YvonneCharlie: Sunday 31 August, 10.33am
I can smell the blood.
It is all that I can smell.
It coats my nostrils, my lungs, it stains the inside of my throat.
It is on me.
It covers my hands, has turned my white blouse crimson, and I do not know how much of it is mine, how much comes from the dead.
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Okay! Those few short lines definitely have me hooked – what about you?
I had hoped to share a few more lines than this, as the next couple of paragraphs did look particularly descriptive. However, as I began to type, I realised that the spoilers were starting to creep in, so I back tracked a little.
This way, there is more than enough information to whet the appetite for all you lovers of a good psychological thriller, however you’ll just need to read the book to find out the “What, Why and When”!
If you really don’t mind the hint of a spoiler, you can find out more about both book and author, here
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WHAT IS ‘BOOK BEGINNINGS’ AND HOW CAN YOU JOIN IN THE FUN ?
Would the first few lines of your book make you want to read on?
If so, would you like to share them with us, (without revealing too many spoilers of course) ?
Click here and visit your host, Gilion @ Rose City Reader
You can then leave a link to your own book beginnings post, or just browse for some great reads, there are always plenty of new authors and titles to be discovered.
Don’t forget that Gilion and all the other contributors to this meme love to hear from you, so why not leave a comment or two at the same time?
I can’t wait to do a little blog hopping myself and check out all the great Book Beginnings you have!
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As this was a publisher review request, with a blog tour taking place later in the year, a lovely paperback copy was received, courtesy of publisher, Century.
This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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Creepy. At first I thought the character might be a murderer, but “stains the inside of my throat” makes me think of vampires! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t read this since I don’t like gory scenes, but the author did a great job of creating a mood and drawing me in.
My Friday post features FINDING SOUTHERN COMFORT.
Hi Sandra,
Sorry to put you through so much gore again this week, but I’m afraid I do love my gritty thrillers.
I love how you assumed that there was murder involved in this scene, might it not have been a horrific accident of some description?
I’ll leave you to think about that one, but I’ll put you out of your misery concerning your other thought, as there is nary a vampire in sight, it’s not that kind of story 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment and have a great weekend.
Ooooooo. That’s a good one. Definitely has me wanting to know more.
Hope you can check out my BB/56.
Cheers,
Page @ Never Enough Shelf Space
Hi Page,
You might well be surprised at what is happening here, which is why I didn’t want to continue with the book’s opening and spoil things too much.
This one definitely grabs you right from the beginning and I am fervently hoping that the pace and intensity stays at the same level throughout the story.
I appreciate the comment and have a good weekend.
Definitely intrigued by these first few words, I’ll be sure to make a note of this one.
In the distance a dust devil skimmed along the horizon, its trajectory zigzagging with uncanny intelligence. The Bedouin believed such dust storms to be restless spirits of those who lay unburied, bone-naked, lost in the harsh desert.
-Sphinx by T.S. Learner.
Hi Tracy,
I was surprised when I read on for a couple more sentences after I decided not to give away any spoilers in my excerpt. The scene next described is not what I was expecting at all and I had to stop myself from becoming too engrossed in the story, as I have still to finish my current book.
The excerpt from ‘Sphinx’ is really one to draw me in, arousing my interest and intrigue right from the start. I did check out the synopsis for this one and it sounds like a real mixture of books I have previously read and films I have watched, but that wouldn’t put me off reading it per se!
Thanks for sharing, enjoy the book and have a good weekend, the weather doesn’t look too bad down here 🙂
Oooh, you have definitely managed to tease my curiosity! I mean, where is all the blood coming from and why is some of it hers? And the dead? Yup, I’m intrigued! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I hope you enjoy your weekend!
My Friday Post
Juli @ Universe in Words
Hi Juli,
That’s a whole heap of questions, which is surely a good thing to be gained from just the first paragraph of a book, as it hopefully means that the way forward will be full of intrigue and interest 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
WOW. That grabbed me. I was already sold because of the cool cover. Have a great weekend.
sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes
Hi Sherry,
I too thought that the cover was pretty neat, however it looks as though this was simply the temporary cover art for the proof copy paperback. The good news is that the finished copy looks even better in my opinion …
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23210023-hidden?ac=1
Emma’s previous novel ‘Falling’ also used the simple effect of a black and whilte cover, with the book’s title providing the only splash of colour …
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18160223-falling?from_search=true
So effective I love it 🙂
Have a great weekend and I appreciate the visit.
That’s an intense beginning and definitely compelling! Hope you’re enjoying it!
Hi Katherine,
You have no idea how intense that opening paragraph could be, if it were to be happening for real.
I like to read about blood and gore and I like a gritty violent mystery thriller to get stuck into, however show me a speck of real blood, either my own or anyone else’s and I would be fainting at your feet in no time.
This is someone who would rather spend all day in the dentist’s chair, rather than face a visit to the GP, or God forbid, the hospital!
I haven’t actually started reading ‘Hidden’ yet, however as a blog tour date has already been committed to, it will certainly be next on my list.
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your comments.
Happy Reading 🙂
What a way to start a book!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for stopping by Fiction Books this week. I love meeting new people, so your visits will always be welcome and your comments always appreciated.
I like descriptive writing and good scene setting, but I also want a story to get going pretty quickly, without too much preamble. ‘Hidden’ seems to tick all the boxes so far, so I am hoping that the early surge in pace is sustainable throughout all 350 pages!
Have a good weekend and Happy Reading 🙂
Now that is one attention-getting beginning. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, and ENJOY your book.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Book Beginnings
Hi Elizabeth,
I think those short, punchy sentences also made me sit up and take notice, if I really needed anything else after all that mention of blood!
As I have already agreed a blog tour date for this one, I’m afraid that I shall have to queue jump it a little, so I am looking forward to ‘Hidden’ as my next read 🙂
I hope that all is well with you and thanks for taking the time out to stop by.
That is an attention getting start.
Hi Jo,
I couldn’t believe just how much detail Emma had packed into those few short lines. For someone who just such a short time ago, was training firearms officers and travelling all over the world, writing is already second nature to her, as are the amazing storylines she comes up with.
Grabbing my full attention about a book quickly and interestingly, is a sure fired way to keep me reading and reading and reading! 🙂
Thanks for the visit and for taking the time to comment
What a bold beginning! It definitely makes me want to know more (and I can almost smell the blood, myself!).
“My wife Norma had run off with Guy Dupree and I was waiting around for the credit card billings to come in so I could see where they had gone. I was biding my time. This was October. They had taken my car and my Texaco card and my American Express card.”
The Dog of the South by Charles Portis
Hi Kelly,
I know what you mean, Emma’s writing style is very descriptive and graphic (in a good way) and having read on for the next paragraph or so when I was putting together the post, I could almost imagine the scene and yes! smell the blood! although I was also a little surprised and shocked – but that’s for another post 🙂
If those first lines were presented to me in isolation of everything else, I would probably think they were quite cool and the prelude to something I might like to read. However, after checking out ‘The Dog Of The South’ a little more, I was left totally confused and not knowing what to think! I have read and enjoyed one or two ‘mystery capers’ in my time, but this seems to be a lot more comical and satirical, so me saying I would therefore pass on reading it, is probably best all round 🙂 But I do hope that you are enjoying the read.
Thanks for sharing and sorry about the lateness of the reply, the weekend was manic!
Hi Yvonne. It’s been a while since I visited 🙂 From the look of those first few lines, this sounds like a great thriller! Right up my alley. Happy reading.
On another note, I started up my blog again. Slowly, but surely. Happy weekend!
Hi Naida,
I have already been across and visited the new blog and have added the link to my blogroll. As I already follow you on Twitter and Goodreads, I think we are back in business again 🙂
I hope you enjoy some of the features that WordPress has to offer, although I’m afraid that many of my additional ‘bells and whistles’ come courtesy of hubbie, without whose help things would pretty soon fall apart!
‘Hidden’ does indeed sound like a good thriller and written as it is, by a psychologist, I’m sure that the suspense levels are going to be kept fairly high octane throughout.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment, I always appreciate your thoughtfulness.
This does sound interesting and makes you ask what comes next… the image of blood staining the inside of the throat is also eerie in the extreme.
I’m reading a book now that you might enjoy. It’s called Diviners, and it’s by Libba Bray. It’s about a series of ritualistic murders in Prohibition-era NY, and teenagers who each have a special power (like the ability to read memories from people’s belongings) investigate it and detect other strange changes happening in the world. It’s the first of a trilogy, and the author really did her 1920s NY research well. Plus the characters are well-written and interesting.
Hi Hila,
I am just about to start reading ‘Hidden’, so I shall find out very soon exactly what comes next. I’ll share a few teaser lines on a Tuesday, when I get a way into the story, so hopefully you’ll be even more intrigued!
I know what Emma is getting at, when she describes the smell staining the inside of her character’s throat. Sometimes when a smell is so overpowering or cloying and you sniff deeply, you can taste the smell right on the back of your throat – or at least that has happened to me – Does that make me sound as eerie as you suggest? 🙂
Thanks for sharing the ‘Diviners’ series with me. I’m not sure that this one is for me, it sounds a bit too fantasy / science fiction driven and neither of those are my favourite genres if there is something better on offer! I do appreciate a well researched and descriptive storyline though and well defined characters are a ‘must’ for me to enjoy a book.
I am pleased that you enjoyed the book and thank you for stopping by. It is always lovely to chat with you.