Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

 

Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker - 492 pages

In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, seventeen-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend David Spivey inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities.

As they dig into the island's dark past, they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations. What begins as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.

"Something I Keep Upstairs" is a haunting exploration of friendship, sacrifice, and the darkness lurking just beyond our understanding. It will keep you on edge until the final, chilling page.

This was good beginning to end; I really enjoyed this one.  Took me a while to figure out exactly what was going on, which I like.  Another great book by this author!

Heavy Are the Stones by J.D. Barker

 

Heavy Are the Stones by J.D. Barker - 312 pages

Ten days to keep a lie.
Ten plagues if you deny.
Ten ways to watch them die.

Five years ago, when Detective Jena Campbell put the Leviticus Killer behind bars, she locked her darkest secret away with him. Something never meant to surface. Something better left to rot with the madman who had destroyed so many lives.

When a strange man calling himself Azrael appears on social media with threats to unleash ten plagues, ten deaths, in ten days, unless Leviticus is released, Jena is forced to reopen that door and face her past.

Unable to share what she knows, she turns to the only man who can help her find Azrael before he kills again, the man she condemned. Jena quickly learns the only thing more terrifying than facing him, is facing herself.

J.D. Barker does it again-another awesome book!  This is a great read-if you like thrillers I would highly suggest checking out his books.  There is not a dull moment!  

The Fifth to Die (4MK Thriller #2) by J.D. Barker

 

The Fifth to Die (4MK Thriller #2) by J.D. Barker - 529 pages

Murder. It’s a family affair.
In the midst of one of the worst winters Chicago has seen in years, the body of missing teenager Ella Reynolds is discovered under the surface of a frozen lake.

She’s been missing for three weeks… the lake froze over three months ago.

Detective Sam Porter and his team are brought in to investigate but it’s not long before another girl goes missing. The press believes the serial killer, Anson Bishop, has struck again but Porter knows differently. The deaths are too different, there’s a new killer on the loose.

Porter however is distracted. He’s still haunted by Bishop and his victims, even after the FBI have removed him from the case. His only leads: a picture of a female prisoner and a note from Bishop: ‘Help me find my mother. I think it’s time she and I talked.’

As more girls go missing and Porter’s team race to stop the body count rising, Porter disappears to track down Bishop’s mother and discover that the only place scarier than the mind of a serial killer is the mind of the mother from which he came.

Perfect for fans of Helen Fields, Val McDermid and Jo Nesbo this gripping and twisted thriller will have you wondering, how do you stop a killer when he’s been trained from birth?

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first one; although I will definitely read the last one as this one ends on a cliffhanger.  Overall this is a great series, would recommend to those who enjoy reading mystery, suspense or thrillers.

The Fourth Monkey (4MK Thriller #1) by J.D. Barker

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Fourth Monkey (4MK Thriller #1) by J.D. Barker - 421 pages

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, 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.

I saw this book come up many times in some online book groups I am in and wow, this book did not disappoint.  This story was non-stop action from beginning to end.  I loved how the chapters alternate between character views as well as reading the killer's diary.   I enjoyed this book so much that I had to immediately borrow the second in the series and get started on it.