, who intentionally gets his diary into the hands of Porter. The contents are a shocking commentary on the shaping of this individual’s personality. Nature? Sure there must certainly be some of that. But nurture? You bet. I would like to say more, but that would get into spoiler territory. As a final note, this guy had a very interesting modicum of decency in him, something you don’t see too often in serial killers.

What keeps this from being a full 5 star read? Well, despite the comparisons to Silence of the Lambs, and based on the movie only, I found the foreboding, the menace, the constant sinister atmosphere to be much less in The Fourth Monkey. Don’t get me wrong. It is terrifically entertaining, but not because of those specific elements. There are some pretty graphic nasty scenes and also some animal scenes, but the reader is given plenty of lead time to go into skim/skip mode if so desired (I did desire and I did skip the animal scenes). And I would have liked more character development in Sam, Clair and Nash.

Overall, this book is a winner, especially for the compelling plot, the quick pace, and the author’s choice of using diary entries to introduce us to the serial killer. What a great device to “show” rather than “tell” us about this guy. I also loved the epilogue, especially the last paragraph. Ooh-Whee!!!! It plastered a big Cheshire cat smile on my face. You go, J.D. Barker! I am ready whenever you are!

The 4th monkey is the "do no evil" but not here! Don't snack while you read this one as some of the scenes are very gory in their detailed descriptions but chiller-thriller fans will like this one I think; I did.

Brilliant novel!! Exciting and a lot of fun. Looking forward to the next installment!!

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

The twist of a knife, eye-popping in its execution - can you hear anything? Shhhhh, don't say a word.

Everyone knows of those ubiquitous monkeys, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. In this story, there is a fourth monkey and he does things a little differently. He is the 4MK Killer, and he knows that proper planning is key. It certainly has worked for him so far, but he likes a little back and forth. He starts leaving teasing clues to test whether or not the police can puzzle it out.

Overall, this one was just okay for me, not much I haven't seen before. What absolutely works is the diary thoughts of the young boy who delights in learning and in pleasing his dad. And the ending. I <i>really</i> liked the ending.

4.5 stars

This has to be one of the most sick and twisted books I have ever read...I LOVED every moment!

I’m going to keep this short because I don’t want to give anything away. A cat and mouse game ensues between a detective and serial killer when the killer gifts the detective with his diary, which tells the story of his extremely disturbing childhood. The voice of the serial killer jumps off the page and lures the reader into his deranged world.

The Fourth Monkey moves at a fast pace. There's a lot of detailed gory scenes which made me cringe, but there’s some humor mixed in to ease the tension. The last page left me wanting more. I highly recommend!

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

4 solid stars

What can I say other than “believe the hype”. This is a strong, and I mean strong, psychological thriller. Normally, I would tend to shy away from detective driven plot lines and characters. It doesn’t appeal to me and I always feel that authors make our protagonist the same character over and over. A rebel cop who can’t seem to follow the rules, always in trouble with their superior, heavy drinker, troubled / haunted past, marital problems, blah, blah, blah. Just like me, you’ve read it all before.

BUT, and this is a big but, 4MK is nothing like your typical detective centric thriller. Yes, Sam Porter, a detective with Chicago homicide is our main character, but he is not a cliché. In fact, while the author does allude to and expand upon a bit of Sam’s personal life, this is 4MK’s story.

The story is told from multiple POV and flips back and forth between past and present. The past being told my 4MK in a diary entry fashion. Typically when I read books with parallel story lines / past present there is one more dominant story line that I am more interested in. Not in this case. Both stories are full of suspense, twists and turns and storytelling that keeps you wanting to read “one more chapter”.

I highly recommend this book and fully expect this to be a highly talked about book of 2017. It’s sick, twisted, dark, thrilling and excellent. Do not read any spoilers and don’t bother with the plot synopsis. Just pick up this book and buckle your seatbelt. Seven meets Hannibal Lector is the most accurate description I have seen for this read. And, I promise I am not giving anything away, dare I say that this just might lead to a series?

An Interesting Start For An Intriguing Novel

On the first page, Detective Sam Porter is awaken by a text from his partner Detective Nash to call him. Nash wants him to meet him at the scene of an accident. A man was killed by a bus right across from a mailbox. The man did not have any ID or identification and his face destroyed beyond any recognition. In his pocket a small white box tied with a black string is discovered. In it was a human ear. This is a signature of the Four Monkey Killer, or 4MK. Porter’s team is the 4MK task force. Now, with 4MK dead and a victim out there somewhere, the storyline takes off trying to identify 4MK, the identity and location of the victim.

The flow is fast paced. As every lead is followed and as the facts are identified, I was captured by the twists and turns that the author incorporated into this novel. I could not put it down. There is some salty talk. On average, they occurred once every four pages. This was not excessive for me.

The author included a second storyline of 4MK’s childhood in the form of a diary found on the 4MK. Porter reads from it throughout the novel. This diary provides a good look into the development of 4MK’s childhood. This storyline also captured my imagination and enriched the novel overall for me. These diary chapters were separate by one or two main storyline chapters. At the end of each chapter, I always wanted the current storyline to continue, but wanted to see the progress in the other storyline. I really enjoyed these alternating storylines.

Most of the B-story centers on Porter’s recent tragedy. Obviously, it is affecting him, but the only real effect was some missed time from working on the 4MK case. It would seem to me that the enormity of this tragedy would have affected his job to some extent. As the novel is fast-paced, I did not realize this until after reading this novel completely.

The only error that struck me immediately was the moving a body at a crime scene before the scene could be processed and documented and before the examination by the coroner. This was done probably to maintain the flow of the storyline, so again this was minor for me.

My primary criterion for a high rating is that the novel captures my imagination that I am disappointed that I have to but it down even to get some sleep. The Fourth Monkey exceeded that criterion. Even with the above noted negatives, I still rate this novel with five stars. I really enjoyed it and strongly recommend reading it.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this novel.

This was a good read, entertaining and interesting.

Chicago homicide detective Sam Porter has spent much of the last 5 years hunting for the “Fourth Monkey Killer” (4MK). Seven victims, twenty-one little white boxes…..each containing first an ear, then the eyes & last, the tongue. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. But it’s the fourth monkey that is the clue to the killer’s motive. Do no evil.

Each victim is related to someone guilty of crimes that went unpunished & 4MK stepped up to act as judge & executioner. Now Sam & his partner Nash have reason to believe he’s been stopped. Literally.

They’re called to the scene of an accident, a case of man vs. bus. The bus won. And on the pavement beside the dead man’s body is a small white box. The good news is their search for 4MK is over. The bad news: somewhere out there is a new victim with one ear.

They realize they’ve only got 2 or 3 days to find her & the old 4MK task force is quickly reassembled. The dead man had no ID but was carrying a journal that turns out to be his memoir. It begins with descriptions of his childhood & ends by taunting police to decipher the cryptic clues he’s left behind.

This is a fast paced thriller with a sea of red herrings to keep you guessing. There are many side stories that run parallel. Secrets, old crimes, hidden agendas & historical connections are just a few of the threads the task force has to unravel before they can figure out 4MK’s master plan. Chapters alternate between their investigation, the victim’s ordeal & entries from the killer’s journal.

Despite the publicity blurb, this doesn’t have the pervasive menace of Se7en or Silence of the Lambs. Descriptions of crime scenes are graphic (should answer all your burning questions about maggots) but it’s offset by the characters we spend most time with. Sam, Nash & their crew work well together & their dialogue is full of lame jokes & gentle ribbing. These are cops who actually wouldn’t be out of place in a cozy & they provide a marked contrast to the actions of the killer. There’s a refreshing lack of the plethora of personal issues & office politics that seem to afflict so many fictional detectives.

The crimes are brutal but I actually found the chapters detailing 4MK’s childhood to be the creepiest part of the whole thing. From idyllic to surreal, his story contains all the clues needed to understand his motivation.

It’s a pacey read with a whack of twists to keep you turning the pages. Sam & his posse are a likeable bunch & judging by the final pages, we’ll be hearing from them again.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil -- do no evil.

The 4MK (Four Monkey Killer) has been taunting 52-year old Detective Sam Porter of the Chicago Police Department for years. When a man's body is found after he stepped in front of a city bus, Sam wonders if they finally lucked out and the murder spree is at an end. A big clue on the street tells them they have their man. 7 victims over five years and not a shred of evidence to lead the cops to the killer. The clue is a box that is wrapped in white paper, tied with black string and addressed to an investment banker and real estate tycoon named Arthur Talbot. There is no identification on the dead man, but the item inside the box tells Sam that another person has likely been added to the victim list. In addition, when the police examine the dead man's belongings, there are some peculiar items found in his pockets, including a note that seems to be directly addressed to Sam and it indicates that the man is 4MK. It ends, "We are going to have such fun, you and I."

What follows is a fast-paced, action-filled grisly investigation with a complicated backstory that attempts to explain the origins of 4MK and why he committed the previous murders. Meanwhile, there is a young girl missing, his likely last victim, and the race is on to find her alive. Without 4MK alive, things look bleak for the detectives as they try to sift through the clues.

No further spoilers, but this is an entertaining and complicated story that flips back and forth in time and includes the viewpoint of a boy whom the reader assumes was the young 4MK. This author is new to me, and I always enjoy a good thriller so can recommend this one. Liked the characters and the relationship the police team had with each other -- and I wonder if there will be a follow up or a series featuring Sam Porter.

J.D. Barker, author of “The Fourth Monkey,” combines a demented mind with unmatched writing skills making him a marvelous writer of suspenseful mysteries. “Monkey” tops my list so far for most enjoyable read of the year.

I think we have to explore Barker’s mind before they cart him away. First, he creates wonderful dialogue that vacillates between obscene and lyrical. He can conjure up the mouths of hard-boiled cops, demented crooks, and psychotic maniacs at the turn of a page—they don’t all talk alike, you know. His storytelling is compelling and mesmerizing, and his pacing is off the charts. He compares favorably with any of today’s best mystery writers.

In the “Monkey” it appears that a serial killer, on the loose for some five years, has ended his life by slow dancing with a truck, pressing his face closely against the truck’s grill. The problem is that a young girl is still hidden away somewhere in Chicago by this fiend who has already cut off her ear and is in the process of delivering it to her family when he has the last dance.

Lead detective of the task force chasing the killer, Sam Porter, reads a diary found in the pocket of the late dancer and is immediately enters the mind of a psychopath. He must untangle the history found in this shocking chronicle and apply it to the current frantic search. The clues are meager, identities still remain hidden, and the killer still teases from his grave. The members of Porter’s task force, all talented and quirky, delve into the mysteries with specific tasks of their own. The author expertly weaves the efforts together as the search for truth is frantically conducted.

This is a good book with eye-popping sequences and an ending that will keep the reader wanting more. There will certainly be continuing tales about Porter and his squad for Barker to tell. Can’t wait.

Although this thriller started with a bit of a slow burn, it picks up and you will not want to put it down after about a third of the way in!

I love older, crustier, seen it all detective types and Porter is a gem of this archetype! He's come back from leave to investigate a new instance of the Four Monkey Serial Killer who he's been chasing for over 5 years. The rest you'll have to read. ;)

It's a page turning tide through Chicago (and books in Chicago are always fun since I live here). Porter and his team are all real characters and the killer is sufficiently evil and terrifying.

4 stars... This is a fun one and I hope there's more.

The title was what drew me to this book. It a gruesome, gory gritty story that held my attention the whole way through. The alternating chapters add to the way the story is told. Very well written and humorous in places. I would definitely read more books by this author.

A good fast paced serial killer thriller with a great little group of characters, although the dialogue at times was something to be desired. One thing just didnt sit right with me though. If you found the diary of the killer who is currently holding the victim then surely you would have it read and processed for clues immediately, not just hang around with it in your pocket and read it whenever you got the chance. Also the killers backstory (which we get from the diary between chapters) started out well enough but then turned into something beyond the realms of belief, and quite frankly a little boring. Still the cat and mouse game was good and i rather liked the epilogue. Id revisit these characters again if there was a sequel.

Overview...

This was the first police procedural type thriller I've ever read, and so I was really excited about that aspect going in. However, I found that these are NOT my ideal reads, which was a bit disappointing. I think what saved this book for me was that there was another time line within it, which was written from the perspective of the 4th monkey killer (4MK) himself, back when he was a child. This part was far, far better, and I would always look forward to the flashbacks, told by way of a diary. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and even some of the police parts were interesting, and so I would recommend, especially if you enjoy police thrillers.

The Characters...

The main character was police Detective Sam Porter. He's a middle aged married guy, 50s (I think), and he's worked on the force for years, mostly on the 4MK cases. However, at the time the book starts he was supposed to be on a "break" for reasons which we don't find out until later in the book. His assistant, Nash, is also a Detective, and the two are almost always together. One of the biggest problems which I had with the characterization in this book is that these two seemed to be almost identical, until the very end. I felt like JD Barker was imposing his sense of humor on both of the characters, which led to them being very much alike in many ways, even though Nash was supposed to be the more outgoing, funny one.

The side characters-- Clair and Watson specifically-- were quite well developed and offered awesome distinctive personalities to the book. I think Clair might have had her own pov chapter at some point as well, which is something I like. A strong, young woman is something that I can get behind. There were lots of other characters which flitted into and out of these scenes, but none were well developed and I kept mixing them up and not remembering their names, at no loss to the meaning of the novel, so I think it's a bit irrelevant.

Although Porter was the MC for most of the book, 4MK writes a diary which is "read" throughout and offers a different perspective to the novel. These parts were my favorite, because 4MK had SUCH a distinctive, strong personality that was very very creepy and yet kind of cool at the same time. Plus, his mother was FREAKING WEIRD but yet awesome at the same time, because she was so damn strong, and the father was cool too. (I'm not a psycho I just think it was cool).

Another perspective, from a kidnapped girl, was (IMO) a good part to read, because she was a strong girl even though she was suffering, and she fought so hard, which is definitely a positive. Not saying her name because that part is a semi spoiler.

The Plot...

There was alternating POV between 3 main people, and then one more who just had a single chapter. I liked this because it created more suspense, and also provided some interest in the slower parts. As I said earlier, I wasn't a huge fan of Porter's POV, but it was broken up well so that the boring parts never lasted for too long.

In general, I thought pacing was good, but it did move quickly. There wasn't much time for world building or character development and you were pretty much figuring out everything on the fly. I think there was one scene where they went back and recapped what 4MK was for the readers, but other than that it was go-go-go.

What I Loved...

I loved the pacing of the novel, and the twist at the end. You could 150% see how it happened looking back, but I never for an instant guessed the truth. The way they piece everything together is really really cool as well. It causes the reader to keep guessing along the entire time.

I could have read an entire book of just 4MK's childhood perspective, and that really made the book for me.

The whole idea of the 4 monkeys, which comes from some type of ancient myth, is so creative!

What I Hated...

This book was GROSS. Like I can't explain how gross. I'm not one to be turned off by intense descriptions, but this book had me cringing and skim reading because I was feeling sick by the descriptions. If you're not one for gore or vivid detail, I highly suggest skipping this read. But, on the other hand, congrats to Barker for writing in such a realistic way :)

The Porter/Nash personality complex sort of threw me off a little bit in the beginning.

Sexism...

ALRIGHT PEOPLE. LISTEN UP. This was the biggest problem with the book for me. Although Barker wrote 2 very strong, independent women who knew what they wanted and went for it, there were underlying notes of sexism in much of the book. This not only pissed me off, but at some parts made me slightly uncomfortable, and caused me to dislike the male characters a bit.

Clair was one of the youngest women to ever work her way up at the police station, and she's described as super good at her job, tough as nails, doesn't take BS from anyone. However, Nash (one of the biggest side characters) consistently flirted with her and spoke in a manner to her that was incredibly unprofessional, and made me squirm. Nothing physical ever happened, but he spoke down to her often just because she was a woman. This was considered funny by many of the characters, despite the fact that Clair was consistently warding off his advances. MEN: JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT A WOMAN DOESN'T MEAN SHE WANTS YOU. If a woman is constantly declining your flirtation or sexual passions, then you need to leave her the fuck alone. This works the other way too.

In the diary flashbacks, 4MK (as a child) looks on with lust at his older (meaning 30s) female neighbor while she is naked, and while she is hooking up with his mother. This could be blown off, but then later the neighbor states that she knew 4MK was there, but she enjoys having her body looked at because she wanted to be desired. To me, this perpetuates rape culture, where men believe that women want to be stared at like pieces of meat, and that if they wear revealing clothing it's because they want the man to "like it". It's troubling that a woman in the novel could so easily say something that goes directly against what we are fighting to change in our society today.

I don't know if Barker intended this, as he did create strong women in his writing, and the MC has obvious affection and respect for his wife, but I do fear that the one scene described above, combined with Nash's actions, create an underlying theme of sexism that shouldn't be ignored.

Other Triggers...

Homosexuality-- yes I know this of itself is not a trigger. But you should know that in the book, two women were sleeping together for a long time, and they are not looked on very highly for it. Then again, they are both married, and it's their husbands who find out, so that could have kind of a lot to do with it.

Abuse-- There is a man in the book who beats his wife, and tries to rape someone else, but there are no particularly strong details, and it only happens in one chapter.

It's very gruesome, as I said earlier, so if you are not okay with that, then don't read this book. I can't think of anything specific to point out, so we'll leave it at that.

Summary...

This review has gotten really long, so I'll keep this quick. I loved the story and the twist at the end, and thought that the plot had good flow. The police part was my least favorite, and the diary my favorite. Most of the character development was good, except for the overlapping of the MC and his sidekick. There was sexism though, and this caused it to lose a star in my review.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a sick fascination with serial killers and I’m especially interested in the way they think and what made them this way. Were they born to literally kill? Were they taught that killing is a way of life? Were they abused and mistreated then something inside them just snapped one day? The Fourth Monkey is an insanely creepy look inside the mind of a serial killer with a twist. The FMK actually dies at the very beginning of the book, but he left one last victim for the police to find. She’s hidden away somewhere in Chicago and she doesn’t have long before she dies. Porter has been chasing FMK for years now and he won’t let another young woman die on his watch. He’s forced to follow the breadcrumbs left behind by a sadistic killer, but can he figure out the puzzle before it’s too late?

This is told from Sam Porter’s point of view in the present as he tries desperately to outwit a cunningly smart killer and also has chapters from 4MK’s diary. These entries made my skin crawl as much as they transfixed me, it outlines his childhood and shows how he became the monster he is today. Getting a deep look inside the darkest of minds was so scary, 4MK is so emotionless as he describes his horrifying childhood it gave me chills.

This was a daring, fearless, in your face read. Barker holds nothing back in terms of his graphic and oftentimes gory descriptions, this is definitely not for the squeamish. I, however loved this approach and even though sometimes the detailed manner in which crime scenes were described was a bit hard to stomach, it really added something dark and sinister to the story.

Barker’s writing is fluid and sharp at the same time, it held me tight in it’s menacing grip throughout and weaved some stunning twists and turns along the way. This was a down and dirty, nitty gritty read that was an easy five stars for me, no hesitation. Preorder this one, it’s not available until this summer, but I think it’s one that everyone will be talking about, don’t miss out!

An excellent thriller. I would put this up there with the best of Thomas Harris of Jeffrey Deaver. Well-written and great plot twists!