Mademoiselle le Sleuth Quotes

“Miranda's reward to herself, after a chief investigator dubbed her "the Eloise of four-year-old detectives," was to stretch her age.  She’d now taken to informing people that she was four- and-a-half-and-three-quarters. She didn't seem to grasp the concept of almost-five.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“More yelling rolled out amid crashing sounds of a fight, the flat at the back of the stage swayed, the actors exchanged frightened looks, and the curtain abruptly fell.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“I can't say." Miranda mimicked a very grown-up sound with her imperious tone. "I wasn't at the morgue. I was in school.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Well, now, Mistress No-English," Sarah spat out, "I don't suppose you've seen a new pair of silver shoes." She looked down at the svelte French woman's feet. "Just about your size, I'd judge.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Flipping through, the first thing she came across was a restaurant menu featuring animals and rodents in a reference to the starvation of residents during the Siege of Paris of 1870-71 − horse soup, dog cutlets, ragout of cat, roast ostrich, fricassee of rats and mice? The French and their obsession with food presentation.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Quite," Detective Vidal pronounced as though he'd learned his English in a British finishing school. "Even Madame Rachel, who sat right beside, could not tell.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“The room was cavernous, divided into varied sections by high Moorish arches of a rusty peach, the ceiling of painted patterns set between strips of light blue wood. Bright colors everywhere, high curved windows bordered in violet, smaller windows inset with yellow and green stones and framed in aqua, banquettes upholstered in red and gold.
 ”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“The woman patted Sarah's hand. "Of course, my dove," her thick, almost black lipstick bunched into a dark oval, punctuating her face. Sarah snatched her hand back, startled. The volunteer label didn't quite fit with the black lipstick.
 ”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“I'll have apple juice," Miranda said. "Mommy doesn't let me drink wine yet.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Exactement," said Vidal. "We surmise the killer limp off with use of a cane. The lights man must have seen the interloper, made to intervene, and was beaten by the cane and then garroted with it by the ropes, making lights to go out."
 ”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“The film image of a dead child dressed in blood-red floating, Ophelia-like, in "Don’t Look Now" swam before her eyes. It must be some kind of diabolical threat!”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“In those happy days before Notre Dame Cathedral burned and Paris streets became thick with electric scooters.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Mary moved down to join the gathered actors, but little was said beyond questioning whispers. This was, after all, a morgue.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“She skirted the offensive dressing table with its glaring bright bulbs where Georgie had bled to death and moved to a dark corner of the basement dressing room.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“Sarah shook her head. Babysitting was a tough job. And having kids? Playing Lady Macbeth was a whole lot easier.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“They passed through a marbled rotunda and Sarah gasped. Heading straight for them was a stampeding herd of skeletal animals, their bleached bones and empty eye-sockets shimmering in sunlight that flooded the vast hall from overhead windows.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“When they reached the Hôtel de Ville, early as it was, its fountain waters already danced in the lights playing on the magnificent old building. On good days, dusk stays long in Paris, but barely into September as it was now, evenings stretched way into the night”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth

“They both start with a B. Do you think Baudelaire sounds like Bernhardt?" Her niece eyed her for a moment, then shook her head. "Mommy always says you say the strangest things.”
― Theasa Tuohy, Mademoiselle le Sleuth