Devil's Teardrop: A Novel of the Last Night of the Century [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Jeffery Deaver (Author), Jay Patterson (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2007

New Year's Eve, 1999. A grisly machine gun attack in the Washington, D.C. subway system leaves dozens dead and the city crippled with fear. A note delivered to the mayor's office connects the massacre to the Digger, an emotionless assassin programmed to wreak havoc on the capital at four-hour intervals, until midnight. Only a ransom of 20 million dollars delivered to his accomplice -- and mastermind -- will end the death and terror. But the Digger becomes a far more sinister threat when his accomplice is killed in a freak accident while en route to the money drop. With the ransom note as the single scrap of evidence, Special Agent Lukas calls upon Parker Kincaid, a retired FBI agent and the top forensic document examiner in the country. Somehow, by midnight, they must find the Digger -- before he finds them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Thriller readers can always count on getting extra value from Jeffery Deaver--strong plots, fascinating research, believable characters, and plenty of surprise endings. Like in The Terminator, the bad guys in The Devil's Teardrop just won't quit, and they create enough havoc in the last 50 pages to fill a whole new book.

Although Deaver's brilliant, wheelchair-bound forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme makes a guest appearance, the muscular scientist in charge here is Parker Kincaid--an expert in document analysis who'd much rather be checking the authenticity of letters from Thomas Jefferson than figuring out when a crazed shooter known as the Digger will strike again. But it's New Year's Eve, 1999, and the Digger has begun a reign of terror--promising to shoot into crowds in Washington, D.C., every four hours until he's paid $20 million. As Kincaid searches an odd ransom note for clues (and tries to maintain a low profile so that his vindictive ex-wife won't get custody of his young kids), we get to know the Digger better. He is a frighteningly invisible character with serious brain damage, who methodically obeys a set of instructions from an unknown handler. We also learn many amazing facts about paper, ink, and handwriting analysis, and watch as a relationship slowly and reluctantly develops between Kincaid and the FBI agent in charge. All this as the devious Deaver leads us down several garden paths overflowing with dead bodies. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

starring Denzel Washington.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Abridged edition (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743561031
• ISBN-13: 978-0743561037
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Deaver, Jeffery

More About the Author

Jeffery Deaver was born outside of Chicago in 1950. His father was an advertising copywriter and his mother was a homemaker. He has one younger sister who writes novels for teenagers ' Julie Reece Deaver.

Deaver wrote his first book ' which consisted of two entire chapters ' when he was eleven, and he's been writing ever since. An award-winning poet and journalist, he has also written and performed his own songs around the country. After receiving a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Deaver worked as a magazine writer, then, to gain the background needed to become a legal correspondent for The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, he enrolled at Fordham Law School. After graduation he decided to practice law for a time and worked for several years as an attorney for a large Wall Street firm. It was during his long commute to and from the office that he began writing the type of fiction he enjoyed reading: suspense novels. In 1990 he started to write full time.

The author of twenty-two novels, Deaver has been nominated for six Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, an Anthony award, a Gumshoe Award, and is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader's Award for Best Short Story of the Year. In 2001, he won the W.H. Smith Thumping Good Read Award for his Lincoln Rhyme novel The Empty Chair. In 2004, he was awarded the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Garden Of Beasts and the Short Story Dagger for "The Weekender." Translated into 35 languages, his novels have appeared on a number of bestseller lists around the world, including the New York Times, the London Times and the Los Angeles Times. The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington as Lincoln Rhyme. A Maiden's Grave was made into an HBO film retitled Dead Silence, starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin.

Jeff has also released two collections of his short stories, called Twisted and More Twisted.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devil's Teardrop will grab and hold you from the first page., November 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Devil's Teardrop: A Novel of the Last Night of the Century (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel) (Hardcover)

Devil's Teardrop is an edge of the seat thriller that is the perfect introduction into the diabolical world that is Jeffrey Deaver's mind. If you read any of his prior works, then you pretty much know what to expect. For those of you who is a first time reader of Deaver's books, such as myself, then prepare for the most intensifying reading before Y2K. Which is ironic, because that is exactly the date that this story takes place. At 9a.m., Dec. 31, 1999, a mass murder takes place in the Metro Station of Washington D.C. committed by a man only known as the Digger. After the murders, a note is left in a phone booth near the Mayor's office. It warns that if $20 million is not paid in full within the next four hours, another mass murder will commence. This will happen every four hours all the way until the midnight hour until the money is paid. To make matters worse, if the writer of the note is killed, the Digger will continue to kill. If the writer of the note is captured, the Digger will continue to kill. With time against them, former forensics expert Parker Kincaid and Special Agent Margaret Lukas have only four hours to decipher the note before another massacre occurs.

Devil's Teardrop is wonderfully written. Deaver's knowledge of forensics and law enforcement slang thrusts the reader into the psychotic and dangerous life of the FBI. The characters have real personalities that help bring the book to life and it successfully thrusts you into this alternate world of chaos and disorder. A highly recommended anyone who likes suspense and thrillers. Then again, it's a highly recommended book for just about anyone who likes to read.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Original, November 21, 1999

By 

Agnes P Lau - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Teardrop: A Novel of the Last Night of the Century (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel) (Hardcover)

This book was phenonmenal! The plot was completely original: using an extortion letter to figure out the criminal's next target and steps for capture on New Year's Eve. The author researched the information very very thoroughly. I had no idea so much detail was entailed in document forensics! From the writing of the words, to conjuctions and sentence structures. It was about thrill to read this book! Each page revealed and new twist. The ending seemed a bit cliche, but Mr. Deavers provided an original twist.

This is a must read. Great GREAT JOB!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MILLENNIUM MADNESS..., December 28, 2000

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Devil's Teardrop (Mass Market Paperback)

Author Jeffrey Deaver does it again! This is an immensely entertaining, page turning read for all thriller enthusiasts. The story line centers around an unknown killer unleashed upon Washington, D.C.. Known as the "Digger", this maniacal killer proceeds into D.C.'s Metro Station at 9:00 AM on New Year's Eve 1999 and begins a shooting spree that leaves many dead. The Digger has been instructed by an unknown criminal mastermind accomplice to kill hordes of people at clocked intervals on the eve of the millennium, unless a twenty million dollar demand for ransom is met. The ransom note is the only communication from this criminal genius who alone can control the actions of the killer. D.C.'s mayor agrees to pay the staggering ransom, but on the way to the drop, the accomplice appears to have been killed in a freak traffic accident. Who can now stop the "Digger" from his appointed rounds?

Enter Parker Kincaid, document examiner extraordinaire and former FBI agent. Kincaid has been called back as a consultant to assist the FBI who need to stop the killer before he kills again. Kincaid is a wonderful, fully fleshed character. A single parent with his own share of troubles, he is as interesting as is Lincoln Rhyme, another of Deaver's characters around whom several of his books have revolved. Interestingly enough, Rhyme has a cameo appearance in this book which should give Deaver's fans an added kick while reading this book. Like Rhyme, Kincaid is a master of deductive reasoning and is a thinking person's detective. It is interesting how his analysis of the ransom note provides clues for the FBI to follow up in their quest to stop the killer before it is too late.

The book is filled with numerous plot twists and turns, which should provide even the most jaded devotees of thrillers with a satisfying read. This action packed book keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think it's all over, you are yet once again surprised. The only criticism is that the end of the book strains the imagination. It almost borders on the absurd. Yet such is Deaver's writing that this does not impact unduly on the absolute enjoyment one will get from reading this book. It is a riveting read!