First Chapter, First Paragraph: Tuesday Intros #42

Mark Joseph Jochim

April 2

First Chapter, First Paragraph: Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Socrates Book Reviews where participants share the first paragraph of one of the books that they are currently reading, have read or are planning to read. According to Socrates, this meme is guaranteed to increase your TBR 🙂

This week, I am participating with The 7^1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (published on February 8, 2018):

First Chapter, First Paragraphs:

1
DAY ONE

I forget everything between footsteps.

"Anna!" I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise.

My mind has gone blank. I don't know who Anna is or why I'm calling her name. I don't even know how I got here. I'm standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart's thumping, I reek of sweat, and my legs are shaking. I must have been running, but I can't remember why.

"How did—" I'm cut short by the sight of my own hands. They're bony, ugly. A stranger's hands. I don't recognize them at all.

On Goodreads:

Goodreads Choice Award

Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2018), Nominee for Best Debut Author (2018)

Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.

There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin . . .

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .

The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.

Goodreads

What do you think? Would you read this one?

I came across this in a BookTube video by @readwithk8. As soon as she held up the book, I knew I wanted to know more (I am drawn by book covers more than I would like to admit!). Her description had me seeking and then downloading the novel before the video ended. The Goodreads blurb had me putting it on my May TBR as I doubt I will have time to read it in April. But you never know. . . .