J.D. Barker’s work is undefinable. He has spanned the breadth of the horror and thriller genres with everything from the supernatural to serial killers to psychological suspense. Now, his latest release, written with Kyle Dunn, may be his most difficult novel to define.

THE FINER THINGS is set in a completely different time period and one that seems alien to readers in 2025 --- the early 1950s. It is a story about obsession and the search for perfection amidst the burgeoning fine art world in New York City. Edgar Maguire has always been hidden from sight or simply has been discounted because of the terrible scars that disfigure him. However, his two obsessions drive him to do things he never believed he was capable of doing: art, specifically sculpture work, and his muse, Fiona, with whom he has been enamored since their time together in the foster care system.

"THE FINER THINGS is not for the faint-hearted but is sure to please the legions of fans that J.D. Barker has amassed through his solo career and his partnerships with James Patterson and now Kyle Dunn."

Fiona Caldwell --- now Fiona Haberstein following her adoption by the wealthy and famous arthouse and gallery owner Sylvia Haberstein --- peppers the narrative with excerpts from “The Last Testament of Fiona Haberstein, née Caldwell.” These pieces are initially confusing, but they make much more sense once the secrets of this eerie story are revealed. Early on, Fiona and Edgar reunite when they work as models for Gino Fallici, an art teacher and a struggling artist. Fiona indicates to Edgar that this must be fate and is soon swept away from any intentions Gino had for her as she shacks up with Edgar in a seedy Manhattan hotel.

Edgar makes a sculpture of Fiona and shows it to Gino in their hotel room. Gino is immediately struck silent and falls to the floor. Whether it was a heart attack, or his heart exploding from setting his eyes on a piece of art unlike anything he had ever seen before, Gino is no more. Rather than calling the police or disposing of him and running, Edgar and Fiona are inspired to do something unheard of. They build a new sculpture using his body parts within the plaster, which gives the creation an appearance otherwise unique to anything else in this genre. Whether it is mutual obsession or simply two artistic people seeking to boldly create in the fashion of Picasso, Dalí or Pollock, Edgar and Fiona are unable to turn back from continuing to produce their own brand of art to make a name for themselves.

Edgar just wants to get out from under the years of abuse he took due to his disfigurement, while Fiona wants out from under the thumb of her manipulative adoptive mother. Much to Fiona’s chagrin, Edgar approaches Sylvia about having his unique sculpture pieces displayed in her art gallery, The Finer Things. They strike a deal, but it may be temporary until Edgar grows famous enough to go it on his own with Fiona as his partner. Of course, the desire and need for more human subjects to support Edgar’s sculptures continue, and this serial spree of murders does not go unnoticed by the NYPD.

Detective George Snyder is particularly interested in stopping these homicides, which at one point looks like they could be attributed to warring gangs from the New York/New Jersey docks area. However, he keeps coming back to his #1 suspect, the scar-faced Edgar Maguire, who he is confident is up to some seriously deadly deeds, all in the name of his art. If Snyder truly was aware of what Edgar and Fiona were up to, it would have rocked his world, especially considering the far more innocent time in which they were living.

The cat-and-mouse game continues through the finale as Edgar and Fiona take each new artistic creation to a higher level under the guise that art eludes conventional mortality. THE FINER THINGS is not for the faint-hearted but is sure to please the legions of fans that J.D. Barker has amassed through his solo career and his partnerships with James Patterson and now Kyle Dunn.