Hook Them From the Beginning

It is important to hook the reader from the beginning of a story. But how does the writer hook the reader right from the start. One way is to write about something that grabs or interests a reader. Some of these hooks are: a secret baby, emergency type of stories (firefighters, etc), family feuds, family secrets, missing family member, hero as a boss, police/detective, military hero/heroine, mistaken identity, cowboys, single parents, bride/wedding, bad boy comes home, and reunion stories. There are more but you get the idea. If you can write a story will a few of these elements in your story, you have a good chance of hooking the reader.

But remember once you hook them, you must write a good story to take the reader to the end of the book. As a writer, what are some of the hooks you have used? As a reader, what are your favorite hooks? They don't have to come from my list--because I only put about a third of them down. I thought of a couple of more specifically for suspense--on the run, protector hero, bodyguard, female in jeopardy. 

So come on. What hooks you as a reader? I have a copy of Scorned Justice, my third book in The Men of the Texas Rangers Series for one of the people who leaves a comment with their email address so I can get in touch with them. The hooks in this story are: female in jeopardy, a reunion story, protector hero and police/detective.