Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Can you share a favorite opening line (or two) from a good book? What do you think makes a great opening for a book?

Post inspired by this: http://americanbookreview.org/100best...


Please include the title of the book so we can hunt it down if so inclined.

The Long Kill - Patrick Ruell

"Jaysmith always took the cerebral approach. He shot at the head."

Why is it great? Speaks for itself. Reginald Hill was a master, here writing as Patrick Ruell.

I LOVE these Janet and Nat

"Call me Ishmael." Herman Melville. Moby Dick.

My personal fave, especially after the weather we've been having:

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made splendid summer by this Son of York.

Richard III, Act One, Scene One. Wm. Shakespeare

Whar be this splendid summer ye're on about?

Portia wrote: "My personal fave, especially after the weather we've been having:

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made splendid summer by this Son of York.

Richard III, Act One, Scene One. Wm. Shakespeare
..."


LOL!!

"The flight was going to cost him his life."

(lamentably not yet available, but to be published this summer.) Once Upon a Nightmare - Nat Goodale, author.

Second to Patrick Ruell's opening line.

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." The Gunslinger, Stephen King.

Janet wrote: "... and that this one's going to be one long mixed bag of emotions:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch ..."

Love that opening line - My favorite Dickens novel and one of my all-time favorite novels in general.

Here's the opener to another of my favorites, A Soldier of the Great War - It's not the most captivating, but I love that I can SEE the scene after just this one short sentence:

"On the ninth of August, 1964, Rome lay asleep in afternoon light as the sun swirled in a blinding pinwheel above its roofs, its low hills, and its gilded domes."

Heather wrote: "Janet wrote: "... and that this one's going to be one long mixed bag of emotions:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it ..."

It's a great skill to write such a tight, descriptive sentence that reveals so much.

Leigh wrote: "Heather wrote: "Janet wrote: "... and that this one's going to be one long mixed bag of emotions:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of ..."

It certainly is - And that particular novel is full of sentences like that (as well as much, much longer ones, which I love, but which I know turn some people off from the book).

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley"
From Rebecca

It sets a mood and tone for the whole story

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day" -Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Practical reason (strong characteristic of Jane) yet shows her disappointment for not being able to get out...sort of similar how Rochester later described her as a caged bird.

My favorite book most definitely!

From Graham Greene's The End of the Affair

“A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.”

One of the best opening lines, in my opinion.

Daniel wrote: "From Graham Greene's The End of the Affair

“A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.”

One of the be..."

Great line - Certainly sets the stage!

Agreed. He nailed it with that line.

"According to his mother, Jack Burns was an actor before he was an actor, but Jack's most vivid memories of childhood were those moments when he felt compelled to hold his mother's hand. He wasn't acting then."
- John Irving, "Until I Find You"

It was a pleasure to burn.

Fahrenheit 451,
Ray Bradbury

"I write this sitting in the sink". First line of I Capture the Castle which gives you an idea of the funny and whimsical story to follow.

Lorraine wrote: ""I write this sitting in the sink". First line of I Capture the Castle which gives you an idea of the funny and whimsical story to follow."

That line alone forced me to add that to my list. Thank you Lorraine.

Leigh wrote: "Lorraine wrote: ""I write this sitting in the sink". First line of I Capture the Castle which gives you an idea of the funny and whimsical story to follow."

That line alone forced me..."

Likewise - Definitely a winning opener!

"I was trapped in a house with a lawyer, a bare-breasted woman, and a dead man. The rattlesnake in the paper sack only complicated matters." - Earl Emerson, Fat Tuesday.

That opener always makes me smile because it perfectly captures the tone of the book -- a P.I. story with action and humor.

Kat wrote: ""The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." The Gunslinger, Stephen King."

I was going to say that one. It seems you know everything you need to know right away from that opening sentence. Perfect.

"The sun rose, having no alternative, on the nothing new."

- Samuel Beckett, Murphy

Having not met a single character, you understand the whole tone of the book and the entire spirit of what is coming. It's almost like the rest is just details.

"Call me Ishmael"
From Moby Dick
Always good to start with introductions wouldn't you agree:)

"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish." - Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea.

Janet wrote: "Janessa wrote: ""Call me Ishmael"
From Moby Dick
Always good to start with introductions wouldn't you agree:)"

I have never read Moby Dick. That's not his real name, right? It's a kind of humoro..."


I have started "Moby Dick" 4 times and I just can't get into it. I finally just gave up and decided it is not for me.

Leigh wrote: "Janet wrote: "Janessa wrote: ""Call me Ishmael"
From Moby Dick
Always good to start with introductions wouldn't you agree:)"

I have never read Moby Dick. That's not his real name, right? It's a ..."

I had to read Moby Dick in AP Literature - Despised it. Thankfully, our teacher let us skip the chapters on whaling techniques, but I still hated it.

Janet wrote: "If I start reading it - and I might because sometimes I feel like I ought to read acclaimed classics - I will read it through to the end, even though it is like taking a bitter medicine."

I had the same idea you had, Janet, only many years ago. Tried both Robinson Carusoe and Moby Dick, never got past page 10 on either one. I then scrapped that idea because I am not going to slog through a book I don't like. Except for The Pickwick Papers, I found Dickens as boring as watching water evaporate.

Nope, Janet, not me. Life's too short to read boring or bad books.

Although, I will admit I have finished some horrible books in the hope that they would get better. Usually it was a case of a good story ruined by bad writing.

Quillracer wrote: "Nope, Janet, not me. Life's too short to read boring or bad books.

Although, I will admit I have finished some horrible books in the hope that they would get better. Usually it was a case of a..."

I used to be like you, Janet - I insisted on finishing every book no matter how much I hated it. I've since adopted Quillracer's approach - I have far too many books in my to-read pile to waste precious time on ones that bore/disgust/annoy/etc me! I mostly keep track of those unfinished ones in a separate shelf here on Goodreads, but I no longer bother forcing myself to stomach them in their entirety!

I used to to finish everything too. These days I give a book about 50 pages to grab me, if it doesn't I stop. I did give J.K. Rowling more of a shot when I was reading The Casual Vacancy, but even then I stopped at page 87. Yes, I remember the exact page, I just couldn't ready any more of it.

Leigh wrote: "I used to to finish everything too. These days I give a book about 50 pages to grab me, if it doesn't I stop. I did give J.K. Rowling more of a shot when I was reading [book:The Casual Vacancy|1349..."

Believe it or not, I haven't even read all the Harry Potters (only the first), and from what I've heard of The Casual Vacancy, it would probably land on my unfinished shelf as well.

Heather wrote: "Leigh wrote: "I used to to finish everything too. These days I give a book about 50 pages to grab me, if it doesn't I stop. I did give J.K. Rowling more of a shot when I was reading [book:The Casua..."

I LOVED that series, towards the end there, the books got REALLY long but I loved that series.

Yeah - I definitely have to give it a shot!

Not a mystery, but a great read anyway. The justly famous first line from "The Towers of Trebizond" by Rose Macauley:

"Take my camel, dear," said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.

Overton wrote: "Not a mystery, but a great read anyway. The justly famous first line from "The Towers of Trebizond" by Rose Macauley:

"Take my camel, dear," said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal ..."

I've not read the book, but you're right -- great line. It raises so many questions and makes a reader want to know more. I'll have to check it out!

I like those that quickly draw you in, telling you more than just what the words say. Here's one: "Psychics can see the color of time it's blue." Author, Ron Sukenick in his 1986 novel Blown Away now has a character we know is psychic.

The one I chose for God's Banker is: "Wind? The Professional spoke the words softly." I like it because it begs several questions: Who is the pro talking to? What's his profession? Chris Malburg

A few of my favorites:

"A screaming comes across the sky." Gravity's Rainbow

"One cannot raise walls against what has been forgotten." The Darkness that Comes Before

"My father always claimed I had an attitude problem." Disciple of the Dog

"Much later, as he sat with his back against an inside wall of a Motel 6 just north of Phoenix, watching the pool of blood lap toward him, Driver would wonder whether he had made a terrible mistake." Drive

Dharmakirti has excellent taste in first lines. Love the first one chosen. Great first words: Screaming and sky. Makes me want to read on. Which is the whole point. Nicely done, Dharmakirti. --Chris Malburg

Chris wrote: "I like those that quickly draw you in, telling you more than just what the words say. Here's one: "Psychics can see the color of time it's blue." Author, Ron Sukenick in his 1986 novel Blown Away..."

Hi Jamie, no, few libraries carry books released over 25 years ago. Funny thing, Amazon doesn't have Blown Away either. However, if it's the same writer, Ron Sukenick is now writing self help books. We go where the money is, no? Best, Chris

Indeed. I can only hope the same for my latest, God's Banker. Tho, the genre, action/adventure and thriller, has a very fast turnover. It ran up Amazon's list last week, hit #20 then fell off all too fast. Funny thing, even tho its not a religious book by any stretch, readers are now sending me religious books. I guess they think I need some spirituality after seeing the murderous mayhem I created. Best to you, Chris

Chris wrote: "Dharmakirti has excellent taste in first lines. Love the first one chosen. Great first words: Screaming and sky. Makes me want to read on. Which is the whole point. Nicely done, Dharmakirti. --Ch..."

Thanks Chris. Now if I can only finish Gravity's Rainbow. :)

8-8-14

Another great opening line I thought of but so far have been unable to find a home for:

For Sale: Barrett M98-Bravo sniper rifle. Used Once.

It begs the questions: Why is it for sale? Who is selling it? How was it used that one time? Did someone die? --Chris Malburg

Hi Mod,

The truth is, your baby shoes quote gave me the idea for the sniper rifle. I don't work in the genre of baby shoes, but sniper rifles are something I'm much more familiar with as in the opening scene of God's Banker. Best, Chris