Friday 20 January 2017

The Fourth Monkey - J D Barker; Review


Book Details:
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: HQ (27th June 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0544968840
ISBN-13: 978-0544968844

Summary:
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.

Links To Buy:




Rating:
Review:

This, like Behind Closed Doors, is another book that we’re publishing at work and man oh man are you guys in for a treat when this is published! *shameless plug because you guys NEED this on your radar - coming out June 27th, 2017, from HQ at HarperCollins

You may think you know what you’re getting yourself into when you read the blurb - blah blah another psychological thriller about some killer. YEAH YEAH YOU HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. And. You’d be right- in part - but what trumps this (and not in the ugly POTUS Trump, but you know, the OTHER trump) is the story and writing on which this thriller hangs. Fluid writing, split between past and present - I’ve read loads of books that do this, but never before have I been so enamoured by both sides that I wanted to just read all the ‘past’ chapters in one go and the ‘present’ chapters in another go. They blend so seamlessly well together, that I just find myself nodding along, ‘yes, yes, genius, you go go glen coco’ - any excuse for a Mean Girls moments, really. 

I’ve encountered dark and twisted books, like Behind Closed Doors (the review for which can be found here) or even Gone Girl (again, review here) - but this was something else. The less I reveal, I think the better - because you need to read it to be on the same page as me. It does make you wonder how the author, came up with such ideas, and actions for this book. Delving deep, perhaps too deep, into the human psyche? Who knows. WHO EVEN KNOWS. Well the author does. But you know, my question wasn’t really meant to be answered. 

In terms of the characters, so strong was the plot of the book, and the events that were the driving factor, that I felt like the characters weren’t fleshed out (pun intended) enough, given enough dept. They were basic and needed more dimension to really hammer this story home. There were a few twists in the book that I did see coming, but the biggest one was a shocker. Again, shan’t say no more in case I ruin it for people. 

I know there’s a lot of psychological and thriller books out there, and this is pretty much diving into that throng - but it’s bold and twisted and certainly one that if read, will stand out, because you’ll probably be putting the book down every few chapters and thinking to yourself ‘… what in the actual fuuuuu is going on WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT’. Or along those lines. I will also take a moment to add, that the cover - yeah it preeeettty much reminds me of The Human Centipede, am I right? Gross. I know this is a really, really short review - but there isn't much more I can add without ruining the anticipation for you mes amigos. 

Well paced, well written, and certainly one to look out for for 2017. Mark it on your calendars. The Fourth Monkey will strike soon. 

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