“He had the appeal of a very young dog of a very large breed -- a kind of amiable absurdity.”

“His [Lord Peter's] long, amiable face looked as if it had generated spontaneously from his top hat, as white maggots breed from Gorgonzola.”

“Bunter!”“Yes, my lord.” “Her Grace tells me that a respectable Battersea architect has discovered a dead man in his bath.”“Indeed, my lord? That's very gratifying.” “Very, Bunter. Your choice of words is unerring. I wish Eton and Balliol had done as much for me...”

“He had outlived the luxurious agonies of youthful blood, and in this very freedom from illusion he recognised the loss of something. From now on, every hour of light-heartedness would be, not a prerogative but an achievement - one more axe or case-bottle or fowling-piece, rescued, Crusoe-fashion, from a sinking ship.”

“I say, I don’t think the human frame is very thoughtfully constructed for this sleuthhound business. If one could go on all fours, or had eyes in ones knees, it would be a lot more practical’… ‘What luck! Here’s a deep, damp ditch on the other side, which I shall now proceed to fall into.’ A slithering crash proclaimed that he had carried out his intention.”

“Lord Peter was hampered in his career as a private detective by a public school education. Despite Parker's admonitions, he was not always able to discount it. His mind had been warped in its young growth by "Raffles" and "Sherlock Holmes," or the sentiments for which they stand. He belonged to a family which had never shot a fox. 'I am an amateur,' said Lord Peter”

“People who prefer to believe the worst of others will breed war and religious persecutions while the world lasts.”