Quotes from Sue Grafton

Let's face it, life is trivial, and my guess is that dying imparts very little wisdom on those in process.

I`ve collected his life insurance, that`s how dead he is!

Really, the boys reminded me of puppies playing tug-of-war with an old sock. The

envied. I gathered they'd just returned from some kind of bridge-oriented cruise in which baby slams and gourmet foods were served up in equal measure. Much talk of no-trump, double finesses, and Sheinwold, whose strategies they were

It's hard to have faith in your fellow man when you're forced to look at some of his handiwork.

linen slipcovers, was as white as whole milk.

I'm chronically unemployed. Never had a job my whole life. None of my family did. I take that back. Once my daddy was hired on a construction crew for two weeks and two days. He said it was way more work than it paid. He maintained it was just one more way to take advantage of the poor.

Sex is crude , which is why we all run around doing it . - Charlotte Mercer

Unplug yourself often and you risk losing touch with your feelings altogether.

I felt a jolt of pure joy. It was one of those occasions when I suddenly realized how happy I was. Life was good. I was female, single, with money in my pocket and enough gas to get home. I had nobody to answer to and no ties to speak of. I was healthy, physically fit, filled with energy.

There's no point to anything if you get right down to it. We could all blow out brains out, but we don't.

I read for a while and then slept the way you do with a tummy full of red meat and a shitload of cholesterol coursing through your veins.

What for?" "I'm not authorized to discuss the matter with anyone else. Are you related to her?" A pause. "I'm her sister. I'm from Minneapolis." The best thing about lying are the flourishes, I thought. I myself am a world-class practitioner. "And your name is?" "Patty.

What I wanted was to bang by forehead against the steering wheel till it bled. Maybe the self-inflicted pain would help me clear my thought process.

I like to hold something back. Once information is out, it can't be recalled so it's better to exercise caution before you flap your mouth.

Maturity would have been a big help, but that didn't come until later.

I left him where he was and went down the hall to the kitchenette, where I picked up the coffeepot and filled it with water. I poured the water into the reservoir and then opened a packet of coffee, the grounds neatly sealed in a filter that I tucked into the basket. I flipped the switch and stood there until I could hear the gurgling begin.

Shitting on a mouse is not expressly forbidden under California law.

I tried to imagine myself dead, someone sorting carelessly through my belongings. What was there really of my life? Canceled checks. Reports all typewritten and filed. Everything of value reduced to terse prose. I didn't keep much myself, didn't hoard or save.

As usual, when confronted with heights, my greatest fear was the irresistible urge to fling myself off.

A man in a nylon bikini, with that little knot sticking out in front, isn't half as interesting as a man in a good-looking business suit. Charlie

He'd set an eight-quart pan on the stove and the water had just reached a rolling boil. On the bottom of the pan there was a crumpled section of foil. I watched

him add a quarter cup of baking soda, after which he placed the silverware in the bubbling water with the foil.

That's a worry, now you mention it. I'm not one for needlework, and you can only read so many books before your eyesight fails. Someone suggested volunteer work, but that's out of the question. I'm accustomed to being paid, and the idea of giving away my time and my skills is an affront. Braver women than I fought decades for equal compensation in the workplace, so why would I undo their accomplishments?