This title is fascinating on a few levels. The first, most notable language feature is the alliteration of the phrase, “tell-tale.” Use of alliteration can be very satisfactory in a piece of work, and in a title it creates intrigue.

When something is ‘tell-tale’ it is an instinctive sign of the truth, and by implanting the idea of a tell-tale heart, the author might be implying a number of ideas. Hearts are often associated with strong, primal feelings such as love, excitement, or aggression and are used commonly in language/communication to capture the rawness of a feeling.

By adding to this that the heart is ‘tell-tale,’ this idea is illuminated even stronger: perhaps the heart in question is a tell-tale sign of some kind of truth or feeling possessed by a character? Or perhaps the heart is a sign for an important event in the future? Either way, the author has, even before the text begins, captured the reader’s interest and gotten their brains working.