If only he'd chosen a different ending! (The Devil's Teardrop - Jeffery Deaver)

Member Name: LukeCroll

Product:	The Devil's Teardrop - Jeffery Deaver
Date:	21/06/00 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very easy to read

Disadvantages: A weak ending

It's Millennium Eve in Washington, DC. A man gets onto an escalator in a crowded metro station and opens fire with a machine gun. He escapes and an hour later, a note is delivered to the Mayor. If a ransom of twenty million dollars is not paid, the killer will strike repeatedly.

The writer of the note is suddenly identified, but there is no way to stop the killer, a separate person. The only clue that the FBI has is the note, and it is up to Parker Kincaid and Margaret Lucas to bring down the killer.

The plot of the book is a good one and it is an interesting idea to have such an intriguing plot twist so early on. However, the twists do not stop there. Throughout the book, the reader is kept guessing, right up until the very end.

However, the finish lets the book down. Whilst an ending should maintain the pace and be as good as the book that preceded it, the ending here was weak and unbelievable. Obviously, it will spoil it if I give any more details, but I think Deaver could have chosen a more believable one, not an ending that seems to be rooted in a fairy-tale.

Parker's puzzles and the Digger's thoughts were a nice idea and I know that I did not work out Parker's riddle. The characters were quite well developed and it was a great idea to give Lincoln Rhyme a cameo appearance.

If you are a fan of the Lincoln Rhyme novels, you should enjoy this just as much. It is a well-written thriller; it's just a pity the ending has a weak spot. I hope that with his next novel, Deaver will rectify this.

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