You've Got Five Pages, The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine, 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! After the more somber, experimental style of Oates' book last week, I'm actually rather happy to have a suspenseful thriller that reads like something from the Hallmark Channel. Liv Constantine's The Senator's Wife opens with a cross-couple conflict at a beach house, where husbands and wives have to comfort each other because one wife (Peg) accuses her senator husband of infidelity. While the scene reads a bit cheesy, I respect Constantine's quick pacing through the scene along with the establishment of the conflict and low-key mystery to get things started. The prose is not flowery or unique; rather, it's direct and clear like a screenplay, which is another reason I can't help but think of "made for TV movie" as I read this. The plus side of this approach, though, is Constantine's prose is very accessible, so for those who want a popcorn mystery with a touch of cheese, I'm sure Constantine's latest will fit those tastes perfectly. And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!