Product Description

The apparent suicide of his policeman brother sets Denver crime reporter Jack McEvoy on edge. Surprise at the circumstances of his brother's death prompts Jack to look into a whole series of police suicides, and puts him on the trail of a cop-killer whose victims are selected all too carefully. Not only that, but they all leave suicide notes drawn from the poems of writer Edgar Allan Poe in their wake. More frightening still, the killer appears to know that Jack is getting nearer and nearer. An investigation that looks like being the story of a lifetime might also be Jack's ticket to a lonely end.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #322778 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Synopsis
The apparent suicide of his policeman brother sets Denver crime reporter Jack McEvoy on edge. Surprise at the circumstances of his brother's death prompts Jack to look into a whole series of police suicides, and puts him on the trail of a cop-killer whose victims are selected all too carefully. Not only that, but they all leave suicide notes drawn from the poems of writer Edgar Allan Poe in their wake. More frightening still, the killer appears to know that Jack is getting nearer and nearer. An investigation that looks like being the story of a lifetime might also be Jack's ticket to a lonely end.

About the Author
A former police reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Connelly is the author of eleven Harry Bosch thrillers and several stand-alone bestsellers, including the highly acclaimed legal thriller, 'The Lincoln Lawyer', selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club. Michael Connelly has been President of the Mystery Writers of America. His books have been translated into 31 languages and have won awards all over the world, including the Edgar and Anthony Awards. He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his family.

Customer Reviews

A Well Written, Unnervingly Chilling Psychological Thriller!
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

Great until the end
An ingenious tale of a reporter tracking dwon a cop killer with the help and hindrance of the FBI. As often with this author, the story builds up slowly. But he works well to create an atmosphere where no one can be trusted. What let it down was the ending of the book. It seems like it was tacked on as a twist but I find it hard to believe the real identity of the killer

The plot reads like a winding road...
constantly changing direction of thought for both the hero of the novel and the reader. It is one of those books that gets you inside the head of the main character and really care what happens to both himself and his colleagues as well as giving you a desperate urge to join him in catching the baddie.

Connelly is very similar, and in my view, an equal writer to Kellerman. His plots thicken and make their way to almost unbelievable endings.

The poet is right up there with his best works. However, I still rate 'concrete blonde' as his finest piece. If you have never read Connelly, I suggest you start right now.

Incidentally, this book even has a sequel with a real twist at the end!