I had never read a book by J.D. Barker before but while in the shop I saw the tagline “Se7en meets Silence of the Lambs” and The Fourth Monkey had my attention.
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).
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. Packed with twists and turns, suspense and gripping thrills it was a book I had trouble putting down. 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 when it comes out in 2018.
If you love crime thrillers featuring serial killers then you will not be disappointed with this book. A fantastic story and thrilling read!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardcover) / £2.99 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here. 
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