Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The author argues that New York City itself functions like a detective story.
In plain terms
You do not need to put mystery in the city because the city is already mysterious.
What can you take from it?
Settings often hold their own mysteries without added plots.

Where it applies

  • writing fiction
  • city planning
  • urban observation

Putting it to work

  • observe local details
  • use setting as character
  • find stories in places

Questions to consider

  • Does a setting tell its own story?
  • What makes a place mysterious?

Another view

Not every city is as inherently mysterious as this suggests.

More from Agatha Christie

  1. I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest.

    Permalink to quote #5
  2. I have a certain experience of the way people tell lies.

    Permalink to quote #7
  3. Oh dear, I never realized what a terrible lot of explaining one has to do in a murder!

    Permalink to quote #4

Related quotes

  1. Before the ferry leaves a horse and wagon comes aboard, a brokendown springwagon loaded with flowers, driven by a little brown man with high cheekbones. Jimmy …

    John Dos PassosJohn Dos Passos quote #4
  2. Jane and Michael sat at the window watching for Mr. Banks to come home, and listening to the sound of the East Wind blowing through the naked branches of the c…

    P. L. TraversP. L. Travers quote #10
  3. Gormenghast, that is, the main massing of the original stone, taken by itself would have displayed a certain ponderous architectural quality were it possible t…

    Mervyn PeakeMervyn Peake quote #1