The Poet (Jack McEvoy #1) by Michael Connelly


Originally published in 1996.

Connelly is an Edgar Award winner (an award for great mysteries that is named after Edgar Allen Poe, the creator of they mystery genre) and, for me, that is usually a great recommendation as an author.

The Poet features Jack McEvoy, a reporter whose specialty is covering murders for his newspaper. This time, the story is about his twin brother, a cop and a presumed suicide who left a disturbing note consisting of a single line from Poe. McEvoy does a lot of digging and discovers that there have been a string of police suicides across the country with "Poe" suicide notes. Soon, he's on the case with an FBI task force and the chase is on to catch the killer they've nicknamed "The Poet."

 This really is a well-written book. The first 100 pages are slow and wallowing in self-reflection and insecurity, as is appropriate for those left behind in the wake of a suicide. Once McEvoy finds the clues leading to a different conclusion, the book picks up in pace until it races along. The ending is full of cliffhangers and I was surprised.

 I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: The Poet by Michael Connelly.

 Reviewed in 2004.

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