I think I'm part of a generation of crime writers all of whom woke up independently and recoiled with horror at the fact that we'd chosen this very conservative genre.

It must be nice to be so strong and to think it's because you're so good, that you live right and eat right, so you deserve your health and happiness. But there is such a thing as luck, and there's more bad luck than good in this world.

She might not be as strong as everyone she met, or as fast, or even as smart. But she could bullshit with the best of them. Combine that quality with a license to carry, and a girl could more than get by in this life.

stinginess seemed instinctive to him. Darwinian even. He hadn't gotten to his current size by sharing.

Anyone can love a perfect place. Loving Baltimore takes some resilience.

I adore the work of Stephen Sondheim. I like musicales in general. They make surprisingly great running tapes.

how magnanimous was a gesture if one were constantly aware of its magnanimity?