Strike was used to playing archaeologist among the ruins of people’s traumatised memories; - Robert Galbraith

I said that the greatest female writers, with almost no exceptions, have been childless. A fact. And I have said that women generally, by virtue of their desire to mother, are incapable of the necessarily single-minded focus anyone must bring to the creation of literature, true literature. I don’t retract a word. That is a fact.

You can bloody hate someone and still wish they gave a shit about you and hate yourself for wishing it.

Such is the universal desire for fame that those who achieve it accidentally or unwillingly will wait in vain for pity.