First Chapter ~ First Paragraph (November 14)

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 excerpts come from a book that has languished unread for far too long having been purchased way back in January 2014! The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans is a historical tale which promises delightful gowns, so seems to fit with my recent visit to Bath’s fashion museum.

Blurb

Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel to become a designer in the high-stakes world of Parisian haute couture. But Alix also has a secret: she supports her family by stealing designs to create bootlegs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.

Then Alix is given her big break – a chance to finally realize her dream in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses – but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.

Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Alix accepts the arrangement. But when a mystery from her past resurfaces and a chance meeting has her falling into the arms of a handsome English war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep – or misplaced trust – could be all it takes for her life to begin falling apart at the seams. Goodreads

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First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro

Prologue

Alsace, Eastern France, 1903

The double crash that echoed through the timber-framed house killed one man and damned another. The first blow was metal against skull The second was the crack of the victim’s head against the corner of the stove.

Chapter One

Paris, 1937

Mathilda’s daughter emerged from the Continental Telephone Exchange wearing an ivy-green suit, the severity of which contrasted with her youth.
A tilted trilby and shoes of black glacé leather suggested a young lady of means, as did silk stockings accentuating slim calves and ankles. She carried a black handbag and wore matching gloves. As she went down Rue du Louvre at a fast clip, admiring looks met her – and more than one smile of invitation.

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I’m always torn when putting these posts together when they have a prologue about where to start but as this one has such an intriguing first sentence I decided to give you a taster before the delicious clothes descriptions – how fancy do black glacé leather shoes sound?

So what do you think? Would you keep reading or perhaps you’ve already read this one? Do share your thoughts in the comments box below.