We tell stories of other people's marriages, Detective Hastroll thought. We are experts in their parables and parabolas. Be can we tell the story of our own. If we could, Hastroll thought, there might be no murders. If we could, we might avoid our own cruelties and crimes.

“It is possible, he thought, to be completely happy in marriage--though you must…”

“A man who loves his mother too much is someone who can never love his wife enou…”

“He closed his eyes, shook his head. If he could get her alone somewhere, somewh…”

“...in response to whatever Alice was struggling with, whatever had caused her t…”