The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker
Author : J. D. Baker
Title : The Fourth Monkey
Published : 05/04/18
Pages : 512
Genre : Crime Thriller
Publisher : HQ
Two days to save her... They've found the killer. The killer that Detective Sam Porter has been hunting for five years. But it's too late to put him behind bars. He's already dead. One day to save her... But even death can't stop this murderer. His last victim is still alive, struggling to escape and the police have no idea who or where she is. Zero. Now Sam Porter must race against time, as her chances of survival slip away, to stop this serial killer from claiming his final victim...
For me, I think there is two type of novels when it comes to the crime thriller genre. We get the realistic police procedural books that try to bring their readers as close as they can to what law enforcement go through while trying to still provide their readers with an entertaining plot. The second is like the Hollywood block buster, with blood spilled across the pages and a killer so intelligent we have to wounder how are faithfully sleuth sill ever bit them and bring justice back to the world. While they both have their merits and depending on my mood both serve to give me what I am looking for. So when it comes to the fourth monkey I have gone for the latter. It was time to get acquainted with Sam porter and see if this good man can beat the bad guy and win the good fight.
In an unusual twist, our book starts with the death of our serial killer. It was a bold move by the author, Usually with this kind of book while we may learn the identity of the killer early on we still get to see our hero or heroin lock there horns in a deadly battle of wits. But with one last victim out there it still lands on our poor heroes shoulders to try and outsmart a dead man and bring her home. Throughout the book, we shift between various characters perspectives as the plot unfolds. For the most part, this is all set in the present, but to counter this and in part due to the lack of an alive antagonist our killer left a diary, a little handy methinks. As it turns out this adds such a deliciously dark and twisted element to a book that is already messed up. When it comes to story's like this I like to have a reason behind why the killers does what they do. I suppose in real life it's something we feel like we are robbed of. Nothing will ever come close to giving us a satisfactory reason, why is it some people can go through hell and still come out the other side with hope and a need to make the world a better place, and others take there rage out on strangers.
For me, this was one of the holds your breath and try not to race through the book to quickly book. You can sink your teeth into the plot and try and do your best to beat our hero to the punch. Even with our killer gone from the world, the author has managed to spill blood at each turn and keep the death toll rising. In the exploration of the fourth monkey killer and his crime, he has spared no expense in giving us the gruesome details. I suppose as bad as it sounds this is part of the reason we choose to read books like this, We want to be shocked and horrified by the details. The more blood that gets spilled he more we enjoy it. But if it was only this it wouldn't make for much of a story, so we need the thriller element. The hunt is what completes the book and in turn our enjoyment. We like to think in some small way we are smarter not only than the hero but also in turn the author. I have to say this time around the author most defiantly was better than me. The last few chapters took me by surprise in the best possible way. And completed my enjoyment of the time I spent with this book.
If you chose to pick up a copy I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The author has given me one of those great big crime novel it blood red neon. Also as I found out upon finishing it this is to be the first in a series. So I look forward to seeing what becomes of Porter and his corner of the crime world.
For me, I think there is two type of novels when it comes to the crime thriller genre. We get the realistic police procedural books that try to bring their readers as close as they can to what law enforcement go through while trying to still provide their readers with an entertaining plot. The second is like the Hollywood block buster, with blood spilled across the pages and a killer so intelligent we have to wounder how are faithfully sleuth sill ever bit them and bring justice back to the world. While they both have their merits and depending on my mood both serve to give me what I am looking for. So when it comes to the fourth monkey I have gone for the latter. It was time to get acquainted with Sam porter and see if this good man can beat the bad guy and win the good fight.
In an unusual twist, our book starts with the death of our serial killer. It was a bold move by the author, Usually with this kind of book while we may learn the identity of the killer early on we still get to see our hero or heroin lock there horns in a deadly battle of wits. But with one last victim out there it still lands on our poor heroes shoulders to try and outsmart a dead man and bring her home. Throughout the book, we shift between various characters perspectives as the plot unfolds. For the most part, this is all set in the present, but to counter this and in part due to the lack of an alive antagonist our killer left a diary, a little handy methinks. As it turns out this adds such a deliciously dark and twisted element to a book that is already messed up. When it comes to story's like this I like to have a reason behind why the killers does what they do. I suppose in real life it's something we feel like we are robbed of. Nothing will ever come close to giving us a satisfactory reason, why is it some people can go through hell and still come out the other side with hope and a need to make the world a better place, and others take there rage out on strangers.
For me, this was one of the holds your breath and try not to race through the book to quickly book. You can sink your teeth into the plot and try and do your best to beat our hero to the punch. Even with our killer gone from the world, the author has managed to spill blood at each turn and keep the death toll rising. In the exploration of the fourth monkey killer and his crime, he has spared no expense in giving us the gruesome details. I suppose as bad as it sounds this is part of the reason we choose to read books like this, We want to be shocked and horrified by the details. The more blood that gets spilled he more we enjoy it. But if it was only this it wouldn't make for much of a story, so we need the thriller element. The hunt is what completes the book and in turn our enjoyment. We like to think in some small way we are smarter not only than the hero but also in turn the author. I have to say this time around the author most defiantly was better than me. The last few chapters took me by surprise in the best possible way. And completed my enjoyment of the time I spent with this book.
If you chose to pick up a copy I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The author has given me one of those great big crime novel it blood red neon. Also as I found out upon finishing it this is to be the first in a series. So I look forward to seeing what becomes of Porter and his corner of the crime world.
Comments
Post a Comment