Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.
My chosen book for this week is When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen, an author who hasn’t let me down yet, so I can’t wait to read this one, especially as it is set around office life!
Blurb
Amira, Sarah, Paula, Ewan and Charlie have worked together for years – they know how each one likes their coffee, whose love life is a mess, whose children keep them up at night. But their comfortable routine life is suddenly shattered when an aggressive new boss walks in ….
Now, there’s something chilling in the air.
Who secretly hates everyone?
Who is tortured by their past?
Who is capable of murder? NetGalley
~ ~ ~
First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro
Anne
Imagine we could see the damage inside ourselves. Imagine it showed through us like contraband in an airport scanner. What would it be like, to walk around the city with it all on view – al the crushed dreams and the broken hearts? What would it be like to see the people our lives made us The people we are, under our skin.
I thought about that when I saw you on the news just now. I recognised you right away. ‘Such an ordinary person,’ those people said. ‘I can’t believe someone like that could do something so terrible.’
Please note that this excerpt comes from a proof copy
When She Was Bad will be published on 21 April 2016 by Random House UK.
Do you want to know more? – do you want to know what the ‘ordinary person’ has done? – I know I do! Please leave your thoughts and/or links in the comment box below!
This book is on my TBR pile, hopefully will get to it soon X
That first paragraph is rather negative. I’m not so sure I’d keep going. I do hope it’s something you enjoy.
Yes, I would read on. I’ve used that last sentence while looking at the news or something else. Now, I rarely say those words. Why? Don’t know.
interesting point – perhaps we’re all a little more cynical these days?
I’m not quite sure. I like the premise but I’d have to read more to see if the story was going to grab me.
That’s an interesting setup for a crime novel, Cleo. Certainly I can see how office dynamics would be an effective backdrop. I hope you’ll enjoy it, and I’ll be interested in your review.
It’s funny because as I read the synopsis I wondered why more books aren’t set in the office as so many of us understand the undercurrents that can lurk there!
That is a lot of impending drama. I look forward to your review. The story has possibilities. Thanks for sharing.
I’m intrigued! I’ve heard so many good things about this author, I want to read one of her books soon!
Oh you really must she writes so well I found her by reading The Mistresses Revenge which was funny as well as telling a great story – the books have got darker since then but she hasn’t written one that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed!
This is a new-to-me author. I’m off to check out her back list.
She’s brilliant – well worth checking out, she originally wrote under Tamara Cohen.
I do love this kind of book…can’t wait to learn more! Who hasn’t had an evil boss at one time or another? I wonder what happens next….thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
I know and it is such a good backdrop to the story…
The opening is certainly riveting, with an interesting idea — what would it REALLY be like if our emotional damage was plainly visible to everyone? I really like the psychological angle here! However, the fact that murder is included in this story unfortunately turns me off. I wish the author had taken the plot in another direction. I do hope you enjoy reading this one, though!
Thanks for sharing, and for commenting on my Tuesday Intros post!! : )
You’re very welcome – I read a lot of crime fiction so it suits my tastes.
Actually, when I started the book I was just telling myself that the first paragraph seemed a little too generic, but of course I did really like the rest…
I’d keep reading.
yes! quite grabbing! mine is here: https://francebooktours.com/2016/04/12/first-chapter-first-paragraph-the-sword-of-the-maiden/
I love this opening! I would definitely keep reading. Your blurb made me think of my office when my new boss came in–of course, there was no murder and not quite as much drama.
Times of change are unsettling especially in an office situation – the author has come up with an exceptionally good back-drop!
This one is “new to me”, I’d read more.
This is a new author for me but based on the beginning, I’m apparently missing out! Keep reading.
It’s definitely an interesting start. I like the simile in the second sentence.
Like the sound of this one. Would carry on reading.