The Poet - Jack McEvoy, Bk 1 Author:Michael Connelly Our hero is Jack McEvoy, a Rocky Mountain News crime-beat reporter. As the novel opens, Jack's twin brother, a Denver homicide detective, has just killed himself. Or so it seems. But when Jack begins to investigate the phenomenon of police suicides, a disturbing pattern emerges, and soon suspects that a serial murderer is at work - a devious... more » cop killer who's left a coast-to-coast trail of "suicide notes" drawn from the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. It's the story of a lifetime - except that "the Poet" already seems to know that Jack is trailing him...« less
A truly engrossing thriller. Michael Connelly has moved away from Harry Bosch for a really super read. I could not put the book down without wanting to finish whatever else I was doing, and get back to the plot. The characters are rich and fulfilling; the entire book is full of twists and turns that are delicious! It is really a great book and true to its genre.
Another departure for Michael Connelly, but only in terms of the focus of the novel. Here a reporter takes center stage and outshines bored cops in his effort to track down his brother's (a cop) killer. And talk about layers of the onion! Connelly is a master at plot twists that only engage the reader further rather than distract. Buckle up when you sit down to read this one.
Fifth book by Michael Connolly. First outside of Harry Bosch LAPD realm. At the time cutting edge computer thriller, now it is a little dated. However, doesn't interfer with enjoyment of tightly crafted thriller.
I actually listened to this years ago and wanted to listen to it again. Be warned that this version is so abridged that you will miss big chunks of the story. I wished I had looked for an unabridged version. It is still an okay story and may be okay if you don't know what you are missing.
My first book by Connelly...and...I loved it the whole thing and it was long! I enjoyed all of it. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong, I felt like I was in the story. Rachel Walling is also great in this book. I wanted to do this as an audio book to see if I liked the author and I was reading another book at the time. It was a sucess. I'm going to read the next three books that have Rachel appearing in them. The Narrows, Echo Park and Overlook. I've looked at his book list and it seems to be set up different than most so this is the way I'm steering. I wouldn't be afraid to do an audio book. I would recommend it. I get so much done while reading and this one was the best audio book of all. I'm looking forward to my next one by this author as well. Happy reading! THE POET is awesome!!!! Just when you think you know what's going on.....you're wrong! LOVE IT! It was full of facts, investigation, and so much more!
Great story line that flowed smoothly throughout the book. A real page turner for me as Jack tries to discover what has happened to his twin brother, the cop. The reporter from a small town paper makes some interesting discoveries that lead the FBI to become involved in the cases of several cops who have supposedly committed suicide. Throw in a budding relationship with the FBI agent and you have the prefect book.
Connie R. reviewed The Poet (Jack McEvoy, Bk 1) on
Like all Connelly books, this is a fast-moving page-turner. The type of murders being committed is gruesome. However, the real attraction is in how the cases are solved. I read the 3rd Jack McEvoy book first (Fair Warning), so enjoyed filling in the back story with this book.
I truly enjoyed this thriller which picks up at a good pace half way through and keeps you guessing untilt he end. Ready to read the next book in the series!
This book is a mystery/thriller about homicide cops that are dying. Jack MeEvoy is a reporter and his brother is one of the victims. It was written in 1996 so it's a little dated but the story is good. I was surprised by the ending and still a little perplexed over it. All in all a good read...a little long.
At first this was a little hard to get into, but it certainly kept me guessing. I didn't really figure it out until the very end. I would recommend this book.
One of Michael Connelly's best. Methodically, clue by clue, Jack McEvoy pieces together the truth behind his brother's suicide, and that of another cop, and another cop, and another cop. Quoting Poe each time, the serial cop killer leaves a suicide note for each of his victims. Two cassettes. A very good book!
Denver crime-beat reporter Jack McEvoy specializes in violent death. So when his homicide detective brother kills himself, McEvoy copes in the only way he knows how--he decides to write the story. But his research leads him to suspect a serial killer is at work--a devious murderer who's killing cops and leaving a trail of poetic clues. It's the news story of a lifetime, if he can get the story without losing his life. The story moved a little slow in places and I had to extra focus on what the author was trying to convey and the length of the book. A few things lead to my guessing of the identity early on. I did not force the thread left dangling in the ending which I believe will be fodder for future books. I'm now looking forward to reading more Connolly in the near future.
