Today we have High White Sun by J. Todd Scott for Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted by Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you are finished, add your URL to the Book Beginnings page linked above. Hope to see you there!
High White Sun* by J Todd Scott
(*Amazon Affiliate link)
Summary: A sequel to J. Todd Scott’s debut novel The Far Empty, Chris Cherry is now sheriff of Big Bend County and America Reynosa is one of his new deputies. With Ben Harper, a retired detective who signs on as a deputy as well, they investigate the murder of a local river guide, only to find themselves swept up into something much deeper and much more dangerous than they ever expected.
J. Todd Scott currently works as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the DEA, but also manages to find the time to write exceptional novels set in west Texas. He is a local Arizona author and masterful storyteller.
First Sentence:
Goodbye stranger…
He had the radio up too loud, singing along with the words he knew, blasting down Texas 70, when he saw the girl standing on the side of the road waving him down.
Discussion:
I like the eeriness of “Goodbye stranger.” At one level it likely refers to the lyrics of a song by Supertramp, but also the reader gets the feeling that perhaps either the man driving the car or the girl standing on the side of the road might experience some trouble in the near future.
What do you think?
I like that beginning. And I agree with you – it’s normal, but also eerie… I’m reading The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson.
Now I want to know more! Thanks for sharing…can’t wait to find out more. Here’s mine: “THE BOOK CLUB”
I had totally forgotten about that song…and now I can’t get it out of my head, lol.
That does sound like fun. And the fact that it’s set around Big Bend would a plus for me–beautiful and desolate area I haven’t seen for years.
And I had to go off and listen Supertramp. And that I haven’t heard that in years, probably about the same time I went to Big Bend….
Enjoy!
I am listening to the song as I type. I wonder if the story will have much sadness.
Cool how the song tapped into memories. I guess it is a good way to “set the tone.”