If you ignore the atrocities committed when the island was occupied during the Second World War, throughout the entire history of the place there hasn’t been a single murder. / That was about to change.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: In this quote, Horowitz foreshadows that even though he and Hawthorne are in Alderney for a literary festival, they will find a murder to investigate. It is ironic Charles and Helen’s deaths are the first non-wartime murders to take place on the island.

Charles le Mesurier thought it was lucky. I knew better. / It was the death card.
-- Narrator (Chapter 4)

Importance: Horowitz foreshadows that Charles will be one of the people murdered when someone puts an ace of spades on his windshield. Charles, who owns an online gambling company, tells Horowitz the card is a sign of good luck. Horowitz knows the card is really a sign of death, someone has sent Charles a threat.

There are...
-- George (Chapter 5)