Okay this is an interesting one. I both liked the story and didn't really gel with it. However, I do believe that there will be a lot of people that like this book.
A struggling artist on the verge of madness leaving a trail of bodies in his wake after rekindling a relationship from his past lured me right in.

Good things about this book:
- It's dark, atmospheric and becomes violent, which are all good things to me.
- I liked the setting of the book in the shadows of 1950's New York, as it added to the moody setting which worked so well.
- Short chapters were spot on.
- I enjoyed the artists decent into madness and his passion turning into obsession.

Things that didn't quite work for me personally:
- Edgar's relationship with Fiona was toxic with no real build up to the dangerous influence they had on each other.
- The dialogue between Edgar and Fiona felt repetitive.
- What I imagine is a shock reveal at the end I guessed pretty early so I think that influenced how I perceived the rest of the story.
- I skim read from about 30-70% as it felt drawn out and didn't engage me enough to read word for word.
However, I was invested enough to finish it and see how it ended.

JD Barker is my favorite author and it truly hurts my heart to give this book a one star. There were so many unanswered questions and it just fell flat for me.

Ive enjoyed other books written by Barker. This one was ok. It was about an artist who lived in an orphanage his whole life & would kill to be recognized as a true artist. I was invested & wanted to know the ending but honestly just felt let down in the end. It felt like there was a lot of fluff added to cover a thin storyline.

Talk about dysfunctional relationships!
Edgar and Fiona meet in a care home. Horrible things happened there and Edgar still bears the scars.
Edgar is obsessed with Fiona and sculpting her. Fiona is her own brand of psycho, and when they get together really awful things happen!
This isn’t a horrible story, but I had so many unanswered questions that were never addressed. It just didn’t interest me.


NetGalley/ Hampton Creek Press July 08, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Although I tried hard, I couldn't finish this one.

Triggers: (Till 44% on NetGalley Shelf, I got this far)
murder
gore
nudeness
drug usage

Before I get into more details, I'd like to point out that my not liking this book doesn't take away from its worth. I don't wish to hurt anyone's feelings, I simply speak my mind.

My biggest problem with the whole book is its story. I've read almost half of it, and I still don't know what it was all about. Events happen with hardly a moment of pause, and I kept wondering what was just happening and, most importantly, why. The worst part is probably the fact that even though so much occurs, still nothing significant happens the whole time. Reading this book felt like riding an endless roller coaster where I circled the same spot over and over again.

That point was the sculpting. No matter how far I got, it always came back to this. Which isn't the problem. My issue was that the characters spent all of their time talking about it, fetching material for it, or just sculpting. They hardly ever do anything else.

Which brings me to my next point. The characters. (Fiona and Edgar) Their whole communication is about the difficulties of sculpting and their unbreakable loyalty and love for each other, while we never get to see what caused this great affection. Other times, one of them completely forgets about the other and just leaves the scene while the partner stays behind. It's a bit rough, I believe.

Overall, I found it monotone and dull, so I couldn't make myself read another page. I cannot recommend it, as I found no enjoyment reading it. I've always loved J.D. Barker's books. He even wrote one of my favs of all time. But lately I've been disheartened by his work, which causes me great dismay. I know it's not the book's fault, nor is it Barker's. It might rather indicate that it's time to part ways.

An artist and his muse, with their obsessions and secrets.
The characters are a clear example of an unhealthy relationship bringing out all the bad in both of them, all wrapped up in the art world of the 1950s.
The novel has an intriguing plot, unique protagonists and very graphic and macabre murders, and yet for some reason it failed to hook me.
It's not a bad novel but it lacked something to hold my attention even though I'm sure there will be many people who will love it.

This was an interesting story that was very atmospheric and dark. It was interesting to follow the main character spiral into his madness. However, I found much of the story drawn out and boring. I was disappointed because I have really loved J D Barker's book in the past.

3.5 stars

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story.

My biggest issue was the lacking scene and character developments. Conversations that should've been fleshed out were breezed over, and scenes moved along a little too quickly for my taste. But the plot was simple, the chapters were short, and the story was easy to follow. Overall, The Finer Things was a decent read.

Much thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for this arc! As soon as I received it, I dove in right away. It has a simple but beautiful cover and I was curious what is up with a humpty Dumpty theme if you know what I mean 😂 My first novel by both author and it was gripping and bingeable. I love the House of Wax/ Jekyl and Hyde vibes. Set in the 30s it has a gothic atmosphere.. I'm drawn to possession or DID stories and this one captured my interest. It has the right amount of thriller, suspense and mystery and though there were some expectedly gruesome and dark moments/scenes, it wasn't overly done. It has short chapters and it compels you to continue reading. It follows two main characters who have complex relationship. Two morally gray and flawed characters and yet you can't help but to feel bad for them esp Edgard. It centres on the dark side of art (sculpture), obsession, passion, destruction and revenge just to name a few. I just wish that more about the 'TWIST' and the hooded figure got explored more.

Review Copy

THE FINER TNINGS is the latest thriller by new master J.D. Barker in collaboration with Kyle Dunn.

It focuses on the art world in mid-century New York and on one artist and his muse in particular. The how's and why's of modern art comes into play as well as how an artist may craft their art. It's not as simple as one may think.

Like all of J.D.'s books, I blew through this in just two sittings. Now that I have finished the book, life can return to normal.