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Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Crossbones Yard



Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of Crossbones Yard by Kate Rhodes.  This is the first book in a series starring Alice Quentin - a psychologist who sometimes works with the police in London.  See what you think:






     I peered into the metal box without stepping inside.  It had the familiar smell of all hospital lifts, handwash and antiseptic, an undertone of urine and fear.  I had only managed the twenty-four-storey journey to the psychology department once, with my eyes closed, holding my breath.  It wasn't the speed that got me, just the space itself.  Tiny and airless, no windows to escape through.  I forced myself over the threshold, keeping the door open with my hand, but panic kicked in immediately, a surge of adrenalin just under my ribcage.  My reflection stared at me from the mirrored back wall.  My face was white and pinched, eyes glittering with anxiety.  I looked like a small blonde child dressed up in her mother's smartest clothes.  I backed out of the lift and the doors snapped shut, almost catching my fingers.  My only option was to take the stairs, all two hundred and seventy-eight of them.  By now the signs on every landing were imprinted on my memory: oncology, urology, orthopaedics, X-ray.  But at least the daily climb was keeping me fit--at a steady pace the ascent took less than six minutes.

Blurb:

Alice Quentin is a psychologist with some painful family secrets, but she has a good job, a good-looking boyfriend, and excellent coping skills, even when that job includes evaluating a convicted killer who's about to be released from prison.  One of the highlights of her day is going for a nice, long run around her beloved London--it's impossible to fret or feel guilty about your mother or brother when you're concentrating on your breathing--until she stumbles upon a dead body at a former graveyard for prostitutes, Crossbones Yard.

The dead woman's wounds are alarmingly similar to the signature style of Ray and Marie Benson, who tortured and killed thirteen women before they were caught and sent to jail.  Five of their victims were never found.  That was six years ago, and the last thing Alice wants to do is to enter the sordid world of the Bensons or anyone like them.  But when the police ask for her help in building a psychological profile of the new murderer, she finds that the killer--and the danger to her and the people she cares about--may already be closer than she ever imagined.


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Are you interested?  Would you keep reading?  There are three books published in this series and the fourth has just come out in the UK.  I'm looking forward to meeting Alice.


17 comments:

  1. That does sound interesting. I always love a character who has flaws.

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  2. I'd read on, although I'm not really in the mood to read a serial killer novel right now.

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  3. Sounds intense.I'd have to be in the mood, but it does look like a good thriller..

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  4. Wow -- sounds like this might be terrific - I'd read more for sure.

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  5. I'm on board. You can feel the narrator's anxiety in the opening paragraph, and it sounds like it will be a thrilling read. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention.

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  6. I like finding out about a good murder series. This looks really good, so I'd keep reading!

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  7. I would definitely keep reading. I like the main characters vulnerability. Makes her relatable.

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  8. I love crime fiction set in London. This does sound good! I don't think I've heard of this author before.

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  9. Mmmmmm, not for me. At least, at this time. Guess I'm too much of a wimp. -grin-

    Tessa

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  10. Oh, yes, you had me at "psychologist" and "police." Love this kind of working relationship...and I love books set in London. Thanks for sharing...and here's mine: “SOME LUCK”

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  11. This is a new one to me. I like the idea of a psychologist who works with the police - and in London. Good use of words in that first paragraph: "urine and fear." I'd like to keep reading.

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  12. This sounds good. Being first in a series is a plus, too... no catching up needed ;-)

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  13. I already feel empathy for the character, just from reading the book's opening. This definitely sounds like a book I'd enjoy.
    My Tuesday post features SHELTER US.

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  14. I had this out of the library once and started about a chapter, then ran out of time and returned it. I should've just renewed it because it intrigued me, but sometimes I get fussy and don't want to have any books checked out, requiring an hour's round-trip just to return one.

    I think if given the chance again I will continue with it (if the serial killer angle isn't presented too graphically). Hope you enjoy it!

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  15. Hmmm I don't know about that one....sounds a little too gory for me. I have a problem reading books about awful things that could or did happen. Too real. Those kind of things keep me up at night.

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  16. This sounds good, Kay! Very intense too. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing! :)

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  17. I've only read one by this author, but might have to add this one to my list.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!