Ep. 66: Chicago (The Fourth Monkey + Love at First)

Summary: Grab a book and a slide of deep dish pizza, it’s time to visit Chicago folks! Today Holly and Devin discuss books set in the iconic city that brought us greats like The Bean and Al Capone. While neither host has a lot of experience in the midwest or in Chicago itself, they both think it’s a great setting for a book - especially in Holly’s darker wheelhouse. Stick around after the end credits for a spoiler-y romp through some horrifying details on her book today! 

Topics Discussed:

• The Dagger (3:05): Holly discussed The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker, a crime thriller that follows Detective Sam Porter as a bus accident that killed a man quickly turns into a hunt for the not-yet-murdered final victim of the Fourth Monkey Killer. He had been crossing the street to mail a package containing a human ear when the bus struck him down, but Sam’s work isn’t anywhere near over. Holly’s key takeaways were:

• This book may be the most horrifying and messed up book Holly has ever read. Dual storylines follow the content of a diary the killer had on his person when he died and the current, real-time hunt for his final victim and both are deeply disturbing.

• The novel explores the blurred lines between good and evil, as the 4MK sees himself as a punisher of wrongdoers rather than a mere killer. This moral ambiguity challenges readers to question what constitutes true justice and whether taking the law into one's own hands can ever be justified. 

• There isn’t a strong sense of Chicago, with the focus resting much more on action and the characters involved. The investigation roves around the city but without too much detail on place, and the diary feels more suburban family life vibes and the tone of it is very midwest, stilted 60s tone. 

• The Heart (19:09): Devin discussed Love at First by Kate Clayborn, a second-chances romance following Will Sterling and Nora Clarke after Will inherits an apartment from his uncle Donny. As the leader of the HOA in a six-unit building that has barely changed in decades, a new presence (especially one who wants to convert the unit for short-term renters) is a threat to everything Nora fights for. Feuding and at loggerheads, Will and Nora can’t help but notice there’s an undercurrent of something else in their fights and attempts to undermine each other. Devin’s key takeaways were:

• The sense of place isn’t super strong in this book because the focal point is a single apartment building in Chicago. Will works at a hospital near the south shore and Nora is much further north. Later in the book there are more scenes set in popular Chicago, but otherwise it’s really a character driven story.

• The tenants in the apartment building that acts as our focal point is a chosen, messy family. Both protagonists struggle with their own biological families and the trauma they got from their parents, but they also both seek found family in their community as it evolves.

• The primary trope in this novel is enemies to lovers, but even that element is subtle and infused with a lot of emotional intelligence on both parts. It diffuses a lot of tension in the book; Devin was never stressed out or unsure about our protagonists even though it technically followed our classic arc. Alternating between Nora and Will’s perspectives, we go deep on who they are and their interior perspectives. 

• Hot On the Shelf (37:11):

• Holly: Kingdom of Copper by S.A Chakraborty

• Devin: A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

• What’s Making Our Hearts Race (39:47):

• Holly: Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+

• Devin: We Are Lady Parts on Peacock

 

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Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

 

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