"I feel compelled to report that at the moment of death, my entire life did not pass before my eyes in a flash" (Chapter 1, pg. 1.)

"She flipped on the porch light and put her eye to the spyhole before opening the door. Instead of seeing visitors, she was staring down the bore of the .38 that killed her" (Chapter 2, pg. 19.)

"How much would I remember if someone quizzed me about the night Isabelle was killed? One fragment had been restored, but the rest was a blank" (Chapter 3, pg. 39.)

"I have a special weakness for small, enclosed spaces, a barely disguised longing to return to the womb" (Chapter 4, pg. 48.)

"She tapped her fingers on her forehead as if to stimulate thought" (Chapter 6, pg. 65.)

"I've come up with many a personal insight with a toilet brush in hand, watching the Comet swirl around in the bowl" (Chapter 8, pg. 93.)

"The Thrifty Motel...