First of all, it does not deter crime, the death penalty.

I refuse to sit on my laurels.

Thoughts are odd misfires.

I wouldn't want to donate my body for scientific study.

In the first person, the readers feel smart, like it's them solving the case.

You have to live where you wake up, even if someone else dreamed you there.

My fans want me to talk to them. And even if they want to be critical, I want to hear what they've got to say.