It must be the ultimate punishment, don't you think, to finally gain wisdom, only to realize that the consequences of your actions are irrevocable?

The woman I was seems hopelessly naive. I envy her.

The truth has not so much set us free as it has ripped away a carefully constructed facade, leaving us naked to begin again.

You can cut the ties that bind but not without losing a part of yourself. You can walk away and hide from the people who made you, but you'll always hear them calling your name.

Denial: my family heritage. If you don't ask the questions, the truth will never inconvenience you.

Alafair Burke is one of the finest young crime writers working today.

We can't hold on to anyone or anything, you know. We lose everything except that which we carry within us.