"... And then the murders began."

[Yastreb]

I recently encountered a challenge in the comments section of a blog I frequently visit, in which the point was to find the opening sentence of a novel, any novel, and make it end with the words "And then the murders began."

Here are three I thought of...

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen... and then the murders began.
1984

On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge... and then the murders began.
Crime and Punishment

There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London... and then the murders began.
Five Weeks in a Balloon

Feel free to expand the collection, folks.

[Jitter]

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit, and then the murders began.

[RanVor]

On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge... and then the murders began.
Crime and Punishment

A fitting summary of the book, I'd say.

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty four days now without taking a fish, and then the murders began.
The Old Man and the Sea

[Kiran]

This is a story about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun. And then the murders began.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven

[midwestmutt]

It was a dark and stormy night...and then the murders began.--Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwar-Lytton

[Yastreb]

Mr Verloc, going out in the morning, left his shop nominally in charge of his brother-in-law. And then the murders began.
Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent

In the month of July of the year 1348, between the feasts of St. Benedict and of St. Swithin, a strange thing came upon England, for out of the east there drifted a monstrous cloud, purple and piled, heavy with evil, climbing slowly up the hushed heaven. And then the murders began.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Nigel

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And then the murders began.
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

[thegreyarea]

I have seen the dark universe yawning
Where the black planets roll without aim-
Where they roll in their horror unheeded,
Whithout knowledge or luster or name
...and then the murders began.

H.P.Lovecraft, The Haunter of The Dark

[thegreyarea]

There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.
... and then the murders began.

Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book.

[thegreyarea]

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth... and then the murders began.

The Bible, Genesis, Chapter 1

(This one seems terribly appropriate...)

[JoB]

I was waiting for someone to try the Bible ...

... anyone recognize this one?

"Sooo ... apparently the road is going to stay closed for a while" ... and then the murders began.

[Jitter]

We slept in what had once been the gynasium, and then the murders began.

Actually the murders had started earlier, as this is The Handmaid’s Tale.

Grey, I think all of yours are very correct.

JoB, I believe this is a work very well known by all of us, right?

[Vulpes]

This is similar to the Chinese fortune cookie game my university chums were fond of - read out the fortune and add "...in bed." 

Rintrah roars & shakes his fires in the burden'd air;
Hungry clouds swag on the deep.
And then the murders began.

William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

[dmeck7755]

To La Belle France
Whose peasants, fishermen, housewives and princes
Not to mention her chefs
Through generations of inventive and loving concentration, have created one of the world's great arts
Then the murders began

(Mastering the Art of French Cooking---Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck)

[dmeck7755]

Shadow had done three years in prison. He was big enough and looked don't-duck-with-me enough that his biggest problem was killing time. So he kept himself in shape, and taught himself coin tricks, and thought a lot about how much he loved his wife
Then the murders began

(American gods --Neil Gaiman)

(There is a sensor that replaces the 'F' with a 'D' as an FYI)

[thegreyarea]

"We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them... and then the murders began.

George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

(Another one that's quite accurate...
BTW this thread is amazing! ... You're all amazing! I'm so glad to be back!)