The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! What a delightful find! Amy Pease’s debut Northwoods is yet another mystery set in Northern Wisconsin, but I promise you, this prose and establishing chapter promise some fun thrills in the future. Her first chapter is only two pages long, yet in those two little pages, we see our protagonist Eli down on his luck and himself, floating alone out on a lake in the middle of the night, sipping whiskey and reflecting on life. We’re not told he’s sad or depressed—we see it. Plus, the vivid sensory details of the night woods around him add to the isolation of the setting while also helping us feel Eli’s loneliness…that is, until something strange floats into his vicinity. At the end of that chapter he swims quickly ashore, unsettled, and reaches for his scanner. A couple of pages into the second chapter, we learn he’s not only in law enforcement, but a military veteran. So, if something in the water scared HIM, then we as readers can only imagine it wasn’t good.

Sure, I’m naturally a little biased for Wisconsin-set stories, but Pease does a marvelous job of balancing world-building information with active narrative. This keeps the story’s pace in motion while readers continue to learn about life in this little vacation spot in Wisconsin. For those seeking a little mystery outside the gritty city life, Amy Pease is sure to transport you into the dark, unknown wild of the North Woods.

And what will you find in these first five pages? Let's find out! Cheers!