Tag: The Friday 56 (Page 1 of 2)

#BookBeginnings The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi

01/14/2021 / Roberta / 1 Comment

In a real visit to the library, I picked up The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi to read 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!

The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Summary: When editor Julia Hart contacts retired mathematics professor Grant McAllister about republishing the book of seven mystery stories he had written 30 years ago, he agrees. As they read through the old stories, Julia notices inconsistencies. Are the problems mistakes or are they clues to a real life mystery?

First Sentence:

Spain, 1930

The two suspects sat on mismatched furniture in the white and almost featureless lounge, waiting for something to happen.

Discussion:

Based on the date, this is the first story of main character McAllister’s book, therefore a fictional book within a book of fiction. I love the layer upon layer aspects of metafiction, so I’m excited to get started with this one. I’m already seeing possibilities for deeper meaning.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

“Morning, Maggie,” she said to her sister. “What are you two doing?”

Rose stood up. “It’s afternoon, silly.”

Discussion:

Based on the names of the characters, this is likely another of McAllister’s stories . I haven’t read this far, so I’m not sure what is going on. I do wonder about the mistake with the time of day.

What do you think? Do you enjoy metafiction? Have you read this book?

#BookBeginnings And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

01/07/2021 / Roberta / 9 Comments

Today let’s look at And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

And Now She’s Gone* by Rachel Howzell Hall

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Summary: Novice private investigator Grayson Sykes’ job is to track down Isabel Lincoln, whose doctor boyfriend is concerned about Isabel’s mysterious disappearance. Grayson is new to investigating, so new that when her pen runs out during her first interview, she’s too embarrassed to ask to borrow one. Will she be able to unravel Isabel’s secrets and find her, even if she might not want to be found?

First Sentence:

She had to do it.
She had to glance in her rearview mirror.
Because a black SUV was rolling up behind her.

Discussion:

What do you think about the fact we have no idea who this character is? Is it confusing or does it make you want to know more? Often mysteries and thrillers start with the victim’s death. So is this the woman, Isabel, who is missing? Or someone else?

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

Pens — I need pens.

Who knew private investigators needed so many pens?

I like how the running pen gag gives a little levity to tense scenes and also keeps reminding us that Gray is new to this.

A few weeks back I read Rachel Howzell Hall’s Land of Shadows (prev. post) and enjoyed both her main character’s fresh voice and her vivid, inventive descriptions. So far, this one has the same strengths.

What do you think? Have you read any of Rachel Howzell’s novels?

#BookBeginnings Land of Shadows by Rachel Howzell Hall

12/03/2020 / Roberta / 15 Comments

Today I’m reading Land of Shadows by Rachel Howzell Hall for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Land of Shadows* by Rachel Howzell Hall

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Summary: When a young girl is killed and left at a construction site, Homicide detective Elouise Norton is immediately suspicious of the owner, who had been linked to the disappearance of Norton’s older sister twenty-five years prior. Norton is determined to get answers this time, but at what cost?

First Sentence:

Two hundred and six bones make up the adult human skeleton.

Discussion:

Over the last six months, I’ve attended many virtual book and writing events, and I’ve discovered so many new authors I want to read. I’d seen Rachel Hall at a couple of events and she seemed intriguing, so I decided I’d try the first book in her Lou Norton series. This first line does not disappoint.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

I called Joey Jackson over and told him to take the warrant request to the courthouse and hand it to Judge Keener as soon as she popped her first can of Diet Coke.

This is a pretty standard police procedural, but the author drops in fresh descriptions and details that make it enjoyable. Can’t you just see the judge drinking Diet Coke to fortify her against her busy day?

What do you think? Have you found any new authors via virtual events?

#BookBeginnings The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado

10/29/2020 / Roberta / 6 Comments

Today I have a thriller by a local author, The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

The Cipher* by Isabella Maldonado

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Summary: FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera is haunted by her troubled childhood. When a specter from her past starts a killing spree, Guerrera teams with mind hunter Dr. Jeffrey Wade to track him down.

First Sentence:

Nina Esperanza gazed up at the man who held her fate in his hands. Judge Albert McIntyre perused the submitted documents in silence.

Discussion: Isabella Maldonado is a retired police captain and local Phoenix author. I’ve seen her speak several times, and have read the first book of her earlier series. As you would expect, the police procedures in her novels are spot on. This one seems to be a lot more deeply violent than I remember her earlier works.

I like that we aren’t quite sure what is going on in the beginning. Is Nina a criminal about to be sentenced?

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

Wade lowered his voice. “If any of this becomes uncomfortable, I expect you to let me know.”

She looked him straight in the eye and lied. “I will.” She was already fifty clicks past uncomfortable.

Yikes, I know I’m in writer mode when I want to edit the quote. Anyway, the “fifty clicks past uncomfortable” captures her voice nicely.

What do you think? Are you in a thriller mood for Halloween?

#BookBeginnings The Secrets They Left Behind

10/15/2020 / Roberta / 19 Comments

Let’s take a peek at The Secrets They Left Behind by Lissa Marie Redmond for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

The Secrets They Left Behind* by Lissa Marie Redmond

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Summary: While on Christmas break, three college freshmen disappear, leaving their cell phones, coats, and purses behind. When the investigation grows cold, twenty-three-year-old Buffalo police officer Shea O’Connor goes undercover, posing as a freshman. Will she get the evidence she needs to find the young women or will she become a target herself?

First Sentence:

Monday, February 20th

If I had known the best thing that was going to happen to me that day was a black eye, I would have called in sick.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

“Joe, this is Shea Anderson. She just moved here from Buffalo,” Kayla said in a disgusted voice, as if he smelled particularly repulsive that day.

“Shea Anderson? You sound like a French restaurant.”

“Good one,” I joked. “I’ve never heard that before.”

I recently finished a really dense 466 page mystery by P. D. James, so I’m looking forward to something more straightforward and this looks like just the thing.

I like the tough cop voice in the first sentence. I’m not so sure about the immature college freshman dialogue in the later quote, but I guess it is age appropriate.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

#BookBeginnings Among the Shadows by Bruce Robert Coffin

08/28/2020 / Roberta / 10 Comments

Today I’m reading Among the Shadows by Bruce Robert Coffin for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Among the Shadows by Bruce Robert Coffin

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Summary: When a retired cop is murdered while in hospice, Detective Sergeant John Byron struggles to find a motive. Why would someone kill a man already so close to death? When second ex-Portland police officer is killed, Byron realizes the cases are linked and that if he doesn’t solve the murders quickly, more cops might die.

First Sentence:

The bitter stench of urine and impending death permeated the small dingy bedroom. Hawk stood next to the bed, looking down at O’Halloran.

Thoughts:

I have to admit that first bit made me feel a bit squeamish. What about you?

Because we meet the victim and the killer pretty much in the first sentence of the book, this is not a traditional mystery. The publisher calls it a thriller.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

Retired Detective Ray Humphrey, one of Byron’s oldest and dearest friends, had always said: “If you find your train derailing during the course of the investigation, the best thing you can do is go back to the beginning.”

Discussion:

I recently watched a webinar featuring Bruce Robert Coffin, who — like his fictional protagonist –is a retired detective sergeant from Maine. I was impressed by what he said during the talk, so I picked up his first two books. If you like police procedurals, this is a good choice. You can tell the guy knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to put it on the page.

You can’t tell from the excerpts, but the Portland, Maine setting adds a dimension to the story, too.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

#BookBeginnings Murder in Pigalle

08/14/2020 / Roberta / 6 Comments

It has been way too long since I’ve been able to join Book Beginnings on Fridays. Today I’m reading Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black for an online book discussion on Monday at my local library.

Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black

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Summary: Although she wants to slow down her hectic life because of her pregnancy, private investigator Aimée Leduc still rushes to find the missing thirteen-year-old daughter of a friend. She’s afraid the girl’s disappearance may be related to a serial rapist terrorizing the Parisian neighborhood of Pigalle.

First Sentence:

Paris, June 1998. Monday 1:15 P.M.

Stepping into the shadowed cool of Passage Verdeau, Aimée Leduc welcomed the reprieve from the late-June heat — but not the barrel of the Uzi blocking her way. Stifling a gasp, she clutched her stomach, felt a flutter,

Discussion:

Do you like this beginning?

I do. It gives a sense of the place, the person, and set a tone for the novel, all in a few words.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

She had a little life stirring inside her. Part of her wondered what she would do to protect it. And it scared her.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a pregnant protagonist, especially a private detective. It adds an interesting dimension to the story.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

#BookBeginnings The Janes by Louisa Luna

05/22/2020 / Roberta / 7 Comments

So excited to be able to join Book Beginnings on Fridays. I’m reading The Janes by Louisa Luna today.

The Janes* by Louisa Luna

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Summary: The second Alice Vega novel travels to the San Diego area where the bodies of two young women have been found. Lacking identification, one of the girls is clutching a slip of paper with Alice Vega’s name on it. She calls in her partner from a previous case in Pennsylvania, Max Caplan, and together they begin to piece together what happened to the girls while trying to prevent anyone else from meeting the same fate.

First Sentence:

Meet our girl: seventeen, arrived here a year ago from a rough and dusty town in Chiapas, considered pretty by most standards because she is young, her face unmarked by scars or wrinkles, her body boasting the tender snap of fresh muscle.

Discussion:

Did you notice the way the author used “our girl” for the victim? It continues throughout the scene, not just in the first line. I wasn’t completely sure whether it made the reader empathize with the girl or if it created the impression that she was being described by someone who treated her like a possession.

How did it strike you?

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

The wife tilted back on her heels and then steadied herself. She struggled against the doctor for a moment but then didn’t fight.

In this scene, Cap is watching a couple of suspects.

What do you think? Have you read anything by Louisa Luna?

#BookBeginnings Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

05/08/2020 / Roberta / 8 Comments

Today I’m looking forward to reading Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

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Summary: Two young sisters disappear from a parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town and the police aren’t making any progress. Desperate, their mother hires a bounty hunter named Alice Vega, to search for the girls. Vega enlists a local PI, Max Caplan, to help her. Will the pair be enough to find the girls in time?

First Sentence:

Jamie Brandt was not a bad mother. Later she would tell that to anyone who would listen: police, reporters, lawyers, her parents, her boyfriend, her dealer, the new bartender with the knuckle tattoos at Schultz’s, the investigator from California and her partner, and her own reflection in the bathroom mirror, right before cracking her forehead on the sink’s edge and passing out from the cocktail of pain, grief, and fear.

Discussion: A first glance, this seems like a pretty straightforward beginning. When you look closer, however, you begin to notice there’s a lot of information. She has a boyfriend, so she is a single mother. She has a dealer and knows a bartender, so she might have addictions. Plus, she is in a lot of pain.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

Cap truly believed there was nothing harder than being a kid. You were always an alien trying to learn the earth rules.

Actually, this is just a random quote that I liked.

I heard good things about this series, so I’m looking forward to giving it a try.

What do you think? Do the quotes draw you in?

What are you reading this week?

#BookBeginnings The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day

05/01/2020 / Roberta / 14 Comments

Let’s take a look at The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day for Book Beginnings on Fridays.

The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day

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Summary: Alice Fine works in a construction office with her dad by day and volunteers with an online group that matches unidentified bodies (“Does”) with missing persons at night. Unlike many of the other members of the group — who started because they have missing relatives — Alice was drawn to the work because she herself was a missing person when she was very young. She was rescued in less than a day, but her kidnapper was never caught. When Alice recognizes a man from a photograph on the missing persons website, she soon realizes he is the one who kidnapped her so long ago. With the help of other volunteers, Alice delves into the mystery of who he was and why he took her.

First Sentence:

Audrey89: RE: RE: RE:…This thread is getting long and tedious already and you jerks are starting to repeat yourselves.

Discussion:

Oh yes, I’ve been on forums that were like that.

This section isn’t labelled as prologue, but it begins in front of Chapter One. Throughout the text, the author sprinkles in online discussions, emails, etc. between regular-length chapters.

The idea that a victim can investigate the crime really works. It is done in a believable way. The online group is based on an actual organization.

56

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.

When Merrily jolted awake from strange dreams, her mouth still tasted weird.

Technically this is from page 57, because page 56 was an email.

Hum, wonder what Merrily was up to before she fell asleep.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

Tag: The Friday 56 (Page 1 of 2)

#BookBeginnings The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings Land of Shadows by Rachel Howzell Hall

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings The Secrets They Left Behind

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#BookBeginnings Among the Shadows by Bruce Robert Coffin

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings Murder in Pigalle

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings The Janes by Louisa Luna

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

First Sentence:

56

#BookBeginnings The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day

First Sentence:

56

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