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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Graphic violence — a serial killer targeting law enforcement; the crime scenes; the investigation
Language
Some
Moderate profanity
Sexual Content
Some
Moderate — the Poet's crimes involve sexual violence; handled seriously but present
Substance Use
Barely any
Mild — the journalism world
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The Poet's pattern — what the Poe quotes mean; the FBI's search; Jack's investigation as a reporter with access that police don't have
What this book is about
Crime reporter Jack McEvoy's twin brother Sean, a Denver homicide detective, apparently shoots himself. The note quotes Edgar Allan Poe. As Jack investigates, he finds other detective suicides across the country — all with Poe quotes. The FBI is already investigating a serial killer they've never caught, called the Poet. The Poet is a standalone thriller — Connelly's breakout beyond the Bosch series; one of the most praised crime novels of the 1990s.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A serial killer targeting police detectives — an unusual victim profile
Edgar Allan Poe quotes — the literary connection to the crimes
Sexual violence in the Poet's pattern — present, handled seriously
Connelly's standalone that crossed him into mainstream thriller fiction
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