Crime and thriller opening lines that pack formidable punches.
Here are 10 of our favourite opening lines from recent crime and thriller releases. How do they measure up to your all-time favourites? Here’s hoping the next year brings the same levels of intensity…
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
'There's a body on the Gurney Street tracks. Female, age unclear, probable overdose, says the dispatcher.'
The Shape of the Night by Tess Gerritsen
‘Even now I still dream about Brodie’s Watch, and the nightmare is always the same.'
We Can See You by Simon Kernick
‘Even the most perfect life can shatter in seconds, and Brook Connor’s nightmare began approximately two minutes after she walked through her front door.’
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
‘It was the dripping that woke her. And the smell.’
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
‘The road curves and twists unexpectedly as it leads higher and deeper into the Catskill Mountains, as if the further you get from civilization, the more uncertain the path.’
The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan
‘Water closes over the body. swallows it. The rocking of the boat subsides quickly. its occupant waits until the surface of the lake is still. Her breathing sounds shockingly loud. she takes the oars and rows away from the site with determined strokes. Her arms ache and she thinks: I can’t believe I had to do this. I hate to have done this.’
The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson
‘“How did you find me?” the woman asked. There was a tremor in her voice; her face was frightened.’
The Winters by Lisa Gabriele
‘Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again.’
Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
‘She’s standing in the kitchen, looking out the large back windows. She turns toward me – there’s a swing of thick, brown hair – and I see the confusion and then the sudden fear in her wide brown eyes. She has registered the situation, the danger. Our eyes lock. She looks like a beautiful, frightened animal. But I don’t care. I feel a rush of emotion – pure, uncontrolled rage; I don’t feel any pity for her at all.’
Under Your Wings by Tiffany Tsao
‘When your sister murders three hundred people, you can’t help but wonder why – especially if you were one of the intended victims.’
