“How easy it was to capitalize on a persons own bent for self-destruction; how simple to nudge them into non-being, then to stand back and shrug and agree that it had been the inevitable result of a...”

“How could the death of someone you had never met affect you so?”

“The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them.”

“Couples tended to be of roughly equivalent personal attractiveness, though of course factors such as money often seemed to secure a partner of significantly better looks than oneself.”

“She wuz depressed. Yeah, she wuz on stuff for it. Like me. Sometimes it jus' takes you over. It's an illness," she said, although she made the words sound like "it's uh nill”

“It's an illness," she said, although she made the words sound like "it's uh nillness." Nillness, thought Strike, for a second distracted. Sometimes illness turned slowly to nillness, as was happeni...”

“What's meant to be will always find a way”

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together,but do so with all your heart.”

“Maybe there isnt such a thing as fate. Maybe its just the opportunities were given, and what we do with them. Im beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances dont just happen. We have to make...”

“Most of us have the good or bad fortune of seeing our lives fall apart so slowly we barely notice. ”

“Simple life is always good. Fortune should not be created on other's money.”

“As long as he deceived himself about the truth, he could blame fortune and have confidence in the future. Now the clouds of madness were closing round his mind.”