You've Got Five Pages, The Devil's Blaze by Robert J. Harris, to Tell Me You're Good.

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I do so love a good Holmesian tale! As a young child, I devoured Doyle's original stories just like my father did. We enjoyed collecting stories written by other writers as well, who took Holmes to places like Paris and the American Midwest. So trying Robert J. Harris' series with Holmes living in WWII was a no-brainer to me. I've watched Basil Rathbone play Holmes tackling the Nazis, after all! This particular installment is The Devil's Blaze, which struck me as a combination of Doyle's titles "The Silver Blaze" and "The Devil's Foot." The first chapter may feel a little slow to those who've not read much Holmes, but Harris clearly shows he understands the narrative voice of Dr. John Watson as he engages with a bored Sherlock Holmes before a client arrives with a strange tale. The client must, of course, share his life story (they all do in Doyle's stories), but even in that info dump I found myself chuckling at the red flags Doyle so often included in his cases that show signs of nefarious activity afoot. For those who enjoy watching Sherlock at work, or for those who love a period mystery, I'm sure Harris' The Devil's Foot will fit scratch that itch. And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!