The Poet

The level of suspense in Edgar Award-winning Michael Connelly's riveting whodunit, "The Poet," is so intense that even though I read the thriller's sequel, "The Narrows," first and therefore knew some of the more important aspects of the plot, including the identity of the serial murderer, I was still caught off guard and surprised throughout the novel. I do suggest, however, that one read the books in order for maximum enjoyment - although both are easily 5 Star reads.The opening lines, from the mouth, (or mind), of protagonist Jack McEvoy, are knock-outs. And the quality of prose only gets better. "Death is my beat. I make my living from it. I forge my professional reputation on it. I treat it with the passion and precision of an undertaker - somber and sympathetic about it when I'm with the bereaved, a skilled craftsman with it when I am alone. I've always thought the secret of dealing with death was to keep it at arm's length. That's the rule." McEvoy is the Denver Rocky Mountain News' crime reporter. Author Connelly was a crime reporter himself, and his obvious expertise when describing the investigation, along with his knowledge of police procedures and the newspaper business, lends enormous credibility to his narrative.When Jack is informed of the suicide of his twin brother, Sean, a homicide detective who was obsessed with a particularly heinous murder case, he has serious doubts that his brother was capable of taking his own life. Jack breaks his own rule. How can he keep his twin's death at arm's length? He begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death on his own, and discovers that Sean was murdered - a murder ingeniously disguised as a suicide. His research also brings to light several similar "apparent" suicides by homicide detectives, in various US cities. All of the dead cops were deeply disturbed by exceptionally grisly cases they were working on. Also common to all the deaths are brief and cryptic suicide notes, quoting lines from some of the more obscure writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Cases in Chicago, Baltimore, Dallas, New Mexico and Florida are eventually reopened. Jack continues to follow his leads, and to protect his sources, until the FBI discovers what he has uncovered and puts an end to his detecting. Obviously, they want to take over - these are federal crimes, after all, and Jack is a journalist. McEvoy threatens to print the story, which is his right - but would give the killer a heads-up. However an agreement is struck that Jack will temporarily sit on the scoop if the feds allow him to sit-in on the case. Thus, an unlikely team is forged. Several members of the FBI's Behavioral Science Section, and one Denver reporter, race against the clock to track the killer(s) and prevent the next murder(s).This is one scary, chilling thriller. Add Poe's writing to this unnerving mix, and I'd advise you to read during daylight hours, or keep all the lights on in the evening. If you are squeamish, this may not be the book for you, as it deals with mutilation, child molestation and pedophilia.Connelly is an excellent writer and his characters are every bit as compelling, complex and convincing as his narrative. The psychological aspects behind the motivations of many of these personages are just plain fascinating. To me Thomas Harris' "Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon" are the best books I have every read in this particular category/genre. I have yet to read anything which induces the terror evoked by these two novels. This one comes close.JANA

Measured against the standard set by most crime fiction writers, this is a pretty good book. As a standalone story out of the Bosch Universe I enjoyed it. McEvoy is well drawn, but he's not nearly as compelling or as interesting as Bosch.While this case is referenced in early Harry Bosch stories, Harry doesn't make an appearance here. But, it's important to get the background on the case origins before Harry does get involved so that's why it is part of the Harry Bosch Universe.The time period is the mid-‘90s, and I giggled at dial-up internet connections, faxes, pagers, landline phones, and new-fangled digital cameras. Seems forever ago and just yesterday. So there are times I was like just make a call but this is before everyone had a cellphone. It makes you wonder, if we did get rid of phone booths we might capture more criminals. Lol.I enjoyed this twisting and turning, around-the-bend-and-back case. There are a few red herrings. I must admit to being a bit shocked at the ending, even though I had growing suspicions.Recommended for fans of the Harry Bosch universe and fans of crime beat reporters.

Very Good Read. Lots of twists and turns.

this was a typical Connelly book. Grabs you from the first page through to the end. highly recommend.

I have not read Poe since high school and was curious to know how his work was incorporated into the story.It is an easy story to follow with well written characters, which kept my attention. The pages flew by without notice, and the ending was a surprise.It's worth the time to read, and as with books regarding crime, it has scenes described that could be seen as disturbing, which is the nature of the beast.

I come to the detective genre with hesitation. Im skeptical of white knights and this shows in my reading. I find them boring and predictable and highly overdone in fiction, both novels and movies. Another catch is that they often turn into series of tremendous length and i didnt want to sink the money into it. But, some of the best writing is in this genre and i cant really investigate Noir without at least trying it. So i eased myself into it.Now i know what youre thinking, "this isnt a detective novel." Not necesarily, it lands the same patterns and story beats, they just change the main characters profession. But really, everything else is identical.First impression, impressive. Really. Jack as a main character isnt terribly intriguing, but he has enough wit and smarts to keep me interested. I also sympathized with him, his personal demons were relatable. A cricial component to any novel.The protagonist was sickening and disturbing in his presentation, but they still managed to sneak in a tragic backstory so that he doesnt seem like evil incarnate with no history, but really a victim and evetually perpetrator of his own trauma.The plot was pretty basic, what youd expect from this genre. Not boring, but expected. Its why people come to this genre. As far as the twists are, i legitimately didnt expect them. I thought for sure i knew who the killer was, but i was expertly thrown.I think a key part of the novel was what happens at the hotel, as they set the duplicity that leads to the climax. Connely creates a scenario with multiple solutions, a puzzle that is really the heart of any murder mystery, though in this case the clue is among the team. Good stuff.Pitfalls. Hero inexplicably gets the girl. Its a weird trapping that connely hasnt figured out yet. Im not mad that the MC has a romantic interest or that they end up together. More like, i never saw that moment where they connected as humans, and the emotional intensity the held never felt justified.Another problem, and this might be personal taste, is the novel rapidly lost that noir feeling of the early chapters when it started to travel. Connely made colorado feel like a dirty grungey location, perfect for murder. Than it moved to airplanes and fancy hotels, losing that sense of grit and turning it into a thriller.Anyway, great novel. Kept me guessing, kept me reeling, and most importantly, kept me turning the page. Will read the next book, and maybe some of his BOSCH novels. Im still not sold on the white knight stuff, but we shall see.

Kept one enthralled throughout the entire novel. Read this novel almost nonstop over a two day period. Could not put it down. A literary masterpiece

Esperaba más, sobre todo por lo que leía en el prólogo. El final es súper malo.

Excellent comme tous les romans de Michael Connelly.

Suspense hasta la ultima pagina

As always, a book by Michael Connelly you can’t put down. I’ve read many of his books and never regret it buying them. Great reading evenings, on vacation, while traveling, or any time you like.