The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth to Die(first two books in this trilogy) were among my favorite reads in 2017 and 2018. The release of The Sixth Wicked Child(US – August 27, 2019), means that I have had the pleasure of 3 ***** reads in 3 years by the incredibly talented J.D. Barker. A lot is going on in this book, and if you haven't managed to keep track of what every character was doing when The Fifth to Die ended, this would be a really good time for a reread.
You know the feeling when something is going to end and you can only imagine how the author is going to wrap things up? Did the end of a series ever not meet your expectations? Yep, as a reader I am nervous, excited, and 'oh please', do justice to the characters I love, and let the villains get what they deserve. In this case, the end exceeded my expectations, and as I read the final page, all I could do was 'sigh' with satisfaction for a tale well told.
The Sixth Wicked Child is told from multiple POVs(Poole, Porter, Bishop, Nash, Clair, and of course, the Diary). You will learn more about Detective Sam Porter and Anton Bishop's past, and you will question everything you thought you knew about 4MK, as the twists, turns, and revelations keep coming in every chapter. This was a fast-paced wild ride and the conclusion, well, let's just say that I thought it was perfect!
I have never wanted to be an author's 'Number One Fan' since reading Stephen King's Misery, but I reckon I can be a dedicated fan without veering into creepy stalker territory. Well done Mr. Barker!
I received a DRC from Hampton Creek Press through NetGalley.

Thankyou to NetGalley, publishers and the author, J D Barker for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Sixth Wicked Child in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I could not read The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth To Die ( book one and two of the 4MK series ) fast enough. I thought they were the true epitome of what a thriller novel should be. Face paced and full of action and OMG, moments. You certainly could not predict where the author was going.
I was waiting, rather impatiently, for the conclusion to the trilogy. I was so excited at the prospect of reviewing this book, was certainly not disappointed.
What an incredible conclusion to an incredible story. The storyline was well thought out and written with well developed characters. I really loved the unpredictability of where the story was going. Just when you think you may have your head wrapped around the plot, Mr Barker would throw in something else to completely change the course of the story. And the conclusion, there is no way I saw that one coming.
This is definitely a trilogy that I highly recommend. It is certainly worth the sleep deprivation as there is no way you can put the books down once you start reading.
J.D Barker, a talented writer that just gets better and better. If I could give it more stars, I would.
Highly recommended

This stunning conclusion to the trilogy left me speechless. This is thriller writing at its absolute best. Told from multiple points of view, the action is non-stop as the reveals keep coming. There were so many times that I found myself questioning what I believed. All the story points are wrapped up in a more than satisfying way with a perfect ending. These complex characters draw the reader into their lives and make you invested in the outcome. This is a trilogy I will reread again and again. Masterfully written.

I loved The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth To Die and have been anxiously awaiting the conclusion to the 4MK trilogy especially after the shocking cliffhanger in the last book. All I can say is as soon as I started The Sixth Wicked Child, I couldn't put it down. This is one of my favorite, and one of the best, serial killer/crime series around, by far.

J.D. Barker has given us a serial killer suspect quite unlike any other: Anton Bishop is intelligent, gifted, always one step ahead of the police, and dare I say it, likable for all the atrocities he's (supposedly) committed? Yet, is he really 4MK? After ending of The Fifth To Die and all new information revealed in The Sixth Wicked Child, including Bishop turning himself in(??), who really knows the truth about anything anymore. The investigation is flipped upside down, turned sidewise, and turned into chaos and the ones you thought you could trust from the previous books maybe aren't so trustworthy after all.

The novel is told through multiple perspectives interspersed with diary entries written by 4MK detailing his early childhood, so you get his backstory and childhood, which reveals so much. There's also backstory on Detective Sam Porter, which answers a lot of questions for the last book, so the story goes full circle. This is not just a conclusion to the trilogy but Barker does an excellent job through his plotting, characters, and setting allowing you to understand exactly why everything happened-or why there was a consequence for every action.

The twists and turns were staggering and kept me on my toes! Barker is superb at writing thrillers and the conclusion to the 4MK trilogy is not to be missed! Definitely recommend this series to thriller and crime fiction lovers!

Thank you NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I never realised that JD Barker was writing a 4MK trilogy based around a prolific master serial killer, Ansen Bishop, and that this is the final rip roaring finale to this series. On balance, I think that is a good decision, after reading the second book I felt that the premise driving this series was beginning to reach its limits. This is a thrilling firecracker of a conclusion, pulse pounding, a nervously biting fingernails affair, twisted in every which way and then some, with red herrings galore, and with adrenaline fuelled fast paced frenetic action. There is a continuing monstrous body count, a hospital in lockdown with fears of a deadly virus, and those confined are far from happy, and there appears to be more than one killer on the loose. Chicago Metro police detectives and the FBI under Special Agent Frank Poole with Detective Nash, struggle to comprehend what exactly is happening. Detective Sam Porter is a broken man at the conclusion of events in the previous book and it is barely surprising he is now viewed as a murder suspect, but is he more than that?

Sam Porter's past is not what he thinks it is, particularly over an incident of being shot accidentally as a younger police officer. A young homeless girl seeking sanctuary in a cemetery is horrified to discover the body of a dead woman, covered in salt, kneeling with a sign in front of her stating Father Forgive Me, three small boxes in front of her, and forehead in which has been carved 'I am evil'. It is the first in a number of bodies with the same MO. To turn matters upside down, the much sought after 4MK killer has handed himself in, claiming he is an innocent man being framed. No-one in law enforcement is certain precisely who is telling the truth. As Sam pores over the diaries, questions are raised about what is written in them, and indeed if the diaries are authentic. Sam is convinced he can tell the difference between the truth and the lies as he continues to follow up on Bishop's past history as a child placed at The Finicky House for Wayward Children. In the meantime, matters escalate in a number of areas, including a killer amongst the quarantined in the hospital with Detectives Clair Norton and Edwin Klozowski.

As Barker wraps up his trilogy in style, I dread to think what it must have been like for him to work out and plan all the intricate details and plotting for the varied storylines and characters, I imagine it must have been a nightmare to get everything straight in this epic trilogy. He succeeds admirably in tying up loose ends, in this intense, dark but engaging story of child abuse, police corruption, betrayal, exploitation of the young and vulnerable, vengeance, and the complicated nature of justice and judgement. I found this a wildly entertaining and explosive thriller, one where you never know what will happen next, positively dripping with suspense and tension, and never less than compulsive reading. Highly recommended for all crime thriller fans. Many thanks to Hampton Creek Press for an ARC.

spoiler alert ** I felt like I hit the ground running on this one,and didn't stop.
The pace was frantic.
Everything was do up in the air,when you don't know who to trust or who to believe,when the book has you believing the good guy might be the bad guy,and the bad guy is getting all your sympathy.
Genuine moments of "noooooo!" from me,as you think you see the inevitable coming.
Fast paced and on the edge of my seat reading this.
A great conclusion.

This is one thriller that will blow your mind. Barker has gifted us the thrilling conclusion to the MK3 trilogy and he pulls no punches with this one. Note that it is a trilogy and there is a learning curve at the beginning to catch up with what has gone on before and all the characters. Even if you read the first two books, you may not remember all the details, particularly if you didn't make cliff notes, particularly of the ending of book two. However, you would be urged to push on because the thrill ride Barker takes you is not to be missed.

The MK3 trilogy is a story about the most vicious serial killer imagined. He's not your normal axe murderer wandering through the woods. In a publishing world where there is another serial killer story every month, this one stands out as exceptional. MK3 is clever. He's deceptive. He is not one step ahead of the investigators, but twenty. And, his bodies are left in odd poses in odd places, surrounded by salt, with written messages, and with gift-wrapped white boxes, often containing an ear, a nose, a finger, or a toe. He outwits every search technique of the Chicago Police Detectives and the crack FBI team and seems to have tentacles everywhere.

The Sixth Wicked Child not only offers a conclusion to the story, but takes the reader into MK3's backstory, his history, his childhood, and it's probably not what you thought it was. And, here, the surprises keep popping up. Who can you trust? Who is MK3 really? Who is loyal? Who will betray the investigation? And be prepared for everything to flip every which way on you as the hero might not be the hero after all.

The story is told through multiple points of view and, although that is a common technique these days, it works here, particularly after you get into the book and understand who is who and what is what.

I normally do not like serial killer thrillers. But, this one is special. It kept me up reading through the night and there are few books that do.

Many thanks to the publishing house for providing a copy for review.