This is an interesting question and, personally, I think the answer can only be found within your novel (as I think you've already discerned).

The problem I have with the Writer’s Digest article you’ve linked is that the first thing it says is:

This is your first opportunity to hook readers in.

But then goes on to give a lot of advice that’s so boring I struggled to keep reading. If you’re writing literary fiction, the advice in that article about paired facts, voice, mood and frames may be useful, but personally I agree with @Amadeus when he talks about in media res and says (not to you but to @DPT ):

The first thing I want to do is not sell them on reading the book
(which is what I think you are trying to do), but entertain them as
quickly as possible. I can't think of a good movie opening (IMO) that
is not entertaining and engaging from the first scene, or one that
begins with a statement of its "theme”.

You have a lot of helpful advice already, so I thought I would explain how I came up with my opening line, in the hope it will guide you towards finding yours. I asked myself some fundamental questions about my book:

What type of novel have I written: A psychological thriller.

What’s the purpose of my novel: It’s purpose is to entertain, not educate, but provide a brief escape from reality (I have written novels with loftier purposes but not this one).

Why did I write it: Because my previous two novels had been magnum opuses or lilting literary tales. This time, I wanted to write an unputdownable novel that people enjoyed so much, they read it in one sitting. I wanted to write a story in a clear, easy to read voice that cut to the chase as if I was speaking my story to a captive listener.

What am I try to evoke from the reader: I wanted to thrill them, put them on the edge of the seat and keep them there until the last page.

What is my novel really about: A woman whose mistake changes her life on a dime and opens her eyes to the fact that her reality isn’t what she thought it was.

How does my novel start: With her mistake.

So, my opening line needed to meet all of those needs: to hook, entertain and thrill the reader. To speak straight to the point in a clear voice. To make them cling to my novel and not put it down until they got to the last page. To open in media res in the middle of my protagonist’s mistake.

So, I started it:

Before the barrel of the syringe is even empty, I know I've killed
him.

So, to repeat, I think the answer to your question of how to write a killer opening line, lies not out on the web, not in this forum, but in the novel you have written.

I wish you all the luck in the world finding it! Maybe you could share it when you do?

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