«Giles Gratton, sick as a dog from nineteen years spent sleeping in the off hours between bloody murder rooms and the aldermen’s bullshit, doesn’t knock.

“Get your coat,” he says.

“Hi, Captain.”

“Yeah, all that.”

I get my coat and hold the door for him.

“Hi, Cal,” Gratton says.

We go down the stairs together. No need to waste a perfectly good bit of bad news with conversation.»

I love a good opening. I bet authors put special effort into their openings. I can only dream of stuff this good.

Like… the entire first chapter of Cold Mountain. Or the opening of Moby Dick.

(Titanium Noir, by Nick Harkaway)