The Four Monkey Killer has been kidnapping victims and sending their ears, eyes and tongues to their families before finally killing them, for five years. When his body is identified after stepping in front of a bus, the police realize he was on his way to deliver one final message about one final victim. Lead investigator, Sam Porter, and his team race against the clock to find the final victim while she may still be alive. But the case might not be as straightforward as that. With only a disturbing diary and a handful of clues Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath who taunts him from beyond the grave.
The plot of this book is very detailed and fast-paced. A lot happens in a very short space of time. It’s a long book (almost 500 pages) and the story unfolds over the course of only about 3 days. This means we get a lot of insight into the investigation and we get to build a strong relationship with all of the characters. Speaking of whom, are brilliant. Porter and his team are realistic, likeable and believable, while the Four Monkey Killer is the perfect serial killer – sick and twisted but intelligent, with strong motives and a well though-out plan. He is genuinely pretty scary.
The Fourth Monkey is a well-written and exciting crime thriller. It has mystery and plenty of suspense, while the short chapters (intersected with entries from 4MK’s personal diary) make the book easy to read despite the length. There are so many different aspects to this story: the case in hand, 4MK’s motive and identity, the relevance of the story unfolding in the diary, and Porter’s own personal tragedy.
Clever, detailed and kind of disturbing, this book is a must-read for detective/thriller lovers.
Many thanks to HQ for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release: 27th June, 2017.
The Story Collector 
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