you HAVE to have strong beginnings in stories like that since you're trying to ease them into the anxiety filled atmosphere of death

That's a very good point, the setting and the mood are everything!

Hell the times I've tried to hold out often blew up in my face

Oof, me too /o\ I can confirm that there were so many boring books that stayed boring or took a dive for the worst. I find that for books, sticking to them in the hope they'll improve will only lead to disappointment!