Play Audiobook Sample
The Poet Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
This audiobook is no longer available through the publisher and we don't know if or when it will become available again. Please check out similar audiobooks below, and click the "Vote this up!" button to let us know you're interested in this title. This audiobook has 17 votes
(4.00) - 26,498 listener ratings
Plot Summary
The Poet, winner of the Dilys Award, is a riveting mystery novel by the acclaimed author Michael Connelly.
It is told from the first-person perspective of Jack McEvoy, a crime reporter who finds out his brother Sean has been killed. A homicide detective, Sean is made to look like he committed suicide, the evidence a one lined note quoting Edgar Allen Poe. It is from Poe's name where the title of the novel, and the name of the murderer comes. Suspecting this is a faked suicide, McEvoy begins his own journey investigating circumstances around his brother's murder.
Soon, a series of similar cases with dead homicide detectives leaving apparent suicide notes with quotations of Poe focus McEvoy's attention. He begins to piece together that a serial killer is involved. The FBI joins the investigation as it opens up, and a romance between McEvoy and another detective ensues. Intrigue upon intrigue are layered and McEvoy finds himself in dire straits with those he suspects of being more than what they seem.
Michael Connelly, who has been awarded every possible award for mystery writers, is author of multiple works of crime fiction and detective novels. He is also the author of The Lincoln Lawyers, which was adapted into a film starring Matthew McConaughey. All of his novels appear in the same fictional universe and there are multiple character crossovers among the novels. It was his obsession with Raymond Chandler's detective stories that inspired him to write, and he would later rent for several years Chandler's former apartment. His early writing career was spent as a journalist, one story for which he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Covering the crime beat in Florida and L.A., he kept his job as a journalist until his fourth novel was published, after which he quit to write full time.
"This book was eerily creepy and engaging. Despite the subject matter of the story, I was enthralled from the get-go and couldn't put the book down when I got to the last 200 pages. The only downfalls were that I read The Lincoln Lawyer first which was a much better book in my opinion, and that I thought there should have been more on the ending than was there."
— Nikki (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
With his four Harry Bosch novels, Michael Connelly joined "the top rank of a new generation of crime writers" (Los Angeles Times). Now Connelly returns with his most searing thriller yet—a major new departure that recalls the best work of Thomas Harris (Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs) and James Patterson (Along Came a Spider).
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 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.…
Here is definitive proof that Michael Connelly is among the best suspense novelist working today.
Download and start listening now!
The Poet Listener Reviews
-
" A great who done it - kind of creapy but very hard to put down "
— Clint, 2/19/2014 -
" Picked up at Friends of Library for 10 cents. A well-written mystery with interesting characters and a complex plot. Anxious to read the sequel. "
— Pat, 2/15/2014 -
" audiobppk "
— Margarita, 2/12/2014 -
" Nice job, good action. The unexpected twist at the end floored me, didn't see it coming. "
— Andy, 2/8/2014 -
" This book hooked me from chapter one. Many surprising twists and turns and even a totally different ending then what you are expecting. Super suspenseful read! 600 pages went very quickly! "
— Stephanie, 2/7/2014 -
" Preposterous story about a newspaper reporter whose brother is dead. Is it murder or suicide? Unfolds into a story about the FBI, with reporter embedded, chasing a serial killer pedofile who uses Poe, drugs and hypnosis to lure and murder his victims. Cliched writing style. Marginally better than its sequel. No more Connelly. "
— Beverly, 1/16/2014 -
" My goal this year is to catch up with Michael Connelly. I had to read The Poet to get ready for The Narrows. Love this author! "
— Cindy, 1/8/2014 -
" Another good read in the car. "
— Hank, 1/7/2014 -
" My dad recommended this book. Connelly is a very good story teller, but I got tired of the profanity he seems to have all his characters use. I would have rated it a 4 if the language was more in line with our everyday usage. "
— Dad, 1/3/2014 -
" Connelly's best! "
— Judy, 1/3/2014 -
" Not the strongest of Connelly's books. "
— Gil, 12/26/2013 -
" Slow starting book but filled with some unexpected twists and turns. Very good book! "
— Mary, 12/7/2013 -
" This was a great read. First book I read by Michael. Can't wait to read more....... "
— Yvonne, 11/4/2013 -
" Love Michael Connelly's books - newspaper crime reporter becomes involved in hunt for serial killer who seemingly kills one victim (usually a child) then hunts and kills the detective investigating the case. Lots of plot twists, good character development. "
— Diane, 11/1/2013 -
" This is one of my favourite books of all time...I don't know what else I can say about it, really. :') "
— Katie, 10/16/2013 -
" One of the darkest I've read from Connelly. "
— Christian, 2/23/2013 -
" Yup. Enjoyed this a lot. Good to see what came before #2 Jack McEvoy. Quite a different feel to Harry Bosch, but still as good. "
— Bettynz, 1/14/2013 -
" Loved this book. Great mystery. "
— Pat, 12/21/2012 -
" Great serial killer, psychological type thriller "
— Jennifer, 4/25/2012 -
" I don't usually read mysteries, but I trusted my dad's judgment on this one. "
— Mrs., 2/17/2012 -
" I really loved this Connelly book. It is in the Jack McEvoy series, a newspaper reporter out of Denver who goes after one of the most horrible serial killers one could imagine. The plot has great unseen twists and turns that you don't see coming, even right up to the end. One of Connelly's best! "
— John, 1/27/2012 -
" Good read if you like grisly crime thrillers. "
— Geni, 12/13/2011 -
" What a terrific mystery! Connelly leads the reader across the USA in search of a cop killer. This is truly a masterpiece of suspense! "
— Marcia, 11/4/2011 -
" I truly enjoyed this thriller which picks up at a good pace half way through and keeps you guessing until the end. Ready to read the next book in the series! "
— Marianne, 10/19/2011 -
" Was not prepared for the end. Good book. I still prefer the Harry Bosch series. "
— Gemma, 9/5/2011 -
" I read a Michael Connelly book, Lincoln Lawyer, and immediately got my kindle and started at the beginning of the list of every book ever written by Michael Connelly. I read them all in order . Some were better than others but all were at least four stars. I guess I love a good police procedural . "
— Scarlett, 6/9/2011 -
" Fantastic book. Didn't see that end coming. "
— Nick, 5/26/2011 -
" I really liked The Lincoln Lawyer, so I decided to try another novel by this author. Another good story. I'm happy that he has written so many books as I plan to make my way through them. Really good storyteller. "
— Debbie, 5/21/2011 -
" It's really late here, so I'll have to write my review tomorrow. <br/>A big thank you to 365andMe, my dearest GR friend. I had such a great time reading this with you. :) "
— Maja, 5/17/2011 -
" This was a great mystery. A book you won't want to put down once you start it. "
— Mike, 5/10/2011 -
" I couldn't put it down. The ending was good. Wonder if he'll reappear "
— Donna, 5/4/2011 -
" A great, great mystery. compelling "
— Linda, 4/19/2011 -
" As if I don't already have enough issues...now, I gotta be paranoid about serial murders, pedophiles (and their contorted network), and corrupt FBI agents. Great. Just great.<br/>Good read, easy read, but you'll walk away a bit more leery. "
— Sean, 4/12/2011 -
" another top notch book by michael connelly "
— Catherine, 4/8/2011 -
" buku yang bagus...mengejutkan di endingnya. "
— Ipak, 4/5/2011 -
" This was my first Michael Connelly and I can't wait to read more. Very suspenseful with a few twists. "
— Sue, 3/30/2011
About Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly, author of suspense thriller and detective mysteries, was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2023. He has written several #1 New York Times bestsellers and numerous titles that made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. He has won most every award given in the mystery and thriller genres, including the Anthony Award for Best Novel and the Barry Award for Best Novel. He is a former newspaper reporter who also won numerous awards for his journalism.
About Buck Schirner
Buck Schirner’s professional career has primarily been on stage as a character actor. He is currently active in the theater scene in Philadelphia. Buck also appears in the independent film In the Woods.