463 Quotes by Lee Child

He also said the day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die.

Two choices, as always: fight or flight. We were on 56th Street’s southern sidewalk. I could have run straight across the road and tried to get away. But Leonid and his pal were probably faster than me. The law of averages. Most humans are faster than me. The old lady in the summer dress was probably faster than me. Her old gray mutt was probably faster than me.

I have the ‘thing’ worked out – the trick or the surprise or the pivotal fact. Then I just start somewhere and let the story work itself out.

Reacher glanced back. The guy on the right was about to transition from unconscious to concussed. The guy on the left was squirming halfheartedly and pawing at everything between his ribcage and his knees.

The M1A1 Abrams is like a shark, evolved to a point of absolute perfection. It is the undisputed king of the jungle. No other tank on earth can even begin to damage it. It is wrapped in armor made out of a depleted uranium core sandwiched between rolled steel plate. The armor is dense and impregnable.

I love Italian food but that’s too generic a term for what’s available now: you have to narrow it down to Tuscan, Sicilian, and so on.

Reacher remembered a line from an old song: Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Are you going to write the accident report?” Summer asked. “For Willard? Not yet.” “He’ll expect it today.” “I know. But I’m going to make him ask, one more time.” “Why?” “I guess because it’s a fascinating experience. Like watching maggots writhing around in something that died.” “What died?” “My enthusiasm for getting out of bed in the morning.

Details. Evidence gathering. Surveillance. It’s the basis of everything. You’ve got to settle down and watch long enough and hard enough to get what you need.