“Tell me, Francis, do you buy your one-liners wholesale? Only they’re well past their sell-by.”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“That guy should be in porn films.” Barclay frowned. “Why’s that then, Allan?” Ward looked at him. “Tell me, Tam, when did you last see a bigger prick?”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“Scotland is divided into several police regions. Rebus works for Lothian and Borders Police, whose “beat” covers Edinburgh and most points south until you reach the English border. The region’s HQ is based at Fettes Avenue in Edinburgh, and is often referred to by officers as “the Big House.” Other main police stations in the capital include St. Leonard’s (where Rebus is normally based), Leith (the port of Edinburgh), Gayfield Square and West End. The officer in charge of this region is known as the chief constable. He is served, in decreasing order of rank, by a deputy chief constable (DCC), two assistant chief constables (ACCs), and various detective chief superintendents (DCSs),”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“superintendents, chief inspectors, inspectors, sergeants and constables. If an officer works for CID (Criminal Investigation Department), then he or she will carry the prefix D (for Detective). A DCI is a detective chief inspector, DI is a detective inspector, DS a detective sergeant, and DC a detective constable. Officers not assigned to CID would wear a uniform. (Rebus sometimes refers to these unfortunates as “woolly suits.”) Lowest in the pecking order are the PC (police constable) and WPC (woman police constable).”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“At Tulliallan Police College DI John Rebus based at St. Leonard’s police station in Edinburgh DI James “Jazz” McCullough based in Dundee DI Francis Gray based in Glasgow DS Stu Sutherland based in Livingston DI Thomas “Tam” Barclay based in Falkirk DC Allan Ward based in Dumfries DCI Archibald Tennant the Resurrection Men’s boss Andrea Thomson career analyst The Rico Lomax Murder Case Eric “Rico” Lomax murder victim Fenella Rico’s widow “Chib” Kelly Fenella’s current lover, Glasgow bar owner and criminal Richard “Dickie” Diamond Rico’s friend Malky Dickie’s nephew, barman in Edinburgh Jenny Bell Dickie’s onetime girlfriend Bernie Johns deceased Glasgow drug baron”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“St. Leonard’s Police Station DS Siobhan Clarke (pronounced “Shiv-awn”) DI Derek Linford no friend to Rebus, disliked by Siobhan DCS Gill Templer officer in charge of St. Leonard’s DC David Hynds a new recruit DS George “Hi-Ho” Silvers officer with both eyes on approaching pension DC Grant Hood young and unpredictable officer with a crush on Siobhan DC Phyllida Hawes tough female officer, usually based at Gayfield Square DCI Bill Pryde second in command to DCS Gill Templer The Edward Marber Murder Case Edward Marber murdered Edinburgh art dealer Cynthia Bessant friend of the”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“Bessant friend of the deceased, also an art dealer Malcolm Neilson artist William Allison Neilson’s lawyer Dominic Mann art dealer Eric “Brains” Bain detective, computer specialist Professor Gates pathologist Morris Gerald “Big Ger” Cafferty Edinburgh’s preeminent gangster”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“The Weasel Cafferty’s lieutenant Aly the Weasel’s son Ellen Dempsey owner of MG Cabs in Edinburgh DI Bobby Hogan Leith-based detective WPC Antonia “Toni” Jackson experienced uniformed officer at St. Leonard’s PC John “Perry” Mason latest recruit to the uniformed branch at St. Leonard’s Laura Stafford a prostitute Donny Dow father of Laura’s child DS Liz Hetherington Dundee-based detective Ricky manager of the Sauna Paradiso Other Characters Claverhouse detective in the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency Ormiston Claverhouse’s”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“partner ACC Colin Carswell based at police HQ Sir David Strathern chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police Jean Burchill Rebus’s current partner, museum curator”
― Ian Rankin, quote from Resurrection Men
“Why did Africa let Europe cart away millions of Africa's souls from the continent to the four corners of the wind? How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go? How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa?”
― Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, quote from Wizard of the Crow
“By the light," he said, when he had mastered himself. "I think that beats singing a lullaby to a stormdog for simplicity and economy, Maerad. But I wish I had known that you simply had to blow at Hulls to get rid of them. It would have saved me a few scars.”
― Alison Croggon, quote from The Singing
“Lately, when I didn't have room to bitch, I didn't. Maturity, at last.”
― Laurell K. Hamilton, quote from Skin Trade
“CAPÍTULO CXXIII OLHOS DE RESSACA Enfim, chegou a hora da encomendação e da partida. Sancha quis despedir-se do marido, e o desespero daquele lance consternou a todos. Muitos homens choravam também, as mulheres todas. Só Capitu, amparando a viúva, parecia vencer-se a si mesma. Consolava a outra, queria arrancá-la dali. A confusão era geral. No meio dela, Capitu olhou alguns instantes para o cadáver tão fixa, tão apaixonadamente fixa, que não admira lhe saltassem algumas lágrimas poucas e caladas... As minhas cessaram logo. Fiquei a ver as dela; Capitu enxugou-as depressa, olhando a furto para a gente que estava na sala. Redobrou de carícias para a amiga, e quis levá-la; mas o cadáver parece que a retinha também. Momento houve em que os olhos de Capitu fitaram o defunto, quais os da viúva, sem o pranto nem palavras desta, mas grandes e abertos, como a vaga do mar lá fora, como se quisesse tragar também o nadador da manhã.”
― Machado de Assis, quote from Dom Casmurro
“Back in the 1940s, when we started firing off atomic bombs to test them, this pulse wave was first noticed. Not much back then with those primitive weapons, but it was there. And here’s the key thing: there were no solid-state electronics back in the 1940s, everything was still vacuum tubes, so it was rare for the small pulses set off by those first bombs to damage anything.”
― William R. Forstchen, quote from One Second After
BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.
We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.
Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.