Books: First Lines Fridays 18th September 2026
Ready for another First Lines Friday? It's that time of the week when we judge a book not by it's cover or even by it's blurb. Instead we will be judging it's ability to hook us from the opening lines. Let's see if this week's pick will have you adding it to your TBR list or not.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
I'm participating in First Lines Fridays as I think it's a great way to highlight more of the books that are on my bookshelves.
What is First Lines Fridays?
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
My Pick For This Week
The first lines of the book:
It was a fine day at the end of March when Sarah Vane parked her silver Volvo neatly and opened the rear door, undoing her little black Scottie dog, Hamish’s harness. He shook himself after the long drive and gave her his favourite quizzical, head-on-one-side look.
Do you know which book this is from? Scroll down to find out!
And the book is...
Book synopsis for Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle
When retired doctor Sarah Vane moves to Merstairs, she has no idea that the quaint seaside town isn’t quite as friendly it seems, and something sinister is bubbling under the picturesque surface…
Recently widowed and looking for a fresh start away from city life, Sarah Vane moves into a lovely little cottage by the sea. The rustic charm is everything she hoped it would be, but her new home doesn’t quite have enough space for her things. Her old friend Daphne offers to store Sarah’s boxes in her messy beach hut, but while clearing it out, they are shocked to find a heavy trunk… containing a dead body.
They immediately recognise the poor man as pub landlord Gus Trubshaw. Sarah concludes that he was suffocated, but who could have wanted jolly Gus dead? Unimpressed by the police’s lack of interest, Sarah realises she will have to solve the case herself.
Soon, Sarah discovers that not everyone loved Gus as much as she’d thought. Could the killer be scoutmaster Bill, who was recently banned from the pub? Or perhaps it was antique store owner, Charles, who owned the beach hut before Daphne? Or was it brewery director Mr. Grimes, who was livid with Gus for squeezing him on the purchase price of his delicious ale?
Just when the clues are starting to fall into place, the prime suspect is found strangled on the beach. And when Sarah discovers a deadly secret that links the two murders, she’s certain that a dangerous killer is roaming the streets of Merstairs. With the town in a panic, time is ticking for Sarah. Will she solve the mystery before it’s last orders for another victim?
Set off for the breezy English seaside and join Sarah on her adventures in quirky Merstairs, where nothing is quite as it seems! Fans of Agatha Christie, Betty Rowlands and Katie Gayle will be instantly hooked by this deliciously gripping cozy mystery.
Where to find Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle online:
Have you read this book? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do these opening lines make you want to read the book?
What would you like to explore next?
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Book Spotlight: The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson
Today I'm part of a virtual book tour organised by The Write Reads for The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson. The tour for ‘The Sun Casts No Shadow' will run from 15th - 20th September 2026.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
Genre: Dystopian Noir
Age Category: Adult
Number of Pages: 180 Pages
Publication Date: June 25, 2026
Book synopsis for The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson
In the walled, rotting City where daylight is a just a memory, pickpocket Wellington Thorneycroft drifts through life. The rules are simple: take what you can, feel nothing, and never look too closely at the shadows.But when a ghostly woman appears—silent, radiant, impossible—everything shifts. Her promise is clear: we’ll escape together. With that, Thorneycroft is thrust into a fever-dream journey that twists through brothels, back alleys, and the outer edges of sanity itself.
Guided by visions and a growing hunger for something beyond the City’s poisoned streets, he begins to question the nature of the prison he calls home... and whether escape is even possible.
Laced with brutality and bleak wonder, Mark Richardson's The Sun Casts No Shadow is a neo-noir descent into metaphysical horror.
Dark. Gritty. Unforgettable. Enter the City.
Where to find The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson online:
About the author Mark Richardson
Mark Richardson writes neo-noir novels which blend elements from a range of genres, including surrealism, science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia.
He grew up near Chicago, graduated from the University of Iowa, and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
You can find him on online here:
Website: www.authormarkrichardson.com
TikTok: @noirdetective4
Instagram: @markrichardsonaauthor
Email: authormarkrichardson@gmail.com
For more inspiration, take a look at 101 Blog Post Ideas For Book Bloggers to keep your content fresh and engaging.
What would you like to explore next?
Are you looking for your next favourite read, blogging tips, or a new challenge? Click a button below to dive in!
If you'd like to support me, donating goes a long way to helping with the running of this blog. Thanks for your support 💗
Donate now
Books: First Lines Fridays 11th September 2026
Welcome back for another First Lines Friday. It's that time of the week when we judge a book not by it's cover or even by it's blurb. Instead we will be judging it's ability to hook us from the opening lines. Let's see if this week's pick will have you adding it to your TBR list or not.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
I'm participating in First Lines Fridays as I think it's a great way to highlight more of the books that are on my bookshelves.
What is First Lines Fridays?
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
My Pick For This Week
The first lines of the book:
‘Do you need a handkerchief, Mr Haddonberg?’ The testimony hadn’t even begun yet, and already Walter Haddonberg was sweating. The prospect of facing the plaintiff’s attorney, Arthur Kirkland, had apparently gotten the glands in Haddonberg’s forehead and under his arms working overtime. Kirkland, a handsome, dynamic man, had a reputation in the Portland legal community that had earned him the nickname ‘The Barracuda.’
Do you know which book this is from? Scroll down to find out!
And the book is...
Book synopsis for Inherit the Shoes by EJ Copperman
Lawyer Sandy Moss gets mixed up in a celebrity murder case in LA, in the first in a brand-new cosy legal mystery series.
New Jersey prosecutor Sandy Moss is tired of petty criminals, and a new job at a glitzy Los Angeles law firm seems the perfect career move. Putting 3,000 miles between her and her ex-boyfriend is just an added bonus.
But on Sandy’s first morning as a family attorney, she inadvertently kills her new career stone dead when she offends her boss during a meeting with the firm’s top celebrity client, charismatic TV star Patrick McNabb. But that’s not as dead as Patrick’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Patsy, is that evening, when she’s discovered shot by an arrow, her husband standing over her.
Where to find Inherit the Shoes by EJ Copperman online:
Have you read this book? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do these opening lines make you want to read the book?
What would you like to explore next?
Are you looking for your next favourite read, blogging tips, or a new challenge? Click a button below to dive in!
If you'd like to support me, donating goes a long way to helping with the running of this blog. Thanks for your support 💗
Donate now
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