There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.

One of us in this very room is in fact the murderer.

Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them. [Witness for the Prosecution, also published in The Hound of Death and Other Stories.]

The best time to plan a book is while you're doing the dishes.

Does the real thing ever have the perfection of a stage performance?

One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the grave - our own self. Get on good terms with that companion - learn to live with yourself.

I've got an uncle myself. Nobody should be held responsible for their uncles. Nature's little throwbacks - that's how I look at it.