Anna Theurer
This mystery suspense is a well written novel that was both entertaining and at times gripping. The Poet is an enjoyable whodunit mystery with a hint of a thrill and an intriguing storyline featuring a strong female protagonist and a unique serial killer dubbed “The Poet”. While there was some lagging in the middle with a bit of a rushed ending, the plot was well flushed out. I was especially captivated by how the story unfolded. Detective Samantha Jazz is a well developed character with a good head on her shoulders. I enjoyed seeing how her mind worked as she tirelessly strived towards stopping a serial killer that seemed intent in drawing her into his game. I would really like to see the author to continue to write more books that feature her. I would say that the Poet is more of a mystery crime novel than a full on thriller. The process of unraveling just who is “The Poet“ kept me enthralled, but I wouldn’t say there is a lot of edge of your seat suspense. Nonetheless, really enjoyed this read.
5 people found this review helpful
Joelle Egan
Fans of the Inside Out series will be excited to see that Lisa Renee Jones is embarking on a new series. With The Poet, she introduces readers to Samantha Jazz in a police procedural that is deep on character but a bit slapdash with plot coherence. Jazz is a troubled young officer who has had enough drama of her own and is now tasked with chasing down a serial killer who seems to be obsessed with her. The culprit seems to know a thing or two about Jazz and her fondness for poetry, so his signature is leaving victims with quotes placed in their mouths for her to decipher. Jazz is fully developed with an intriguing backstory, complete with clear defensiveness and biases. Jones has her character experience the benefits and drawbacks to her heavy use of intuition and laser focus during an investigation. She also sprinkles in chapters narrated by the killer that provides some insight into his motivations. The book seems abruptly bifurcated with red herrings and implausible consequences. The debatable authority that Jazz is given due to her “expertise” in poetry and her irrational behavior during her pursuit of the Poet are unconvincing and require a good deal of acceptance from the reader. Many who follow these types of fictional accounts would be more savvy about how procedures are followed than the supposedly competent heroine. The Poet is a decent exploration of how human fallibility can lead us astray even when the stakes are highest. Experienced readers of the genre will experience some frustration with how the author requests a suspension of disbelief that may not be worth the effort. Thanks to the author Entangled/Amara and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Erin Lewis
4 star Review of The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones Detective Samantha Jazz takes over the the hunt for a killer known as “The Poet”. Unbeknownst to her, he is manipulating the situation as he wants her to investigate the murders, before she becomes one of his victims. Danger lurks at every corner, will Samantha solve the riddle of the poems left at the scene of the crimes before it is too late? There were so many plots twists that I was kept guessing and I needed to concentrate to ensure I didn’t loose track and to me that is the sign of a good book that has drawn you right in to the storyline. The intrigue, suspense, danger and secrets had me riveted from the first chapter until the last, I was absolutely hooked and feel that this is one of the best examples of romantic suspense I have read in a long time. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.