Where’s Christopher Lee shuffling around in a mummy costume?

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

This month I snagged from the New Release shelf:

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

You all know I’m an avid Agatha Christie fan, so it’s no surprise I was immediately drawn to Fiona Davis’ The Stolen Queen. A mystery tied to Egyptian antiquities? Sign me up!

Yet by the end of five pages, I felt…eh. Not that there’s anything wrong with the writing. Fiona Davis efficiently uses her page space to establish the setting (the Met in NYC), the situation of an exciting newly discovered Egyptian temple coming to the Met, and one of the protagonists: a career-driven, knowledgeable, sweet-as-can-be Charlotte. Everyone likes working with her, and no one gives her any credit for helping them make the exhibit possible. The scene ends with Charlotte wistfully thinking of her own legacy and how her research about a forgotten Egyptian pharaoh should change her life at last.

It’s a serviceable start, sure. The plot moves along right away. There are a couple allusions to 1930s Egypt, which is highlighted on the dust jacket, so we know that time and place will matter in the narrative. But I didn’t feel hooked. I felt like this was the start of a tv movie where we’re watching the quirky-but-cute woman with glasses passed over by everyone until a maaaagical thing happens. And I just can’t bring myself to wait for that thing.

Let’s see what next month’s find will teach us, shall we?

Coming up, I’ve got a lovely interview, a reflection on ten years in the blogging sphere, and thoughts on world-building a galaxy.

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