Title: Tear Drop
Author: Joanne Clancy
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Fiction
Publishing date: 27th August, 2015
My Rating: 4/5 stars
*ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Synopsis:
The crimes of the past echo in the present…
THE SERIAL KILLER
Ross Campbell vanished almost a decade ago, and since then nothing has been heard from the serial killer known as Teardrop…until now.
An Irish newspaper receives a chilling letter claiming to be from Campbell, which promises a new reign of terror.
As death stalks the dark streets of Cork City, it soon becomes clear to the police and the media that a serial killer is on the loose.
THE DETECTIVE
Elizabeth Ireland, a former detective with The Metropolitan Police, was the lead investigator on the original case when Campbell vanished.
THE SECRET
However, only she believes that Campbell didn’t send the letter. She embarks upon a frightening psychological journey to uncover the killer’s identity, where she’s pulled into a lethal game in which the killer sets the rules and waits for her next move.
With the crimes of the past echoing in the present, can she find the killer before he strikes again?
My take:
Wow! What to say? I always love books that challenge me. Whenever I read mystery and thriller novels, I try to solve the mystery as I go on and if I can get the mystery befor the author reveals it then that book kind of disappoints me. But that wasn’t the case with this book. This is the first book that I have highlighted paragraphs in because I am just to lazy to mark things off. 😛
The synopsis of the novel is pretty much clear and I will say up to the point. It sums up the book perfectly so there is no point in me blabbering the same stuff again. So, I decided to talk about my experience with this book instead. 😉
The Detective, Elizabeth Ireland, is the standard image of a lady detective that we usually come across in these type of books. Blunt, straightforward, no-nonsense attitude, holding a secret kind. And I don’t know why but I love them! ❤ I love the type who knows who to be sarcastic with and who to look up to, I am that kind of the girl. So, I relate with characters like her.
Here’s an example of her being instinctive. I don’t know, why, but I liked this line.
Then when Elizabeth and the Murder Unit started trying to put the pieces together I was doing the same. I read carefully for clues to unravel the mystery before the smart detective.
This paragraph gave me the first suspect because a character fitted the bill perfectly and as I held onto the idea, after few pages my suspect was the one to be rounded up. I was like… yeah! But then, it became clear that he wasn’t the one.
The author smartly turns all your suspicions to the person who gave rise to my first suspect and he actually becomes the suspect of the Murder Unit too because of the planted evidence and then in the end obviously the one you never doubt is the suspect. While, I was reading this I kept remembering another story although I can’t remember the name but the story structure was the same, the serial killers were the ones whom the main characters usually liked and though you get the idea that you can solve the mystery, in the end you are to be proved wrong.
Damn! I seriously love the writers you can convince you and make you believe what they want you to and this book was nowhere short of that. ❤
Why didn’t I give 5 stars if I liked the book so much. I think the reason for it will be the little things that weren’t too clear. Like her relationship with the Chief Superintendent Frank, in the start I thought they were friends because that’s what the author kind of states it as and then some other character walks in and calls Frank Elizabeth’s boyfriend. At first I thought he was taunting her but then I realize that he wasn’t. I think if that angle had been more clear then maybe…
There were more screenshots of the highlighted areas that I thought were the pieces of the mystery but then it would spoil the fun for you and I don’t want to do that. I hope you guys read it so that we can discuss it. 😀
Why would I pick it up?
I think I made it pretty obvious that this book is a good read if you are in a mood for deciphering a mystery! 🙂 😉
-Dimple Malhotra
Hey! I nominated you for the Sisterhood of World Bloggers award!! check it out here:https://grapefruitbooks.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award/
Hope you do it! 🙂
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Thank you so much! 😀
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Hmmm … The irish element caught my attention. Added to that, your glowing recommendation and my love for crime thrillers …I might go check out some more reviews on goodreads now 🙂
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Thank you 🙂 I have a question for you- do you think I did a good job with the review ?
I don’t usually do it because a book gives you so many feelings and nobody talks about that and writing a review with technicalities just doesn’t appeal to me.
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Honestly, I wouldn’t have liked it if I didn’t enjoy your review. When I started blogging I wrote down the things that were most important to me on my journey and top of the list was honesty and being true to myself.
So as hard as it is, if I go into someone’s post and it doesn’t appeal to me, I will not click like.
You gave an honest review. You said what you liked about the characters, you provided examples and then you balanced it out by saying what didn’t appeal to you.
The only thing I guess when it comes to thrillers and crime etc is I would be careful with spoilers?
I get quite flustered over review writing and really do procrastinate with them. I found the last review really difficult as the book just wasn’t for me and I couldn’t give it a glowing review. I actually felt really down after publishing it yesterday because I knew the author would see it as we had already been in contact and I called her main character one dimensional But my priority had to be my followers and I had to be honest with them xx
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I was really worried about the spoilers too… the book had some great hints in the beginning and I first included it and then realised that it would spoil the thrills for others and so edited it again.
I only tried to include what general pattern usually is seen in such books with suspects.
I was waiting for your reply, I knew you would be typing it out. I always get a smile whenever I see your name in the notification. ❤ Thank you! 😀
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Aww that is such a lovely thing to say. I am sitting here, literally smiling from ear to ear because you have made my day 🙂 You are so nice. I love your blog and love that you are so engaging and down to earth!!!
Yes anyone that reads crime or watches Criminal Minds and such programs knows the formula. haha. And that the serial killers often put themselves right into the centre of an investigation… being the narcissists that they are etc etc. lol 🙂 But not always I guess so you can never be sure. I LOVE crime !!!
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Oh my God! 😀 Today’s awesome weather and your comments, today is my lucky day. ❤
Even I love it… it stimulates my mind. This is the only genre that never disappoints me because even if the book isn't exactly good, the mystery is always something.
I wanted to be a criminal lawyer since I was 12, when I hadn't even started reading but my parents weren't quite convinced with my choice of career so here I am doing engineering. These novels are the only things that are keeping me sane.
I always want to discuss at length about these books but no one I know reads. 1 or 2 of my friends read but I wouldn't call it actual reading because they read those cheesy contemporary romances, that are the racy-read trends here and they definitely don't have a love for reading.
Whenever I finish reading a book, I am usually too excited to share it and then am disappointed when I realise I have no one as crazy as me.
I wish we lived closer. No worries, I will share my weirdness with this blog. :p
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Haha 🙂 I wish I could say the same for rainy old Ireland. Although, I don’t actually mind. I love looking out at the rain and doing cosy indoor stuff every once in a while.
Have a lovely day xx
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Haha… it’s raining here too and all I did today was sleep. :p
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I find genious that you screenshoted the highlights instead of writing them. Great review~
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Thank you! 😀 I felt like it gives more feels this way… I am happy that you liked it. 🙂
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You’re welcome. You did well!
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🙂
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This book sounds super interesting! I will have to add it to my tbh list ! I nominated you for the blogger appreciation award https://ateenagediaryonline.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/blogger-recognition-award/
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Ohh, thank you so much! 🙂
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No problem
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[…] 3. Tear Drop by Joanne Clancy * 4/5 * 4. Next Stop: Love by Miranda J. Fox * 3/5 * 5. Know Your Enemy (Review Pending) * 5/5 * […]
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[…] “Tear Drop”? Wasn’t long ago, right? 😉 If you don’t then check it out here. […]
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Thanks so much for your lovely review of “Tear Drop”, Dimple 🙂 I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it! xx
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Pleasure has been all mine. 🙂 Can’t wait for “Insincere” to come out. 🙂
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http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-news/the-girl-who-stole-my-book-how-eilis-ohanlon-found-out-her-crime-novels-were-swiped-by-a-stranger-34561638.html
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You should read this.
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-news/encounters-with-a-real-book-thief-eilish-ohanlon-on-the-girl-who-stole-her-novel-34561638.html
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I have read it and even written a post about it. I would love to get in touch with you as you seem to have gotten this shameful thing in light.😅😅
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[…] Ingrid claims that her work has been stolen and the person who did it is Joanne Clancy. Reading the name started a turmoil of emotions. I didn’t know how to react because she was the first author I interacted with and interviewed. She came out as a very sweet person in our email interactions and I grew fond of her. I loved her book “Tear Drop” which I received for reviewing. It was one of my first reviews too. I still remember my nervousness while posting that review. […]
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