L.J. Ross > Quotes

“You’re a surly, misanthropic git, aren’t you, Ryan?” she said, rhetorically. “I have no idea why I like you so much.”
― L.J. Ross, Borderlands

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
― L.J. Ross, Impostor

“Violent murder tended to kill your appetite for sugar.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is just opinion.” —Democritus”
― L.J. Ross, Dark Skies

“You can’t take away the pain she feels, or the grief, but you can ease it for her every time she looks up and finds you standing beside her.”
― L.J. Ross, Bamburgh

“Heads turned as Claire Kelly’s husband began his slow, painful journey down the central aisle, flanked by five other men who held her coffin aloft. When Gregory caught sight of the man’s face as he gripped the edges of the polished wood, he saw only raw, naked grief; the kind that could rarely be feigned. Flowers fell as the coffin travelled onward and, while the townsfolk sent up prayers for the man and his child, one of their number scanned the pews, seeking another face. The next face. Aideen.”
― L.J. Ross, Impostor

“the best way to deal with fear was to channel it into productivity.”
― L.J. Ross, Dark Skies

“We all have our demons, it’s just a question of how we keep them at bay.”
― L.J. Ross, The Cove

“Of course, I immediately referred him to the words of the Bible. ‘You shall not lie with a man as a woman, that is an abomination.’ Leviticus, chapter 18, verse 22.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“Offices like these were not built to last, not like the fine Victorian buildings in the city centre that had withstood over a century of wind and rain. The creamy-white rendered walls would quickly fade to murky-grey and damp spots would develop on the ceiling tiles. Peculiar stains and scuff marks would appear overnight and, instead of paint, the corridors would begin to smell of tuna casserole and drains.”
― L.J. Ross, Cragside

“Sometimes, a day is all it takes. Just think of these books,” she said, gesturing around the shelves. “If you’re anything like me, you’ll know by the end of the first page whether you want to carry on reading. It’s the same with people, I’ve always found. First impressions count for a lot, although society tells us we shouldn’t trust them.”
― L.J. Ross, The Haven

“the Watch, not if he couldn’t fire a gun or follow a basic command anymore. And so, he’d come home. They told him there were groups for men like him; places he could go, people he could talk to. He’d joined the waiting list for some of them. And waited. And waited. In the meantime, he’d drank on Friday and Saturday nights with his old civvie friends, who told him stories about being estate agents and mortgage brokers.”
― L.J. Ross, Borderlands

“wackos”
― L.J. Ross, Sycamore Gap

“characters can be quite overpowering, can’t they,” she said. “I can vouch for that, myself, because Professor Soames can certainly be very demanding around the guest house. Fold the sheets, this way. Make my coffee, that way. Anyone would think he was the Queen of Sheba.”
― L.J. Ross, Bamburgh

“ask the next, highly personal question on his mind. Sensing his indecision, Ryan smiled and took pity on him. “Not yet,” he said. “What?” “The answer to your question is, ‘not yet’,” Ryan repeated. “Anna and I are looking forward to being parents, one day, but there isn’t any mad rush. Also—” He hesitated, unsure whether to discuss matters that were so close to the heart. Then again, Frank was more than just his sergeant, or his friend. He was family. “The fact is, Frank, we’re not sure whether Anna will be able to have children.” Phillips put a hand on his friend’s arm in silent support. “I’m sorry, lad,” he said quietly. “It was insensitive of me to ask. I never thought—” “No, neither did we,” Ryan said, and his lips twisted. “Keep your fingers crossed for us.” “Fingers, eyes and toes,” Frank promised. Ryan nodded, and let out the breath he’d been holding. “Right, shall we get this over with?” “Howay then,” Phillips said, reaching for the door. “Age before beauty.” * * * Margaret Bruce had the hollow-eyed look of a woman who hadn’t slept in four years. When she answered the door, she looked between the two detectives and clutched a hand to her throat. They knew, Ryan thought. Mothers always knew, long before he said the words “Mrs Bruce?” “Stuart!” she called out to her husband, who’d been sitting reading a paper in the living room.”
― L.J. Ross, Borderlands

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery”
― L.J. Ross, Impostor

“Nobody expects the world to stay the same,” he said, after a minute or two. “Nothing ever does. All they ask is for a little compassion during the transition.”
― L.J. Ross, Penshaw

“Let’s see. We met at the café in Barter Books—you know the place?” It was one of the best bookshops in the world, in Ryan’s humble opinion,”
― L.J. Ross, Bamburgh

“First rule of murder investigation, Ryan thought, was not to expect the perp to think like a normal person. “Get Faulkner’s”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“to lay the smack down?” That”
― L.J. Ross, Sycamore Gap

“to place humanity on a pedestal was to be perennially disappointed.”
― LJ Ross, Death Rocks

“Those quiet, stolen moments away brought her peace from the rest of the world and allowed her to commune with her God. Not that there had ever been any answer. In any other sphere of life, talking to yourself for sixty years would be grounds for committal.”
― L.J. Ross, Angel

“Sure, but Lindisfarne—it’s holy.” Alex shook his head sadly. “It’s like killing someone in church.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“Okay,” Ryan nodded and favoured her with one of his best smiles. Liz may have been nearly twice his age, but she still recognised a fine man when she saw one. She banked down a giggle and offered him a matronly smile in return. “I’d”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“her”
― L.J. Ross, Heavenfield

“Fucking tourists.” Phillips slanted him a look. “You’re a tourist here yourself, boyo.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“a heart that had not only been broken but entirely, irreparably stolen from his chest, leaving only a bare cavity where it should have been. Emily had taken that with her, when she’d departed the world.”
― L.J. Ross, Poison Garden

“not all those who wander are lost.”
― L.J. Ross, Dark Skies

“Do you want coffee?” He always wanted coffee.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island

“The cars moved like ants across the shadowed water, or rats deserting a sinking ship.”
― L.J. Ross, Holy Island