There are people who can write their memoirs with a reasonable amount of honesty, and there are people who simply cannot take themselves seriously enough. I think I might be the first to admit that the sort of reticence which prevents a man from exploiting his own personality is really an inverted sort of egotism.

She lowered her lashes until they almost cuddled her cheeks and slowly raised them again, like a theatre curtain. I was to get to know that trick. That was supposed to make me roll over on my back with all four paws in the air.

You can have a hangover from other things than alcohol. I had one from women.

Let us never accept the point of view that mysteries are written by hacks. The poorest of us shed our blood over every chapter. The best of us start from scratch with every new book.

Organized crime is the dirty side of the sharp dollar.

He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food.

The girl gave him a look which ought to have stuck at least four inches out of his back.