"The Devil's Teardrop"
  By Jeffery Deaver

2011 Book Review #13

Booklist Review

 In "The Devil's Teardrop," a genius/madman/psychopath slaughters dozens of innocent people at a subway stop in Washington, D.C., and threatens to continue the bloodshed every four hours until his demands have been met.

Deaver's signature plot technique is to focus on a particular crime-solving method (it was forensics in The Bone Collector, 1996).  Here an FBI handwriting expert tries desperately to stop the murderer by decoding the hidden symbols in his demand letter.

To add to the suspense, the clock ticks mercilessly, and the diabolically brilliant criminal has set up a series of false leads and mazelike traps, forcing the agents to waste precious time and grow increasingly agitated.  Indeed, it seems that the suspect has actually infiltrated the FBI team.

Deaver is at his best here, slowly revealing layer after layer of a twisting and turning plot and building in suspicion and tension very carefully, so that eventually there seems to be something suspicious about each character.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book!  I love everything Jeffery Deaver writes. This one has more twists and turns than most…right up until the end!