It's all in the past

So I just finished reading The Lady from Zagreb by Philip Kerr.
I must admit, it took longer than I expected. It was a long book, and slogging through the first 60 pages or so was a chore. The plot development in this mystery/thriller was painfully slow.
I stuck with it because of my personal background and my plans to write a book based on my father's experience as a political refugee in post-World War II Europe. I hoped this book would lend some insight into the civil war, political turmoil, and general chaos that enveloped the former Yugoslavia during World War II.
In that sense, the story didn't disappoint.
But that wasn't the only reason it was worth the effort. As it turns out the author has a snarffy, irreverent writing style that rivals my own. The irreverence is most evident in the actions and attitude of the protagonist, Bernie Gunther.
So without further ado, here are some of the "Guntherisms" that won me over, made me laugh, and left me thinking, "Now that's so wrong... funny, but wrong."
1. Detectives are supposed to solve murders, not commit them.
2. But if you're to keep your head on your shoulders you're going to have to make sure you don't lose it, first.
3. All that matters now is today. And that's all that will matter tomorrow. And the day after.
4. You see, when you're a detective and you find out that someone killed someone else, it says on page one of the police manual that you're supposed to do something about it.
5. We're all using someone else for something if we're really honest about it.
6. Good people are never as good as you probably think they are, and the bad ones aren't as bad. Not half as bad. On different days we're all good. And on other days, we're evil.
7. Men in our profession need to be alone so that we can ignore the roar of our colleagues' ignorance and stupidity and think for ourselves.
8. That's why they pay us. To waste our time.
9. It's not just nice, innocent people who get murdered. Not so innocent ones do, too. Perhaps someone bashed her head in because she deserved it. Did you think about that for a motive?
10. If no one reported this lady missing, then it can only be because no one missed her. And if no one missed her, then it might be because people were glad to see the back of her.
11. And that's what's called cynicism.
Until next time, "That's life..."