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.
This week my opening comes from The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena to be published by Penguin Random House UK on 14 July 2016.
Blurb
You never know what’s happening on the other side of the wall.
Your neighbour told you that she didn’t want your six-month-old daughter at the dinner party. Nothing personal, she just couldn’t stand her crying.
Your husband said it would be fine. After all, you only live next door. You’ll have the baby monitor and you’ll take it in turns to go back every half hour.
Your daughter was sleeping when you checked on her last. But now, as you race up the stairs in your deathly quiet house, your worst fears are realized. She’s gone.
You’ve never had to call the police before. But now they’re in your home, and who knows what they’ll find there.
What would you be capable of, when pushed past your limit? Amazon
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First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro
Chapter One
Anne can fee the acid churning in her stomach and creeping up her throat; her head is swimming. She’s had too much to drink. Cynthia has been recklessly topping her up all night. Anne had meant to keep herself to a limit, but she’d let things slide – she didn’t know how else she was supposed to get through the evening. Now she has no idea how much wine she’s drunk over the course of the interminable dinner party. She’ll have to pump and dump her breast milk in the morning.
This extract comes from a proof copy.
So what do you think? Would you keep reading?
Please leave your thoughts and links in the envelope below!
I definitely would.The extract is intriguing. I am already thinking about what was in the wine or did she really just drink too much. Plus the synopsis of the book is really good 🙂 I hope you are enjoying it so far. Happy reading.
Thank you Diana, yes the opening alongside the synopsis definitely raises a few questions.
Yes, I would keep reading this one. Although I can’t imagine leaving your baby alone next door!
I know, I’m worried I’m going to come over all moralistic reading this one but we shall see!
I don’t think I could read on – it sounds terribly sad!
It does and I’m worried I’m going to be very judgemental as I can’t imagine doing something as stupid as this!
The intro certainly has made me curious!
Curious is good Colline!
It sounds like a story with a very dark thread in it, Cleo. But it sounds like an intriguing psychological novel, too. I’ll be interested in your reaction to it when you’ve finished.
It does sound dark but I have to admit I’m slightly worried that I will be too judgemental to enjoy this one – I’m going to give it a shot though.
Yes, I’d continue – though I also wonder about leaving the baby alone. Happily, I have an advance copy of this one and may just decide to read it next or soon-ish.
Love the new ‘look’!!
Ah thank you for your comments on the blog Kay and good to ‘see’ you again 🙂 I’m actually quite apprehensive about reading this one because I have a feeling my judgement on that decision may get in the way of the story but we’ll see!
Sounds un-put-downable. I’m adding this to my list.
Excellent news Catherine, I do hope you enjoy it if you get around to reading it 🙂
Hummm, I think I’d have to read a little more to be sure, but the opener caught my attention.
Thanks for visiting Beth 🙂
I’d keep reading. Although I have serious concerns about them leaving their baby unattended. My mother always said if she couldn’t bring her children with her somewhere, it wasn’t somewhere she needed to be. (So when my prissy cousin didn’t invite me to her wedding, my mother didn’t go!)
I am worried about reading this one because I think I will come over judgemental about the mother’s decision – we’ll have to see how it goes…
Oh yes, love the description and the intro. I hope to read this one as well – enjoy
Oh that is good news Diane – I hope you enjoy it if you get around to it.
Why is Cynthia recklessly topping her drinks all night? I am very suspicious! I can’t wait to find out more…this one is on my list. Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
I don’t know what is going on! I’m interested to find out more!
I think I’d definitely read on. It’s creepy and gripping!
🙂 I’m hoping for a gripping journey.
I’m curious to find out why the hostess kept topping off her drinks after she knew her neighbor had left a baby alone next door. Duh, even with a baby monitor… not good parenting. This is what happened to that little British girl in the news when her parents put her down and went just outside the hotel room to dinner and she vanished.
Thanks for sharing a title I now know I am intrigued enough to look for.
I’m a little wary of being too judgemental about the mother to read this book but I do like stories that take a big news story (as this one appears to) and turn it into a book. I’m glad your intrigued enough to look out for this one.
Yikes, that’s terrifying. Hope you enjoy the excitement. Here’s Mine
I like the description (although I can’t help but think of the Mccann case…) but the opening itself put me off. I think it was the verb tense.
Yes it is an odd tense isn’t it – not terribly reader friendly. I thought of the McCann case too and I am fond of books that borrow real=life stories as a springboard for fiction.
I’d keep reading in the hopes that the mother would get slammed in prison for child neglect and drunkeness… or maybe she could be the murder victim!! 😉
Strangely for me I’m unsure about reading this one because I don’t think I’ll be able to get past the stupid act of that mother – I hadn’t considered your final possibility so that may well help me get started!
The intro you shared has my attention. Why is she drinking so much? What is she trying to forget or at least dull the ache of? I hope you are enjoying this one!
I think I’d read this more for the blurb than the intro. Does sound like my kind of book though – and every parents nightmare!
Totally would what with the blurb plus that intro (maybe as above more the blurb but still)
Yeah. I would keep reading. Girl Who Reads
I’d like to keep reading. The intro raises lots of questions right off the bat and it makes me want to find out what’s going on.
Oh gosh, what a horrifying premise – but of course, I’m very intrigued. Great summary. The opening is quite interesting too. I’d read on!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
Baby monitors are sooooo not baby sitters. Grrrrrrr! It’s rare that I want to smack a character so hard before even getting the book!