best first lines of mystery novels

The first line of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson - 'During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country.' This line sets a desolate and mysterious mood, making the reader curious about what will happen in such a gloomy setting.

The first line of 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett - 'Samuel Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth.' This line gives a physical description of the main character, which is an interesting way to start a mystery. It makes the reader wonder who this person is and what kind of mystery he will be involved in.

One great first line is 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife' from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. 'We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold' from 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' by Hunter S. Thompson is very distinct. 'Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy' from 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' by C.S. Lewis is a simple yet effective start.

The first line 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' from Anna Karenina is very profound. It sets up the exploration of family dynamics. 'I am an invisible man.' from Invisible Man is a powerful start, making you curious about how someone can be invisible. 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' from Rebecca is a haunting start. It has an air of mystery and makes you want to know more about Manderley and why the narrator is dreaming about it.

One interesting first line is from 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler: 'It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills.' This line sets a moody, somewhat dreary scene which is typical for a mystery novel, hinting at the noir - like atmosphere that awaits the reader.

One of the best could be 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.' from 'The Hobbit'. It immediately draws you into a world where a hobbit lives in a hole, making you curious about what this hobbit is like and what adventures await.

One of the best first lines is from 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' This line immediately sets a tone of contrast and complexity, drawing the reader in with its paradoxical nature. It makes you wonder what could be both good and bad at the same time and sets the stage for a story that is full of such contradictions.

The first line of '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' This line creates an immediate sense of unease and a feeling that something is not quite right in the world of the novel, which is a dystopian society where the government has extreme control.

Some of the best first lines include 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from '1984' by George Orwell. It immediately sets an off - kilter, dystopian mood. Another great one is 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville, which is a simple yet engaging start that makes the reader wonder who Ishmael is. 'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' from 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy is also a classic. It makes you think about the nature of families and sets the stage for a story full of complex relationships.

One of the best first lines is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This line immediately sets the tone for the story, which is centered around marriage and social class in 19th - century England.