If you will forgive me for being personal---I do not like your face, M. Ratchett.

The past is the father of the present, said Poirot sententiously.

If it is necessary for a criminal to be a consummate actress, then by all means assume her to be one.

People who can be very good can be very bad too.

He thought: Best of an island is once you get there—you can't go any farther … you've come to the end of things…. He knew, suddenly, that he didn't want to leave the island. VI.

I, too, believe in the force of superstition, one of the greatest forces the world has ever known.

But one thing is certain, he is the master criminal of this age. He controls a marvellous organization. Most of the Peace propaganda during the war was originated and financed by him.

Of course often those places went very cheap - islands didn't suit everybody. They thought the idea was romantic but when they came to live there they realised the disadvantages and were only too glad to sell.

Nick seems very well and gay.

You've no idea of the agony of having your characters taken and made to say things that they never would have said, and do things that they never would have done. And if you protest, all they say is that it's ‘good theatre.

And a lot of fandangle it usually is, said Mrs. Burch. Forms to fill in, and a lot of impertinent questions as shouldn't be asked of any decent body.

Every revolution has had its honest men. They are soon disposed of afterwards.

I'd like to give these detective story writers a course of routine work. They'd soon learn how most things are untraceable and nobody ever notices anything anywhere!