The Poet

​The Poet
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Length: 385 pages
 
            
            Before I start, here is the summary of this novel that grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go:
 
“A detective with a dark secret...

Samantha Jazz used to be one of the top profilers in the Austin PD, living for the chase of hunting down a killer and bringing him to justice. That is, until one bad case nearly destroyed her.

A killer with a hidden agenda...

There’s a new kind of serial killer on the loose––and people are turning up dead. The only clues to their murders lie in the riddles the killer leaves behind. A mystery with more questions than answers, and a suspicion that he’s taunting Samantha.

A dead body wrapped in a riddle...

Samantha will have to use all her wits to solve each new puzzle before the killer can strike again. But the closer she gets to the killer, the more she draws him to her as well. And in this thrilling game of cat and mouse––only one of them will survive.”
 
            This was a very entertaining novel to read and I don’t usually go for fiction so much.  Here we have a story about a very dedicated law enforcement officer, Detective Samantha Jazz, and her intense and persistent pursuit of one of the most dangerous serial killers she’s ever encountered.  And in this particular detective, we not only have a workaholic with an intense, but calm, personality, but we also have a woman with a profound and somewhat dark past.
 
            Detective Jazz’s life is her job.  And her job is her career, not just a job.  Like a lot of other law enforcement personnel, she eats, sleeps, and breathes being a cop.  Her profession permeates every aspect of her life, every aspect of her existence.  She has a partner named Lang, who is somewhat the stereotypical male lifer in the department.  He’s seen more than his share of horrors, he’s very blunt, perhaps a little bitter, and he’s definitely a pain in the ass.  He's full of smartass remarks and witty comments, a lot of each said at many inopportune times.  However, Detective Jazz can most assuredly hold her own against any member of the good ol’ boys club and she can fire back at Lang, or anyone else, with just as much wit, vim, and vigor as they throw at her.  Sometimes she adds a little sauciness just for fun.
 
            Her adversary in this dramatic tale is a serial killer she has dubbed, The Poet.  She chose this moniker because of the unique signature he displays in his killings.  At first, this presents as a relatively normal investigation.  However, Jazz soon realizes that The Poet is somehow very familiar with her and her personal life, and the people in her life.  This of course intensifies the entire situation, raising both the danger level and the need to catch this perpetrator.
 
            In the course of her pursuit of this murderous deviant, she finds that, like many serial killers, this particular offender is of high intelligence, challenging her intellectual capabilities as well as her detective skills.  During the investigation, we also find out more and more about Detective Jazz, her past, and her way of thinking, her personality.  All of this combines to create a thrilling and suspenseful chase of a brazen and daring killer on the loose.  And it’s up to Detective Jazz to stop him.
 
THE END
 
            I was intrigued by the summary of this book, but after the first two pages, I was hooked.  I had had this novel on my reading list for a very long time.  I finally got to this book’s turn on my list and was super excited to read it at last.
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Author, Lisa Renee Jones

Opinion Dominion:

This author is a great writer.  The amount of detail expressed in this piece of work is crucial to the suspense and anticipation the content invokes.  From the very beginning, I was on the edge of my seat anxious to read the next chapter.  This was one of those stories that, as the reader, you are constantly trying to solve the case along with the detectives.  With each new victim, we get new clues.  We are presented with an array of people that are involved in this case.  Some are obviously harmless and not the killer.  Some characters are a little on the creepy side and somewhat suspicious but don’t have the serial killer vibe.  Others are the kind of characters you just know have to be dirty in some way, but are they the killer?  
 
The way this author reveals tiny pieces of the story at a time reflects the path detectives and other law enforcement officials must take to solve each crime.  While sometimes it may seem tedious, each little clue is another piece of the giant jigsaw puzzle one has to complete to solve and close a case.  In my opinion, the flow of the case in this novel is fairly realistic.  Without having worked in law enforcement, I can only form that opinion based on my experience being raised by a police officer and growing up directly associating with all kinds of law enforcement personnel from patrol officers to judges.  This case in this novel moved much like a real investigation.  The author was very careful to make sure that the details of the case and the investigation were realistic and believable.  Again, in my opinion, she did an excellent job.
 
I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes crime fiction, detective stories, or anything full of suspense, keeps you on pins and needles and keeps you guessing, just like the rollercoaster the police go through when trying to work a case.  After reading this book, this is an author I am going to follow on Goodreads.com and see what other works she has available.
 
 
RATINGS
5/5 Stars
 
            

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