Arthur Conan Doyle · 1796 pages
Rating: (799 votes)
“I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply, when the door flew open, and Peterson, the commissionaire, rushed into the apartment with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with astonishment. “The goose, Mr. Holmes! The goose, sir!” he gasped. “Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off through the kitchen window?” Holmes twisted himself round upon the sofa to get a fairer view of the man’s excited face.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“His eyes kindled and a slight flush sprang into his thin cheeks. For an instant the veil had lifted upon his keen, intense nature, but for an instant only. When I glanced again his face had resumed that red-Indian composure which had made so many regard him as a machine rather than a man.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“Well, really, this is a very pretty little mystery! What”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“In spite of his capacity for concealing his emotions, I could easily see that Holmes was in a state of suppressed excitement, while I was myself tingling with that half-sporting, half-intellectual pleasure which I invariably experienced when I associated myself with him in his investigations.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“No data yet,” he answered. “It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“when a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“When once the law is evoked it cannot be stayed again, and”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, quote from Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
“Well, you’re safe until you make another silly mistake,’ the Spook added. ‘And don’t say you won’t. He who never makes a mistake never makes anything. It’s part of learning the job.”
― Joseph Delaney, quote from Revenge of the Witch
“You deserve all that and more. It made me happy to see you suffer. I would do it all over again if I could.' I realized I was shaking as the words tumbled out of me. 'I would do it again and again. Every night I would torment you and laugh. Do you understand? You are never safe with me.' I drew a shuddering breath, trying to will away the sting of tears.
He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. 'That's what makes you my favorite.' He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. 'Every wicked bit of you.”
― Rosamund Hodge, quote from Cruel Beauty
“It’s just a devilish odd coincidence. I shared a boat – and a carriage – with Balcourt’s sister and cousin."
"I didn’t realise he had a sister."
"Well, he does." Richard abruptly pushed away his empty bowl.
"What a great stroke of luck! Could you use the acquaintance with the sister to discover more about Balcourt’s activities?"
"That," Richard said grimly, "is not an option."
Geoff eyed him quizzically. "I realise that any sister of Balcourt’s is most likely repugnant at best, but you don’t need to propose to the girl. Just flirt with her a bit. Take her for a drive, call on her at home, use her as an entrée into the house. You’ve done it before."
"Miss Balcourt is not repugnant." Richard twisted in his chair, and stared at the door. "What the devil is keeping supper?"
Geoff leant across the table. "Well, if she’s not repugnant, then-what’s the – ah."
"Ah? Ah? What the deuce do you mean by ‘ah’? Of all the nonsensical…"
"You" – Geoff pointed at him with fiendish glee – "are unsettled not because you find her repugnant, but because you find her not repugnant."
Richard was about to deliver a baleful look in lieu of a response, when he was saved by the arrival of the footman bearing a large platter of something covered with sauce. Richard leant forward and speared what looked like it might once have been part of a chicken, as the footman whisked off with his soup dish.
"Have some," Richard suggested to Geoff, ever so subtly diverting the conversation to culinary appreciation.
"Thank you." Undiverted, Geoff continued, "Tell me about your Miss Balcourt."
"Leaving aside the fact that she is by no means my Miss Balcourt" – Richard ignored the sardonic stare coming from across the table – "the girl is as complete an opposite to her brother as you can imagine. She was raised in England, somewhere out in the countryside. She’s read Homer in the original Greek—"
"This is serious," murmured Geoff. "Is she comely?"
"Comely?"
"You know, nice hair, nice eyes, nice…" Geoff made a gesture that Richard would have expected more readily from Miles.”
― Lauren Willig, quote from The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
“I'm starved." -Juli
"How can you be starved? You just ate a huge bowl of popcorn." -Elspeth
"Popcorn isn't food, it's popcorn." -Vicki”
― Lynsay Sands, quote from A Quick Bite
“Jazz hadn't given her many details of exactly what life in the Dent house had been like, but he'd told her enough that she knew it wasn't hearts and flowers. Well, except for the occasional heart cut from a chest. And the kind of flowers you send to funerals.”
― Barry Lyga, quote from I Hunt Killers
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