Top 30 David Rosenfelt Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “I believe we have two lives. The life we learn with, and the life we live with after that.”

— David Rosenfelt

2. “We leave a mark wherever we go, whatever we do, and whatever we say.”

— David Rosenfelt

3. “My instincts tell me that if people are going to such great lengths to stop me, I should go to even greater lengths to persevere. I would describe that as admirable, yet strangely most people consider it annoying and obnoxious.”

— David Rosenfelt

4. “I’m not even feeling guilty about it; I know Deb and she’s talented and aggressive. She’s in the public defender’s office to help the most vulnerable in our society, which means she must have forgotten to take the Glory of Compensation in law school.”

— David Rosenfelt

5. “They’re an amazing group, as enthusiastic as any people I have ever met. Even Hike seems to perk up when they’re around. They’re in their eighties; I hope I’m that active when I’m in my fifties.”

— David Rosenfelt

6. “The thing about Markham that keeps it off my radar is that it pretty much doesn’t have a single team that I can bet on, or against. I’m not saying that reflects negatively on Markham as an institution; it is known for turning out leaders in fields as diverse as the sciences, math, engineering, and the arts. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t get you into a bowl game.”

— David Rosenfelt

7. “Classical music is not really my thing, and I know absolutely nothing about it. If you told me you saw Brendel play Brahms last night, I would ask you who won.”

— David Rosenfelt

8. “The only thing better than taking a walk, just Tara and me, is taking a walk, Tara, Laurie, and me. They are my two loves, and living under the same roof as them, and sharing walks with them, make every day the best one of my life. The only obvious exceptions to that are the two days that the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowls.”

— David Rosenfelt

9. “I suppose the best way to understand it is that when I first see a person, I see the face. But when I first see a dog, I see the dog.”

— David Rosenfelt

10. “My guess is that over the years we’ve had 300 dogs in our house as pets.”

— David Rosenfelt

11. “If you are antisocial, far northern Maine is the place for you. Of course, other preferences and characteristics besides not liking to have people around would help as well. You should be rugged, like living off the land, not care very much about eating out and cable TV, and have a healthy disdain for paved roads.”

— David Rosenfelt

12. “I had worried about this possibility. Sometimes I think that my worrying about something means it will automatically come true. Maybe I should worry about winning the lottery.”

— David Rosenfelt

13. “He’s so grateful I think he’s going to cry, and it makes me feel good to be able to help. That’s if I’m able to help.”

— David Rosenfelt

14. “The prison up in Rahway is maybe my least favorite place on Earth, with the possible exception of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Actually, the two places remind me of each other. For starters, they’re both enormous, often overcrowded, and serve mediocre food. Rahway houses murderers and thieves, the lowest of the low, worthy of society’s scorn and revenge. The stadium in Philadelphia houses the Philadelphia Eagles. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

— David Rosenfelt

15. “I often talk about how great it is to live just a half hour from New York City, which provides me access to the finest theaters, museums, and restaurants in the world. The way I take advantage of this access is to hang out every night at Charlie’s, which is about eight minutes from my house.”

— David Rosenfelt

16. “Judge Walter Henderson, better known as Hatchet Henderson, is a large, imposing hulk of a man who stays in shape by adhering to a no-carbohydrate, no-fat, all-lawyer diet. Open and Shut, 2003.”

— David Rosenfelt

17. “Bringing Marcus to Findlay would be like bringing a bazooka to a Tupperware party.”

— David Rosenfelt

18. “I find myself thinking, “I’m not so sure this is a great idea.” I find myself saying, “Great.”

— David Rosenfelt

19. “Maybe there’s a more ominous phrase in the English language than “We need to talk.” Perhaps “Michael Corleone says hello.” Or maybe “I’m afraid the test results are back.” But right now what Laurie just said is enough to send spasms of panic through my gut.”

— David Rosenfelt

20. “I like dogs considerably more than I like humans. That doesn’t make me antihuman; there are plenty of humans I’m very fond of. But generally speaking, if I simultaneously meet a new human and a new dog, I’m going to like the dog more. I’m certainly going to trust the dog more.”

— David Rosenfelt

21. “We head into the bar and order drinks. I’m looking around to see if I recognize any members of Congress. They’re sort of my heroic role models, in that they do even less work than I do.”

— David Rosenfelt

22. “You don’t have to be a college graduate to murder someone.” “Thank you for making the jury aware of that, Lieutenant. I’m sure they had no idea.”

— David Rosenfelt

23. “He rolls his eyes when I mention the dog connection. “What is it with you and dogs?” “Dogs are like humans, only better in every respect,” I say.”

— David Rosenfelt

24. “No one responds or even looks at him. It’s as if he didn’t say it. If an accountant says words in a kitchen and no one listens, did he make a sound?”

— David Rosenfelt

25. “But if I’ve learned one thing during our descent into dog rescue lunacy, it’s that dogs bridge gaps between people. they smooth over the human condition, and they provide an extraordinarily valuable function. They take people of all political persuasions, religious faiths, and geographical locations and represent something that everyone can love.”

— David Rosenfelt

26. “It’s a fact of life: every move we make, every word we utter, has an effect on the world. Sometimes it’s minor, sometimes it’s of great significance.”

— David Rosenfelt

27. “Of course, we can’t ask them, because murder victims are notoriously tight-lipped.”

— David Rosenfelt

28. “Since the advent of the iPhone, people seem to think it is more important, and maybe more fun, to photograph and record life rather than actually live it. I see that as unfortunate for them, but it has definitely been a boon to police investigations everywhere.”

— David Rosenfelt

29. “Few people win consistently, so the tax situation shouldn’t matter. But one overriding thing about gamblers is that they always think they are going to win, despite years of evidence to the contrary.”

— David Rosenfelt

30. “So dogs kept coming home with us, one after another after another. We had crossed over into full-blown dog lunacy and burned the bridge behind us.”

— David Rosenfelt

31. “How come joggers always seem to be the ones to find bodies? Makes me glad I don’t exercise.”

— David Rosenfelt

32. “I’ve never really had a problem with reporters. I treat them as human beings, not as objects to be manipulated. I find I can manipulate them better that way. I’ve long ago learned that in dealing with the press, sincerity is the most important quality you can have. If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.”

— David Rosenfelt

33. “I try to limit my exposure to politicians to a bare minimum; they trigger my hypocrite allergy.”

— David Rosenfelt

34. “I open the door to the car and the burst of cold air comes barreling through. The wind has picked up, which makes it seem a hell of a lot colder. I think that might be why weather people always talk about wind-chill factor.”

— David Rosenfelt