‘The Fifth to Die’ by J.D. Barker – Book Review

J.D. Barker is at it again with his sequel to The Fourth Monkey (read our review here), The Fifth to Die. When we left off, the 4th Monkey Killer (4MK) had escaped Sam Porter and the Chicago PD. Now, a new serial killer is stalking the streets of Chicago. Young girls are being found in the frozen lake of Jackson Park Lagoon. Is the 4MK up to his old tricks, or is a new killer trying to take his place?

Sam Porter is still on the hunt to capture 4MK Anson Bishop. A good portion of the novel is told from Porter’s point of view. Bishop has given Porter the task of finding his mother. Being too close to the case, Porter and his team are pulled off the ongoing investigation to capture Bishop. Porter continues to follow through the task Bishop has given him. The second plot of the novel is about the girls being found frozen in the waters of Jackson Park Lagoon, although they didn’t die there. This plot is told from the point of view of Detective Claire Norton and one of the girls who is abducted by the Frozen Lake Killer.

The Fifth to Die is the second book in the 4MK thriller series. If you haven’t read the first book, then what are you doing with your life. Book 2 is Act 2, where everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Bishop is a big cat playing with his food by leading Porter down the rabbit hole of searching for Bishop’s mother. This time, Porter reminds me of Detective Harry Hole from Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman. Barker is good at plotting twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged throughout the book.

The Fifth to Die was released earlier this month is available at major bookstores and through Amazon. I expect to see book 3 coming out sometime next summer. I thoroughly enjoyed The Fifth to Die and can’t wait for the next book in the 4MK thriller series.

About the Author:

J.D. BARKER is the internationally best-selling author of Forsaken, a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, and winner of the New Apple Medalist Award. His work has been compared to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Thomas Harris. His 4MK Thrillers, The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth to Die, were released in June 2017 and June 2018 respectively. He has been asked by the Stoker family to co-author the forthcoming prequel to Dracula due out in fall 2018. His novels have been translated into numerous languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Dayna, and their two dogs, both of whom sit outside his office door daily, eagerly awaiting his next novel.