The opening line of a book is extremely important, as it has to be intriguing and powerful enough to capture the reader's imagination. Then, the second line has to intensify the intrigue. Coming up with these lines can be pretty difficult, yet one writer came up with a second line that would almost always heighten the intrigue to its peak, and the Internet is going crazy.
"And then the murders began" - that's the clever line Marc Laidlaw came up with. Add it to almost any opening line and you've got yourself a hell of an intriguing book opening. Now people are tweeting famous first lines of books followed by Marc's second line, with the hashtag #LaidlawsRule. The results are absolutely hilarious! See for yourselves below, and feel free to add your own intriguing openings to the list.
(h/t)
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#481
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. And then the murders began.
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#482
Grief is the most solitary emotion; it makes islands of us all. And then the murders began.
(Missippi Blood by Greg Iles)
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#483
''Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse.
And then the murders began.
(Santa Clause)
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse.
And then the murders began.
(Santa Clause)
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#484
Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressing gown, ungirdled, was sustained gently-behind him by the mild morning air. He held the bowl aloft and intoned:
-- Introibo ad altare Dei.
And then the murders began.
(Ulysses, James Joyce)
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#485
Late one July evening in 1994, Red and Abby Whitshank had a phone call from their son Denny. And then the murders began. (A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler)
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#486
'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse...
and then the murders began.
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse...
and then the murders began.
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#487
Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy and then the murders began. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
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#488
This morning I was awakened by Pump coming over to the bed and sniffing emphatically at me, millimeters away, her whiskers grazing my lips, to see if I was awake or alive or me.
(Inside of a dog, Alexandra Horowitz)
(Inside of a dog, Alexandra Horowitz)
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#489
When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. And then the murders began. (The Outsiders).
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#490
Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. And then the murders began.
The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
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#491
Sister Bear, who lived with her Mama, papa and brother in the big tree house down a sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country, had been going to school for some time now. And then the murders began.
(The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit, Stan and Jan Berenstain)
(The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit, Stan and Jan Berenstain)
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#492
I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. And then the murders began. (Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte)
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#493
We were excited as we waited for our first lesson with the Director, Torstov, today. But he came into our class only to make the unexpected announcement that in order to become better acquainted with us, he wished us to give a performance in which we should act bits from plays chosen by us.
(And then the murders began). An Actor Prepares, Constantin Stanislavsky
(And then the murders began). An Actor Prepares, Constantin Stanislavsky
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#494
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. And then the murders began.
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#495
Nancy Drew, an attractive girl of eighteen, was driving home along a counrty road in her new, dark-blue convertible. Then the murders began. (Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock )
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#496
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. And then the murders began (A Tale of Two Cities)
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#497
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
And then the murders began.
Rebecca, Daphne DuMaurier
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#498
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arouse such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter,
And then the murders began.
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arouse such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter,
And then the murders began.
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#499
Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. And then that's when the murders began...
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#500
Lucas wore funny glasses and a strange hat, some kids thought he was weird...and then the murders began. (The Ant Bully, John Nickle)
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