Grab you in the first chapter

I have started and stopped 3 books in the past week. These were listening to them on my ipod.
1 I got 3 discs in
1 I got 2 discs in
1 I got 1 disc in
Stopping each mainly because the story did not grab me right up front. I am also reading the sequel to Scarlet Pimpernel and find the first to be a bit slow but know that this is how she wrote and it will get better.
I have not written off the other books, I will go back and pick up where I left off some time in the future, but it brought to mind the importance of having your story, characters or setting jump out and grab the reader within the first chapter if not lines, or they are must likely to wander away never to give you a 2nd chance.