The Woman in Blue Quotes

“You can’t convert by words, only by deeds.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Nelson is glad to see a handler and her dog coming towards him. The recognises the woman as Jan Adams, famous in Norfolk for having won several medals for bravery. Her dog, a beautiful long-haired German Shepherd is a bit of a celebrity too. What was his name again?
"Barney" says Jan in answer to his question. "What's going on?"
Nelson explains about the attack. Barney looks at him, head on one side, as if her too might be about to ask a question.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“She suppresses the ignoble thought that it’s hard to see what two complex, intelligent men can see in Michelle. She must have hidden depths, that’s all. Ruth sometimes suspects that she, herself, has hidden shallows.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Macbeth,’ confirms Freya, ‘I read English at university. It’s the “Tomorrow and tomorrow” speech: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale, Told by an idiot. Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“What’s the conference about?’ ‘Women wanting to be bishops.’ ‘Jesus wept.’ ‘Yes, very probably.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Ruth has virtuously refused a brownie, but accepts half of Hilary’s scone. It’s a well-known fact that shared food doesn’t contain calories.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“It turns out that, if there’s one thing women priests love more than cocktails, it’s cats.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Religious people might as well wear little electric chairs around their necks.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Reason is always a kind of brute force, those who appeal to the head rather than the heart . . . are always men of violence.’ She thinks of Justin’s letters, of the attempts to justify his views by twisted reasoning and quotations from scripture. She thinks of Hilary’s own arguments, so measured and confident. Perhaps it’s better just to believe things, as Cathbad does, without attempting to explain them.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“I took custody of it’ sounds a lot better than ‘I stole it’. It never ceases to amaze him, the way people find comfortable language for uncomfortable actions.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“How come, when Elsa sings about letting go and the cold not bothering her, she suddenly gets an hour-glass figure and a plunging neckline? Ruth thinks that both female characters could benefit from wearing anoraks,”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“She wouldn’t like the word ‘policewoman’ either, any more than Hilary would like ‘priestess’.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“She might not love Shakespeare more than God, thinks Ruth, but it’s a close thing.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“As Ruth only knows one priest (one male priest that is) she's not that surprised to find Father Hennessey waiting for her at one of the long tables, a cappucino in front of him. 'Hallo Ruth, sorry to call in on you like this.'

'That's OK.'

'Are you going to get yourself a drink? This coffee's really very good. It's truly terrible, the stuff they serve at the police station.'

'I know.' Ruth has had her own experience of Nelson's coffee. She wonders if it's a way of torturing suspects until they confess. In contrast, the coffee at the university is excellent. Ruth gets herself an espresso. She thinks that she is going to need the energy. She has a feeling that, like the visit from Nelson all those years ago, this conversation is going to complicate her life.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“Nelson's first thought is that Father Hennessey looks as bad as he does. The priest is still an intimidating presence, with his rugby player's shoulders and boxer's nose, but his eyes are shadowed and he looks as if he hasn't slept. He puts his hat on the floor and accepts a cup of coffee. 'I'm giving up coffee for Lent,' he says. 'Better make the most of it.'

'This stuff's enough to make you give up coffee for life,' says Nelson. 'I should know. I've drunk about a gallon of it.'

Father Hennessey smiles and drinks his coffee in silence for a few minutes.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue

“He might be living on mice, but Chesterton does not look like an animal who is governed by his appetites. He's an ascetic, if Cathbad ever saw one.”
― Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue