"As property prices started rising, developers snatched up bomb sites and derelict buildings and erected the shapeless concrete lumps that have made the ’70s the shining beacon of architectural splendor that it is."

"So just chalk it up to pixie dust or quantum entanglement, which was the same thing as pixie dust except with the word “quantum” in it."

"The difference between stripping and burlesque, as far as I could tell, was class."

"Five hundred years ago the notoriously savvy Henry VIII discovered an elegant way to solve both his theological problems and his personal liquidity crisis—he dissolved the monasteries and nicked all their land. Since the principle of any rich person who wants to stay rich is, never give anything away unless you absolutely have to, the land has stayed with Crown ever since."

"The bell sang with the first hammer and screamed with the second. And within the scream I heard a familiar laugh and the jingle of merry bells."

"Anything that can go wrong with armed men in the light can go twice as wrong in the dark."

"“You shouldn’t make jokes about these things,” she said. “Science doesn’t have all the answers, you know.” “It’s got all the best questions, though.”"

"Why would someone use magic to kill a jazz musician in the middle of his set? I mean, I have my problems with the New Thing and the rest of the atonal modernists but I wouldn’t kill someone for playing it–at least not if I wasn’t trapped in the same room."

"When you’re a musician free is a magic number."

"“You can’t die of jazz,” said Dr. Walid. “Can you?” I thought of Fats Navarro, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker who, when he died, was mistaken by a coroner for a man twice his real age. “You know,” I said, “I think you’ll find you can.”"

"The police can live with looking corrupt, bullying, or tyrannical, but looking stupid is intolerable. It has a tendency to undermine public faith in the forces of Law and is deleterious to public order."

"It’s a sad fact of modern life that if you drive long enough, sooner or later you must leave London behind."

"“Cyrus was a musician?” I asked. “He played the alto sax.” “And he played jazz?” Another brief smile. “Is there any other kind of music?”"

"Nightingale had taught me to be cautious of the early sources. “A great deal of it is accurate,” he said. “And a great deal is less so. Unfortunately it can be difficult to determine which is which.”"

"First law of gossip—there’s no point knowing something if somebody else doesn’t know you know it."

"I didn’t bother calling Nightingale on the mobile I’d got him for Christmas because he only turns it on when he wants to call someone—the new technology being strictly there for his convenience, not anybody else’s."

"“Shouldn’t I know about these things?” I said. “The list of things you need to know about, Peter, is extraordinarily long,” said Nightingale."

"I checked in the next morning to see if we knew the whereabouts of Zachary Palmer, the demi-monde's very own go-to guy for ducking and diving, bar work, fixing and general dishonesty. Due to a lucrative consultation contract with Crossrail, currently worth three hundred large a year, he didn't actually have to do any ducking and diving. That he still fiddled his change and sold dodgy goods on the Portobello Road while the money piled up in a low interest building society account seemed to wind up Seawoll no end."

"I rang her and left a message identifying myself and giving an impression of urgency without actually saying anything concrete. Never record anything you wouldn’t want turning up on YouTube is my motto."

"I asked whether the High Fae came into the pub. Lulu gave me a crooked smile. “High Fae?” She asked. “You know,” I said. “The gentry, elves, those posh gits with extradimensional castles, stone spears and unicorns.” “You mean them what step between worlds?” “Could be.” “Who walk on paths unseen and wax and wane with the moon?” “Them sort of people,” I said. “Yeah.” “Not in here, squire,” she said. “I run a respectable pub.”"

"“The scope of your ignorance, Peter,” said Seawoll, “is truly frightening.”"

"Few buildings evoke the sinister horror of 1950s municipal architecture more strikingly than the flat roofed pub. Thrown up in their thousands wherever the working class were being rehoused, it’s hard to imagine that the architects were not secret teetotallers looking to make the whole pub experience as grim as possible."

"Most people don’t see half of what’s in front of them. Your visual cortex does a shit load of imaging processing before the signal even gets to your brain, whose priorities are still checking the ancestral savannah for dangerous predators, edible berries and climbable trees. That’s why a sudden cat in the night can make you jump and some people when distracted, can walk right out in front of a bus. Your brain just isn’t interested in those large moving chunks of metal or the static heaps of brightly colored stuff that piles up in drifts around us. Never mind all that, says your brain, it’s those silent fur-covered merchants of death you’ve got to watch out for."

"You don’t get to be a senior investigating officer unless you have a degree in skepticism, an MA in distrust and your CV lists suspicious bastard under your hobbies."

"“Ashes, how did you do it?” “I’d like to say it was all my own talent, but cats are naturally modest.”"

"“The strongest don’t always get what they want,” she said to Ending. “Not when the weak can work together.”"

"“He saved me, I saved him,” Alice said. “The usual, really. What else are friends for?” “If you ask me,” the cat said, “friends ought to keep you out of situations where you need saving.”"

"The truth can be useful, sometimes. Assuming you can convince people."

"They have servants. I’d rather have friends."

"“Don’t tell me this is about protecting humanity,” Alice said. “None of you cares one bit about the people in the real world. This is about power, just as it always has been. You’re afraid of losing a little bit of power.”"

"“They were pretty friendly, for dancing skeletons,” Isaac said, waving after them. “If I’ve learned one thing,” Alice said, “it’s not to judge by appearances.”"

"‘‘This isn’t some stupid storybook where the underdog wins in the end. This is the real world. The strongest do what they want, and everyone else has to live with it. Or”—she glanced significantly at Isaac—“not.”"

"“I apologize for Ashes,” Alice said to Michael. “He’s a cat, and—” She paused, and decided that seemed like a complete description. “He’s a cat.”"

"Ashes looked around at the palm trees, the perfect ocean, and the immaculate beach. “Ugh,” he said. “I’m in hell.”"

"Michael cleared his throat. “You’ve never had a dog, Alice?” Alice shook her head. “My father didn’t like them.” “They’re not like cats,” the boy said. “You give them commands.” “Because they lack all dignity,” said Ashes under his breath."

"Alice scooped the cat into her arms and planted a kiss on his fuzzy forehead. “What was that for?” Ashes sputtered. “What have I ever done to deserve that?” “I wanted to say thank you,” Alice said, putting him on the ground. “For everything.” “Yes, well. Far be it from me to dispute my own heroism,” Ashes muttered. “But proper thanks should involve tuna.”"

"“There’s this thing called dignity that some cats have been known to have. You might want to look into it.” “A cat is always dignified, no matter what position he finds himself in,” Ashes said. “A half-cat even more so.”"

"It was a bit like trying to tie both shoelaces at once, one with each hand."

"“You’re mad,” he said. “You’ve gone mad. There’s no two ways about it.” “Your mother was the one who helped me,” Alice said. “Then she’s gone mad too.”"

"“You know, you could be a bit more constructive,” Alice said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the magnitude of your insanity,” the cat muttered. “Once I’ve got that handled, I’ll get started on the mind-numbing terror.”"

"Maybe that’s wisdom, seeing things that are obvious."

"“You’re not very loyal,” Isaac said as Alice took his hand. “Loyalty,” Ashes sniffed, “is for dogs. Cats have better sense.”"

"Of course, where magic is involved, appearances don’t mean much."

"“I wouldn’t try it,” Alice said. “They’re bigger than you are.” “They’re all wing,” he said dismissively. “Believe me. Large birds are the natural prey of the cat.” “Maybe once they’ve been roasted and carved,” Alice said. Ashes snorted."

"“We’re doomed,” one of the sprites said, turning wildly in a circle as though excited at the prospect. “Doomed! Doomed!”"

"The sum total of Alice’s medical knowledge was that blood was supposed to stay on the inside."

"“When you’re as old as I am,” Ending said, “one’s nature is largely a product of habit.”"

"But it’s not justice that they’re mostly concerned with, it’s division of the loot."