Audiobook Review of The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker
The Fourth Monkey
Series: 4MK #1
Author: J.D. Barker
Narrators:
Edoardo Ballerino
Graham Winton
Published: June 27, 2017
Audiobook: 12 hours 32 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 26- August 4, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
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 that 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, unraveling 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.
Jessica’s Review:
I first read The Fourth Monkey nine years ago as a part of the blog tour. It is a trilogy and next month the first in a prequel series will be released! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of that one AND the original trilogy from J.D. Barker and his publisher Hampton Creek Press! This time around I did opt to listen to the audiobook and it is just as brilliant and unsettling as it was the first time I read it! I that big twist as to who 4MK is… I forgot that and was shocked when I got there this time!
Most of what I said nine years ago still applies, so here is a link to my review written back then.
I really enjoyed these short chapters, you really don’t want to put the book down and as you progress in the story there is a strong sense of urgency that compounds! The story online takes place over a few days so it is fast moving the entire time!
As I listened to the audiobook this time I have this to say about the narrators:
Edoardo Ballerini- I have heard him narrate before and he narrates as Porter with perfection.
Graham Winton- I believe this is my first audiobook with him as a narrator and he is chilling as 4MK in person and as he narrates 4MK’s shocking and disturbing diary! This was one creepy narration! (As it is supposed to be!).
Many thanks again to JD. Barker and Hampton Creek Press for bringing me back into 4MK’s world and also expanding it with the upcoming prequel trilogy! “We’re going to have such fun, you and I”….
Please note, it looks like we are getting closer to a 4MK series! Let’s see how they are going to do this, as the novel is graphic and could be nightmare inducing. There are lots of triggers with this one to come!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Be careful what you choose to read because you never know what world you are about to go into….
Blog Tour: An Extract from The Knife Maker of Venice by David Gilman
Today I am taking part of the blog tour for The Knife Maker of Venice by David Gilman by sharing an extract from the novel! This one was just released last week on August 13th.
Book Description:
A young Englishman captured by slavers must survive the snakepit that is seventeenth-century Venice.
1604. As pirates seeking slaves to sell in the markets of North Africa terrorise the coasts of Europe, headstrong Richard Sheriff and his sister Elizabeth are torn from their Devonshire home and thrust into a waking nightmare.
Richard’s skills as a blacksmith see him fetch a high price, but the pirate captain has other plans for Elizabeth and once they are separated, Richard has no idea of his sister’s fate. They must both learn to survive on a deadly voyage into the unknown.
Sold into servitude in Venice: glittering, vicious city of secrets, he is apprenticed to a knife maker. Richard’s talents soon win him renown… but haunted by his sister’s absence, he vows never to stop looking for her, knowing she would do the same for him.
First he must survive that city of ghosts. Will the siblings live to see each other again, or will they join the myriads lost to Venice, where life is cheap, profit is all, and escape nigh-on impossible?
A powerful historical adventure perfect for fans of Kate Mosse, Ken Follett and Robert Harris.
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Extract:
Her life before being captured had been lived on her own terms. Her plain-speaking manner had served her well in the company of others less straightforward, who used words that teased, chastised, cajoled or enticed. This manner, together with a similar plainness of dress, had kept most suitors at bay. And Challenor had always kept a respectful distance whenever he visited Dartmouth, while still making his feelings known.
Elizabeth’s desire to protect her younger brother had never faltered and she allowed no one to come between them. Had she permitted her heart to soften and allow a man to enter her life, there was a risk that brother and sister would be parted, for her responsibility would then be to her husband. It had been Challenor’s understanding and acceptance of her love for Richard that allowed her to agree to his proposal, before Challenor went missing.
She embraced the lessons learnt from her early life. Peasant children like Elizabeth would often be traded into a marriage for the benefit of their family. But when her mother died after Richard’s birth, although he was wet-nursed by a woman in the town, he soon became Elizabeth’s responsibility. She not only looked after him, but also their father when he was not at sea. The care she gave the infant never wavered. In her mind the affection she bore for him was that of a mother’s love from beyond the grave. Despite the grief of her mother’s death, her brother’s birth was Elizabeth’s salvation.
About the Author:
David Gilman has enjoyed many careers, including paratrooper, firefighter, and photographer. An award-winning author and screenwriter, he is the author of the critically acclaimed Master of War series of historical novels, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize for The Last Horseman. He was longlisted for the same prize for The Englishman, the first book featuring ex-French Foreign Legionnaire Dan Raglan. David lives in Devon. Follow David on @davidgilmanuk, www.davidgilman.com, and facebook.com/davidgilman.author.
Contact David:
Website
X @davidgilmanuk
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Book Review: Aoh by Jennifer Renson
Aoh
Series: Aoh #1
Author: Jennifer Renson
Published: June 9, 2023
Paperback: 366 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: April 21- August 11, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Upon fleeing her homeland of Egypt after her village is attacked, Aoh finds herself living in an immaculate Babylonian palace under the care of the queen. For a young peasant girl, it’s a life of luxury beyond her imagination.
But unforeseen circumstances cause Aoh to return to Egypt, where she finds herself living in another palace disguised as a servant. She must face many dangers if she is to protect herself and the woman who holds the pharaoh’s heart.
Will Aoh survive and find love in a place where deception and loyalties rule?
Jessica’s Review:
Aoh by Jennifer Renson is a good Historical Fiction novel with some YA and Romance in it. It took me way to long to get through it, at no fault of the novel, I just fell down the rabbit hole of Netflix True Crime Documentaries: See what watching The Crash started? HA!
But back to Aoh, this novel is full of adventure and danger throughout with Aoh as a young girl having to suddenly leave her childhood home in Egypt. Through her travels in the desert, she ends up in the palace in Babylon thanks to the Queen.
Renson is very descriptive in her storytelling, she can make you feel like you are there with the characters! You are seeing what they are seeing, you can feel yourself in battle with her. It is very vivid and I could picture everything as I was reading it!
I liked Aoh from the beginning. She starts out as a young girl and grows into a fierce warrior and protector. She’s a bit of a badass, and I always enjoy stories with strong women in them.
The novel does conclude and I enjoyed the ending, but it is also left open for more story. Which fortunately Aoh Part Two was recently released! If you enjoy Historical Fiction, descriptive storytelling, Egypt and Babylon, you will be in for a good story!
Many thanks to Jennifer Renson for sending me a copy to read and review. I wish I had been able to get through it quicker than the time it took!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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