This time, the Man with No Name is a lady. With a name. And she’s here to wrangle a murderer!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

The Big Sugar: A Brigid Reardon Mystery by Mary Logue

It’s prologue time, folks, but I’ll give Mary Logue props here for effectively using a prologue to tackle a LOT for her book The Big Sugar: A Brigid Reardon Mystery.

The first section provides a vivid description of the Wyoming Plains and Rocky Mountains and how they contrast with protagonist Brigid’s Irish homeland. Since this novel is set in the 1880s, this opening prose not only gives readers a sense of time and place, but of the narrator’s own voice, too. It feels fitting for the period while remaining accessible for the modern reader, which is always important.

The remaining sections of the prologue (there are four total) each carry their own job to prepare readers for this second installment of Logue’s Western Mystery series. The second section provides a quick rundown of the first book’s events so that readers aren’t wondering about how’s who and why folks would listen to this pioneering narrator in the first place when it comes to crime-solving. The third section brings up to the present day for Brigid and a grisly discovery of her neighbor’s body hanging in a tree. It’s not clear if this neighbor was present in the first book; I’ll presume it, as the fourth section gives Brigid a chance to work through the emotional weight of losing her neighbor (let alone discovering her hanging dead in a tree). There’s allusions to cattle barons and Ella’s own small herd, which promises a “David and Goliath” style story of the lone soul seeking justice against the wealthy and powerful. It’s a common Western kind of conflict, and I’m sure those who love a mystery will appreciate Logue’s careful research and eloquent voice to build a compelling story.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!