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The Fourth Monkey

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Want your own letter from a serial killer? It's an actual prop from the upcoming television series and film to be directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spiderman, Gifted, 500 Days of Summer). Better yet, how would you like a draft copy of the novel? We're giveaway this and more - follow the link below for details:

http://jdbarker.com/fourth-monkey-contest-win-draft-copy-upcoming-novel-4mk/

"We are going to have such fun, you and I."
#4MK

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I love when an author takes us inside a psychopath's mind, showing us how and why the person became a cold-blooded killer. The author does just that with The Fourth Monkey, giving us a complex serial killer with an interesting mix of nature/nurture disaster.

We learn a lot about the killer through his diary, with sections interspersed throughout the present-day story. I thought parts of the diary were over-the-top, stretching plausibility, and feeling almost satirical. Still, as a whole it works. Besides, it is a diary, written by a psychopath, so we might expect him to embellish and/or alter certain events.

The plot moves at a good pace, keeping us engaged as we uncover all the pieces of the puzzle. With Detective Sam Porter, we have the damaged hero trying to redeem himself. While that's become a standard with crime fiction, Sam is well developed and his story is unique. His vulnerability feels honest, adding dimension and realism to the 'typical cop' character.

This story is violent, dark, and sometimes graphic. We are reading about a serial killer, after all. I thought the author struck an excellent balance, not holding back but also not using graphic scenes for shock value.

I thoroughly enjoyed Barker's writing style. We are in the moment, with the characters, experiencing the events as they do. My only complaint is that the characters did a whole lot of eye rolling. (26 times, if we're counting.) I admit it's one of my quirks, getting sidetracked and hung up on this sort of thing, but I started rolling my own eyes at the characters. I read an ARC, so I'm hoping some of these eye rolls were edited out in the final version.

My other minor complaint is that this book has followed the new trend of cliffhanger endings. This cliffhanger isn't horrible, as many I've read over the past couple of months have been. (I'm not a fan of the trend.) Much of the story resolves itself. But not all of it. The storyline will continue into future books, which is now evident by the addition of 'A 4MK Thriller' after the title on Amazon's listing.

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Sam Porter, a homicide detective in Chicago, has been chasing a serial killer, the Fourth Monkey Killer (4MK), for five years. One early morning, he received text messages from his partner Brian Nash and was requested to a fatal traffic accident scene. He then found the accident's victim carried the object that only 4MK would possess. Who was this man, 4MK? Who is the newest victim of 4MK? Where does 4MK hiding his victim? As the investigation progresses, Sam and his team gather more clues. Can they connect the dots quick enough to find the girl alive?

I was waiting for J.D. Barker’s new book since I read Forsaken. Obviously, this is not a sequel of Forsaken. Nevertheless, it didn’t disappoint me. I was so engrossed in the story from the first page and didn’t want it to end! The story is constructed with three different voices. The first one is, of course, Sam Porter and his investigation team. The second one is the newest victim of 4MK. The third one is a boy from 4MK’s diary. Emotions and temperatures of these three are so different that they intensify the suspense. Especially, the calmness and coldness of the boy beautifully contrasted with other two. There are some gruesome scenes, but hey, this is a psychological thriller, you know that, right?

The story is full of thrills and suspense, yet it’s not like one of those books that you only want to know how it ends. Every page and every episode are so intriguing, and you don’t want to miss any details. Besides, the author writes scenes so eloquent and vivid that you can almost see, taste, and smell it. It also has a fair share of plot twists, but they are not an “absolutely WTF-ending” kind of twists. (To be honest, I am getting tired of the nonsensical WTF-ending lately.) Rather, twists lead readers into a dark maze, deeper and deeper. It’s much more sophisticated and quietly exciting. It is the best psychological thriller I have read this year. I am so looking forward reading his next book!

I received an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Net Galley, and this is my honest review.

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The Fourth Monkey had a great twist which strikes at the right time!

As a lover of thrillers, I couldn't pass on this book and I'm glad I didn't. The last half of this novel had me completely enthralled.

The Fourth Monkey starts with the death of the serial killer known as the Four Monkey Killer or 4MK. Yet, even from the grave, he's able to throw the city of Chicago back into chaos one last time.

How?

Well, with his dead body a box containing the ear of another 4MK victim is found. This serial killer has taken the lives of numerous individuals over the years. He's very smart, methodical and he chooses his victims for a reason. When he has his next target he proceeds to cut their ear off and he sends it in a box as his calling card (S7ven anyone?). Then, the eyes, and last their tongue. So definitely gross stuff.

Detective Sam Porter has been trying to catch the 4MK for the last five years. Recently put on leave, Sam is called at home when the 4MK body is found. Sam knows he has to join his team in search for the new victim. Since they need a set of fresh eyes, the team decides to add a new smart CSI to help them out. They need to follow the clues left by the 4MK. They know a young woman is running out of time.

The Fourth Monkey Killer had a great set of characters. More specifically, 4MK. I like how the 4MK was portrayed. His diary shed a great insight into the reasons for his pathology. It was really interesting to learn about his beginnings. You are going to think I'm crazy, but even though he did despicable things, I didn't hate him. How can that be? I guess the answer to that question would be the fabulous writing is all to blame.

I'm looking forward to reading another novel by J. D. Barker now.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The Four Monkey Killer (4MK) has been stumping law enforcement for five years. A body is found, carrying a small white box which holds the ear of a young girl (a 4MK calling card) and Sam Porter, taking time off to deal with his own inner demons, is drawn back in as lead on the case. It appears that even from the grave, 4MK has put into place a game to leave his final message. Clues are everywhere. A diary is found on the body and Sam is taken deep into 4MK's childhood, just one of many carrots dangling in front of his proverbial horse. Can Sam solve the clues before another person has to die?

WHAT A FREAKIN' RIDE!!! Barker takes us on quite the psychological journey. Alternating between Porter (lead detective on the case), Claire (another detective), Emory (the abducted girl) and 4MK's diary, he leads us right into the bowels of torture hell... and I love every single minute of it! I was mostly enthralled with 4MK's diary - we get a birds eye view right into how he became molded to be the person that he is - what can I say, I love a twisted mind. Reading this was like having 2 books in one - WIN WIN! The way Sam Porter pieces together clue after clue is exciting and I felt right in the middle of the chase. While some parts may not be for the squeamish, the author does it in a way that feels necessary and not for shock value. I definitely felt myself cringing at certain areas, but wide eyed and ready for more. There is also much humor in the banter between the characters that I truly appreciated and helped to alleviate from the somber, more disturbing parts of the story.

The hype for this book is absolutely legit and I'm not surprised this is optioned for film and TV. Full of surprising twists that are sure to freeze your eyes wide open (easy now, don't make it so easy on 4MK....), you'll be turning the pages as fast as you can to get to the ending. Be careful though, just when you think you're on the right trajectory, Barker fish hooks you and reels you in a completely different direction. Where is the next book? Surely it doesn't end with this. It can't. I won't accept it! **Scurries to buy everything by J.D. Barker**

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The eye catching cover paired with the description, "Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs" - there's no way I wasn't going to read this book. My first novel by JD Barker, THE FOURTH MONKEY was quite the way to start with his work. Dark, twisty, and gruesome - this is the perfect thriller for any horror and suspense fans out there.

Detective Sam Porter is woken up by a phone call - there's been an accident and he needs to come to the scene. Considering he works in homicide, Porter is confused but amuses his partner and goes. A man was hit by a bus, but this wasn't just any man, they believe that he is the Four Monkey Killer. The 4MK is a serial killer that had terrorized the Chicago area for half a decade and was never caught. He followed a very specific formula, and with the body, Porter finds a white box wrapped with a black string. He has another victim, another victim that could still be alive.

Not only do they find the package on his person, but they also recover a personal diary from the killer. Since his face was mangled in the bus crash, they still have no idea who he is. Porter takes the diary with him as they fight to find the next victim. You dive into the mind of a psychopathic killer. Through his diary he continues to taunt the detectives while giving very minimal clues as to who he has taken.

I loved this book. So twisted, gory, and fast paced. We go through alternating narrators in this story. The diary entries are my favorite - I found myself reading faster so I could get to those chapters! I really liked how the killer got his name. Not going to lie, when I saw the title I was thinking, "how the hell does someone get that as their nickname?" The whole, Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys come into play. He would first send an ear, then the eyes, the tongue, and then the body would be found with a note that read, Do No Evil (the Fourth Monkey).

This was my first time reading anything by JD Barker, and it definitely will not be my last! I love his style of writing. The short chapters made this read even faster. It was the perfect amount of twisted and demented for a serial killer thriller. Porter and his partner Nash were incredibly likable. Porter's backstory was effortlessly weaved into the story, which made his character seem even more human. If you like the thrillers where you dive into the mind of the killer and that isn't too heavy on the typical police procedural, then I'd highly recommend this one!

I give this 5/5 stars!

Thank you to HMH Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I really wanted to like this book- great title BTW- but I just couldn't get into it.

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The book opens with a man being run over by a city bus. When detectives arrive on the scene, they discover he is carrying a box with a severed ear, and was apparently on route to mail it to the family of his latest victim. This is the MO of the Four Monkey Killer, a serial killer who has terrorized the town for the last five years. Although on personal leave, Detective Sam Porter is called in on the case, since he has been working the case since its beginning. With the killer dead, it becomes a race to find his latest victim, before they die of hunger/thirst.

On the killer's body, is a diary written by him. It is the story of his childhood. As we get to read the diary, it tells the story of a really twisted, messed up childhood. There is a creepy, overly polite tone to the writing. The chapters of the diary are interspersed between the chapters of Porter's hunt for the victim. Both storylines are amazing. There were twists and turns in both stories that I didn't see coming. I didn't want to stop reading.

This book does have some graphic violence and very disturbing imagery. There was a scene with a rat and a bowl that was particularly hard to read. Be advised that if you are squeamish, there might be some difficult scenes for you.

This book was everything a book should be. It was intense, surprising, and very interesting. I loved it and highly recommend it.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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What a twisted and creepy book. It is a fast pace thriller which is highly entertaining and scary.

For five years the 4MK keeps the Chicago Police busy now. He punishes people who did something bad by taking someone they love. First he cuts of one ear, then he takes the eyes and at least the tongue. The sends the body parts in a white box with a black ribbon. The police is still without a clue who he is. Then one day a man is killed in an accident. Obviously he jumped in front of a bus. He carried a white box with a black ribbon. Inside is an ear. So there must be another victim suffering somewhere. But the killer is dead now. But that does not keep him from playing games with the police.

There was a kind of diary found with the body. In this book the 4MK describes his unbelievable bizarre childhood. At first you think it is a normal family but soon it turns out that this is a family of a very different kind.

The story is told alternating between 4MK’s diary and the police work. This book is not for readers who are very sensitive. It is quite drastic and there is a lot of blood. If you have no problems with that you will find a highly entertaining and very unique thriller. There is a little bit of humor, despite all this gruesome things happening all around. The book is very well written. The diary and this horrible family is almost too much, like a parody. It’s unbelievable that there would be a family like that. At least I hope there is not.

All together this was a very entertaining book. It’s full of surprises and twist and it has a unique ending. This book is really different to other thrillers. I enjoyed it very much.

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What a great read! Original story, fascinating characters. Page turner at its finest.

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The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker
5 stars!!!

“Sorry it took me so long to visit, I’ve been a very busy boy.”

This book had me at “Se7en meets Silence of the Lambs,” two of my favourite films EVER!! I love my crime thrillers, sometimes when I need a break from the world of romance my other love comes into play. I love CSI, I love Criminal Minds and this book was the perfect mix of the two, along with a gripping, thrilling investigation. JD Barker is a new to me author and if this book is any indication of his talents then I have quite a few books to look forward to. This was a book that I would love to see on the big screen, the scene setting, this authors play on words, an all-consuming plot all led to an unputdownable read, one that held my attention from the very first word until the very last.

JD Barker turns the world of criminal thrillers on its head with The Fourth Monkey in so far as it starts with the death of The Fourth Monkey killer, a serial killer that has evaded capture in Chicago for over five years. A serial killer that never leaves any evidence, a serial killer so smart the police have nothing to go on, a serial killer that taunts them, teases them and makes them look like amateurs, time and time again. The clues are all there on the body, now it just needs someone with just as sick a mind to interpret them, to understand them and to find The Fourth Monkey Killers last victim. It is a race against time.

“Pawns must be sacrificed for the king to fall.”

We all know the story of the three wise monkeys, hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil. According to lore there was a fourth monkey…do no evil. So why would a serial killer be labelled The Fourth Monkey? Quite a contradiction considering the field this man excels in. The Fourth Monkey got his name from the three white boxes that he sends to his victim’s family, first the ears, then the eyes and then the tongue. While I felt the killing was a necessity for this serial killer, the thrill of the chase was what got this man off. The Fourth Monkey Killer was a master manipulator, he trails bread crumbs, he leads the investigating officers on a merry dance, a dance that had my rapt attention throughout.

Detective Sam Porter is the lead on this case and the gift of The Fourth Monkey Killers diary is where it all begins and ends. The diary entries are what gives us an understanding of the man The Fourth Monkey Killer was, a diary that goes some ways into describing the events that moulded the man. From childhood to present all pertinent facts and events are described in all their gut churning glory. A vigilante of sorts who kills the innocent to punish the guilty. The morality of his reasoning will make you think and while you know it is wrong that streak of empathy will keep rearing its ugly head.

JD Barker sugar coats nothing. This is a book that will turn your stomach, not only with actions but also with thoughts. I had goose bumps and the fear was real. This author really gets into your head and plays with your mind and that is the sign of an amazing psychological thriller. The twists and turns you will never see coming, the prose utterly engaging and positively chilling, but this is a story that you will never forget and will sickly want more of.

“Luckily, it was downhill. Mr. Carter had been a large man.”

This book is incredibly graphic at times and is definitely not for the faint of heart, many a time my hands were over my eyes as if I could somehow shield myself from what I was reading. This is where JD Barker exceeded with the visceral scene setting…letting your imagination run riot and mine is extremely vivid. Engaging, absorbing, compelling, intriguing, suspenseful, sick and twisted but as I said above, one unforgettable read. If you love psychological thrillers then this is the cream of the crop. Totally loved every single sick second of it.

www.theromancecover.com

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This is going to be a short review because I didn't finish this book. I read about 15% and just couldn't get past a scene in the diary section where there's an out of the blue murder which all came about very unrealistically, over the top and extremely graphic. I'm being vague so as not to spoil it for others but it was all just too much and I decided to stop reading. I had high expectations for this book but it just wasn't at all for me.

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Excellent read! It could easily have been titled, "How to Raise a Psychopath"! While pieces of the killer's diary were more gruesome than I normally like to read, it also helped explain somewhat how he became the twisted, sick individual he was. The detective who is pursuing this killer has recently endured a personal tragedy. Barker has written him to be vulnerable, yet a perceptive and respected detective on the force.

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Actually, this book felt more like horror than thriller. There are chapters describing sadism in detail and if you like to read about people being eaten alive by rats, this one is for you - prepare yourself.

The basic story is detective Sam Porter has been tracking a serial killer for some time and then an unusual lead turns up. We don't get to know Sam very well, except for a recent event which meant he's been off duty. He comes back on duty when the new information about the killer turns up.

The strong point of this book were the diary entries - supposedly the diary is from the killer and it's been left on a body. Sam reads the diary through the book and we slowly learn about the family, the neighbours and the motivations of the killer - pretty gruesome stuff and extreme.

I found the dialogue in the book a bit stilted/old fashioned, as if we were in the time of the gangsters, even though this is a modern day story. I'd also have liked more depth to Sam Porter. I felt the story was a bit contrived.

Despite all of that, the gruesomeness is the draw here and it pulls you in.
If you make it to the first diary entry, you won't be able to resist reading further.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and these are my honest thoughts.
3-4 stars

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In The Fourth Monkey, Detective Sam Porter gets a call one morning that the serial killer he has been chasing for five years has been killed by a bus. The other detectives think it’s him because he’s carrying one of the signature things that have dubbed him The Four Monkey Killer.

Though this is mostly an excellent book, I had a few issues.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The story is told from multiple perspectives, which I do like—it helped build the tension—but I genuinely could have done without the point of view of the kidnapped teenage girl. That was grueling. Unless you also want to feel like you’re being tortured and about to die, or you’re better than I am in not getting into character’s point of view, it could have been toned down. Also, until I looked J.D. Barker up online, I assumed he must be a much older man, because all of the major players were men. There was one female detective, but ALL the other cops, medical examiners, and IT folk were men. It was just strange to me. Last, and this is really a nitpicky thing, the author uses the word “rather” way too often. Either the cat is large or it isn’t. Please decide.

I really did enjoy this detective story. The last fourth of the novel was particularly fast-paced and well done, which is always fun. This is a well-written book by an author who is one to watch.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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If you are a lover of cosy mysteries, be warned – this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you like fiendishly clever, psychopathic serial killers with a tendency towards sadistic violence, then you have found the book you have been looking for.
Not for the squeamish, The Fourth Monkey is in the excellent tradition of obsessive cops with sorry personal lives who will go to extreme lengths to get their killer.
Sam Porter is the Chicago homicide detective who has been on leave due to a personal tragedy. For five years he has hunted a serial killer, known to the press as 4MK. 4MK’s trademark is that he leaves pieces of his victims in white boxes tied with black ribbon as an offering to those trying to track him/her down. First it’s their ears, then their eyes…
This killer enjoys leaving clues; it’s almost as if s/he wants to be caught. Each of the previous seven victims has been a young woman. Each has had a close relative who has been guilty of a crime.
So, when Sam gets a call from his partner, Nash, to go to the scene of a traffic accident, he is at first puzzled. After all, he’s on leave and anyway, RTA’s are not his thing. But Nash is insistent that Porter is going to want to see this one for himself.
What he discovers is that the serial killer he has been chasing is apparently the victim. He was carrying one of those white boxes tied up with ribbon and in his pocket is the diary of one sick son of a bitch. The story then alternates between the race to find the latest victim, whose ear is in the box, and the compelling tale of a serial killer in the making.
Will Sam be able to find the victim and will what he learns in the diary help him to get closer to catching his perpetrator?
This is a dark, gruesome, compelling story that draws you deeper and deeper in. Redolent with atmosphere and with well-drawn fleshed-out characters, Barker knows how to push your buttons at just the right moment so that you can feel the horror as it is happening.
Very well plotted and consistently thought through, it is just the kind of deviant crime that I like.
I raced through this one because I needed to know how it was going to end, and I was honestly not at all disappointed. Thrilling and repellent in equal measure, this grisly crime thriller is a must read.

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Detective Sam Porter has been chasing the Four Monkey Killer for years when one morning he gets a phone call to come to the scene of an accident. Porter arrives to find that a man has been hit by a bus that was carrying one of the boxes that 4MK is known for delivering after taking one of his victims.

Now the clock has started ticking for Porter and the other detectives since it seems that 4MK has another victim that he will not be returning to after his accident that may still be alive. Along with the box the killer also had a diary in his pocket which Porter finds himself reading and getting caught up in the mind of a psychopath.

The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker is definitely one of those that I would call a page turning thrill ride ride from the start. Not only did you have the excerpts from the diary of a serial killer but you have a likable set of detectives working the case trying to find out just what had happened after years of chasing this killer.

While I would describe some of this read as deeply disturbing and even quite disgusting in parts isn’t that what one would expect when reading about a serial killer? It’s one of those reads that is very hard to put down as the twists and turns had me hooked from very early on when there was a life on the line that could possibly still be saved from the disturbing mind that had taken her. Definitely would recommend checking this one out!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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This book was troubling,terrifying, and just horrific. And I highly recommend it!  As I was looking over the Library Journal some time ago I saw this and immediately thought of the movie Seven. I knew I had to get my hands on it! I was trying so hard not to read it though as I had several others that were due before this one. But then I read a review by fellow blogger Shalini and I had to bump it up!

Sam Porter receives a text from another detective on his team telling him he needs to get to a crime scene now. When he arrives, he finds a man who apparently jumped in front of a bus, killing him instantly. When they check his pockets they find a diary and a few seemingly random things, change, receipts and a box. A white box tied in black string, and the team believes they have finally found the 4MK killer. Now they must find a missing girl before she becomes his final victim.

Sam feels that the answers they need are in the diary somewhere, if he can believe what the killer has written.  This killer is all about games. Leaving clues that come together in the end. Or is it the end? Is this guy really the 4MK?

It really is hard not to give anything away with this review. There really were a couple of stories inside the main one and there wasn't a moment that didn't have me saying What??  Because just when you think you have it figured out...you do not.

Fans of the movie Seven will love this book. It really is horribly good! It has already been optioned for film/television.

Well done, Mr. Barker, well done!

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I have not read this author before but was alerted to the buzz about the book from my book group and put in a request for an ARC. I was not disappointed. This book grabs you immediately and does not let go. The action starts with an apparent accident or suicide by bus road accident. The victim is found to be 4MK, a serial killer who up till now has eluded police discovery. The hunt is now on for the last victim of 4MK, will the police find her in time? This book is a gem, alternating between diary extracts of the killer (dark, disturbing and completely compelling) the police procedural, with lots of dark cop humour which helps distance the gruesome elements of the plot. The plot does not diminish in action and the ending is quite spectacular. Read this book, you will not regret it.

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There were a lot of twists and turns concerning this novel, most of them coming from my own mind as I wrestled how I was going to feel about it once the last page was read. I vacillated from five stars to three to four to two-and-a-half and back up again. There are parts of the book that are very good, others that bothered me. It’s difficult to explain all the facets of “The Fourth Monkey” without spoilers, but I’ll give it a shot:

Author J. D. Barker can certainly immerse readers into a story. Despite the issues I had with the book, it was nearly impossible to set it down and I read it in less than 24 hours. The book has not one, but two major plot lines going on and the author moves smoothly from one to the other, slowly at first and later with breakneck speed. The pacing and excitement generated are five-star elements of this book.

This is a catch-me-if-you-can story, with the killer leaving a few physical clues for the detectives. One of these clues is a diary of the killer’s childhood, which provides the second plot line. As a device, this is wonderful. Instead of wishing the story would return to the diary or the current time, I found that wherever the author wished to lead me was fine. The unfolding of both stories was captivating, and no matter what I read, I was being led toward the answers I sought.

Certain elements of the diary were bothersome, however. While it is known that psychopathic tendencies can be passed on from generation to generation, the description of the killer’s family life seemed to stretch my imagination and became reminiscent of a bad slasher movie. While the author performed a credible job at the end when tying the diary and current events together, it could be argued that the strings held some fantastic and almost unbelievable elements. However, true life can sometimes possess crazy twists and turns, and as the story was moving so quickly at the climax I gave the author a pass.

At first, I questioned whether or not the author knew anything about Chicago and was guessing that a rudimentary knowledge of the city was all he possessed. An offhand comment about McHenry County being downstate from Chicago (the county actually borders the Wisconsin border) caused more headshaking, although I believe now that this is nothing more than a “typo,” as I found out after reading the book that the author spent his childhood in McHenry county. The description of Chicago was cursory at best and except for streets named here and there, the story could have taken place anywhere. A bit more world building would have added a bit of spice to the book.

Overall, Mr. Barker has talent. Even though I felt some of the story was a strain on my belief system, he constantly injected curiosity and excitement into the book. The police procedural pieces seemed realistic and conversations between characters seemed natural and matched the traits each displayed. The mental or physical problem that many authors assign to their detectives are missing from this story. Although Sam does have an issue he is dealing with, it is a natural part of life and does not consume pages or prevent him from doing his job. The items I listed in previous paragraphs may be bothersome, but do not prevent this story from being a page-turner. Four stars.

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