"We were about to give up and call it a night when somebody threw the girl off the bridge."
— John D. MacDonald (Darker Than Amber)

"Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will. Integrity is not a search for the rewards of integrity. Maybe all you ever get for it is the largest kick in the ass the world can provide. It is not supposed to be a productive asset."
— John D. MacDonald (The Turquoise Lament)

"Sama seperti perkawinan, persahabatan tergantung pada menghindari hal-hal yang tidak termaafkan."
— John D. MacDonald

"A man with a credit card is in hock to his own image of himself."
— John D. MacDonald

"[Los Angeles] the world's biggest third-class city..."
— John D. MacDonald (A Deadly Shade of Gold)

"This was not some pretty little girl, coyly flirtatious, delicately stimulated. This was the mature female of the species, vivid, handsome and strong demanding that all the life within her be matched. Her instinct would detect any hedging, any dishonesty, any less than complete response to her - and then she would be gone for good. (The Quick Red Fox)"
— John D. MacDonald