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: Great Book....
Review: I recently completed this book about 2 months ago, and thought it was a great book. To many, the book was good throughout until the ending, but that was the part that I thought made it the best. Every time one anticipates who is doing what, or what is going to occur next, Connelly fools you or at least he did me on a couple of occasions. Anyhow, this book is a good "leisure book" and wont totally consume your mind.
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).
Rating: 
Summary: Endings Like This - Nevermore
Review: This is a good writer. The ending, though, is unnecessarily weak. He serves up a plausible and detailed analysis of why one character could, ultimately, have been the murderer. He then incongruously shifts gears at the eleventh hour. His explanation for why the killer he finally decides on, killed? - "There's no explanation, Jack ..." There's no excuse - Michael.
Rating:
Summary: wellwellwell
Review: so, did this meandering thing leave ya frustrated and exhausted?? me - in a certain way as well. seems as if dear michael was writing more than one book at the same time, thus having been able to interconnect a variety of stories. as far as i remember, the main person of this piece shows up in "a darkness more than night", the "bad guy" (the poet) comes back again in another book. anyway, connelly seems to enjoy keeping his pals - mcevoy, bosch, mccaleb - alive and well..which is good for us!!
Rating:
Summary: Web-Netting by the mentally deranged
Review: At first I missed detective Harry Bosch. So far I read four of Connelly's suspense plots. Very entertaining, very well developed characters, good writing. He delivers and you are not disappointed. Written in first person, enter the sinister world of pedophiles and their macabre deeds of twisted minds networking with each other via Internet and feasting on each other's dirty deeds. Once the individual is "ruined" there is no salvation other than death. After strange twists and turns justice catches up with the perpetrators and you sigh relief with the reporter who witnesses all.
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