Welp! It pains me to write this review. I am a HUGE fan of J.D. Barker and have now read 10 of his books. Many of which were five star reads for me, but The Finer Things was not fine at all. I had to check a few times to see if he did in fact write this book because this was not on par to his usually wonderfully written and executed books. I'm still scratching my head and wondering how much he wrote as opposed to how much the person he co-authored the book with wrote. I am always instantly gripped and instantly addicted to his books and writings. This one did not work for me at all.

1950s New York

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Edgar Maguire seems to have the skills that delight the eyes of many. He is a sculptor, and his art is to die for. When Fiona, re-enters his life, his passion is ignited, and his creations are well - unique!

Sigh We can't love every book a writer writes, and we certainly can't love every book that we pick up. This book blurs the line between madness, genius, skill, obsession, and art. Normally, I would find this to be intriguing, but I found the dialogue to be off, the scenes were odd and clunky. I don't know how else to describe them. The characters of Fiona and Edgar have a connection, but I never felt it. They were supposed to have a deep connection, but it felt very surface and dull.

UGH! I am at a loss. Again, I love J.D. Barker's writing but, in this book, it did not feel as if he wrote it at all. He is such a beautiful writer and writes intriguing, interesting and unique characters but all of that was lacking in this book. If you have not read J.D. Baker's work before, I strongly suggest you read Dracul,She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be, or any book in his 4MK thriller series starting with The Fourth Monkey. They are amazing, addictive, thrilling and hard to put down books.

What did work for me in this book was the atmosphere and the setting. This book did play out like an old black and white movie in my mind.

There are reviewers who enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well. As I mentioned, I love J.D. Barkers other books and will happily read what he writes next.

This book reads like a satire in a straitjacket. What begins as a stylish noir quickly morphs into something more surreal, a dark, twisted reflection on the all-consuming nature of art and the industry built around it.

JD Barker and Kyle Dunn have delivered a book that feels like it's sculpted from the bones of the victims in the pages.

This isn’t just a story of madness. It’s a discussion on the cannibalistic nature of the creative arts industry, of how talent is discovered, hyped, exploited, and discarded. The book satirises the art world’s obsession with novelty, its hunger for genius no matter the cost. Art is held as sacred, but it’s also parasitic, demanding not just the artist’s time and mind, but their body, memories, and soul. It's also a discussion on the immortality of beauty, and what beauty means to the audience or, in this case, the witness.

The characters are functional more than layered, shaped by the story’s frantic pace and warped tone. The prose is jagged and unrelenting, like watching a plot unfold through warped glass. It’s not emotionally rich, but it is conceptually rich.

But even though the characters may be thin, there's not denying the dark spiral you'll journey down with this story. This is not a comfortable read. It’s eerie, unsettling, and deliberately alienating. But as satire, it lands hard and if you let it sink in, it becomes something memorable, like a sculpture built from madness, obsession, and the brittle bones of ambition.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. I usually love J.D Barker. I don't know if the addition of another author accounts for the difference or not. This book was just weird. I was able to guess one twist very early on.

Review of The Finer Things by J.D. Barker and Kyle Dunn:

Woah—this was not what I expected! The Finer Things pulls you in with what feels like a familiar setup, then completely flips the script. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story hit me with a twist that changed everything. Suspenseful, smart, and full of surprises, this is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page. A must-read for fans of the genre!

"His art will take your breath away.

In the shadows of 1950s New York, a brilliant mind teeters on the edge of madness. Edgar Maguire's sculptures are taking the art world by storm, but behind each masterpiece lies a horrifying secret.

When Fiona, the object of Edgar's lifelong obsession, reenters his life, it ignites a passion that blurs the lines between creation and destruction. As his art evolves into something terrifyingly beautiful, a trail of bodies begins to surface across the city.

Detective George Snyder is closing in, but can he unravel the connection between the murders and Edgar's rising star before it's too late?"

That intersection of art and murder is very Hannibal. I approve.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I quite liked this book. I enjoy books that have a focus on a passion or a particular element and I enjoyed the art and sculpture element of this one. I thought that the pacing was good and the build up made sense.

The tight rope of passion and madness is an element that I enjoy reading about.

My lack of full stars comes from the fact that besides the main two characters the other characters feel very flat. It also comes from the aspect that confused me the most, despite the characters being so I love and entangles with one another they kept leaving each other behind in dangerous situations.

Set against the smoky backdrop of 1950s New York is a chilling tale of obsession, madness, and murder disguised as art.

Edgar Maguire is a rising star in the sculpting world, his work stunning, raw, and increasingly disturbing. When Fiona, the woman he’s long fixated on, comes back into his life, it’s the spark that sends him hurtling toward a bloody, twisted legacy.

On the other side of the city, Detective George Snyder is following a trail of bodies, and the closer he gets to the truth, the more tangled the web becomes. Between genius and insanity, between love and possession.

The concept has bite, and the atmosphere is dark and could be compelling but something about the execution didn’t fully land for me. While the setup is promising and the premise sinister in all the right ways, I found it hard to connect with the characters or feel truly immersed in the story. It read a bit flat, lacking the emotional weight or narrative grip I hoped for from such a vivid premise.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a noir-style thriller with art and murder interwoven in an unsettling dance, this might hit the mark for you.

While body horror is not my favorite to read, the summary and concept novel intrigued me a lot and was very disappointed I was unable to finish the novel and surprisingly it wasn't due to that aspect.

I found much difficulty caring about either Edgar and Fiona and as a reader, we're not given enough insight to appreciate why their affection for each other is so strong.

I did enjoy the setting of 1950s New York again, the concept of the novel, but this writing style wasn't for me. I have seen other reviews speak highly of Barker's other works, I will check those out and may attempt this novel again in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I am a fan of JD Barker, so I was excited to start this book.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It centers around an artist, and I just couldn’t get into the character. Both the dialogue and characters seemed a bit weird/off to me. I did finish it, so there’s that, but I wouldn’t recommend this book unless you are a huge art fan or an artist.

I swear I love being the one who thinks the opposite of what everyone thinks. I absolutely devoured this book and I wanted more. I loved this one so much. Huge thank you to the author and Hampton Creek Press for the ARC for my honest review!

This writing is not overly complex, though it paints a direct picture of a relationship mangled from the beginning. Two “siblings” in an orphanage, only having relied on each other, get separated when Fiona, the FMC, gets adopted by the Heiress Haberstein. Edgar, who is plagued with scars over his face, from a brutal accident as a child, is left with no home and grows up in the orphanage.

We go back and forth between the Last Testament of Fiona and current events, which begin to blend together to explain the firestorm of evens that are taking place around them.

From the beginning, Edgar and Fiona are two lost souls. Edgar, dealing with his own darkness, gives way to his needs through art. Fiona, his forever muse, taunts him with her power, single-handedly able to keep him focused or in ruins.

This story hooked me from page one. This story does get a little dark, and I think that’s part of what draws me to it even more. I love the way Barker rights and he just knows how to capture your soul. This was my first read with Dunn, but the two together made for an incredible story. I will definitely be back for more!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

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.