The Devil's Teardrop
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Teardrop is a novel published in 1999, written by author
Jeffery Deaver
. It, like other books of Deaver's, is a suspense
-crime
novel and contains several plot twists. Deaver, whose suspense fiction has been hailed as "a thrill ride between covers" by the Los Angeles Times
, imagines a chilling scenario: a killer who is set to strike on the last night of this century - and unleash a devastation plot of murder and mayhem. The devil's teardrop is also a nickname for obsidian
.
It was the basis for the 2010 made-for-tv movie of the same name.
, 1999. An early morning machine-gun attack by the Digger, an emotionless, robotic killer, leaves dozens dead in the Washington D.C subway system. In a message to the mayor's office, a criminal mastermind demands twenty million dollars by midnight or the capital will again be at the mercy of his accomplice. But en route to the money drop, the devious extortionist is killed in a freak accident. The Digger, without orders to desist, prepares for his midnight massacre. With the ransom note as the only evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon Parker Kincaid, a retired FBI agent and top forensic document examiner, to join the manhunt. By midnight, they must track down the Digger - or for hundreds, the first moments of the new century will be their last moments alive.
Agent Margret Lukas, the agent responsible for the case, wants to either put tracking on the bags, or take the extortionist down when he comes for the money. However, the extortionist never makes it to the drop off point because he is run down by a truck, and the driver flees.
All that Agent Margret has now is a letter, a dead body, and the knowledge that since the Digger had not been called off he will continue to go through the kill times. Assisting her are also Len Hardy and Detective Cage.
At home retired FBI Document Examiner Parker Kincaid is spending time with his daughter and son and studying a letter that may or may not have been written by late President George Washington. It is when he is debating the quality of the letter that his ex-wife, Joan, comes and tells him that she wants custody of the children. To Parker's dismay Joan's worker will be at his house tomorrow.
Parker receives an unwanted call from Cage, an old friend, and Cage tells Parker that he needs Parker's help with a letter based on the subway shootings. Sensing this as a bad idea because of his children, Parker declines. After some time pondering about the shooting and all the innocent children like his own that had died and ensuring his son Robby that 'the Boatman' (a suspect from Parker's past case that tried to break in Robby's window) won't show up, Parker shows up under Lukas' investigation site.
Parker studies the letter and concludes that although the writer seems dumb or foreign by the mistakes he makes, that it is on purpose and the extortionist is actually intellectual. He also makes note of a strange stroke done over the letter 'i' which he dubs the 'Devil's Teardrop'.
In scans conducted by Hardy and Parker there is an imprint on letter caused by being under another piece of paper. The imprint has '-tel' which the team concludes that the second attack site must be a hotel.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Jeffery Deaver
Jeffery Deaver
Jeffery Deaver is an American mystery/crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He later practiced law before embarking on a successful career as a best-selling...
. It, like other books of Deaver's, is a suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
-crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
novel and contains several plot twists. Deaver, whose suspense fiction has been hailed as "a thrill ride between covers" by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, imagines a chilling scenario: a killer who is set to strike on the last night of this century - and unleash a devastation plot of murder and mayhem. The devil's teardrop is also a nickname for obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
.
It was the basis for the 2010 made-for-tv movie of the same name.
Synopsis
From the Back cover: New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, 1999. An early morning machine-gun attack by the Digger, an emotionless, robotic killer, leaves dozens dead in the Washington D.C subway system. In a message to the mayor's office, a criminal mastermind demands twenty million dollars by midnight or the capital will again be at the mercy of his accomplice. But en route to the money drop, the devious extortionist is killed in a freak accident. The Digger, without orders to desist, prepares for his midnight massacre. With the ransom note as the only evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon Parker Kincaid, a retired FBI agent and top forensic document examiner, to join the manhunt. By midnight, they must track down the Digger - or for hundreds, the first moments of the new century will be their last moments alive.
Plot Summary
On New Years Eve morning, 1999, at a busy subway system in Washington, D.C., a killer named 'the Digger' guns down many innocent people at the station. An extortionist sends a letter to Mayor Kennedy demanding twenty million dollars cash to be dropped off at a park in bags. The letter goes on to explain that if his demands are not met the Digger will continue to kill- at 3 p.m.,6 p.m., and Midnight. Kennedy plans on giving the money to the extortionist to ensure no more innocents are harmed and to make sure the public doesn't lose faith in the Mayor as election time is nearing.Agent Margret Lukas, the agent responsible for the case, wants to either put tracking on the bags, or take the extortionist down when he comes for the money. However, the extortionist never makes it to the drop off point because he is run down by a truck, and the driver flees.
All that Agent Margret has now is a letter, a dead body, and the knowledge that since the Digger had not been called off he will continue to go through the kill times. Assisting her are also Len Hardy and Detective Cage.
At home retired FBI Document Examiner Parker Kincaid is spending time with his daughter and son and studying a letter that may or may not have been written by late President George Washington. It is when he is debating the quality of the letter that his ex-wife, Joan, comes and tells him that she wants custody of the children. To Parker's dismay Joan's worker will be at his house tomorrow.
Parker receives an unwanted call from Cage, an old friend, and Cage tells Parker that he needs Parker's help with a letter based on the subway shootings. Sensing this as a bad idea because of his children, Parker declines. After some time pondering about the shooting and all the innocent children like his own that had died and ensuring his son Robby that 'the Boatman' (a suspect from Parker's past case that tried to break in Robby's window) won't show up, Parker shows up under Lukas' investigation site.
Parker studies the letter and concludes that although the writer seems dumb or foreign by the mistakes he makes, that it is on purpose and the extortionist is actually intellectual. He also makes note of a strange stroke done over the letter 'i' which he dubs the 'Devil's Teardrop'.
In scans conducted by Hardy and Parker there is an imprint on letter caused by being under another piece of paper. The imprint has '-tel' which the team concludes that the second attack site must be a hotel.