An ugly woman with an ugly gun is a terrible thing. Ross MacDonald gunterriblething Change image and share on social
My half-suppressed Canadian years, my whole childhood and youth, rose like a corpse from the bottom of the sea to confront me. Ross MacDonald bottomcanadianchildhood Change image and share on social
Hell lies at the bottom of the human heart. Ross MacDonald bottomhearthell Change image and share on social
As I stood there absorbing Hammett's novel, the slot machines at the back of the shop were clanking and whirring, and in the billiard room upstairs the perpetual poker game was being played. Ross MacDonald absorbbackbilliard Change image and share on social
I wanted to write as well as I possibly could to deal with life-and-death problems in contemporary society. And the form of Wilkie Collins and Graham Greene, of Hammett and Chandler, seemed to offer me all the rope I would ever need. Ross MacDonald chandlercollinscontemporary share on social
The surprise with which a detective novel concludes should set up tragic vibrations which run backward through the entire structure. Ross MacDonald backwardconcludedetective Change image and share on social
I had reached the point when I could not see anything clearly ahead, I needed help, and I got it. Ross MacDonald aheadneedpoint Change image and share on social
Nothing is wrong with California that a rise in the ocean level wouldn't cure. Ross MacDonald californiacurelevel Change image and share on social
We writers, as we work our way deeper into our craft, learn to drop more and more personal clues. Like burglars who secretly wish to be caught, we leave our fingerprints on broken locks, our voiceprints in bugged rooms, our footprints in the wet concrete. Ross MacDonald breakbugburglar share on social
