--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's the matter with you tonight?\" he…" description: "\"“What's the matter with you tonight?\" he asked when we were out of earshot of Stirling and Co. \"I told you.\" \"No,\" he said, \"it isn't just the murder t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg" --- # What's the matter with you tonight?" he asked when we were… ![“What's the matter with you tonight?" he asked when we were out of earshot of Stirling and Co. "I told you." "No," he said, "it isn't just the murder tonight. Hell, I've seen you kill people and be less upset afterwards. What's wrong?” quote by Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg) > ““What's the matter with you tonight?" he asked when we were out of earshot of Stirling and Co. "I told you." "No," he said, "it isn't just the murder tonight. Hell, I've seen you kill people and be less upset afterwards. What's wrong?”” [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker questions why the listener seems unusually upset, noting that past violent acts didn't affect them as much as the current situation does. **In simple terms:** Why is this murder bothering you more than past killings? Key Takeaway Consider emotional triggers and personal values. Themes psychology violence empathy Mood concerned inquisitive Type dialogue character study When to use this quote - investigations - counseling - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral injury cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - What does this reaction reveal about the listener's values? - How might past trauma influence present feelings? A Different Perspective The speaker may be misreading the listener's reaction without full context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) ## Related quotes > [“Look my friend, I've got to commit a murder tonight. Not you. Me. So be a good chap and stuff it, would you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/look-my-friend-i-ve-got-to-commit-a-murder-tonight-not-you-me-so-be-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“He was more anal than usual tonight. I asked him a simple question and he nearly bit off my head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ednah-walters/he-was-more-anal-than-usual-tonight-i-asked-him-a-simple-question-and/) [Ednah Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ednah-walters/) > [“So what's everyone else doing tonight?" I asked. "Something with Jack," kate said, smiling coyly. "Clothing is optional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-cook/so-what-s-everyone-else-doing-tonight-i-asked-something-with-jack/) [Kristi Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-cook/) > [“I'd worked my share of serial killer cases, but none of the killers had ever mailed me a human head. That was new.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-d-worked-my-share-of-serial-killer-cases-but-none-of-the-killers/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [The white man’s victory soon became complete by fraud, violence, intimidation and murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-white-man-s-victory-soon-became-complete-by-fraud-violence/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [If you reduce the guns and the ammo, you'll reduce the murders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/if-you-reduce-the-guns-and-the-ammo-you-ll-reduce-the-murders/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Carol, a swing-shift cocktail waitress in the Bird of Paradise's show lounge had gotten home (guesswork, here) around 2:15 - 2:30, poured herself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-rice/carol-a-swing-shift-cocktail-waitress-in-the-bird-of-paradise-s-show/) [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) > [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/) Avis Bohlen > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We hear war called murder. It is not; it is suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hear-war-called-murder-it-is-not-it-is-suicide/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [A man who kills on his own is a murderer. A man who kills at his government's request is a national hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramman-kenoun/a-man-who-kills-on-his-own-is-a-murderer-a-man-who-kills-at-his/) [Ramman Kenoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramman-kenoun/) > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Laurell K. Hamilton > [“Edward: I don't know whether to put my fingers in my ears and go la-la-la or find more of your guards so we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/edward-i-don-t-know-whether-to-put-my-fingers-in-my-ears-and-go-la-la/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [So many wonderful books to write, and not enough hours in the day. An embarrassment of riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/so-many-wonderful-books-to-write-and-not-enough-hours-in-the-day-an/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Money doesn't spend in hell… The devil deals in a different coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/money-doesn-t-spend-in-hell-the-devil-deals-in-a-different-coin/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [There comes a point when you either embrace who and what you are, or condemn yourself to be miserable all your days. Other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/there-comes-a-point-when-you-either-embrace-who-and-what-you-are-or/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“I slowed, just a little, one to save energy, and one to let Russell catch up sooner. I took a big breath and prepared.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-slowed-just-a-little-one-to-save-energy-and-one-to-let-russell/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“It wasn't just my beast's hunger, but Jean-Claude's blood thirst and Richard's craving for flesh. It was all that and the ardeur running through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/it-wasn-t-just-my-beast-s-hunger-but-jean-claude-s-blood-thirst-and/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I know that look, Blake. You are a drowning woman, and the only way out is down the aisle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-know-that-look-blake-you-are-a-drowning-woman-and-the-only-way-out/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“Just another day in my life. This was one of those days when I thought that maybe a new life, a different life, wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/just-another-day-in-my-life-this-was-one-of-those-days-when-i-thought/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“What is that old children’s rhyme, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’? Anyone who says that doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-is-that-old-children-s-rhyme-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [...you don't need ghosts to be haunted. Memory does that just fine without any supernatural help at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/you-don-t-need-ghosts-to-be-haunted-memory-does-that-just-fine/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I hated missing the end of anything. I was always convinced that the bit I'd miss would be the best part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-hated-missing-the-end-of-anything-i-was-always-convinced-that-the/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [He made a small sigh, as he swallowed the first blood, then his mouth closed over my earlobe, mouth working at the wound, tongue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/he-made-a-small-sigh-as-he-swallowed-the-first-blood-then-his-mouth/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [He gave a small nod, and I smiled back, and that was it. He understood that I'd understood that he'd understood. It took us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/he-gave-a-small-nod-and-i-smiled-back-and-that-was-it-he-understood/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [ \[T\]hese last few days where I've moped around damn near depressed for real, because of people who do not exist. Not really. I can… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/t-hese-last-few-days-where-i-ve-moped-around-damn-near-depressed-for/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) [Explore all 921 Laurell K. Hamilton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) ## More Murder quotes > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A man who kills on his own is a murderer. A man who kills at his government's request is a national hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramman-kenoun/a-man-who-kills-on-his-own-is-a-murderer-a-man-who-kills-at-his/) [Ramman Kenoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramman-kenoun/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [We hear war called murder. It is not; it is suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hear-war-called-murder-it-is-not-it-is-suicide/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/) Avis Bohlen > [“Carol, a swing-shift cocktail waitress in the Bird of Paradise's show lounge had gotten home (guesswork, here) around 2:15 - 2:30, poured herself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-rice/carol-a-swing-shift-cocktail-waitress-in-the-bird-of-paradise-s-show/) [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [If you reduce the guns and the ammo, you'll reduce the murders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/if-you-reduce-the-guns-and-the-ammo-you-ll-reduce-the-murders/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [The white man’s victory soon became complete by fraud, violence, intimidation and murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-white-man-s-victory-soon-became-complete-by-fraud-violence/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [“You don’t look like much, but they say you murdered that other chick.” Treating Murder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-black/you-don-t-look-like-much-but-they-say-you-murdered-that-other-chick/) Gabrielle Black > [The masses are still ungrateful or ignorant. They prefer murder, poisonings, and crimes generally to a literature possessed of style and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/the-masses-are-still-ungrateful-or-ignorant-they-prefer-murder/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“Monk worked on his remaining Intertect cases at his dining table while I tried to hone my detecting instincts by reading the Murder, She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goldberg/monk-worked-on-his-remaining-intertect-cases-at-his-dining-table/) [Lee Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goldberg/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Browse all 2,641 Murder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What's the matter with you tonight?\" he asked when we were out of earshot of Stirling and Co. \"I told you.\" \"No,\" he said, \"it isn't just the murder tonight. Hell, I've seen you kill people and be less upset afterwards. What's wrong?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurell K. Hamilton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-asked-when-we-were-out-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Murder" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-asked-when-we-were-out-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/laurell-k-hamilton-199_murder_what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-as_1230127.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What's the matter with you tonight?\" he asked when we were out of earshot of Stirling and Co. \"I told you.\"…” — Laurell K. Hamilton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laurell K. Hamilton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What's the matter with you tonight?\"...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-asked-when-we-were-out-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-s-the-matter-with-you-tonight-he-asked-when-we-were-out-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```