An Explosive and Fitting End to the 4MK Trilogy!

First, let me start off by saying that this book was lengthy and at times I certainly felt it BUT I am so glad I stuck with it - in the end it was worth the time I dedicated to not only to this book but the whole trilogy. This is not a standalone book - you really need to read the first 2 books to fully appreciate all the elements at play in this finale.

Suspense builds and tension is at an all time high as we are forced to question what we know and what we think we know about ALL the key players in this series. Barker masterfully connects dots here that were put into play beginning with Book 1. I wholeheartedly appreciated that everything was wrapped up and all questions were answered, especially after all the mind play going on in this book!

Anson Bishop and Sam Porter were amazing adversaries! I enjoyed how Barker took us on a journey that upended everything we thought we knew and made us ultimately not only feel for the bad guy but question who was really the good guy in it all. So although this one isn't as fast moving as Books 1 & 2 - it proved to be a satisfying end to a series that I really enjoyed.

This series has ended with a BANG!

The ending was priceless and memorable.

I can tell you, I think this author is a master of deceit. I was sure who the bad guy was and then poof, I was wrong and then the guy I thought was a good one, was not. Or wait, maybe the bad guy was the bad guy after all or ....so u see my point. A complete mind play.

J. D. Baker does such a fantastic job in this series. The suspense and the writing were phenomenal. At some point, he had me rooting for Anson. A total psychopath but whom I wanted some type of happiness after everything he had to endure. It helps that we get glimpses of Anson as a teenager and the crush he had on Libby helped humanize him for me.

Sam Porter, what can I say? He was a very interesting character. I liked him from the very beginning of the 4MK series. Smart, likable, a nice boss with great powers of deduction. He was still mourning the loss of the only woman he had ever loved. In the Sixth Wicked Child, he gets himself into a corner. He's in deep trouble and I wasn’t sure I could or should trust him.

The secondary characters like Clair, Nash, Agent Poole and Kloz were all very well-developed. They complemented Anson and Sam's in every way possible.

I don't think I want to say anything else because a lot of it could be spoilers.

Thank you so much Hampton Creek Press for my free digital copy of The Sixth Wicked Child.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Where do I even begin after completing this book!? My mind is a twisted mess...In the most incredible way!!!

The Sixth Wicked Child was my most anticipated book of 2019 and it was worth the wait!! This is a hands down MUST READ series! Do not think twice, GET THESE BOOKS!!!

The previous books left your mind reeling with tons of questions and this book will add a million more. You will question everything you read and I mean EVERYTHING! Every chapter will have your mind going back and forth as to who you can trust and what is actually going on. You will eventually get all your answers but you have to work for every single one. My anxiety was through the roof while reading. I could not wait to find out the truth. This book is so hard to put down, so clear your schedules.

J.D. Barker, you are unbelievably talented and my most favorite thriller writer. I am going to miss these characters but I can not wait to see what you come up with next!!

When you've been a fan of such a clever, layered, gritty thriller like this one, it's hard to say goodbye - but oh, what a sendoff! The Sixth Wicked Child is non-stop action. There were so many "wait... whuh?" moments, I started to question my own sanity! And the impossible-to-predict ending makes this finale unforgettable. Definitely a book - and a series - that I would recommend highly.

Wowza, what a novel! A brilliant and perfect ending to one of my most liked book series. There’s so much to take in and wrap your head around in this one, it seriously had my thoughts in a twist. I really had no doubt it was going to be good but I didn’t know it was going to be this good. The Sixth Wicked Child might be the third and last novel in the trilogy but all three novels have very strong plotlines and every one of them is a thrill to read if you like your reads very dark and about a really disturbed killer.

Just like in his previous books, there are also more than 500 pages in this novel but it was never boring, not even for a minute, not even slightly, it was in fact a right exhilirating read from start to finish.

The Sixth Wicked Child mainly brings the background story of a young Anson and about detective Sam Bishop’s past as well. In the present both characters are set up against the other in the most wondrous way. The author really messes with the readers in this one, in what to believe, making us wonder from the very first pages if we actually really know without any doubt if the 4MK killer is all that he seems. Is the bad guy really the bad guy and the good guy, the one we so cheered for and held in our hearts (because he’s a bit of an underdog after all), all that he claims to be? Isn’t there a little bit of bad in everyone? All registers are open, everything is possible and while I didn’t want to believe it could be any other way, surely, knowing this author’s capabilities I knew better than the rule the other possibility out.

In the novel there are multiple plotlines once again, which means there’s a lot to follow and try to work out in your head. You have the FBI working the case with Metro (Nash and Frank Poole) and then there’s a team working at the hospital (Clair and Kloz), and then Anson and Bishop each have their own agenda as well.

I finally received all the answers and hearing the truth in this novel really gutted me. The reason why 4MK drops 3 boxes with every victim, and the reason for all those murders is suddenly pretty plausible. I loved the diary entries from a young Anson again and I couldn’t help feeling touched when I read everything he and Kristina, Tegan, Libby, Vincent, Paul, Weasel and The Kid had to go through. I didn’t know how Bishop would fit in with this story for the longest time though, or how this story was going to end because one of them, Anson or Bishop would be the last one standing, in my mind. The author kept me in suspense, only to deliver a phenomenal ending that I didn’t see coming at all in the last chapters.

I received an ARC of this novel from the author. All opinions in this review are entirely my own and completely unbiased. Over the past couple of years, I read The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth to Die when they were published. They were so good that I made the time to read them again before reading The Sixth Wicked Child which is the final book in the trilogy.

I read about 25% of The Sixth Wicked Child and then I had to stay up last night and read the rest of it. I was SO tired that I’d put the book down and close my eyes and…I had to read more. That’s not something I do very often but I literally couldn’t put this book down.

Sam Porter is obsessed with finding the suspected serial killer Anson Bishop even though he’s been told to stay away from the case. The deeper Sam goes, the more confused and frustrated he gets. After being shot in the back of the head years ago, he has amnesia for different periods in his life. When he really needs to remember his time as a rookie, he can’t remember much of anything except actually getting shot.

Agent Poole with the FBI has been on the 4MK case for a few months, and he knows that something is going on with Sam. He understands Sam wanting to catch Bishop, but he doesn’t understand the obsession, and he begins to suspect Sam is more involved than he’s letting on.

There is a stack of diaries supposedly written by Bishop that need to be read, and as Sam reads them, Bishop’s past unfolds. If it’s true. They know that Bishop is a liar so everything in the diaries could be fiction. At the same time, the bodies are piling up. I lost count of how many people are killed, and it is obvious that Bishop has help or there’s a copycat.

There are a lot of characters and many twists but, amazingly, I was able to keep up with it all. J.D. Barker has a remarkable ability to have a lot going on in the past and the present while making it easy for the reader to follow. Yes, I was confused, but only as confused as Sam was.

The Sixth Wicked Child can be read as a standalone but this is such a good trilogy, I recommend reading all three books to get the most out of them. Each book has so much information! You won’t be disappointed.

The ending was brilliant. The trilogy is incredible. I’m looking forward to reading more by J.D. Barker.

"The sixth wicked child" is an intricately plotted thriller, as is the entire series, and at the end everything makes perfect sense. Fast paced and a thrilling ride.

Never did I ever expect this series to take such a huge turn. I questioned everything I thought I knew! What an epic final book! I am sad to be saying goodbye to characters I have loved and followed for years but I can't think of a more fitting end! (I definitely got a Manson Family/Devil's Rejects vibes in the last few chapters which I loved!)

OH. MY. GOD. I just finished "The sixth wicked child" and I'm speechless. This must be one of the most intricately plotted thrillers I've ever read. The whole trilogy, in fact. And in spite of this, dozens of characters, different points of view, back and present storylines, at the end everything makes perfect sense. As with the previous books, this one is so fast paced you don't have a moment to catch your breath.

Terrific end to a brilliant series. Pure entertainment!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. A fitting end that brings everything full circle in the 4MK trilogy. It will definitely keep you on your toes to the very last page. I have no words beyond - "Go read this entire series right now." It has everything you could possibly want... serial killers, detective mysteries, concurrent story lines, exquisite writing, pacing, and characterization and so much more. Run - don't walk - to your nearest library or bookstore to get yourself a copy today.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC.

I have been waiting for the third and final novel in the 4MK thriller series for months to see how this dark and gripping series was going to end. Ansom Bishop (aka 4MK, 4 Monkey Killer) is still on the loose, but claiming his innocence and blaming Chicago detective Sam Porter. Sam has been arrested for his role in helping a prisoner escape and for hiding evidence. Also, there is the threat of a lethal virus that could kill hundreds of people and new bodies left for the police to be found.
This novel shouldn’t be read if you haven’t read the first two books. I read them months ago and I found some of the events confusing because I couldn’t remember what had happened. For this reason, it took me a while to get into the novel and connect the events and the characters. Once I did, I found myself completely addicted to the novel and I didn’t put it down until the shocking and surprising ending.
This is a novel I highly recommend, but a little advice before you start reading it: as I said, read the first two novels before you start The Sixth Wicked Child or you’ll get lost in the plot. Also, the murders and some of the scenes are gruesome and are not for the light-hearted. All in all, this is a twisty and gripping novel and I enjoyed the entire series.

EXCERPT: Tray didn't see her at first, the girl kneeling at the water's edge, facing away. Long, blonde hair trailing down her back. She looked like one of the statues, unmoving, facing the pond like that. Her skin was so pale, nearly white, almost as colourless as her white dress. She wore no shoes on her bare feet, no coat, only the white dress made of a material so thin it was nearly translucent. Her hands were clasped together near her breasts as if lost in prayer, her head tilted to one side.

Tray didn't speak, but drew closer. Close enough to realise the thin layer of snow that covered everything else covered this girl too. And when she circled around to her side, she realised it wasn't a girl at all but a woman. The stark whiteness of her, every inch of her, was broken by the thin line of red stretching from under her hair down the side of her face. There was another line from the side of her left eye, a stream of red tears, and yet a third from the corner of her mouth - this one painting her lips the brightest rose.

Something was written on her forehead.

Wait, not written.

At her knees, sitting in the snow, was a silver serving tray. The kind you might find at a fancy dinner party, a high priced restaurant, the sort of place Tray already knew, even at fourteen, she'd never see outside of television or the movies.

On that tray were three small white boxes. Each sealed tight with black string.

Behind the boxes, propped up against the woman's chest, was a cardboard sign not unlike the ones Tray had held to raise money for food. Only she had never used these three particular words before. The sign simply read:

FATHER, FORGIVE ME.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In the riveting conclusion of the 4MK trilogy, Barker takes the thriller to an entirely new level. Don't miss a single word of the series James Patterson called "ingenious."

Hear No Evil

For Detective Sam Porter, the words “Father, forgive me” conjure memories long forgotten; a past intentionally buried. For Anson Bishop, these three words connect a childhood to the present as he unleashes a truth concealed for decades.

See No Evil

Found written on cardboard near each body, these words link multiple victims to a single killer—discovered within minutes of each other in both Chicago and South Carolina—clearly connected yet separated by impossible miles.

Speak No Evil

Chicago Metro and the FBI find themselves caught in chaos—a hospital on lockdown, a rogue officer, and corruption at the highest levels. When Anson Bishop, the prime suspect in the notorious 4MK serial murders turns himself in, he reveals a story completely unexpected, one that not only upends the current investigation, but one that will change the lives of all involved.

Do No Evil

MY THOUGHTS: My head is still spinning more than twenty four hours after finishing this book! Barker led me down the garden path, chewed me up and spat me out! And not just once....

Warning: if you haven't read the first two books in this series, The Fourth Monkey and Fifth to Die, don't start with this, the final part of the trilogy. You need to read all of them, in order. And if it is some time since you read the first two, I recommend a refresher...which is what I should have done, and didn't.

I struggled at times to remember who was who and whom had done what from the earlier books. And although I loved this book, it would have been a far easier read had I done that recap.

This is not a simple story. It is riveting, compelling and convoluted. I was sure of no one. There is much conflicting evidence and stories. The twists and turns are masterful. I vaguely recall a story from my childhood about a snake that ate itself by swallowing its own tail. There are parallels.

This is a series that deserves a binge read. I plan on taking it on my next holiday and doing it justice. And I am quite sure that once I have finished, I will be rerating The Sixth Wicked Child to the full five (or more) stars it richly deserves. The fault is all mine.

🤡👹😱🤯.5

#TheSixthWickedChild #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: J.D. Barker is the international best-selling author of numerous novels, including FORSAKEN and THE FOURTH MONKEY. His latest novel, DRACUL, co-authored with Dacre Stoker, released October 2018. His next novel, THE SIXTH WICKED CHILD, releases in August. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His novels have been translated into two dozen languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.

A note from J.D.
As a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.

I would never go down to the basement.

Never.

I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.

Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.

I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hampton Creek Press (IBPA) via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Sixth Wicked Child by J.D. Barker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

This truly is a riveting, explosive ending to the 4MK trilogy! Just as with the first two books, it's tightly plotted and the tension never lets up. You definitely need to read the trilogy from the beginning as this book plunges straight into the action. If it's been a while since you read the last episode you may even want to go back and refresh your memory by rereading the last couple of chapters of book two, as I had to.

J.D. Barker has written an addictive and masterful thriller, weaving many threads together and pulling off twist after twist with a LOT of bodies along the way. He must have had a clear vision of how this would all play out right from the start to be able to so ably juggle all the characters and storylines into the right place at the right time. By the end of the book the whole history of suspected serial killer Anson Bishop and detective Sam Porter will be laid out and everything will make perfect sense. Just brilliant!

“Father, forgive me” – the chilling phrase found next to multiple murder victims. Seemingly linked but separated by impossible miles.

When Anson Bishop, the prime suspect in the 4MK case turns himself in, he reveals a completely unexpected story. One that will change the lives of everyone involved.

But how much of his tale is the truth?

The first thing I will say in this review, as have many other readers in theirs, is do not read this book as a standalone. 1. You will be missing out on two brilliant books, and 2. You will be completely lost!

With this book Barker has given us everything we could possibly want from a concluding instalment, and more. Quite often I find there’s something lacking in the last part of a series, usual just a rounding up of events and a conclusion you probably saw coming from the off. Not this one, I practically had whiplash from my own indecision over who the “baddy” was. The fact that each book has just gone from strength to strength really shows how flawless this authors talent is.

The plot is exceptionally clever, yet not confusing; the characters are so twisted, but likeable; and the descriptions are chillingly gruesome, but scarily satisfying. I could go on, but I won’t.

I wouldn’t want to spoil this series for anyone by going into too much detail, but if you love this genre you must read these books. Thriller writing at it’s all time best!

First things first - I cannot stress enough the importance of reading the previous two books in this trilogy. By going right to the end not only are you missing out on some criminally genius thriller writing but also all the background, history, twisted events and important timelines that you need to fully appreciate this conclusion. This series is an experience and you don’t want to miss a word of it! 

The Sixth Wicked Child was my most anticipated read of 2019 and in two sleepless nights of reading, it jumped onto my short list for best read of the year. By “short list” I mean I will have to read the Holy Grail of literature in order to top this by the end of the year.

After the traumatizing events that left us seeking therapy in The Fifth to Die, Barker entices us back with a new round of horrific crimes that are both eerily familiar and disturbingly original. In new and unforeseen turns of events, he flawlessly makes us question everything we know about our hero Detective Sam Porter and methodically twisted villain Anson Bishop. I mean…everything we think we know…EVERYTHING! The words “Father, forgive me” will haunt me for life.

Honestly, this is the best book of the whole series. Don’t get me wrong, the first two books were just as fantastic but Barker gave us so much more in The Sixth Wicked Child that it’s still with me days later. I have a thriller hangover and I can’t say that’s ever happened before. We continue to learn more about Bishop through the infamous diary entries and get a better idea of him as a person – I mean, I felt for the guy…deeply…and not just because I have a sick fascination with smart psychopaths. Barker actually humanizes him to the point where I have to question myself and how I feel about this character. And it isn’t only Bishop. I think I must have question the integrity of every one I have grown attached to throughout this series.

Normally, I have a fairly accurate sense of where a story is going or how the twists are going to play out but…nooooo…not with Barker behind the wheel. It seems like every time I thought I had something figured out I would get hit with another bomb and have to start all over. At one point I thought about creating a crime scene board just to get my own theories straight but that would have taken my time out of reading so I settled for “thriller whiplash” and just kept taking the hits twist after brutal twist.

I fully believe that this has to be read more than once to fully appreciate it. I still have a few unanswered questions and one part of the story is eating away at me a little bit but I am already looking forward to a stormy winter weekend, curled up in a blanket, ordering takeout and binge-reading the entire trilogy to see if I can find the answers myself. Maybe I’ll start that crime board!

Barker’s 4MK series has been one hell of a thrill ride and as sad as I am to get off, I couldn’t be more satisfied with the conclusion. I thought there were a few directions that the author could have taken this and I’m happy with where it ended up going. I can’t wait to see what he has in store next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.

DNF 57%

You guys I can't finish it.

It's so friggin long and, in this case, bigger isn't better. Easily 200 pages could have been shaved off this book.

What sucks is that I LOVE THE STORY and am so curious as to how it's all going to play out but not enough to continue.

I've struggled with this series from book one and it's the same issue with every book. There a way too many storylines going on and it really detracts from my ability to become invested in the characters.

There's no sense of tension in the writing, no nail-biting-frantic-page-flipping urgency to get to the truth.

Barker gave me what I asked for in my review of installment one and that was more Anson Bishop (the serial killer...or is he???). He has remained the most fascinating aspect of this story. The chapters featuring his diary entries are so compelling I could read an entire book of nothing but those.

I'm going to skip giving this one a star rating. This is absolutely a case of it's not you, it's me. This series is loved by all and I don't discourage anybody from picking it up.

Despite my inability to connect with this series, I look forward to Barker's next book. I like the way his mind works and I think the best is yet to come.


**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review,

This is a new author for me and I haven't read the previous books in this series. I found the book to be very well written, the characters deep and will certainly keep you guessing what will happen next. My only complaint would be there are so many different characters that I had a hard time keeping track of them all. But I am sure if I had read the previous books in the series I would have been better able to follow along and know the characters. The book was so action packed I was never sure what was going to happen next. For those that enjoy thrillers I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Without a doubt, The Fourth Monkey trilogy is one of the best series I’ve ever read, let alone a serial killer one! With The Sixth Wicked Child coming in at over 600 pages as the final installment in the 4MK books, you might think the story of Sam Porter, Anson Bishop & co had no more steam left in the tank - and you’d be sorely mistaken.

JD Barker is an absolute master of suspense with a unique ability to light up all the goosebumps in my body, make me question everything I thought I knew about these characters I’ve spent three books with and gasp out loud. TSWC is the perfect finale to this amazing trilogy and you’d be remiss to not give it a try!

The more I read this book the more I liked it! Maybe one day I'll read this trilogy again but one straight after the other. It had been a while since I'd read the previous two books, and I didn't want to reread, and so it was my own fault for feeling a little lost. But, things did start coming back to me. This series is gory, gory, GORY, but it's also very clever. Book 3 did NOT end as I had thought, but it was definitely WORTH IT. Many thanks to the author/publisher/Netgalley/etc. for this arc. I highly recommend this trilogy!

Ok. What do you even say to this? This is how you do a thriller., I was privileged to receive a copy of the ARC in ebook form but I needed to know the outcome faster, so I had to buy the audiobook. I really wasn't sure how it was going to go--is the good guy actually a bad guy? Oh man. There are so many moving parts here. I will be rereading this entire series soon to figure out what clues I missed.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a copy of the ARC.