What Is The First Paragraph Of Your Current Read?

[Donna Moore]

On the excellent 4MA mailing list, one of the standard questions each month is "What is the first paragraph on Page X of the book you are reading?" I get loads of book recommendations that way, so I thought I would start a similar discussion here, as I am always looking for suggestions for books to read.

So what is the first paragraph or two of the book you are currently reading?

I've just started TO KISS OR KILL by Day Keene from 1951. Here's the first few paragraphs as they are short:

'You never can tell what a big tough Polish boy will do when he finds a nude blonde in his bathroom. Especially if he is a heavyweight fighter who was born back of the yards, is married to a million dollars, and has a psychiatric record.

He might do a number of things. He might tell her to get out. He might yell for his wife. He might blow what's left of his top. He might even do what Barney Mandell did, come to his addled senses.

It really happened, in Chicago. It happened to Barney Mandell on the afternoon on the day he was released from the asylum as cured, because he hadn't wrung a parrot's neck in two years.

Oh, yes. The nude blonde was dead.'


Isn't that marvellous? What a start. Tells you enough about Barney Mandell to make you want to know more.

[Jude Hardin]

Very nice, Margot. I haven't read David yet, but I'll definitely check him out now.

[Donna Moore]

You lot are going to bankrupt me!

[Don Anderson]

Based on other comments I'd read on the web I had been meaning to buy this one. The first paragraph just pushed me over the edge.

[Laura Root]

For me it's the "fortune cookie with hair" description :). Off to open an amazon window :)

[Daniel Hatadi]

Now that I've finished Connolly's 500 page mammoth I can happily jump on to a book that just arrived from Amazon today:

If I was going to become a serial killer; I needed to learn more about the job.

I'd bought a copy of Serial Killing For Dummies on eBay from a Seller called RitualSlasher: He was selling his entire book collection because he was 'going away for at least 25 years.' I'd thanked him for the book and told him I hoped he had a lovely time on his vacation.

[Jude Hardin]

Who wrote that, Daniel? Sorry, but it seems a bit amateurish. Maybe a self-published title?

[Jude Hardin]

The colon in the second graf doesn't make much sense, either.

[Daniel Hatadi]

Umm, you guys aren't serious, are you? If so, I may have to send you both to your rooms: this is from Donna Moore's novel HELENA HANDBASKET, one of the funniest books I've read in ages (and I haven't even finished it).

[Julie Morrigan]

I just read Helena recently, Daniel. It is a great start, and, as you're finding, it just gets better. I would recommend doing the interactive version (joining in with the cocktails) but you're likely to end up broke and in a gutter. Besides, you might not have a vase!

[Vincent Holland-Keen]

I was planning on buying that book, even though a certain someone warned against it.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I may keep it simpler: one beer per page.

[Karen from AustCrime]

Ah yes - drink and read - one of my all time favourite party games.....