First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Happy publishing day to my current read, Don't Look by Alexandra Ivy.  It's the first book in the Pike, Wisconsin series.  The excerpt shared is from an advance reader copy I received from the publisher via Net Galley.

First Chapter:  Eyes aren't the windows to the soul, funerals are.

They reveal precisely how the deceased lived their lives, and how those who remain behind want them to be remembered.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The opening lines are quite striking and immediately engage my curiousity--who died?  How did they live their life?  How will they be remembered?  

 

Don't Look is a fast-paced suspenesful thriller with a killer on the loose in rural Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Dead of Winter Break by Kelly Brakenhoff

 

 

Today I’m participating in the Dead of Winter Break Great Escapes Blog Tour.  In this post you’ll find information about the book and author along with my review.  And be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle copy of this title.

 

About the book . . .

  

Dead of Winter Break, A Cassandra Sato Mystery

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Emerald Prairie Press (November 17, 2020)
~340 Pages
Digital ASIN: B08KRG2T9D

  

Synopsis . . .  It’s beginning to look a lot like murder . . .

And Cassandra is knee deep in . . .

Suspects.

Her boss is dead, and the police are calling it burglary gone wrong. But when the killer comes after her, it’s going to take more than a pair of furry boots to keep the smart, witty Morton College administrator, Cassandra Sato, out of the deep. . .

Snow.

Her first Christmas in Nebraska could be her last unless her friends help unravel the mystery and housebreak her dog.

A fast-paced, holiday themed whodunit.

My review . . .  Cassandra Soto, Vice President for Student Affairs at Morton College, is an ambitious go-getter with dreams of an eventual college presidency. With the fall semester behind her, she is looking forward to a quieter winter term with fewer students and staff on campus. Cassandra needs a well-deserved rest after all the drama of the previous semester—from the culture shock and weather difference with her native Hawai’i, to navigating multiple bosses, to handling unexpected student accidents and death.  There is no rest for the weary, however, as trouble continues to plague the college administrator despite her dedication, organization, and attention to detail.  

 

The latest installment of this cozy series revolves around the murder of Gary Neilson, the former Morton president who has returned to the campus after retiring several weeks ago.  Why did Dr. Neilson agree to resume the role of president for the upcoming semester, and who would have reason to kill him?  A series of campus break-ins and robberies, a missing graduate student, and questions about what occurred on a good will trip to China by Morton students and associates draws Cass into a dangerous investigation.  Can she get to the truth without becoming a casualty herself?

 

Dead of Winter Break is an adventurous return to the town of Carson, Nebraska and its lively group of campus residents and townspeople.  The spunky Cassandra continues to show her ability to manage tricky town and gown issues while growing closer to a few of her colleagues.  She even adopts a furry sidekick—a dog named Murphy—further affirming her commitment to her new home.  But before Cassandra or readers of this series get too complacent, the story ends with the appointment of an interim president who is sure to give Cass a new challenge in the Spring semester.  I can hardly wait to see what’s in store in the next book in the series.

 

Giveaway . . .  Enter the Dead of Winter Break Giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle copy of the book by clicking here. 

 

About the author . . .  KELLY BRAKENHOFF writes the Cassandra Sato Mystery series including Death by Dissertation, a 2020 RONE Award Mystery Finalist; Dead Week, “a diverting whodunit,” (Publishers Weekly), and Dead of Winter Break, available in November 2020.

 

Kelly is an American Sign Language Interpreter whose motivation for learning ASL began in high school when she wanted to converse with her deaf friends. Never Mind and Farts Make Noise, her children’s picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog and illustrated by her sister, Theresa Murray, have quickly become popular with children, parents, and educators for promoting inclusive conversations about children with differences.

The mother of four young adults and a German Wirehair Pointer, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

 

Author links . . . 

https://kellybrakenhoff.com/

https://twitter.com/inBrakenVille

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18964313.Kelly_Brakenhoff

https://www.facebook.com/kellybrakenhoffauthor/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-brakenhoff 

Purchase link . . .    Amazon 

 

Tour Participants . . .

November 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

November 17 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 17 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 18 – Socrates Book Reviews– RECIPE

November 18 – Island Confidential – REVIEW

November 19 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

November 19 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

November 20 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 21 – I Read What You Write  – GUEST POST

November 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

November 24 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

November 25 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

November 26 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

November 27 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 27 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 28 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW

November 29 – Brooke Blogs -SPOTLIGHT 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Dead of Winter Break from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, Dead of Winter Break by Kelly Brakenhoff, the third book in the Cassandra Sato series.

 

Book Beginning:  Chapter One

December in Nebraska was best left to poets droning on about the dubious merits of frosty icicles and face-freezing temperatures.  Inside the stuffy Performing Arts Center, Cassandra Sato felt sweat rivulets slide down her back under her academic regalia.  Easing the light blue velvet sash a few inches away from her throat, she crossed her ankles and inhaled deeply to slow her heartbeat.

Moments earlier, while the Fall Commencement speaker--an economist who had graduated in the 1950s--launched the concluding salvo in his uninspiring remarks, Cassandra had glanced across the state at Board of Directors Chairman Alan Hershey, Master of Ceremonies and owner of an age-defying head of hair that never fell out of place.  Hershey had raised two fingers of his right hand and dipped his chin in a subtle greeting to someone in the audience.

 

 What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

Cassandra Soto, Vice President for Student Affairs at Morton College, is an ambitious go-getter with dreams of an eventual college presidency. The series is set in the town of Carson, Nebraska, where the ambitious native Hawai’ian finds herself dealing with the culture and climate shock of her new life in a small college town. 

 

 

 

 
This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben. The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback in my personal collection.

Beginning:  April 23, 2020

How does she survive?

How does she manage to get through this torment every single day?

********************  

Page 56:  Memory makes demands that you often can't keep. Memory is faulty because it insists on filling in the blanks.

********************  

My thoughts:  I haven't read any of the books in either of Coben's popular long-standing series, mostly because I am already committed to so many other series. Even so, I never miss an opportunity to indulge in one of his stand-alone novels.  They are always imaginative, twisty, and fast-paced.

********************   

From GoodReads:  In the shocking new thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery must find a missing teenage girl before her disappearance brings about disastrous consequences for her community . . . and the world.

The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive hunt for the child's family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system. 

Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn't know where he comes from, and he's back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few deep connections to other people.

When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer Hester Crimstein--with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection--asks him to use his unique skills to help find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case's impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*******************

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan.  It's the first book in the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn mystery series.

First Chapter:  Jacob Traherne, sexton at St. Anselm Church in the tiny North Wales village of Pryderi, slung his wet mop across the chancel floor and thought about rugby.  First tenor for the North Wales Rugby Choir, he hummed through his solo piece for that night's opening playoff between the Ospreys and the Dragons.  Gripping the mop in one hand, he raised his other hand like a priest blessing the congregation and belted out the first lines to the old Welsh hymn Cwm Rhondda.

Guide me, O my great Redeemer,

pilgrim through this barren land.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

I'm always up for beginning a new mystery series, and this one has several factors I find appealing: a Welsh setting; a mystery-loving and budding novelist nun; and a priest who is her sidekick.  I'm expecting a fresh and interesting scenario and healthy dose of humor in this story.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Crime in Cornwall by Emma Dakin

 

 

Today I’m participating in the Crime in Cornwall Great Escapes Blog Tour.  In this post you’ll find information about the book and author along with my review.  And be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win an eBook of this title and the first book in the series.

 

About the book . . . 

 

Crime in Cornwall (British Book Tour Mysteries Series)

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Camel Press (October 13, 2020)
Paperback: 228 pages
ISBN-10: 1603816100
ISBN-13: 978-1603816106
  

Synopsis . . . Patrick and Rita Stonning, Claire’s neighbors in Ashton-on-Tinch, dash down from London on weekends to host loud parties. They work in a publishing house and use their Ashton semi-detached home as a break from big city stress. Patrick arrives at Claire’s door distraught, reporting one of his partygoers, Olive Nott a best-selling author, dead. Claire discovers that not only is he dead, he’s been murdered. Patrick is suspected of the murder and has enough motive to satisfy the police. Nott wrote mysteries set in Cornwall and had planned to take his lucrative contracts to a competing company. His latest book dealt with smuggling in the caves of Cornwall. The police, including DI Mark Evans from the newly formed Major Investigations Team, wonder if he learned too much from his research. Claire takes her six tourists, most from America, to the Cornwall coast in search of sites of mystery novels and hears the opinions of the Cornish people on smuggling. She asks Patrick to meet her in Penzance to give a guest lecture on the smuggling in Oliver Nott’s novels. Claire finds Patrick self-aggrandizing and arrogant but doesn’t agree he would murder, and sets out to find the one responsible.

My review . . . Claire Barclay is an avid fan of British mystery novels and has parlayed that love into a dream job leading tours of mostly American mystery readers to the settings of classic series throughout England.  In this second book of the series, she is about to embark on a carefully planned trip to Cornwall.  But when bestselling thriller writer Oliver Nott is murdered in her next-door neighbor's garden, Claire's itinerary expands to include an exploration of the scene of Nott's forthcoming novel.  Is it possible that the book's setting is somehow related to the author's death?  Nott--a known egotist who caused jealousy and hatred in his personal life, leaving lovers in his wake--was also a thorough researcher.  Was his untimely demise the result of a spurned lover's or business rival's revenge, or might he have stumbled upon something in his research that someone would prefer remain hidden?

DI Mark Evans is once again the lead investigator on the case.  As he works his way through the list of suspects in his official capacity, his personal relationship with Claire heats up.  The line between business and pleasure is difficult to maintain, and as the two grow closer, they must tread mindfully as circumstances unfold.

In Crime in Cornwall, Emma Dakin continues to weave a story around the lively cast of Hampshire villagers and relatives introduced in Hazards of Hampshire, while adding the excitement of a different geographical setting and new group of tourists.  And Claire's most loyal sidekicks--her sister Deidre, beloved King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Gulliver, and love interest Mark--remain at her side.

Installments in this cozy series are appealing to armchair travelers, Anglophiles, and classic mystery lovers alike.  Dakin's use of local language, incorporation of historic details, descriptions of landmarks, and mention of mystery authors and series are added attractions.  And for those who like to plan their trips in advance, Dakin leaves us with a hint of the location of Claire's next adventure--a tour of Yorkshire Dales.  I'm more than ready to tag along.  

Giveaway . . .  Enter the Crime in Cornwall Giveaway for the chance to win eBook copies of both books in the series (Hazards in Hampshire and Crime in Cornwall) by clicking on this link.

 

About the author . . . 

Emma Dakin lives in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. She has over twenty-five trade published books of mystery and adventure for teens and middle-grade children and non-fiction for teens and adults. 

 

Her love of the British countryside and villages and her addiction to cozy mysteries now keep her writing about characters who live and work in those villages. She introduces readers to the problems that disturb that idyllic setting. 

 

Author links . . .

Webpage/Blog:  emmadakinauthor.com

Facebook:  http://tiny.cc/ilk3az

Goodreads:  http://tiny.cc/ttk3az

 

Purchase links . . . 

 Amazon     B&N    IndieBound 

 

 

 

Tour Participants . . .

November 9 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT 

November 9 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – GUEST POST

November 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 10 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

November 11 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

November 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 12 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 13 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  

November 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 16 – My Journey Back – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

November 16 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST  

November 17 – Mysteries with Character -AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 18 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

November 19 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 19 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

November 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

November 21 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT  

November 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 22 – I Read What You Write– CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 22 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

 

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Crime in Cornwall from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, Crime in Cornwall, the second book in the British Book Tour Mysteries series by Emma Dakin. The excerpts shared are from the eBook I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

  

Beginning:  CHAPTER ONE

The walls were shaking again. The noise level from the neighbor's back garden rose like the roar of a football crowd and had reached that stage of raucous shouts mixed with wild music that made sleep impossible. I'd tried ear plugs. I'd tried putting my head under the blankets. I gave up.

 

******************** 

Page 56:  I loved the way the centuries had melded in the architecture with Tudor houses overhanging the street beside 1960s flat-faced, square apartment buildings.  Jumbled together it all worked as a lively and tolerant overgrown village.

********************

My thoughts:  Tour company owner Claire Barclay is about to lead a trip to Cornwall to explore the settings used in several classic mystery series. But when bestselling thriller writer Oliver Nott is found murdered in her neighbor's garden, Claire's carefully planned itinerary expands to include an investigation of the murder. It seems that Nott's untimely demise occurred shortly before the anticipated release of his latest novel, which is set in Cornwall. Is it possible that the book's setting is somehow related to Nott's death? 

Installments in this delightful cozy series weave together a celebration of classic fictional murders and a murder to be solved as part of the current tour. Of notable appeal is the armchair travel to various places in the English countryside as well as  the homage to mystery series set in Great Britain.

********************

Synopsis:  Patrick and Rita Stonning, Claire’s neighbors in Ashton-on-Tinch, dash down from London on weekends to host loud parties. They work in a publishing house and use their Ashton semi-detached home as a break from big city stress. Patrick arrives at Claire’s door distraught, reporting one of his partygoers, Oliver Nott a best-selling author, dead. Claire discovers that not only is he dead, he’s been murdered. Patrick is suspected of the murder and has enough motive to satisfy the police. Nott wrote mysteries set in Cornwall and had planned to take his lucrative contracts to a competing company. His latest book dealt with smuggling in the caves of Cornwall. The police, including DI Mark Evans from the newly formed Major investigations Team wonder if he learned too much from his research. Claire takes her six tourists, most from America, to the Cornwall coast in search of sites of mystery novels and hears the opinions of the Cornish people on smuggling. She asks Patrick to meet her in Penzance to give a guest lecture on the smuggling in Oliver Nott’s novels. Claire finds Patrick self-aggrandizing and arrogant but doesn’t agree he would murder and sets out to find the one responsible.

 

 

 

*******************

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Long Call By Ann Cleeves.  The excerpt shared is from a hardcover edition borrowed from the library.

Beginning:  Chapter One

The day they found the body on the shore, Matthew Venn was already haunted by thoughts of death and dying.  He stood outside the North Devon Crematorium on the outskirts of Barnstaple, a bed of purple crocus spread like a pool at this feet, and he watched from a distance as the hearse carried his father to the chapel of rest. When the small group of mourners went inside, he moved closer.  Nobody questioned his right to be there.  He looked like a respectable man, a wearer of suits and sober ties, prematurely grey-haired and staid.  Not a risk-taker or a rule-breaker.  Matthew thought he could have been the celebrant, arriving a little late for the service. Or a diffident mourner, sheepish and apologetic, with his soft skin and sad eyes. A stranger seeing him for the first time would expect sympathy and comfortable words. In reality, Matthew was angry, but he'd learned long ago how to hide his emotions.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The opening paragraph offers an intriguing introduction to Ann Cleeves's new detective, new setting, and new Two Rivers series, her first in twenty years.  Most Cleeves readers are well-acquainted with her Vera Stanhope character and Shetland setting, making it exciting to embark on a new adventure with this talented author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry.  The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning: Chapter 1

"What did you say?" Elena asked incredulously.  She could not believe what she just heard.

********************

Page 56:  There was a look of rueful understanding in Stoney's face.

********************

My thoughts:  This is Anne Perry's latest Elena Standish novel, part of her historical mystery series set in pre-World War II Europe.  The protagonist is a courageous young photographer who finds herself crossing paths with Britain's MI6.  The first book in the series was released in 2019, and the third book will be published in 2021.

With two books available now, it's not too late to get started reading this intriguing series--and the wait for the next book isn't too long.

Book 1:  Death in Focus

Book 3:  A Darker Reality, details will be available at a later date

  

********************

From GoodReads:  On her first mission for MI6, the daring young photographer at the heart of this thrilling new mystery series by bestselling author Anne Perry travels to Mussolini's Italy to rescue the lover who betrayed her.

Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6, has lost contact with its informant in northern Italy, just as important information about the future plans of Austria and Nazi Germany is coming to light. And young Elena Standish, to her surprise, is the only person who can recognize MI6's man--because he is her former lover. Aiden Strother betrayed her six years before, throwing shame on her entire family. Now, with so much to prove, Elena heads to Trieste to track down Aiden and find out what happened to his handler, who has mysteriously cut off contact with Britain.

As Elena gets word of a secret group working to put Austria in the hands of Germany, her older sister, Margot, is in Berlin to watch a childhood friend get married--to a member of the Gestapo. Margot and Elena's grandfather, the former head of MI6, is none too happy about the sisters' travels at this tumultuous time, especially when a violent event at home reminds him that even Britain is growing dangerous. As his own investigation collides with his granddaughter's, what's at stake on the continent becomes increasingly frightening--and personal.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Europe, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry crafts a novel full of suspense, political intrigue, and the struggle between love and loyalty to country

 

 

 

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring a recent read, Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell.  The excerpt shared is from a hardcover edition I borrowed from the library.

Beginning:  Valentine's Night

11:59 p.m.

I duck down and pull my hoodie close around my face.  Ahead of me the girl with red hair is picking up speed; she knows she's being followed.  I pick up my speed to match hers.  I only want to talk to her, but I can tell from the way she's moving that she's terrified.  I slow down at the sound of muffled footsteps behind me.  I turn and see a figure coming after us.

 

 

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The opening paragraph gives a good sense of the suspenseful quality of Lisa Jewell's writing . . .

Owen Pick, a teacher suspended after being accused of inappropriate behavior by several students, becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of Saffyre Maddox, a local teen last seen on Valentine's Day night. To his neighbors Owen is a strange, shadowy figure based on odd interactions they've had with him, and most definitely someone capable of abduction.  Unsurprisingly, the police build a strong--yet highly circumstantial--case against Owen.  Sure he's weird and creepy, but is he actually guilty?  

As we learn more about the secrets the neighbors are harboring--and what goes on behind their closed doors--the case against Owen begins to unravel, and the pool of suspects grows.  Who is responsible for Saffyre's disappearance?  Is she still alive, and if so, where is she?

In Invisible Girl, Lisa Jewell serves up a compelling domestic thriller with an interesting cast of characters and stunning twists and turns.  Jewell is proving herself to be a master of the genre whose books should not be missed by readers who enjoy suspenseful stories.

 

 

 

 

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.