Start with a false accusation. For instance, a well - respected man in the community is wrongly accused of a crime he didn't commit. This creates a sense of injustice and the need for the real truth to be uncovered. A detective can then be brought in to clear his name and find the actual culprit.
Begin with a cryptic message. Maybe a piece of paper with a riddle or a series of numbers that seem to have no meaning. This hooks the reader as they will be curious to see how the detective deciphers it. It also sets the tone for a story full of puzzles and secrets.
Start with a sudden and unexplained event. 'The moment he opened the front door, all the lights in the house went out. He could feel a cold draft sweep over him, but there was no sign of where it came from.'
You can start with a strange dream. 'He fell asleep and entered a world of chaos. In his dream, he was running through a forest filled with trees that had eyes and roots that reached out to grab him. When he woke up, he found that the nightmare was just beginning as there were scratch marks on his bedroom door that weren't there before.'
One good way is to start with a mysterious event. For example, a valuable object goes missing from a highly secured place. This immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them wonder how it could have happened. It sets the stage for the detective to come in and start investigating.
Begin with a dream sequence that is filled with dark and disturbing imagery. For instance, the protagonist dreams of being chased through a pitch - black forest by an unseen entity. When they wake up, they're not sure if it was just a dream or if it was a premonition of something real. This blurring of the lines between reality and nightmare is a classic gothic trope and makes for an engaging start.
One way is to start with a dialogue. Such as 'I'm not going in there,' said Tom, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at the dark cave entrance. This makes the reader curious about why Tom is so afraid and what is in the cave.
You could start with a mysterious crime scene that catches the reader's attention right away.
One way is to start with a discovery. For instance, a character could find a strange object like a small, ornate key that has no obvious lock it fits. It's a simple yet effective start as it sets up the mystery of what the key is for and where it belongs. The reader will be eager to follow the character's journey to figure it out.
Begin with a thought - provoking question. For example, 'What if the world stopped spinning for just one day?' This type of start makes the reader start thinking and they are more likely to keep reading to see how the story will explore this question. It engages their mind from the very start.
Another way is to begin with a false alibi. For example, a suspect claims to have been at a party all night when a crime occurred, but there are little details that don't add up. The main character, perhaps a detective, starts to dig deeper into this alibi. This setup draws the reader in as they want to know if the suspect is really guilty and how the truth will be uncovered.