The most anticipated thriller of the year - Optioned for both film and television. Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, "A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind."
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.
As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows 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, unravelling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.
With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer's identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.
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[Hello, my friend. I am a thief, a murderer, a kidnapper. I've killed for fun. I've killed out of necessity. I have killed for hate. I have killed simply to satisfy the need that tends to grow in me with the passage of time. A need much like a hunger than can only be quenched by the draw of blood or the song found in a tortured scream]***
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 27 June 2017, review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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The Fourth Monkey ticks all the boxes of a great thriller - fast paced, dark, gritty, damaged cop in charge of the case, a twisted game of cat and mouse and lots of blood and guts.
I loved the set-up of the novel, the twists, turns and misdirection. The novel reminded me of the movie Se7en and the novels by Thomas Harris. Just when you think one piece of the puzzle is solved you discover five more pieces that don't quite fit together.
I liked the way the novel is structured, moving between different narrative viewpoints, gradually revealing the story and how everything is linked together.
I really liked the extracts from the killer's diary included in the book. Some the entries were really disturbing but created a good impression of terrible events that shaped him and the link between his latest victim and his past.
The Fourth Monkey is excellent.
