Book Beginnings on Friday

I’ve recently stumbled upon this great blog, A Few More Pages, which hosts the weekly Book Beginnings meme. I love this idea, so have decided to give it a go (as much as time permits, sometimes I don’t have as much time to read as I’d like so won’t be able to give you a new first line each week). The premise is this: share the first line of the book you are reading, and give your first impressions of the book based on this line alone. Then, link it back to A Few More Pages, and have a look at what everyone else is reading! So, for the first time, here goes…

This week I’m reading ‘Port Mortuary’ by Patricia Cornwell. Here is the opener:

“Inside the changing room for female staff, I toss soiled scrubs into a biohazard hamper and strip off the rest of my clothes and medical clogs.”

To be honest, this first line doesn’t really do a lot for me. Given that it’s my first Patricia Cornwell novel I’ve read, of course I’m intrigued to find out who this female protagonist is who works in some sort of medical field, but that’s about all the intrigue this sentence creates! The second sentence does more for me, and it was that which really drew me in. As a teaser, I’ll give you the second sentence, too:

“I wonder if Col. Scarpetta stencilled in black on my locker will be removed the minute I return to New England in the morning.”

Why is she leaving? Why New England? What’s happened that she thinks her name will be erased from her colleagues’ memories straight away?

Let me know your thoughts!