New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones delivers a gripping new thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. 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 … 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.
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If you’re looking for a page turner that’s smart and haunting look no further. The plot is fiendishly clever, and unexpected with twists and turns, and shocks along the way just as you think you know where the story is headed. A pure non stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end. If you’re looking for a cat and mouse thriller that brings plenty of chills, this one’s for you.
This was such an experience, I was absolutely engrossed, sucked into this incredibly intricate, captivating, thrilling story. I had no clue where the story was going to take me but I was in for the ride!! And Gahh, the anticipation of what was to come with each chapter just hooked me into the story more and more. I loved getting to try to use my detective skills when it came to trying to figure out the connection between these characters would be at the conclusion of this book and WOW, what a surprise it was. But that’s what I both expect and need from this author. I don’t want the usual and Lisa Renee Jones delivers impeccably once more.
A real intense, addictive, page turner! An emotionally gripping book that I won’t soon forget. This five star read will blow you away. So lock your doors and windows,and sit in the corner as you read this one, because The Poet is watching, he’s judging, and some will be judged unworthy!
Received an early copy for a honest review.
The Poet is the first book in a new romantic suspense series by this author. She’s a new-to-me author in the sense that I’ve never read any of her books, but I’ve seen her name around a good bit, and I’m a huge romantic suspense junkie, and the blurb sounded pretty amazing, so I jumped right in. Too bad I chose to do that at 9 pm.
Samantha Jazz is our complex heroine. She’s reeling from her father’s recent death and has a lot of emotional events surrounding that death that are pulling at her. She’s a no-nonsense detective, so she’s desperately trying to compartmentalize it all and find this insane serial killer. Assisting her are her partner, Lang, and her fairly recent ex, Wade. There were moments where I thought maybe her relationship with Lang would go differently, but I was happy to see that it didn’t change trajectory in the end. And Wade is just swoony. Lucky gal to have both of these men care about her. I would love to see Lang get his own book, though. Something about him reminded me of Don Johnson’s character, Crockett, on Miami Vice. I was pretty young when I watched that show, probably too young for its content, so that that memory might be a bit through rose-colored glasses, but alas, Lang did appear in my head as a young Don Johnson. Not sure what that says about me, but there it s.
The story’s prologue had me a bit confused, and I wondered if I was going to be able to enjoy the book, but chapter one pulled me in from the get-go. When I finally reached the end of the story (because there was no way I could put it down for something as trivial as sleep), I realized this story had quite literally kept me up almost the entire night. As an avid (rabid??) romantic suspense reader, I’m pretty picky about those stories having to meet high standards in order for me to say that I love them. At 4:45 am, it was easy to say that The Poet met, then proceeded to exceed some of my high standards. The timeline isn’t quite 100% linear, but that’s a very effective writing strategy to build the mystery and anticipation in good romantic suspense. And I couldn’t quite figure out our villain’s identity before it was revealed, which is a very good thing. Suffice it to say that I’m very much looking forward to what comes next in this series.
NICUnurse’s Rating: I give The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones 4.5 out of 5 stars!
4.5 stars
Detective Samantha Jazz is called to take over an investigation of a murder case in Austin, TX that involves poison as well as poetry. Her wonderful grandfather taught her about poetry when she was younger, and infused a love of the genre within her. It turns out that the perpetrator loves poetry as well, and has a desire to match wits with Samantha on this case. For support, Samantha pulls in her work partner, Lang, as well as an ex-boyfriend, Wade Miller, who is an FBI agent working in Austin. Working together with others in the APD, they hope to outsmart this killer before he or she kills again.
This book draws the reader in from the start. The various threads are woven together expertly in the way that Ms. Jones is known for throughout her successful writing career. The tension picks up at times when needed, but stays fairly normal for much of the investigative portion of the book. The killer always seems just a half a step ahead, and Samantha can’t figure out how or why this keeps happening. The pace is steady for the most part; however, there are a few times when it slows as readers are given necessary information, The book seems long, but this is not a reflection on the author, but rather on the myriad of different things happening while reading this book (polar vortex leading to loss of power and water, a flooded home, covid-19 escalation, vaccine distribution, political unrest, etc.). In spite of everything else going on, this story held the interest of this reader, and propelled me to the end.
The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones is the first book in a new series and gives us a suspenseful story about a serial killer and the detective out to solve the case. But is it more personal than Detective Samantha Jazz knows? When the lead investigator goes missing, Samantha takes the lead and must work to understand the words left behind by the killer. With baggage she carries from her past, she has a lot to prove as well. Now Samantha must find the connection to the killings and to her. How will all end?
The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones was intriguing and captivating.
Happy reading!
The Poet was a little too slow for me and extremely procedural. I was looking forward to the crimes and catching the murderer but I predicted the killer early on and it was a bit repetitive at times. Overall the story itself is intriguing.
I love mysteries, so I was happy to get this one to read in advance. My joy, however, was short-lived because the mystery fell flat for me. It was all a very dark story involving a quirky police detective named Samantha Jazz and a serial killer nicknamed The Poet. Samantha is basically a loner, with few relationships and kind of a flat character. The Poet is crafty and determined to capture Samantha in his net, since she is his ultimate victim. I liked the varying points of view, from Samantha to the killer. I liked the complicated plot, but I never really figured out a lot of the twists. The pacing seemed very slow to me; at times, I just wanted the author to move the story along. Part police procedural and part crime mystery, the book had plenty of suspects but it really did not grab my interest as I had expected. It was a decent mystery, but not compelling or riveting, so I don’t think I would opt to read a sequel.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive book review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
4.5 stars- THE POET is the first instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult SAMANTHA JAZZ suspense series focusing on Detective Samantha Jazz.
Told from dual first person point of view (Jazz and The Poet) THE POET follows Detective Samantha Jazz as she is handed an ongoing investigation into a killer Detective Roberts has dubbed ‘The Professor’ but Detective Roberts is missing forcing Samantha Jazz to work through the information on her own. With the help of fellow detective Ethan ‘Lang’ Langford, and FBI Special Agent Wade Miller, Samantha begins to unearth a pattern of poetry and jazz, newly dubbing the suspect ‘The Poet’ leading our heroine to believe she is the inevitable target of a twisted mind.
THE POET is a fascinating, thrilling and suspense filled story of obsession and madness, betrayal and revenge. Lisa Renee Jones pulls the readers into a twisted, haunting and complex tale; a detailed and ever evolving story of mania and madness. For fans of the author’s LILAH LOVE series, there are many similarities that parallel one another.
The Poet is aptly titled where poetry and ‘Jazz’ are the key elements, and no, I am not giving away anything as I would never do that. This suspense novel has all the hallmarks of a police drama and come to think about it, it possibly would make a good TV movie.
The killer is a twisted person who is completely sure of himself.
There were times when I felt the story dragged a little and to be honest I started to scan the words quickly, however, there were many other times when the excitement was turned up to full volume with me sitting on the edge of my seat. I completely slotted each and every character into the killer’s role to see if they fit because I had no idea and trusted nobody! This story is cleverly written to gradually add pieces of the mystery puzzle, but then they get turned around on you, and you end up trying to slot them back together again.
The cat and mouse game the killer played with the lead detective would have spooked me too much but she handled it well, as a police officer of course, but I like how she showed her vulnerabilities too. I liked Detective Samantha Jazz, after her recent trauma, she bounced back quickly. I was impressed with her internal reflection and self honesty as well.
Oh boy the ending sure is an exciting and nail-biting time but a true summit where the ‘goodie’ face off with the ‘baddie’. This is an entertaining read and one where romance is strictly on the back burner, a nice change of pace.
The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones is a crime thriller.
The story is about a homicide detective Samantha Jazz who tries to arrest a serial killer “the Poet”.
A few months after her father’s death a detective goes missing and Samantha gets his last case because she had a good knowledge of poetry.
The serial killer was leaving little poems inside his victims’ mouths and Sam was the only one who could solve these puzzles in order
to arrest him. Not long after her involvement in this, she realizes that this case is more personal than she thought. The guy seems to
have an obsession with her and he tries to trap her. That makes her more determined to catch him, even if she has to follow her father’s
steps to do it.
It is a well-written book with a great, gripping storyline. It’s filled with mystery and action. The descriptions of the scenes are very
detailed that makes it easier to visualize them. You have to invest time in this book because it’s not easy to follow with the constant
loops that the author throws you. There are three things that make a good mystery for me: 1) the enjoyment of the “hunt”, 2) the doubting
of yourself, 3) when you don’t find the killer until the very end. This story has all of them. What I liked the most was the fact that
the Poet appeared so classy and clean but also obviously crazy. Also, I loved how this case was connected with her personal relationships,
(friends, lover, family).
From the moment I started reading, I was so engaged with it and I couldn’t wait to finish it. I will rate it with 4.5 stars.
An astounding read. Samantha makes a very compelling detective and hero. It is twisted tale in which you will never see the ending coming. The author does an excellent job of keeping readers guessing who the murderer is as they turn the pages. The characters are wonderful. The arc of the story is great. This is a wonderful start to the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
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.
I was looking forward to read this thriller as I’ve seen it around a lot and I enjoyed other books by the author in the past.
It’s a very slow start but I think it’s expected as we just get to know the heroine and all the details and crimes are starting to pile up and more questions arise . Questions that will be answered one way or another by the end of the book.
To be honest, I predicted who was the poet after the prologue, better said , I had my theories that one of the two people will be the culprit of this story but I that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.
I’m looking forward to read more about detective Samantha Jazz and her team in the next books ( that’s just my hope that there will be more)
There’s a serial killer on the loose and it’s become quite personal for Austin Police Detective Samantha Jazz.
Samantha Jazz’s father was her Captain, and as it turns out was a dirty cop, who was gunned down right in front of her. She’s working on dealing with the fallout from that. Now she has been assigned to a murder case because of her background. Victims are poisoned with cyanide and a paper with lines from poems are left in the victim’s mouth. The Austin PD detective assigned to the first murder investigation has seemingly disappeared. Samantha gets the case because she has a background with poetry. She is being assisted by her sometimes partner Ethan Langford and police IT/computer forensics guru Chuck Waters. Adding to the tension of solving the case and hopefully preventing more murders is the apparent drive by this serial killer to make these murders a personal challenge for Detective Jazz. The killer is obsessed with her. Now that’s a scary thought.
The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones has a very detailed police procedural storyline. Police hunches are fine but evidence is what matters. Detective Samantha Jazz has to go above and beyond to catch the perpetrator. That perpetrator is a very, very evil person. The murders are gruesome There’s lots of action throughout. I found myself reading as quickly as I could to get to the end of the story. I just had to know how it ended.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a page-turner. Could not put it down. Love the books that LRJ writes that include a strong heroine that takes no crap. Such a great job of sucking you into the who done it, then to the how is it going to end. Great Book!!!
The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones is a little different story than most of her books but I loved it. She has a way that really hooks you in. This book takes you on a wild ride trying to figure out who the serial killer is. This is a great mystery suspense read. I highly recommend it!!!
Oh my gosh! This was one intense read!
Samantha was one gutsy heroine. I loved that she wasn’t so hardened and crude as some heroines in law enforcement are created to be. She was fierce enough to know she could get the job done, but never mean or rude to those around her. Her relationship with her partner and her ex shed a light on who she truly was inside and I liked everything about her.
This has a lot of drama to it. Once it starts there is no slowing down. It never bogs or gets repetitive. Instead, it’s like a snowball rolling down hill. When the plot hits a certain point, it picks up speed and there was no way I was closing this book until I knew how it all ended. My heart was racing and each time I reached one of those amazing LRJ twists, I was gasping and clutching at my Kindle.
This is not a romance, although there is a love interest involved. Only to the very smallest degree is their relationship brought into the mix. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this couple if there are any future books. And I have to confess I was thrilled that this didn’t drop me off a cliff! I actually want another book although it’s not required!
I generally love Lisa Renee Jones’s and while The Poet is a good read it wasn’t quite as good as I expected.
Det. Samantha Jazz is very good at her job. The Poet is very good at killing and not getting caught. The Poet is making his kills personal to Sam.
There is a lot of suspense, well-defined characters (good and bad) and several red herrings in this story. Jones gives us characters that are a little gray as to whether they’re likable. The people who work with Sam often, if not always, leave you wondering, “is the killer him/her?” The revelation of new clues and subsequent murders happen at a good pace. There’s plenty of intense suspense, a bit of romance;
Sam is too like Lilah Love, without the swearing, from another series. They’re both intense, very adept women chasing killers in a man’s world and their personalities were very similar.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Entangled: Amara.
Poet is a murder mystery/ thriller by Lisa Renee Jones. The story main character Samantha is a police detective and the Poet a serial killer. While investigating the Poet, the case and Poet’s attention turns personally towards Samantha. The story line is very well written and the characters are very well developed. The story has the normal twists and turns that you come to expect from a murder mystery/ thriller. This book was another great read by Lisa Renee Jones
3.5-3.75 stars
I liked this one overall. Very much a crime mystery/police procedural, not much of a thriller. It kind of reminded me of the James Patterson books I used to read and enjoy…just more wordy, lol.
I liked the characters, especially Sam, and am intrigued by the relationship she has with her partner, Lang. If this became a series revolving around Sam I would read another book. The weakest aspect of the story to me was the killer. I dunno, I needed more, more suspense, more gore, more of a connection…I just wasn’t wowed with anything about the final reveal. I was still immersed in the story and enjoyed reading it however, it kept my attention.
Tag line: well crafted procedural police detective story with relatable lead character leaving you wanting more
The Poet introduces us to Lisa’s latest detective series with Samantha (Sam) Jazz set in Austin, TX. For those who enjoyed the Lilah Love mysteries you will find Detective Jazz story a must read.
Spoiler review summary
Det. Sam Jazz followed her father into police work, becoming a detective at a very young age. Growing up, her father was her idol until he is killed in her presence revealing that he was a dirty cop. This series of events, starts Sam questioning her work choice, trust in her skills and others around her. She returns to work three months after her father’s death, with both her captain and partner questioning if she is ready after the recent events.
She lands a new murder case due to the previous lead detective suddenly “disappearing”, accepting a new job in Houston, on short notice. She dubs the murdered “the Poet” since he leaves short snipets of famous poems in the mouths of victims. As she investigates with her partner Ethan Langford and the assistance of FBI ex-boyfriend Wade Miller, she starts to realize that this case in very personal, and that “The Poet” may be targeting her in some manner, possibly related to her father’s corruption.
Lisa has woven an intricate detective story that engages the reader and leaves us wanting for more. Not everything is tied up neatly, though it is not a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to more of Sam and where her career goes. Her relationship with Wade is definitely not over and reminds me Patricia Cornwall Kay Scarpetta mysteries