I think Melbourne is by far and away the most interesting place in Australia, and I thought if I ever wrote a novel or crime novel of any kind, I had to set it here.

In writing, I'm totally anti-plans of any kind. All my attempts to plan and plot novels have come to grief, and in expensive ways.

I think if you live in a country, basically you share the dominant values of a country although you may disagree on issues all the time.

I like having a plot, I like characters with a reason to get up in the morning.

Football makes nonsense of class. It may make nonsense of colour in some circumstances.

There's a high point in your career, and then people get bored; they want something else to come along.

As far as I am concerned, I write novels, and other people can do the labelling.

Lose your mind and come to your senses.

If you want something different out of life, you have to be prepared to try something new.

It's funny how getting older - or being overlooked and underrated for more than two decades - can make you change your ambitions.

It can't be 'true' love without the truth

Believe this," he whispered, and kissed her with the sharp, sleek kiss, the silver kiss, so swift and true, and razor sharp, and her warmth was flowing into him.

Every civilized human being, whatever his conscious development, is still an archaic man at the deeper levels of his psyche.

There is no excess in the world so commendable as excessive gratitude.

Play what you know and then play above that

I have based my life on being strong enough to do anything.

We meet no ordinary people in our lives. If you give them a chance, everyone has something amazing to offer.