Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a mystery author?
In honor of Mystery Month, I found ten quotes by famous mystery authors from one of their books or about their craft and their motivations.
Enjoy!
1. “Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid.” Raymond Chandler
2. “I’m always looking for the potential mystery in everything. I can’t imagine writing about anything else.” Tana French
3. “Crime isn’t solved by technology. It’s solved by people.” Patricia Cornwell
4. “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest.” Agatha Christie
5. “I had to learn compassion. Had to learn what it felt like to hate, and to forgive and to love and be loved, and to lose people close to me. Had to feel deep loneliness and sorrow. And then I could write. Louise Penny
6. “The most difficult crime to track is the one which is purposeless.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
7. “Beware the dark pool at the bottom of our hearts. In its icy, black depths dwell strange and twisted creatures it is best not to disturb.” Sue Grafton from I is for Innocent
8. “Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells the book. The last page sells your next book.” Mickey Spillane
9. “I like stories about people who have to go into darkness for a good reason and then have to figure out how to deal with the darkness that seeps into their souls.” Michael Connelly
10. “Sure, I have advice for people starting to write. Don’t. I don’t need the competition.” Robert B. Parker