The Year of the Locust opening lines: I once went to kill a man. At other times, in younger days, I had followed my work through the neon-lit alleys of Tokyo, watched the sun rise over the Mosque of the Nine Cupolos and waited on the waterfront in Old Istanbul as a woman's tears fell … Continue reading The Year of the Locust, Terry Hayes

Condor's Fury opening lines: An old Russian-made SUV sped through the tiny Cuban village of Arcos on a humid afternoon. My blurb: What should have been a simple training exercise, rescuing a dummy from falling overboard, turns into a genuine rescue scenario. Kurt and Joe are sent to assist a ship close to where they … Continue reading Condor’s Fury, Graham Brown

12 Months to Live opening lines: "For the last time," my client says to me. "I. Did. Not. Kill. Those. People." My blurb: Jane has been given a year to live, if she does not seek treatment for her cancer. Her Doctor, and best friend, is trying to get her to make the right decisions. But … Continue reading 12 Months to Live, James Patterson

The Spy Coast opening lines: She used to be the golden girl. How things have changed, she thought, staring in the mirror. My blurb: Maggie's whole life fell apart when she married Danny. She might have been doing it for love, but she was not sure it was because she loved him, or her country. And … Continue reading The Spy Coast, Tess Gerritsen

Happiness In A Mug Cake is all about simple pleasure ready in minutes. Mug cakes make for great desserts and serve as a perfect sweet snack. According to Kate Calder, happiness starts here! Happiness in a Mug Cake is exactly that - mug cakes built to satisfy your cake cravings, all ready in your microwave … Continue reading Happiness In A Mug Cake

The Burnout opening lines: It's not the emails that make me panic. It's not even the 'chasing' emails. (Just wondering if you got my last emails as I have had no reply?) My blurb: When joining a convent does not work to get Sasha out of her impossible work situation, her mother comes up with … Continue reading The Burnout, Sophie Kinsella

23 ½ Lies opening line: Over the last three months, the SFPD homicide squad had been swamped by nightmarish murders of all types. 23 ½ Lies in collaboration with Maxine Paetro When SFPD Sergeant Lindsay Boxer is called to investigate a crime scene, nothing can prepare her for what she finds: her estranged father gunned … Continue reading 23 ½ Lies, James Patterson

A Twisted Love Story opening lines: Wes can't get the song out of his head. It plays on a loop, over and over, until he finds himself humming it out loud. My blurb: There is a detective poking around in Ivy and Wes's relationship. Karen is basing her assumptions on how her own relationship worked … Continue reading A Twisted Love Story, Samantha Downing

The Girls of Summer opening lines: It's too hot to be outside for long. Sweat is starting to dampen my scalp, thickening in the roots of my hair and pooling in the crevices of my collar bone. My blurb: All Rachel can remember of that summer is how amazing it was. How much freedom she … Continue reading The Girls of Summer, Katie Bishop

Blackouts And Boerewors combines South Africans' love of cooking on fire, with our lives enduring load shedding. The key component is that this is distraction-free quality time. The motto we all need to say is "no power, no problem". Blackouts And Boerewors Load-shedding sucks! You know it. We know it. The whole country knows it. … Continue reading Blackouts And Boerewors

The Little French Village of Book Lovers opening line: Marie-Jeanne's cradle stood under a broad-canopied olive tree some people claimed was over eight hundred years old, something the tree would neither confirm nor deny (at its age, one did not comment on how old one was). My blurb: Marie-Jeanne is an orphan who is being … Continue reading The Little French Village of Book Lovers, Nina George

Alex Cross Must Die opening line: On that mid-November Monday morning, after nearly three years of careful planning, the forty-eight-year-old man donned latex gloves and scanned the rental-car agreement one last time. My blurb: Detectives Cross and Sampson are being pulled in two directions. There is a killer out there, murdering people seemingly at random. … Continue reading Alex Cross Must Die, James Patterson

The Secret opening lines: Keith Bridgeman was alone in his room when he closed his eyes. The morning medical rounds were over. My blurb: It is 1992 and Jack Reacher is on active duty in the Military Police. He is called to form part of a task force put together to figure out who is … Continue reading The Secret, Lee Child

Onwards is about letting go and staying tethered. When Karen Dudley closed her iconic restaurant, The Kitchen, in Woodstock, Cape Town, there were tears all over for the beloved establishment. Since then, Karen has found that connection does not necessarily reside only in bricks and mortar. She has found that she can carry that deliciousness … Continue reading Onwards, Karen Dudley

Obsessed opening lines: The NYPD boat lurched and I almost slipped on the deck. The waves made a monotonous slapping sound against the boat's hull, like an uneven drumbeat, as we cut through the choppy water. My blurb: Michael Bennett has been tasked with searching for a missing girl, and not just any missing girl, … Continue reading Obsessed, James Patterson

The Bookbinder Of Jericho opening lines: Scraps. That's all I got. Fragments that made no sense without the words before or the words after. My blurb: Peggy knows that her job is to bind the books, not read them. But that is her heart's desire. To be able to read, and to study. However, she … Continue reading The Bookbinder Of Jericho, Pip Williams

The Interpreter opening line: One good push releases the handle, and the brass tongue withdraws into the lock. My blurb: Revelle's mother has died and it has put a whole new perspective on her life. She applies to adopt a child which means a lot of things have to change. She moves into a flat … Continue reading The Interpreter, Brooke Robinson

Killing Moon opening lines: 'Oslo,' the man said, raising the glass of whisky to his lips. 'That's the place you love the most?' Lucille asked. My blurb: Prim is determined to accomplish his mission, no matter the cost. But he has to do it without being caught. Yet he cannot help himself. Just a few … Continue reading Killing Moon, Jo Nesbo

Everyone Here is Lying opening lines: They don't speak as William walks her to her car parked behind the motel; they never leave their cars out front, where they might be recognized. My blurb: Living in a small neighbourhood means everyone knows everyone. And people seem to have a way into each other's business. Many … Continue reading Everyone Here is Lying, Shari Lapena

This Time Could Be Different opening lines: "How did this get here, Rob?" The earring that Madeline had lost months ago trembled in her outstretched hand. My blurb: Madeline has her dream job. She is an important cog in the wheel at the bank. And as a senior executive, a lot is expected of her. … Continue reading This Time Could Be Different, Khristin Wierman