Review: The Fourth Monkey @jdbarker #bookreview

Title: The Fourth Monkey
Author:  J.D. Baker
Pub. Date:  6/27/2017

Series:  None
Genre: Thriller

Amazon  |  Goodreads

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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.

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My Review: 5/5

This book is so terrifying, suspenseful, and demented….and I absolutely LOVED it!!

The blurb gives you all you need to know about the book, so I’m not going to go into the plot.  Just trust me on this one. If you like Silence of the Lambs, or the movie Se7en, then you will also enjoy this book. 

It is one of the best books about a serial killer that I have read in a long time. The writing is top notch! The lead detective, Parker has been investigating the 4MK killer from the beginning. I felt like I was right there with him, revealing the clues, while feeling the anguish of his personal struggles as well.  The other characters are also well developed. They are minor at best, but with enough insight to make me like them.  

The story is told in different perspectives. One of the perspectives takes you back in time to the childhood of the 4MK killer. To relive what he lived is so terrifying and squeamish at times, the hair on my arms was standing tall, my heart was beating at a rapid pace, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

This book is not for the faint of hearts. There are some scenes that are difficult to read. But if you have any interest at all to read a great detective novel, involving a terrific tale of a killer, I highly recommend this book. I cannot give it enough praise.  This one will definitely be one of my favorite reads of 2017.

***Thank you SO much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this awesome book, in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.