Thank you Netgalley for the oppportunity to read the POET by Lisa Renee Jones. This is mystery with a very solid main character.
Police procedural and more.
good read. 3 stars.

This was a very interesting story that had me guessing who exactly is The Poet. Detective Jazz is on a case that might be too close for comfort. Great story with great characters that had me hooked. Another amazing read by Lisa Renee Jones that everyone must read.

First off, I need to thank Netgalley for getting me a copy of this book soo soo early. I’m going to start off by saying that I had no idea that one of my favorite ‘Romance’ writers also wrote in other genres. Perhaps I should have dug into her more, but Lisa Renee Jones has managed to keep me so entertained over the years that I felt no need until I ran out of series to follow.

Anyhow, we have a thriller on our hands here, The Poet is a murder / serial killer mystery that takes so many different twists and turns. We start off years in the past at what likely is the beginning of it all, when we’re in a classroom watching a student struggle to read a poem, which them turns into a bullying situation after class and interestingly a dead body being found the next morning.

We fast forward into the future where our main character is a Detective who’s one of the best at solving murder cases. Detective Samantha Jazz is the daughter of the Police Captain who was just murdered 3 months prior, and the goddaughter of the Police Chief, so she’s connected but she’s gotten to where she is on her own merit. When she’s back from leave from her father’s death, she’s quickly back into things where she’s called to sub in on a case where the killer left a poem in the victim’s mouth, an no one knows what it means. Sam is a Poet Master of sorts, ran a poetry club in college etc, and now she’s putting all that good learning to use.

The journey in this book is a complex one. We see the road that Sam has to go down to heal from her father’s death, and on top of that, she learned that her father wasn’t the cleanest of cops so there’s the stigma that comes along with that. She’s also trying to find her footing when she’s not exactly sure where she fits in anymore. She’s recently in limbo in a relationship and she’s not sure who she can trust.

The research that our author clearly did to make this story come to life was intense. We watch the process of examining a case from all angles, from the cops to the ME to the DA etc. We also watch how they form their hypothesis of who’s the suspect and how to track them down. We’re drawn down path after path on certain characters, never quite knowing if they are the culprit or not. On top of this though, there’s the fact that the detective who was assigned to the case previously is now missing and no one knows where he’s gone and if he’s alive.

Characters that we want to believe on our side are set up to seem as though they could be dirty or suspect. There’s a detective named Jackson that Sam wants to bring into the team but she gets an off feeling and he’s always where he’s not supposed to be, and at the same place as the presumed suspect. making him suspect.

While they’re trying to solve this murder mystery, there’s also a bit of romance to keep things on the same tone as what we get from LRJ, although not nearly as ‘erotic’ for lack of a better word. Sam’s ‘ex’ of sorts, Wade, comes back to help both professionally and personally since he’s FBI. We see that relationship take on a new form and want to have hope for the future.

What I will say about this story is that the path to the killer uncovers quite a bit of interesting ‘stuff’. No one is innocent and yet there’s a surprise twist nonetheless. I think you guys should definitely try to find this book when it’s out in March because I could NOT put it down

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I will never read poetry the same again. Intriguing and well written thriller. The characters are strong, and you will never see the twists coming.

Detective Jazz is a law enforcement officer with the Austin, Tx Police Department. She has been on admin leave pending her part in her father's actions and death on duty as an APD officer. Her whole life is invested in her police career and she has been cleared of any wrong doing. Her character is a strong, independent woman who has many friends and co workers who are excellent, believable supporting characters. She has been assigned to investigation a death that includes lines from a poem left in the victim's mouth. Jazz has an extensive background in poetry she acquired as she grew up. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that the killer knows her.

This was a good, not great read. It had some very great parts where the tension and the story was taking you deep into the "thriller" part of a thriller but then it seemed as if the author didn't quite know how to introduce the killer to the readers so he just appeared. There was quite a bit of emphasis on the detective's father and her relationship with him, but it didn't seem to go anywhere. Lisa Renee Jones has given us a police thriller that has a unique backstory....it just left me a little flat in the end.

I found this book to be a rather mediocre mystery. At times the storyline bogged down and was a slow read. When the bad guy isn’t even part of the story until the last few pages, I find that quite anticlimactic. When I read a mystery I like to try to figure out the outcome. That was taken away.

Review of Advance Reading Copy eBook

A serial killer stalks the city, leaving a paper containing bits of poetry in the mouths of his victims. Austin Detective Samantha Jazz, assigned to the case after the original investigator vanishes, soon identifies a suspect and relentlessly sets out to prove her case.

But what if her suspect is not the culprit, after all? And what will happen when Sam finally realizes that the poetry messages left at the scene of each crime are messages to her?

Told from the viewpoints of Detective Jazz and The Poet, the story is dark and, in the beginning, intriguing. However, the minutia of the investigation, clearly detailed in the comprehensive police procedurals related in the story, tends to bog down the flow of the story for the reader.

Once Sam’s inquiries and research identify a person of interest, she feels certain this is the culprit and her investigation seems to move from harassment to something bordering on obsession, which is particularly frustrating in light of the oft-repeated claim of her singular proficiency as a detective. In addition, it tends to make the story a bit predictable and does nothing to keep the reader invested in the telling of the tale.

The characters, particularly Sam, Ethan Lang, and Wade Miller, are well-drawn and believable. The idea of the narrative is captivating; however, the ending feels a bit like having a peripheral character tossed into the story to tie up the plot and, as a result, keeps the narrative from being truly compelling.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Entangled Publishing LLC/Entangled Amara and NetGalley
#ThePoet #NetGalley

Gripping, intriguing and full of complex characters! This is unlike any book this author has written and it's a stellar step into the suspense/thriller genre.
There is a lot happening in this story and it lays the groundwork for what promises to be a bestselling series. Sam is a standout in law enforcement heroines. Her dedication to her calling makes the reader wholly invested in her. The depths of this character have only scratched the surface and I can't wait to see her develop. Wade and Lang are also interesting without overtaking the focus. Both play excellent supporting roles to both Jazz and the mystery.
Fans of Lisa Renee Jones have come to expect the intense romance aspect to her stories but that isn't what you get here. There is a relationship but it is a small aspect of Jazz's life leaving the focus on the character and the mystery. I think Sam will remind readers a lot of Lilah Love without Kane.
The mystery is full of action, suspense, and hold your breath moments. Just when you think you have the answers you are thrown a twist that leaves your mouth hanging open. The ending had me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for the next book!

I really enjoyed reading The Poet, it was unlike any suspense novel I have read. The Detective in charge of the case is very focused on the individual that she thinks is her killer. Once she believes the case is solved she quits the Police Department and goes to work as a consultant for the FBI. However, The Poet starts asking for her again and that is when she realizes that the entire case is connected to her.

I thought that Sam is a well rounded character, she gets very focused on solving the puzzles that are put in front of her, and that she needs to focus more on herself and what makes her happy. While some of the outlying characters were necessary, it seemed at times others would show up and not be needed. There were a lot of moving parts with the investigations, and I'm glad that we go to see her actually do that, so I can understand why there were so many secondary characters. I'm also glad that we weren't really shown who the killer was until the end. We, like Detective Sam, think it is one person and with the little tidbits of his life we agree. Then we see everything from a different perspective and can see how it connects to the Prolog and it become ah ha. Good book, a little creepy at times, but I recommend it!

I received a copy of THE POET by LISA RENEE JONES. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE Stars and here’s why:

TOTAL BOOK HANGOVER. Entangled has done it again with another fantastic author and story that kept me up all night long. I suffered from whiplash from several plot twists and turns! Detective Samantha Jazz was the perfect heroine and her partner Ethan Langford worked well together. I loved the infusion of wit into the tense story, which gave the reader a little respite from all of the suspense. In all honesty, I didn’t know who the killer was until the very end! So well written. But what kept me turning the pages was the way the author explored family, friendship, and a desire to persevere despite the odds. I was captivated by this book from start to finish.

Highly recommend.

The Poet by Lisa Renee Jones a four-star read that could have been a two. I started this one twice before I finally managed to get through it, I struggled with my rating as in some ways it’s a very clever story, but then in others I had to force myself to read it, and that as surprised me as I have ripped through this author’s work before. The ending made the story in my eyes, if it wasn’t that I would have been forced to give it two.

A killer that writes to the detective, she just isn’t quick enough to pick up that he is killing for her. Very dark and mysterious. Quite well done with the twists and turns. Very entertaining

I really liked this book, but it had its drawbacks. For most of this book, I kept wondering if it was the second in a series, because it referred to backstories without giving any detail. I eventually got the whole picture, by the end of the book. But it was distracting. So was the very detailed description of police processes. This is more of a police procedural than a thriller.

We start off with a prologue that sets your mind in motion and I wasn’t sure where it was going but it had me very intrigued. Once the first chapter unfolded, keeping the prologue in mind, I was caught up in the story immediately. Our heroine is Detective Samantha Jaz who is a legacy police officer in her department as her father was an officer before her, although he was dirty. She is a good detective and tries hard to do the right thing and not have her father’s shadow hanging over her.

Sam and her partner, Ethan Langford, are assigned to a case that a previous officer left mid-investigation involving a murder where the killer uses poetry to leave clues for the police. Sam studied poetry in college and is somewhat of an expert, so she dives headfirst into the investigation. As Sam digs deeper into the investigation, she realizes some things are very familiar about the killer and that he might have her in his sights as well.

I am a huge fan of Dennis Lehane, Jeffrey Deaver, and Patricia Cornwell so to say this novel is my jam well it really is. One of the reasons I read Lisa Renee Jones is because of the romantic suspense. Although there was no romance in this book, the suspense is spot on. I love the detail she covers for the law enforcement aspect of this book because it is very well done. She took the time to find out how things work during a homicide investigation. The dynamic between the detectives, patrol officers, Medical Examiner, superiors, and outside agencies was very well handled. The plot was unique, smart, and compelling and I really hope this becomes a series!

This is a great page turner! It's fast-paced when it needs to be and slower-paced when it should be. I liked the relationship between Lang and Jazz, their dialogue was for the most part funny and has a lot of crude humor.

I will say that a lot of the book is spent on someone who is clearly not the correct suspect and a lot of bad goes down because of this mistake and I spent most of those sections saying (out loud) WHY ARE THEY GOING AFTER THIS PERSON WHO IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE RIGHT PERSON!???

I found this to be reminiscent of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles series, which I absolutely love by the way, but The Poet is a lot more tame in describing the crime scenes. It's amazing that Lisa Renee Jones had so many people to call on for information that helped her write out parts of her book so it is more accurate as to procedures and how things really go down.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I recommend The Poet if you enjoy -
• Strong female lead
• Sass
• Snarky dialogue


Trigger Warning:
Domestic abuse (mentioned), pedophilia (mentioned), drug abuse, language.


Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

You know how when you’re dreaming you are just kind of thrust into the middle of the dream, everything all murky because there was no beginning point to guide you? That’s how it felt when I started this book. It was like we were just thrown in amongst the characters lives, expected to know who they were without ever having actually been introduced to them and being given any sort of background information on them. It was like starting a book from the midway point instead of the beginning.

In general I just thought this book was okay. I was pretty letdown by it if i’m being honest. When I first came across it it immediately shot up to the top of my most anticipated reads list. But between the lackluster beginning, less than thrilling plot with a lot of boring and unnecessary scenes, this wasn’t quite the page turner I was hoping it would be. The suspense wasn’t there, aside from the ending, which is very unfortunate, because I expect more suspense in my thrillers, not just from the endings. The reveal of the killer wasn’t exactly a bang, and I was just very underwhelmed by everything that this book had to offer.

I like Lisa Renee Jones’ writing though, so I would give her work another try. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

Mystery and suspense galore

This book has intriguing mystery and has you guessing all throughout. I liked the poetry touch and the way Detective Jazz worked the case. I appreciate the opportunity NetGalley gave me of reading an advance reader copy of this book.

This wasn't as exciting as I wanted it to be. The description sounded really fun and intriguing, but this was honestly not a page-turner at all.
First of all, this book could have been a lot shorter. So much time was wasted on boring procedural, leads which led nowhere, and just unnecessary scenes. There was honestly barely any suspense, except for the ending. The killer reveal wasn't exactly surprising, but at least there was something happening. I just felt like the pacing was really off.
The beginning was also slightly confusing to me because it felt like the middle book of a series. The characters weren't introduced and instead, it felt like you should already know them, which made getting into the book rather hard.
The end was pretty decent, I liked how the story was wrapped up, and compared to the beginning, the book did get better. I had just hoped for more consistency.

I like how the characters were presented, but I did not feel it's a thriller, more police procedural/crime. Detective Jazz has to solve a complicated case, a serial killer that loves poetry. Not many people understand pietry, thats why Samanta Jazz is called to find the killer. I liked the plit, but, in my opinion, to much talk, less action.
Thank you Netgalley for this Arc.

I received this book as ARC, but I give my honesty option.
FANTASTIC, Lisa Renee Jones has out done herself. Her talents for writing a great stories is not just Romance, Suspense, but now she has a hell’a Murder Mystery.
I read the Prologue real slow hoping to get hints... I reread the poet verses looking for the answer.... I got 90% done and had no clue, so the Ending was FANTASTIC!