Exciting Conclusion to the Foruth Monkey Killer Trilogy

Title: The Sixth Wicked Child
Author: J.D Barker
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Source: Paperback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


The words "Father, forgive me"  could have a multitude of meanings.  For Detective Sam Porter, they conjure memories of a past long buried and forgotten.  For Anson Bishop, they connect his childhood to his present as he reveals the truth that has been hidden for decades.  Written on near each new victim, the words connect multiple victims to the Fourth Monkey Killer.  Though the bodies are found in miles apart, in Chicago and South Carolina, clearly they are somehow connected.  Now Chicago Metro and the FBI are fighting through a cloud of chaos as they try to track down not only a killer, but a rogue officer and struggle to find a solution to potential mass pandemic.  When Anson Bishop, suspect in the 4MK murders he reveals a story that is not only unexpected but couldn't possibly be true...could it?  Finally the Fourth Monkey Killer's motive is revealed and the case is finally put to rest.

What a conclusion to a fast paced trilogy!  I have enjoyed this series from the very beginning with Fourth Monkey Killer and Fifth to Die, and now Barker keeps the suspense and breakneck pace with this chilling conclusion. There is so much going on throughout the novel, that it doesn't seem like much focus is on the bodies, especially after Anson turns himself in.  The novel is lengthy coming in at about 624 pages, there is a lot of action and suspense throughout the story.  While it does take a few chapters to pick up the pace, once it does; readers are in for a wild ride through Anson's past to discover the motive to the murders.


Characters are all likable, even ones that get introduced in this novel, and the antagonist.  You cannot help but like and wonder if Anson could really be the Fourth Monkey Killer or not.  He is very compelling in his case that he isn't the killer.  I liked getting the different viewpoints, and we get a few more than we have in the other books.  While they may seem like too much to some readers, it is needed to grasp the full story.  There are so many unexpected twists and turns that each viewpoint reveals that you don't want to miss something.


Porter I liked from the beginning, and while it started to look like he was either mad, or a part of the crimes, I was rooting for him the whole time.  He is intelligent and knows his suspect inside and out which could at times make things more difficult for him.


Anson Bishop is the perfect antagonist to Sam Porter.  He is cunning, smart, and resourceful.  He knows what he has at his disposal and uses it to his fullest advantage.  The diary entries were a geat addition to the story to give us not only clues, and backstory but an insight to a crazed mind.  You almost want him to NOT be the killer.


This is a trilogy that I would highly recommend to anyone.  Barker has done a phenomenal job at creating a story that is unique and stands our from the other novels in the genre.  I cannot wait for the movie/tv series that are in the works.

Fifth to Die

Title: Fifth To Die

Author: J.D Barker

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense

Source: Paperback, Publisher

Rating: 5 out of 5 paws

The feds have taken over the 4MK case and Porter and his team are not happy about it, but they hand it over, except Porter can't.  When a young woman is found frozen in a lake new questions arise.  How did she end up in the late when it froze a month or 2 prior to her body being placed there?  Is it 4MK, has he changed his MO? The detectives begin working every angle to try to solve this case, and Porter continues to try and find Bishop.  When he is discovered he is taken off of both cases, but that doesn't stop him.  He follows a lead that takes him into the heart of Bishop's past.  Meanwhile, back in Chicago, girls are disappearing and being murdered it doesn't seem like Bishop's work, but there is something eerily similar.  The detectives race against the clock to find out who is kidnapping these girls.

I read Fourth Monkey Killer and absolutely loved it.  I instantly fell in love with JD Barker's writing, and he's a local author so bonus points.  I would say before you read Fifth to DIe, you need to read the first book.  They reference things that are mentioned in the first book that you need to know about to understand their significance to the story.  I was so excited to get an ARC version of the book to review and couldn't be happier. 

I could not put this book down and found myself staying up til 3 am trying to finish it. There is so much going on and the cliffhanger he leaves us on OMG! Seriously!!  I cannot wait to read book three and find out what happens next and how everything relates to one another.  Barker is an expert and making his reader want more. So okay we know about Bishop aka 4MK getting away and Porter basically having to deal with people thinking he let Bishop get away. He is told to leave the case to the feds but he can't something just doesn't add up for him about one of the girls. When more girls are taken things look eerily similar, but he is convinced these new killings are not Bishop. They couldn't be right? We get a first hand look at the obsession Porter has, he simply cannot let it go and knows there is more to Bishop than meets the eye.  He doesn't share anything he knows with anyone else...why?  Why can't he even tell Nash about what he thinks he found?  I think deep down he knows there is something more to Bishop, and to himself and is afraid to admit it.  We also see Bishop's own obsession with Porter which makes one wonder, why.  Why latch on to Porter, what is his significance to Bishop? There were so many things in this book that makes it completely unique down to the use of classic poetry as a clue from Bishop to Porter. I love all the tiny clues the reader is given then once we start putting things together it's fantastic. I liked the small religious elements makes me wonder if the killer is a religious fanatic, we get an idea of why he wants the girls to "see", but then how does he know they are lying (well we know how he knew Katie was lying).  I love the idea/feel that there is a connection somehow to everyone involved in the story, one way or another and most of those we don't find out yet. Can we say frustrating JD! But then again this makes me anxious and CRAVE the next book like I crave chocolate cake.  JD Barker takes his readers on a thrilling ride through multiple character views to give readers the full story instead of just bits and pieces. I like his use of the diary to help give a further backstory to Bishop, almost like flashbacks without really having to do a flashback. I am very interested to see where the story will continue to go.  Barker is a master story teller than drags his readers into the depths of his stories.  You will lose time, you will forget everything around you and wonder what will happen next.  You will be on the edge of your seat waiting.



 

 

The Fourth Monkey

Title: The Fourth Monkey
Author:  J.D. Barker
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Publisher:
Source: Print: Hardback
Rating: 5 out of 5, beyond 5 actually

The Four Monkey Killer has been elusive for the past 5 years, taking girls and dismembering them, sending parts to their families prior to killing them.  When he is identified as a victim of a bus accident while delivering yet another package, detectives Nash and Porter race against time to find out where his latest victim is.  Upon his body a diary is found detailing his life as a child, along with what seems to be a random assortment of items.  The detectives try to follow the clues to find out who 4MK really is and where he has hidden his last girl.

This is probably my favorite book that I have read this year.  There are honestly no words for how phenomenal this book was to read.  I could not put it down, and when I did, I counted the moments until I could pick it back up again.  It lived inside my head and I felt addicted to the writing and characters.  I could have sworn I went through withdrawal symptoms (jokingly).  I lost sleep trying to find out what would happen next.  Every
time I thought I had something figured out, Barker would throw in a twist and all my theories went out the window.

I absolutely love the idea of the killer doing things according the the three (well four) wise monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and lastly do no evil.  It was such a unique concept that I instantly fell in love with it.  I couldn't stop myself from telling everyone around me about this book.  There are things that after you finish reading the book, you wonder why you didn't pick up on it the first time around.  I love how the novel ended, it makes me anxious for June 2018 for Fifth to Die to be release, and I'm also probably hoping over to amazon to pick up Forsaken as well!

I loved the characters and the development and depth behind Sam Porter, but I expected a little more from his back-story and a little more for Nash as well.  I loved Nash's character and wanted (still want) more of his character in the story, maybe in the next book?  I actually enjoyed the killer a lot as well, I find his diary interesting and while it may have felt a little on the far-fetched wild side, but at the same time it is one of those stories that gets you thinking and wondering what a radical sort of family would do in the same circumstances.   Even Falcor found it a little chilling and captivating!!

When you open the book to the bus accident and the idea that the killer is already dead and now detectives need to puzzle it out to find the missing girl you are drawn completely into the story.  It is like nothing else I have read this year, or in a while.  I highly recommend this novel, this author, to anyone who loves a good book that refuses to be put down or to leave your mind.  Pick up a copy today, become a slave to J.D. Barker's writing!

** There is a hidden chapter online, but I have yet to find it, I will add that in when I find it!**