Book Review: The Poet by Michael Connelly (Jack McEvoy 1)

The Poet was published in 1996 and introduces a new main character to Michael Connelly readers, called Jack McEvoy a crime reporter. It also contains the viewpoint of a paedophile called William Gladden. The novel also includes the first appearance of another Michael Connelly character, Rachel Walling an FBI Agent. The Poet and Agent Walling also tie into the Harry Bosch series too.

McEvoy's brother, a homicide detective with the Denver police has committed suicide in a car in a remote car park. He has left a simple suicide note. It seems that it can only be a suicide but Jack McEvoy refuses to believe this and he starts to dig into his brother's life.

He looks into his brother's last case, the murder of a young woman and he concludes that the suicide was only a staged event and his brother has been murdered by a serial killer. He also discovers that there were other homicide detectives who committed "suicide" in the same fashion. The suicide notes all link to poems by Edgar Alan Poe, hence the book title.

McEvoy joins forces with Agent Walling and the FBI, she is the protégé of the head of the FBI investigation called Robert Backus.

The FBI focus in on William Gladden but it becomes apparent that he did not murder Jack's brother. Jack further discovers links between the "suicides" and the FBI and the plot twists again. Agent Walling seems to be the Poet and the murderer?

However, is she or isn't she? The book is great and there are plenty of twists and turns until you discover the truth. McEvoy is physically attacked and mentally confused as he deals with the clues he is dealt.

A great novel from Michael Connelly as ever.

8/10 for me on this one.