I had never read a book by J.D. Barker before, but while in a bookshop I saw the tagline “Se7en meets Silence of the Lambs” and The Fourth Monkey immediately had my attention. I have seen both of those films and really enjoyed them both so had big expectations for this book, and I wasn’t disappointed!
J. D. Barker’s The Fourth Monkey is about a vicious serial killer known as the Four Monkey Killer, or 4MK for short. He has his own kind of vigilante justice based on the wise monkeys; Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil and the fourth, lesser known, Do No Evil. If he judges you as someone who has committed a crime that has gone unpunished, he will deliver his justice by kidnapping someone close to you, cutting off body parts and sending them to the police (ear = hear no evil, eyes = see no evil, tongue = speak no evil followed by death – do no evil).
Hear No Evil, See No Evil,
Speak No Evil, Do No Evil
Sam Porter is 52-year-old homicide detective and has been chasing 4MK for 5 years. When a man commits what looks like suicide by throwing himself in front on a bus it looks like the search is over. But there is still one missing victim, and they are in a race against time to try and find her.
Overall, I absolutely loved The Fourth Monkey. It is an exciting read packed with twists and turns, suspense and gripping thrills, it was a book I had trouble putting down, it was so absorbing and engaging. It is everything a thriller should be.
It is very cleverly written and the tagline of Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs is a very apt description. The addition of the killer’s diary, spread out in extracts throughout the book, adds a great insight into the mind a killer and what made him the way he is.
J.D. Barker’s The Fourth Monkey is the best book I have read in a while, and I can’t wait to read The Fifth to Die, the second instalment in the 4MK series.
If you love crime thrillers featuring serial killers, then you will not be disappointed with this book. A fantastic heart-pounding, pulsating story and thrilling read!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £4.49 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
