Rating: 
Summary: Connelly's take on Clarice Starling
Review: It's a Connelly book, and you either like them or you don't. I like them for vacation reading, and it was fun to see the writer do something other than Harry Bosch. Unfortunately he created a loser of a guy (McEvoy), but at least that loser gets to be man-handled by Connelly's take on Clarice Starling, his own Rachel Walling. Yes, Walling is different from Starling - the latter was an orphan. I'm not sure if Connelly wrote an homage intentionally, but if he did I salute him. Good book. The ending has the usual Connelly twist, but this one surprised me a little less than usual...maybe I'm just getting used to the style.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Well Thought Out
Review: After watching the movie "Blood Work" with Clint Eastwood, I was suprised at how witty the story line was. So I decided to give Connelly's novels a try, so I chose "THE POET" which I found to be very well written and filled with many twists and turns. Connelly sprinkled many details and clues throughout the novel that all came to a head in the end.His a dialogue is realistic, and the main charactor was not this superman that didn't have hang ups or demons in his closet, which also added to the good mix. The only aspect of this novel that disturbed me was the main villian, who is a murder/child molester to the extreme, I didn't like the constant talk of that, but despite it all I did enjoy the novel, how ever the ending was a bit abrupt, and the reason behind why the villian did it was not very clearly explained. It did read like a movie script at times, and maybe that is what connelly is hoping for, if this is the case I think Jason Lee from "Vanilla Sky" could play the lead very well. But a good, solid, intelligent, crime mystery thiller. I plan on reading some of Connelly's Harry Bosch series in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: QUOTH THE POET NEVERMORE?
Review: Michael Connelly sure knows how to spin an intricate and original tale, as he does in "The Poet." I've read some of his books out of sequence, having read "Blood Work" prior to this one. I am a little confused as in "Blood Work," the poet killer is mentioned, but not much else is given away. So as far as this book goes, it is a maze of twists and turns, and many surprises. The character of Jack McEvoy is a strong one, possessing both flaws and attributes. His involvement with FBI agent Rachel Walling is also interesting. William Gladden's character is gleefully evil, and his killings abominable. The denouement is full of shocks. I do have to admit though that the motivations for the Poet are not fully developed here, so I was hoping for a sequel to tie up the many loose ends. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, THOUGH.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting & complicated main character
Review: There are flaws in this book, but for me, the high points far outweigh the low ones. In the 40's, newspaper reporter heroes were common, one of the most popular being George Harmon Coxe's Flashgun Casey, but as mysteries became more realistic, reporters no longer made plausible as investigators. Connelly justifies his reporter character by having him practically forced into being part of the investigation. Jack McEvoy is indeed in a complicated situation in that he on one hand is a reporter right on top of an important story, and on the other hand, is one victim's brother and therefore motivated to do the right thing by his brother. At one point, I suddenly didn't like him because he performed what I consider an inconscienable act for purposes of embellishing the story he'll eventually write; but he later has second thoughts and feelings and realizes the sorrow his action would cause, so that he replaces that which he took before the act is discovered. This was an illustration of his struggle between being a top reporter and being a good brother. The revelation of the Poet's identity threw me and disturbed me at first, but after analyzing it, I saw what he was saying. However, the message was somehow garbled and that's why I'm not giving it 5 stars. However, I do advise all readers to watch that ending carefully so that you catch the writer's intent. Otherwise, you might like many of the reviewers think it a very unbelievable ending. Finally, I warn more sensitive readers that this is indeed strong stuff. We see a very disgusting killer's mind in operation, and it's not a pleasant view we get.
Rating:
Summary: His best book
Review: I liked The Poet better than the other Connelly books that I have read. There are two reasons for this; the situation and characters were more compelling than in most of his other novels and it is the one novel of his that had a strong mddle section.Iam not a big fan of Connelly but this book was quite good.
Rating:
Summary: Great page-turner!
Review: A friend recommended Michael Connelly when I said I hadn't read a really good thriller since Riptide by Preston and Child. I got the Poet the next day, and I read it in three big gulps. There are many parts of the book where it is simply impossible to stop reading. I'll stay away from the plot(and I recommend you stay away from reviews that tell you too much), but it involves a likeable narrator, the FBI profilers, a truly creepy villain, and many plot twists that still make sense after you catch your breath. If you are looking for a thriller, and you don't have to get to sleep soon, then this book is certainly for you. I plan to read all of the Michael Connelly books this summer, and that's the highest praise I can give an author.
Rating: 
Summary: Serial-killer Novel with a Difference
Review: Connelly's clear, easy-to-read style enhances the pace of this stellar effort. His hero's flaws and shortcomings are thoroughly believable, and the supporting characters are all plausible. The plotting is tight and the investigative procedures are attention-holding without becoming embedded in minutiae that slow the pace and dissipate the reader's interest. What struck and pleased me most about THE POET is that it's a whodunit rather than the usual serial-killer story in which the reader clearly knows the murderer's identity and sits back to watch him/her play a cat-and-mouse game with the investigators. The bottom line is that this being the first of Connelly's books I've read, I know I'll be reading more in the future. He's that riveting.
Rating:
Summary: A great serial killer story
Review: While this story lacks his main central character Harry bosch, it is still, i am sure, going to end up as one of his best books ever. (Along with "The Concrete Blonde"). The plot is original and compelling (if a tad far-fetched, but i can live with that. fiction is, by its definition, not supposed to be real.) and adds much to the genre. The motive for the killing is good, but its description lacks a certain empathy, which i feel would have given this book even more dimension. Jack McEvoy is a very likeable character, and his quest to discover more about his brother's supposed suicide is written with emotion, feeling, and conviction. Rachel Walling, his obligatory love-interest, is also likeable, and when the two get together first, you really want it to suceed. The killer is chilling, and the way he kills is also so. The conclusion is great...you think it's all over, and then Connelly just finds more and more to hit you with, playing with the reader's expectations and assumptions, and finally trumping them with a nice twist to head it all off. If you're a fan of the serial killer genre, this would be a very good novel to reach for.
Rating:
Summary: Decent story, but...oh! that ending.
Review: This was my first Michael Connelly read. I enjoyed the story well enough, although the love relationship felt artificial and I agree with the reviewer who says the Poe quotes should have played more of a role. I read the book steadily and enjoyed it UNTIL THE END. What a disappointment! Get real. Without giving it away, I will just say, NO WAY could/would that happen. It amazes me that someone with Connelly's obvious skill could come up with a "solution" like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Detective Fiction!!!
Review: Oh, mighty deity of heaven relieve us of this burden which me must bare. Why does Detective Fiction happen to good people? I don't get this whole genera and believe me I have tried really hard to get it. Every book begins with something bad happening then about a hundred pages of nothing happening to somebody nobody cares about. (The Detective). Worse we are then stuck with this idiot while he bumbles his boring way through the villain's plot to kill another totally unrelated character nobody cares about. Then the stupid detective winds up killing the only interesting character in the book (the villain). Then he marries the only sexy character in the book and for some reason the better half of the world loves reading it. How in the smoking chars of the home of the lost souls did this ever come to be?
PS: If you thinks this review was a little odd meat me in person!
| 
