My Notion Of An Elegant Table Is

People Talk About Dysfunctional Families; I've Never Seen Any Other Kind.

Smile. It Gives Your Face Something To Do.

There's Nothing Quite As Irksome As Someone Else's Mess.

My Father Taught Me To Love Detective Fiction Writers Such As Raymond Chandler. When I Decided To Have A Hard-boiled Detective Series I Did A Lot Of Studying Before I Wrote The First Book. I Learned Police Procedure, The California Criminal Law, And Many Areas Outside My Expertise.

My Job As The Writer Is To Fool You. Your Job As The Reader Is To See If You Can Catch Me At It.