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J.D.’s Year In Books

J.D.’s 2025 Year in Books

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J.D. Barker

Goodreads Author

Born

in Shadow Cove, MA, The United States

Website

http://www.jdbarker.com

Twitter

JDBarker

Genre

Thriller, Suspense, Horror

Member Since

May 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jdbarker

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J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL and the wildly popular 4MK series. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, 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. J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL and the wildly popular 4MK series. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, 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.

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Combine Editions
J.D. Barker’s books

Average rating: 4.16 · 294,239 ratings · 36,841 reviews · 51 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Fourth Monkey (4MK Thriller, #1) 4.26 avg rating — 87,759 ratings — published 2017 — 71 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fifth to Die (4MK Thriller, #2) 4.32 avg rating — 44,911 ratings — published 2018	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Sixth Wicked Child (4MK Thriller, #3) 4.48 avg rating — 37,684 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Caller's Game 4.10 avg rating — 10,087 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Behind a Closed Door 3.93 avg rating — 6,772 ratings — published 2024	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be 4.29 avg rating — 5,334 ratings — published 2020 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Forsaken (Shadow Cove Saga, #1) 3.61 avg rating — 3,730 ratings — published 2014 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Something I Keep Upstairs 3.86 avg rating — 2,663 ratings — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Heavy Are the Stones by J.D. Barker (Goodreads Author), Christine Daigle (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 809 ratings — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Quiet Neighbor by J.D. Barker (Goodreads Author), Adam Roach (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 765 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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J.D. Barker's Blog

Forbes – AI Won’t Replace Authors, But It Will Replace Lazy Thinking

I’ve built my career on words. As a bestselling author and business owner, I’ve spent years learning that great writing… MORE

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Series by J.D. Barker

4MK Thriller (3 books)
by

J.D. Barker (Goodreads Author)

4.32 avg rating — 170,226 ratings

Shadow Cove Saga (1 book)
by

J.D. Barker (Goodreads Author)

3.61 avg rating — 3,730 ratings

Book of Signs (1 book)
by

J.D. Barker (Goodreads Author)

4.18 avg rating — 17 ratings

J.D. is Currently Reading

J.D. Barker is currently reading

The Fatal Creation

by Julie Bergman (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 01, 2022 04:45AM

J.D. Barker is currently reading

From the Corner of His Eye

by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 21, 2022 08:09AM

J.D. Barker is currently reading

The Book of Accidents

by Chuck Wendig (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 31, 2022 06:57PM

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J.D.’s Recent Updates

J.D. Barker and 2 other people liked Iz Miranda's review of The Probability of Murder: "This is a review of an advance reading copy (ARC) from Hampton Creek Press, so a big thank you to both Hampton Creek for invinting me and Netgally for providing it. I was enjoying the feeling of seeing it coming—until suddenly I didn’t see it coming a" Read more of this review »
Mar 19, 2026 04:55AM · see review
J.D. Barker and 3 other people liked Karly's review of The Probability of Murder: "My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is a generous rating but I do enjoy a bit of J.D Barker!! The wrong answer can cost everything. When brilliant math professor Ivy Reeves receives a cryptic note bearing her name at a crime scene, she's drawn into a deadly game" Read more of this review »
Mar 19, 2026 04:55AM · see review
J.D. Barker and 1 other person liked Mana's review of The Probability of Murder: "I picked this up expecting a standard procedural, but Ivy Reeves isn't your typical "tortured genius" trope. She’s jagged and realistic, living in the shadow of a past that literally scarred her family. The partnership with Detective Vaughn Ryan work" Read more of this review »
Mar 19, 2026 04:55AM · see review
J.D. Barker and 1 other person liked Jillian's review of The Probability of Murder: "4.5⭐️ Well this was a roller coaster. It was incredibly twisty and unpredictable. While I was able to figure out a small piece, I was still surprised by it all. JD Barker never disappoints. I received this as an ARC through NetGalley. " Read more of this review »
Mar 19, 2026 04:55AM · see review
J.D. Barker answered নাহিয়্যান's question: Hi! It's Nahiyan from Bangladesh. A fan of your Fourth Monkey series. Is there any possibility of 4th installment of Fourth Monkey Series? Yep. The next book in the series is called THE FIRST SCARLET DOOR and releases in September 2026. Preorder links are currently going up!
Mar 07, 2026 05:19AM · 10 likes · like
J.D. Barker rated a book it was amazing Live To Tell (Detective D.D. Warren, #4) by Lisa Gardner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 10, 2026 07:11PM · 26 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Live To Tell by Lisa Gardner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Live To Tell by Lisa Gardner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.D. Barker rated a book it was amazing Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Loved it This is my first book of 2026. As always, Riley hit it out of the park. One hell of a ghost story.
Jan 05, 2026 07:10PM · 56 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Middle of the Night by Riley Sager. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Middle of the Night by Riley Sager <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.D. Barker rated a book it was amazing Crash & Burn (Tessa Leoni, #3) by Lisa Gardner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 02, 2025 07:32PM · 18 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.D. Barker made a comment on M.P. Conn’s review of Something I Keep Upstairs " Thanks for the kind words. Get well soon! jd "
Aug 16, 2025 05:01AM · see review
J.D. Barker rated a book it was amazing Safe Enough: Crime Stories by the Author of Jack Reacher by Lee Child (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 06, 2025 07:06PM · 23 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Safe Enough by Lee Child. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Safe Enough by Lee Child <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by J.D. Barker (?)

“Books are like puppies, they wait for you with unconditional love and welcome you back whenever you return.”
― J.D. Barker

56 likes

“Sometimes the most frightening of thoughts can be found hiding among the shadows of our own minds.”
― J.D. Barker, Forsaken

35 likes

“At one point, all authors are unknown until the day they are not.”
― J.D. Barker, Forsaken

27 likes

See all J.D. Barker's quotes »

Polls

Vote on our Mar./Apr. Deadly Author of the Month Poll. This poll closes Feb. 23.

Sharon Sala

3 votes, 16.7%

Rita Herron

3 votes, 16.7%

Kerry Greenwood

2 votes, 11.1%

Kennedy Layne

1 vote, 5.6%

LJ Ross

1 vote, 5.6%

Karen Robards

1 vote, 5.6%

Tonya Burrows

1 vote, 5.6%

Mary Jane Clark

1 vote, 5.6%

John Hart

1 vote, 5.6%

Anne Frasier

1 vote, 5.6%

J.D. Barker

1 vote, 5.6%

Linda Fairstein

1 vote, 5.6%

Joanna Schaffhausen

1 vote, 5.6%

Paula Munier

0 votes, 0.0%

Brian Panowich

0 votes, 0.0%

Karen Harper

0 votes, 0.0%

Juno Rushdan

0 votes, 0.0%

Mike Grist

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Beverly Connor

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Mary Stone

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Wendy Walker

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Caren Hahn

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Danielle M. Haas

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John Gilstrap

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Stacy M. Jones

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Isabella Maldonado

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Reily Garrett

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Roger Stelljes

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Carolyn Arnold

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C.R. Chandler

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Elle Gray

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Leah Swann

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Anna Snoekstra

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April Wilson

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Freya Barker

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Jamie Lee Scott

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Joy Fielding

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Mike Omer

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18 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Paranormal and Ho...: FORSAKEN - New from JD BARKER	1	13	Nov 06, 2014 05:26AM
Goodreads Reviewe...: What are you reading?	116	152	Nov 17, 2014 05:57AM
Horror Aficionados : Strong first novel. Perfect for King fans	1	22	Nov 20, 2014 06:10AM
Horror Aficionados : FORSAKEN by J.D. BARKER - If you're a Stephen King fan, you'll love this.	4	49	Nov 25, 2014 05:08AM
Paranormal and Ho...: FORSAKEN - New from J.D. BARKER - Review Copies Available	1	12	Nov 30, 2014 09:11AM
Horror Aficionados : December 2014 Group Read Suggestions	100	190	Dec 02, 2014 10:38AM
The Challenge Fac...: December 2014 Creature Feature ~All	41	135	Dec 30, 2014 01:56PM
Horror Aficionados : March 2015-Group Listen Suggestions	39	246	Apr 02, 2015 01:25PM
The Book Shelf: Reader Recommended	35	66	Jul 02, 2015 03:40PM

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J.D.’s Quotes

“Sometimes the most frightening of thoughts can be found hiding among the shadows of our own minds.”
― J.D. Barker, Forsaken

35 likes

“Just when I think I have nothing to say, the characters start to speak. Writing is funny like that.”
― J.D. Barker, Forsaken

tags: writing

10 likes

“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.”
― J.D. Barker

tags: writing

4 likes

“Books are like puppies, they wait for you with unconditional love and welcome you back whenever you return.”
― J.D. Barker

56 likes

“We're going to have such fun, you and I.”
― J.D. Barker, The Fourth Monkey

tags: horror, suspense-thriller

9 likes

More of J.D.’s quotes…