“I've been as bad an influence on American literature as anyone I can think of.”

“I just tell you what happens. I don't explain it.”

“She stared at him dully and said: “I don’t like crooks, and even if I did, I wouldn’t like crooks that are stool-pigeons, and if I liked crooks that are stool-pigeons, I still wouldn’t like you.” She turned to the outer door.”

“He was the perfect soldier: he went where you sent him, and stayed where you put him, and had no idea of his own to keep him from doing exactly what you told him.”

“I've been as bad an influence on American literature as anyone I can think of.”

“I found I was repeating myself. It is the beginning of the end when you discover you have style.”

“Hardboiled crime fiction came of age in 'Black Mask' magazine during the Twenties and Thirties. Writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler learnt their craft and developed a distinct literary style and attitude toward the modern world.”

“My side felt a lot better when Nora called me at noon the next day. "My nice policeman wants to see you," she said. "How do you feel?""Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober." I pushed Asta out of the way and got up.”

“I distrust a man that says when. If he's got to be careful not to drink to much it's because he's not to be trusted when he does.”

“...I guess I can put two and two together.""Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”

“To get what he wanted, a man had to give other people what they wanted.”