Week #47 – One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #47 – One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_the_Money_(novel)

https://evanovich.com/one-for-the-money/

First published:  August 26, 1994

Here's what the story is about: Stephanie Plum lost her job, her car, her marriage, and almost her apartment. She needs fast cash so asks her cousin Vinnie for a file clerk job at his bail bonds company. That job is filled but he needs a bail bonds agent, no experience necessary. Her first assignment is to find her former boyfriend, now a police detective, wanted for murder.  

First line/paragraph:

There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever. Joseph Morelli did this to me—not forever, but periodically.

This story starts in first person POV. We learn the narrator is female and she introduces us to Joseph Morelli, a man who apparently entered her life and screwed it up, “not forever, but periodically.” The tone of voice is friendly, sassy, and revealing. She's about to tell us the story of how Morelli screwed up her life. This is one of my favorite book series, and this opening line definitely has enough intrigue to keep me turning pages.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!