Title: The Fourth Monkey
Author: J.D. Barker
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

[Synopsis]

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.

[My Review]

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a fantastic, well-written new crime novel to add to my favourite list, and which I can really shout about. This is definitely one of them!
The Fourth Monkey has some great characters – I loved Detective Sam Porter and his great team – and a gripping storyline which features both Porter and the police’s progress in trying to find the latest victim of the 4MK (4 Monkey Killer), and also diary entries from the 4MK himself. I found both narratives so interesting to read, which I find isn’t often the case – there’s usually one or the other which I’d rather read more of , and I find myself wishing the secondary sections were shorter so we can get back to the main storyline. In The Fourth Monkey, however, I loved reading about 4MK’s early life, even the quite gritty, horrible parts, and as a result of this I found that this was a novel which I enjoyed every page of, from front to last!
It’s fast paced without being confusing, but still manages to include plenty of police procedural details which I really enjoy in books like this. It’s creepy, it’s dark and it’s so much fun to read, leaving you gasping for air at the end.
If you’re a fan of gritty crime – or even if you’re not – you’re likely to love The Fourth Monkey. It’s a great read for 2017 and one which I’m not surprised has already been optioned for TV/ film versions. Now I’d like more Detective Sam Porter, please 🙂

[Rating: 5/5]

I received an ARC copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and my review, as always, is completely honest and unbiased.

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