Yvonne‘WEAVE A MURDEROUS WEB‘ BY ANNE ROTHMAN–HICKS & KENNETH HICKS
I was in my office at Adams & Ridge talking on the telephone when Francine entered. At the moment, my friend, Lee, was on the other end of the wire yakking up a storm in my ear. Her rant covered already familiar terrain. My man, my David, was drifting dangerously away from me while I did nothing to win him back. As we say around the courts, Oy.
Francine tiptoed forward and placed on my desk a two-day-old copy of The Daily News opened to the item concerning Mark Samuels’ death.
“I gotta go, Lee,” I said.
While Francine waited for me, she had backed into a corner of my office, leaned against the wall, and tried to make her six feet of lanky body less noticeable. Two large metal buttons were pinned to her heavily braided cotton sweater. One read Stop Fracking New York and the other protested against the annual Canadian seal hunt with a scarlet X through an image of a baby seal whose brains had been battered to a pink pulp.
I pointed at the newspaper and gave her a questioning glance, but she quickly averted her eyes to stare at the floor.
Clicking on the book’s title will link you directly with it’s Goodreads listing.
Find out more about both book and authors at “Mailbox Monday“
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WHAT IS ‘BOOK BEGINNINGS ?
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) ?
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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Well I have to be totally honest and admit these opening lines don’t do a lot for me. In fact, I had to look back at the earlier post to remember the plot. I’ll certainly keep an open mind if you feature it in any future posts, but I’m not convinced at this point to add it to my wish list. That’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how long that list is! (not to mention my actual TBR pile)
Hi Kelly,
I must say that I don’t ever generally judge a book by any one single thing, more a combination of cover art, premise detail and maybe the first page or so.
I’m not saying that this one jumps out and shouts ‘Read Me!’, but then a good solid story line which has interesting characters and an intriguing plot, will generally satisfy me, so I shall wait and see how this book pans out when I eventually start reading.
Some of the books I feature will only ever end up as promotional posts for the author, publisher, or publicists and will never make it to the top of my TBR pile. However, a fellow blogger may look at a post and think “I really like the sound of that book” and I will be just as happy.
I hope that you have some great reading taking place right now 🙂
I think I am the only person participating who isn’t reading a mystery this week. Enjoy! My Friday Quotes
That’s a good thing Anne, as I have very eclectic reading tastes and I am always on the look out for something a little different to my usual murder / mysteries and suspense / thrillers.
I am on my way over to take a look at what you are sharing this week 🙂
Odd to say on the “other end of the wire” these days, because few phones aren’t bouncing off some satellite.
I have to agree with Kelly. Something about the description of Francine put me off. Hope you enjoy it, though.
Hi Roberta,
Whilst Francine definitely sounds like quite an unconventional character, whose life is devoted to ‘good causes’, Lee on the other hand sounds totally in your face in a completely different way. I wonder who will turn out to be the best kind of friend to have in a crisis!
I agree that the use of such old fashioned language, isn’t good in the first couple of lines of a modern thriller, but hopefully this is just a slight glitch which will iron itself out from now on in.
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading 🙂
Hi Yvonne!
I wasn’t put off by this, but I do feel the author doesn’t really hook the reader with a punch right in those first couple of sentences. But I certainly get a feel of the tone of the book when I reached the bit about the baby seals, awww bless them! How horrid.
Nevertheless, I’d give this one a go! I’m intrigued to find out where the story is leading.
Here is mine this week: http://bit.ly/2Gia95s
Happy reading! Have a great weekend. 😉 Lots of books, I hope. 😉
Hi Sass,
I guess this is probably the kind of opening scene which would be better suited scripted for a television drama, which is altogether more visual and doesn’t need to have the high impact of a book.
I don’t really set such great store about the words alone, as I find myself reading a passage, then closing my eyes and imagining the scene before me – but maybe that is why it takes me such an age to finish a book?
Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by 🙂
The beginning didn’t grab me but it did make me curious about the setup of the book. It sounds almost like a hard boiled PI type read which could be interesting.
Hi Katherine,
Are you sure you haven’t clicked the link to check out the premise for this one, as you are almost correct in your analysis?
I would almost certainly never read a book just based on the first few lines of text, but always in conjunction with a full premise and a healthy amount of author bio.
Therefore, I don’t always expect, or mind, if some ‘First Lines’ aren’t particularly explosive, so long as they seem to be in line with the other criteria, which these are in my opinion.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment and Happy Reading 🙂
I am curious about this story. Francine sounds like an interesting character. This week I have Final Siege by Scarlett Cole. Happy reading!
I want to know more about the kind of company ‘Adams & Ridge’ are and if Francine works for them in any capacity. The person on the phone might be a receptionist, but then why would Francine have shown her the newspaper clip?
I don’t believe that a book beginning should give away everything, but this one doesn’t really tell us anything – Oh Well! I shall definitely need to keep reading, for the answers to my questions!
Thanks for visiting this week, enjoy your weekend and Happy Reading 🙂
It sounds like the start of an intense plot. Francine sounds like she would be outspoken about things she feels strongly about, given those buttons. Enjoy it Yvonne!
Hi Naida,
Francine does sound like quite an imposing figure, doesn’t she?
I’m not sure what kind of relationship she has with the person on the phone in the office, that they have mutual interest in the death of Mark Samuels, or why, having brought the newspaper cutting to this person’s notice, she then doesn’t seem to want to engage with them about it, given the otherwise strong views she seems to have about so many other things!
Some of it I can work out be reading the premise, but the rest of this story is going to unfold in its own good time and I am looking forward to reading it 🙂