Rating: 
Summary: Compulsive Reading
Review: "The Poet" is Michael Connelly's 5th book, and proved to be something of a departure for him - it was his first book not to feature Harry Bosch. Instead of Bosch, the central character is Jack McEvoy, a journalist based in Denver. He works for the "Rocky Mountain News", covering virtually whatever murder he chooses. As the book opens, he's just been told of his twin brother's suicide. Sean, his twin, was a cop in Denver. He worked in the "Crimes Against Persons" unit, an area that included the investigation of murders. Not long before his death, he had directed the investigation of one particularly gruesome and high profile case. Theresa Lofton, the victim, was a 19-year-old student who corpse had been found cut into two parts. No progress had been made in the case, and the police initially believe that this case had simply "got" to Sean. He was found in his car, on the shore of Bear Lake, having apparently shot himself. There was a note written in the steam of the car windscreen : "Out of space, out of time". It's not the first death in the family - McEvoy's younger sister had drowned in the same lake about twenty years previously. When Jack returns to work after the funeral, he decides to write about his brother - a decision that, initially, isn't too popular with either his parents or his brother's widow. Part of the background research he does includes looking over reports in other newspapers regarding police suicides. One of the reports he finds covers the apparent suicide of John Brooks, a Detective in Denver. Brooks' case is a carbon copy of Sean's - right down to the suicide notes : both are quotations from poems written by Edgar Allen Poe. Sean, feeling there are too many similarities to be coincidental, now believes his brother was murdered. This book is easily up there with the best of the Bosch novels. The Poet, the book's villain, is a thoroughly disgusting character - and, in my opinion, the most memorable of Connelly's bad guys. I didn't find McEvoy quite as likeable as Bosch, though - at times, it nearly seemed that getting the story was at least as important to him as catching his brother's killer. All the same, I found it to be a gripping book - one that I'd recommend highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding along dissappointment
Review: I feel like I read a different book than many of the other reviewers. A great fan of Baldacci, Grisham, Chrichton, smart writers and surprise twists - this one was a let down. After a foreward by Stephen King, which promises the world - the let down was even worse.
I've never read a Connelly book before - and maybe that makes the difference. The concept was good, the writing okay - but it just plodded along (apparently he hasn't heard that old adage about leaving out things that contribute nothing to the story or character development). Hoping for an eventual payoff after all the reviews and blurbs - I forced myself to stick with it. A final thrown-in "twist" that had absolutely no rational - was the poor payoff. It was basically a lazy writers "surprise twist", one I'd expect from an author if everyone wasn't raving about him. Won't buy another one of his.
Rating:
Summary: It would be great if not the ending
Review: I love Michael Connelly books and this one is also pretty good. It has the atmosphere so familiar from Harry Bosch series (a little dark, a little lonely) - although I think nothing can beat Harry Bosch. Anyway, the story was great (if maybe a little slower then usual although it doesn't mean this is a shortcoming), the characters are very well developed, the suspense is present and it was scary... until the ending, which I found very disappointing. Without revealing the plot I would just say that I found the ending totally unwarranted. It just wasn't logical and seemed made up just to finish the story in some unexpected way. I still give the book four stars since even with this ending it's a good book and I can recommend it to all Michael Conelly fans.
Rating: 
Summary: The Poet
Review: TITLE: The Poet
AUTHOR: Michael Connelly
PUBLISHER: Hieronymous, Inc.
PAGES: 501
PRICE (paperback): $7.99
PUBLICATION DATE: 7/1996
ISBN: 0-446-60261-2
CATEGORY: Fiction "Death is my beat." Those are the words used by our narrator Jack McEvoy, a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News. At the beginning Jack finds out his brother a Denver Homicide cop, has just commited suicide. The death of his brother thrusts Jack to begin writing a story over cops and suicide, but during the investigation he starts finding pieces that just dont fit together. Jack has to travel to differnt states so he can piece the puzzle together. First he has to convince the cops to reopen his brothers case. To do this he described the message that had been left by his brother. "Out of space Out of time."
The killer uses a script from an Edger Allen Poe poem, on each of his victims. Each of the homicide cops killed were working on a case, that could not be solved. Because of this and other important evidence Jack was able to convince the cops to reopen the case.
Upon the reopening of the cases, Jack was able to travel to different states in hopes to piece it together. Along the way he is able to convince other law agencies to reopen their cases involving police officers suicides. During his travels Jack runs into Michael Warren an "ex reporter" working at the Law Enforcement Foundation who appears to be very helpful in giving him important files that jack was earlier denied. His journey also took him to the F.B.I'.s Behavioral Science Service, that allows Jack to tag along during the investigation with the stipulation that he does not write anything about the case until it is solved. This is to prevent the "Poet" so the FBI calls him does not escape. In return, Jack gets all the information first in order for him to write the story when it is all said and done.
The novel is well written and worth the time to read. It has one spiral after another. Friends and coworkers turn on each other, as when someone leaks out the story that Jack is doing, even though Jack and the FBI have an agreement. The story is also written with climax after climax, once the FBI and Jack get their man, or do they? The story keeps the reader guessing untill the very end. As for the romantics out there, there is a love story that takes off between Special Agent Rachel and Jack that has a guessing ending. Reviewer: Jeff Dunbar
Date: May 2, 2004
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully creative and clever!
Review: The Poet is one great book! Connelly's premise was very creative and great for bibliophiles and I'm glad I gave it a whirl! The killer uses Poe's literary works as a basis for his murders. What a fabulous way for Connelly to merge his genius with the brilliance of Poe -- one of the genre's greats. I just could not put this one down. I read this till the wee hours of the night. This is a great beach read and Connelly at his finest!
Rating:
Summary: Credible piece of crime writing.
Review: The Poet is a thoroughly impressive and credible piece of crime writing. Jack McEvoy is a crime journalist for the Rocky Mountain News. He's seen death in its many forms and has become used to it because as his job demands, he lives and writes about it everyday. His secret is maintaining an arms- length- distance from the victim and the victim's family, until one day he's told about his twin brother's alleged suicide. As an experienced journalist, he has learned to ask the right questions, and can see an anomaly a mile a way at a dead run. Something is wrong about this particular suicide. And as he probes further, the inconsistencies mount up to such an extent, that it can only be one thing - murder. These anomalies lead to a chain of other murders around the country, all cop suicides - a serial killer is on the rampage, and he's been dubbed The Poet, because he leaves clues that can be traced back to the poems and writings of the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Thus begins a well-crafted, attention to detail, suspenseful thriller from one of the best in the business, Michael Connelly. This novel is a wonderful piece of story telling because of its realism and attention to detail. We become part of the narrator's mind, hearing what he hears, seeing what he sees, and feeling his thoughts and emotions. Jack McEvoy, to quote a cliché, comes to life on these pages, wholly absorbing, grabbing the reader by the scruff of the neck, and throwing them unmercifully into the tale. I am not exaggerating, as this story had me by the short one's from the first page to the last. Connolly's writing is thorough yet sparse, elegant though matter of fact. He knows how to write a crime thriller, making it real, and able to scare the pants off you at the same time. It follows a formula but it doesn't read like one. I guess that's the key for a great writer in this genre - they follow all the required rules yet make the act transparent. We get the required twist at the end but Connolly twists it again just to make sure he's got us where he wants us to be. There's a lot to this book other than the obvious, and that also makes it a great read. I found this book deeply satisfying as a fan of crime fiction. Excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Close but not quite there...
Review: I love crime novels, but not usually the series novels (the Harry Bosch series)...that is not to say those books are bad...far from it...however, I just don't have the patience to catch up and read all those books at once. That said, it is always interesting to read stand alone novels by writers who have done excellent work in their series. Chasing the Dime, by Connelly, was smart and original. This book, which even though it is only 7 years old, is a bit dated (in terms of technology). Still, it is good solid crime thriller and gets many of the FBI details down cold. McEvoy is not a lovable guy, but a flawed and interesting leading man. The book proceeds well but the ending is a bit odd--a bit bizarre...I twist and red herring after twist after twist was tooo much. Still, well crafted and better than many other books in this genre.
Rating:
Summary: strong, if flawed, thriller
Review: This is one smart thriller-- I plow through stacks of crime novels to find one this smart. The first half is as good as anything you're likely to come across in modern crime fiction. Unfortunately, however, it's a little too clever for its own good-- the ending (and it's set-up) really push the credibility envelope. What also hurts, but to a lesser degree, are the cliches that infect the second half of the novel-- the female FBI agent falling for the journalist, a nasty character and his comeuppance, etc.-- and one flaw that allows a too-lengthy showdown between the journalist and the suspect in a camera store. Too bad, because Connelly is a smart and engaging writer.
Rating:
Summary: A Troubled Hero, Plot Twists, Super Ending
Review: Crime reporter Jake McEvoy writes about tragedy, but now tragedy has entered his own life. His twin brother, a Denver homicide detective, has committed suicide in his car, leaving a quote from Edger Allen Poe on his foggy windshield as a farewell note. Jack investigates the death and digs up similar police suicides around the country, each detective found with a quote from Poe. He convinces the police and the FBI that there is a serial killer on the loose and he wonders if this story might just win him the Pulitzer, but all his editor wants is a scoop. There are some tricky plot twists in this five star book that had me completely fooled. The Poet (the killer) was a great character, who strangely enough, I found myself identifying with on occasion. The loner reporter McEvoy was troubled enough to be completely believable. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Rating: 
Summary: ERROR IN LISTING
Review: Please note that there is an error in the Aamzon's listing. "The Poet" is by Michael Connelly, not Baldacci (as the synopsis accurately indicates).
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