Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The story is told primarily through three different perspectives: Detective Sam Porter’s investigation, the killer’s diary, and Emory’s captivity. Did you find this narrative structure effective in building suspense? How did switching between these viewpoints shape your overall reading experience?

2. How does Anson Bishop compare to other iconic literary serial killers, like Hannibal Lecter from Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs? Do they share any psychological traits, or does Bishop’s meticulous, game-playing nature place him in a different category of antagonist for you?

3. The novel ends on a significant cliffhanger, clearly setting up the next book in the series. How did you feel about this ending? Did it work as a satisfying conclusion to this particular story, or did it leave you feeling that you’d only read the first act of a much larger narrative?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Bishop’s diary is designed to make readers understand, if not sympathize with, his past. How did your perception of him change as you read about his disturbing childhood? Did you find yourself feeling any empathy for him, and how did that complicate your feelings about his present-day crimes?

2. Bishop’s philosophy is rooted in the idea that he is punishing people who have escaped the legal system. To what extent did his vigilante actions make you think about the nature of justice versus revenge?

3. Porter is haunted by the murder of his wife, Heather, and his grief is a constant presence throughout the investigation. What did you think about this portrayal of loss? How do you think his personal trauma influences his professional decisions and his pursuit of Bishop?

4. Throughout the novel, Bishop expertly performs the role of Paul Watson, a crime scene technician and trusted police colleague. This reliance on disguise highlights how easily appearances can be manipulated. In what ways do all people present curated or performative versions of themselves in different social or professional settings?

5. What significance does Porter’s ritual of calling his deceased wife’s voicemail hold for his character? How does this small, private act reveal an internal conflict within his character?

6. The killer’s father teaches him to strategically perform emotions he doesn’t actually feel. Why do you think this particular lesson was so central to the man Bishop became?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel presents a killer who acts as a vigilante, targeting criminals he feels the justice system has failed to punish. How does this story tap into contemporary conversations about the effectiveness and perceived failures of your culture’s legal systems?

2. In our modern age of true crime podcasts and rampant social media speculation, how has the ability for criminals to shape their own narratives changed since the era of the Zodiac Killer, for example, who sent letters to newspapers? If 4MK were operating today, how might he use modern technology to enhance his “game”?

3. Bishop recalls having violent fantasies since childhood, but he also has these impulses reinforced by his parents, creating an ambiguity between whether negative traits are natural or shaped by one’s upbringing. What does the novel’s exploration of a family that cultivates violence say about the cyclical nature of abuse and its wider impact on society?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the significance of the four monkeys proverb in the novel? How does Bishop’s father’s addition of a fourth monkey, “do no evil,” transform a passive philosophy into an active and morally flawed one?

2. Author J. D. Barker was chosen by the Stoker estate to co-author Dracul, an official prequel to the classic horror novel Dracula. Does The Fourth Monkey share any gothic or horror elements with a tale like Dracula? Consider the atmosphere, the psychological profile of the villain, or the nature of the cat-and-mouse game.

3. Basements or tunnels are a recurring setting in both the diary and the present-day investigation. How does this subterranean symbol function to represent the hidden corruption and psychological darkness that lies beneath the surface of the characters’ lives?

4. In what ways is the 4MK diary an unreliable narrative? How does Bishop use it not just to confess, but to actively manipulate Porter’s investigation and control how his own story is understood?

5. Porter and Bishop are presented as foils, both profoundly shaped by trauma. How do their different responses to violence and loss ultimately define their moral paths and their roles in the narrative?

6. Consider the collection of clues left on Jacob Kittner’s body: the mismatched shoes, the 75 cents, the stopped pocket watch, and the dry cleaner’s receipt. How does this puzzle, designed specifically for Porter, reveal Bishop’s character as a gamemaster who craves an intellectual equal?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. You’re tasked with creating a “character box” for either Detective Porter or Anson Bishop, containing five objects that symbolically represent their personality, history, and motivations. What items would you choose for your character, and why?

2. Bishop’s final note to Porter is a request: “Help me find my mother” (401). What do you imagine a collaboration between these two adversaries would look like? How might Porter navigate such a bizarre “case” while dealing with an expert manipulator?

3. You’ve discovered another small, handwritten journal left behind by Bishop, this one detailing his years in the foster care system after the events of the diary. What kind of stories or formative events do you think would be in this journal to bridge the gap between the abandoned boy and the meticulous killer he became?