The Fourth Monkey: A Dark and Twisty Police Procedural about the Search for a Serial Killer (A 4MK Thriller, 1)
A SOON TO BE TV SERIES FROM BALBOA PRODUCTIONS
The first in the 4MK Thriller series comes a dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffrey Deaver called "a talented writer with a delightfully delicious mind."
Two days to save her . . .
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.
One day . . .
As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows that 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.
Zero.
With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out as the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.
Explore the entire Fourth Monkey series:
- The Fourth Monkey
- The Fifth to Die
- The Sixth Wicked Child
“The Fourth Monkey has one of the most ingenious openings that I’ve read in years. This thriller never disappoints.” — James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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Community Reviews
Another fast-paced, creepy thriller by JD Barker based on the Japanese proverb of the three wise monkeys: hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil along with an ancient version of the proverb for a fourth monkey, do no evil. The story started out with Det. Sam Porter being called back onto duty at Chicago PD after a two week leave of absence that we don’t find out about why until the halfway mark (it’s heartbreaking). The case that brought him back was a suicide victim that led back to the Fourth Monkey Killer (4MK), a serial killer that Porter has been chasing for five years. Along with his partner Brian Nash (LOVE NASH!!!!!), Porter and Nash work the case to find the next victim, who had already been taken and based on the 4MK’s MO, only had about six more days before she is killed.
This is the fifth book that I’ve read by Barker, with almost all of them being 4-5star ratings. One of the things that I have enjoyed about Barker’s writing and storytelling is the way he leads you to suspect a certain character or deduce a particular plotline only to discover later that the villain was someone you didn’t consider and ends the story with a wild and crazy twist to the plotline. So, I’m onto Barker by now and as I ripped through the story (because like most Barker stories, it's the kind of book that is hard to put down), I try to not make the mistake of taking the easy or obvious path to figuring out “whodunit”.
The story flipped back and forth between Porter and Nash working the case and the reading of the diary that was left on the dead body of the suicide victim, which Porter and Nash suspected was the 4MK. The diary was a journaling of creepy and bizarre childhood events and the homicidal wackos that created what is believed to be the sick psycho that is the 4MK. Not sure why Barker periodically started a chapter with a rundown of the victims, the investigating team and all the evidence. I started to wonder if Barker actually thought that his audience didn’t remember the details of the story that they’re reading and isn’t smart enough to consider all the evidence? Seriously??? Not sure if I should be insulted or annoyed with all the rundowns. For me, they provided no value to the story.
It was revealed early in the story (the first 20%) that the killer’s victims were all related to people who were getting away with some kind of crime(s) that the police didn’t discover until the deaths. A possible vigilante story??? Hmmm……that would be an easy deduction, but this is a JD Barker story and that would just be too clean and simple for Barker. At that point, I was thinking that Barker definitely had something much more sinister and a lot creepier in store in order to freak out his audience and fans.
At about the 55-60% mark, I began to suspect who the killer was as well as a plotline and some possible twists that could have been played out, but once again, this is a JD Barker story and I’d been wrong before when trying to figure out his plots and storylines. As it turned out, I was right about the killer and motive (revenge) but missed the mark on the twists. In the JD Barker manner that I have come to enjoy, the twists were definitely surprising and kept me up late last night to finish the book. I simply couldn’t go to sleep without knowing how it ended. Can’t wait to read the next one!!!
This is the fifth book that I’ve read by Barker, with almost all of them being 4-5star ratings. One of the things that I have enjoyed about Barker’s writing and storytelling is the way he leads you to suspect a certain character or deduce a particular plotline only to discover later that the villain was someone you didn’t consider and ends the story with a wild and crazy twist to the plotline. So, I’m onto Barker by now and as I ripped through the story (because like most Barker stories, it's the kind of book that is hard to put down), I try to not make the mistake of taking the easy or obvious path to figuring out “whodunit”.
The story flipped back and forth between Porter and Nash working the case and the reading of the diary that was left on the dead body of the suicide victim, which Porter and Nash suspected was the 4MK. The diary was a journaling of creepy and bizarre childhood events and the homicidal wackos that created what is believed to be the sick psycho that is the 4MK. Not sure why Barker periodically started a chapter with a rundown of the victims, the investigating team and all the evidence. I started to wonder if Barker actually thought that his audience didn’t remember the details of the story that they’re reading and isn’t smart enough to consider all the evidence? Seriously??? Not sure if I should be insulted or annoyed with all the rundowns. For me, they provided no value to the story.
It was revealed early in the story (the first 20%) that the killer’s victims were all related to people who were getting away with some kind of crime(s) that the police didn’t discover until the deaths. A possible vigilante story??? Hmmm……that would be an easy deduction, but this is a JD Barker story and that would just be too clean and simple for Barker. At that point, I was thinking that Barker definitely had something much more sinister and a lot creepier in store in order to freak out his audience and fans.
At about the 55-60% mark, I began to suspect who the killer was as well as a plotline and some possible twists that could have been played out, but once again, this is a JD Barker story and I’d been wrong before when trying to figure out his plots and storylines. As it turned out, I was right about the killer and motive (revenge) but missed the mark on the twists. In the JD Barker manner that I have come to enjoy, the twists were definitely surprising and kept me up late last night to finish the book. I simply couldn’t go to sleep without knowing how it ended. Can’t wait to read the next one!!!
Got my attention from the start! Great psychological thriller that kept me on my toes and playing detective on my own. Very well written and a great layout and character build for the rest of the series. Authors writing was great in all his descriptions and details that I could picture and hear each character as I am reading clearly.