It has been the dream of very few men to rule the entire world. - Dr. Grief

I hear it still. As I lay down my pen and take to my bed, I am aware of the bow being drawn across the bridge and the music rises into the night sky. It is far away and barely audible - but there it is! A pizzicato. Then a tremelo. The style is unmistakable. It is Sherlock Holmes who is playing. It must be. I hope with all my heart that he is playing for me . . .

Writing about magic is harder than writing about spies because you're dealing with something that doesn't really exist.

I believe that, by and large, people are good and everybody you meet is more likely to surprise you in a positive way than in a negative way.

Alan Blunt got in touch with me and asked me to put you up here for the rest of the week, to pretend that you're my son. I have to say, you don't look anything like me." "I don't look anything like myself either," Alex said.

Once you get into the world of dystopia, it's hard to avoid plagiarism, because other people have had such powerful visions.

In the old days, spies had done they'd done because they loved their country, because they believed in what they were doing. But he'd never been given a choice. Nowadays, spies weren't employed. They were used.