What Are The Best Opening Lines Of Novels To Hook Mystery Readers?

Check out the ‘Miss Mallard Mystery’ series by Robert Quackenbush (an older series, but still so cute and full of so much charm). Miss Mallard is a duck detective that travels around the world to solve mysteries in different locations. In each book you get a little taste of the geography and culture of the country/ place she is investigating. The mysteries are really clever and I always find out who done it before the end is revealed. The illustrations are so classic and cozy. I have a bunch of these at my house that I got at a used bookstore. My kid loves to read about the little adventures of Miss Mallard and her friends. These are great for introducing kids to the world traveler detective archetype.

That's an interesting question. I've never really considered myself to be keeping a ranked list of bands to see live in my head. I know what I want to see when I'm in the mood for something. Maybe I'm just not the best person to ask in a situation like this.

The line remains as powerful as ever it was, and I find it tragic. It seems to take on a new relevance in every new geopolitical situation I read it in – a warning in days of increased surveillance; a description of current reality in days of increased misinformation. The line remains as powerful as ever it was in part because of Orwell’s skill at line writing, but also because the subject matter of that line keeps being accurately described by it again and again in the light of same human failures again and again – as uncomfortable as that bright cold light is to look into, it is a mirror that we keep having to look into.

The celebrated mystery writer Agatha Christie, is the best-selling author of all time. The two mystery novels that are possibly her best are ‘The ABC Murders’ and ‘Evil Under the Sun’. I personally really enjoy her work because it’s so cleverly written and she keeps sending the reader back to re-read the story in order to uncover little clues that have been hidden by the writer. Her influence extends to television, film and even other writers, and her books are a perfect combination of intellectual and entertaining read. Therefore Christie is the undisputed Queen of Mystery writing.

Why choose a romance crime novel? For starters, ‘In the Woods’ by Tana French is a fantastic choice of romance crime novel. The desire between detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox is as compelling as the murder of a young child that they are trying to solve. Then there’s ‘The Wife Between Us’ by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, another twisty and addictive love story. Add historical twist to the mix by grabbing ‘The Alienist’ by Caleb Carr, a chilling 19th century mystery set in New York that has subtle undertones of romance. Without exception the books of crime listed here show that even when you’re in the grip of the central plot of the book, love can creep in and keep you enthralled until the very end.

I am so behind this book, 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. Our library copy is worn to shreds from being passed from hand to hand. The twist and turn of the plot is so sharp it cuts like a knife. And, although the story is told by two very unreliable narrators, it makes for a wonderful and uncomfortable read into the marriage of a middle aged couple and the media frenzy that ensues after their disappearance. Not a light or fluffy mystery by any stretch but with great tension and humor, it’s a favorite modern thriller of mine. And the library is just so cool in including modern and edgy titles like this one in their mystery collection. That favorite novel of mine is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, a paperback copy worn from being read by so many. The main character, Lisbeth Salander, is an amazing protagonist of the mystery genre. The author developed a great plot, combining the corruption of large corporations with the investigation of an old murder and the noir atmosphere of Sweden. And, on top of all that, there are many puzzles to unravel throughout the book, with lots of social commentary. Mabel Fry Library has a great selection of international mysteries, like this one, to introduce local readers to a wide variety of writers and stories. Historical mysteries are a favorite of mine, and 'The Alienist' by Caleb Carr is an excellent choice. Set in 1896 New York, a team of early criminal psychologists work to find a serial killer. The hardcover edition of this book feels heavy and is an excellent representation of the dense prose that Carr has created in this atmospheric and engaging book. Carr has done excellent research in order to create a Gilded Age New York that is full of crime and inquest. In addition to the gripping storyline, Carr has created a cast of memorable characters in the group of men, led by newspaper illustrator John Moore, who are determined to solve the puzzle of the murder of young boys.

This line is cool. The swagger in it is attractive to a teenager reading it. This line is so significant beyond the literary analysis of it that it gives readers a sense of the cultural cool factor of reading literary novels. For generations of disaffected teens, Holden Madden gave them voice to their own feelings of anger and confusion. The opening line of this novel is a symbol to readers of that feeling of, “It’s okay to be skeptical, angry and confused and to express yourself in your own unique way.” This line and its significance to so many readers has become a cultural artifact in itself and is perhaps as significant as the literary work that it is a part of to many readers.

It’s also important to note the cozy vs. thriller distinction. As I mentioned earlier, most cozies are relatively short books, but many psychological thrillers that are shelved in the mystery section are actually quite long – often 350-400 pages. These books spend a lot of time in the characters’ heads, creating suspense and unpredictability. They also often employ un-reliable narration, which can add to their complexity. If you’re counting these types of books in the ‘mystery’ section, then the average book length for mystery will be longer than for other genres. In stores, these books are often stacked together with traditional mysteries, but they are really quite different from one another. While a traditional mystery is a relatively short book that focuses on figuring out who did a crime and how they did it, a thriller is a longer book that focuses on what is going to happen next and often involves a present-day threat to the main characters.

Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock series

This movie is based off the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by Dan Brown. The movie brings the very intriguing puzzles and thrilling mystery to life with Tom Hanks playing the lead character, Robert Langdon. As much as I enjoyed the movie it didn’t do the book justice in terms of history. Another novel that was great as a movie was ‘Shutter Island’ by Dennis Lehane. This was a wonderful adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio and an excellent job done by Martin Scorsese in creating a very haunting atmosphere in the film. I also really love Big Little Lies – and this is a TV show which originated as a mystery novel by Liane Moriarty. The characters are amazing and the way in which the story is told is so full of atmosphere and I feel that the way in which a mystery is revealed on screen is so much more exciting than on the page.