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bundy23's review against another edition
4.0
Nothing's wasted here, great pace, no fat, believable lead... ignore the fact the the women weren't believable and the gay stuff is a little problematic and you've got a great action/thriller/detective/noir read.
thecrankyreader's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a great antihero book. Quarry being a hit man was hard to root for. You like him and hate him at the same time. The book takes right off in the first chapter. It was a fast paced ride and I enjoyed it!
dawsonreads's review
dark
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second Quarry book I've read, and
I have to say I like this series. Very pulpy
and old-fashioned (this one originally
written in the late 60's I think).
It's starts off very slow despite a bang
of the first couple of chapters but hits
its stride about a hundred pages in. Then
it bubbles along until it gets to what
I felt was a great ending that made me like
the whole thing overall.
Quarry is 'bad guy' but he's likeable and if
you can dismiss what he does for a living,
you should like the book. This particular
one with the aforementioned great ending
leaves me puzzled as to what happens next
(no spoiler here!), but I'm sure Mr. Collins
has figured that out.
I'll be reading more of this series.
I have to say I like this series. Very pulpy
and old-fashioned (this one originally
written in the late 60's I think).
It's starts off very slow despite a bang
of the first couple of chapters but hits
its stride about a hundred pages in. Then
it bubbles along until it gets to what
I felt was a great ending that made me like
the whole thing overall.
Quarry is 'bad guy' but he's likeable and if
you can dismiss what he does for a living,
you should like the book. This particular
one with the aforementioned great ending
leaves me puzzled as to what happens next
(no spoiler here!), but I'm sure Mr. Collins
has figured that out.
I'll be reading more of this series.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This month's Hard Case Crime tale was one I had actually been avoiding for a while. I find Max Allan Collins to be insufferable. In interviews I've read with him, he seems to be the kind of blowhard-ish know-it-all I don't care for in the crime community. His verbal racism at the Shamus Awards was obnoxious. Really, how hard is it to pronounce "Sujata Massey"? Or to ask if you're genuinely that flummoxed?
On top of it all, I wasn't impressed with True Detective, the only other book of his I've read. But since most of his Quarry series has been reprinted by HCC, I figured I should try it at some point.
And it was good. Actually really good.
The plot is predictable and the hitman unoriginal but I've always had a soft spot for characters who do their jobs with mechanical precision, and that is our man Quarry. The story was tense and compelling too, set in the backdrop of a well described grayish urban Iowa atmosphere. It was a simple crime tale and Collins tells it well. I'm actually looking forward to book two, which is something I didn't think I'd be saying.
On top of it all, I wasn't impressed with True Detective, the only other book of his I've read. But since most of his Quarry series has been reprinted by HCC, I figured I should try it at some point.
And it was good. Actually really good.
The plot is predictable and the hitman unoriginal but I've always had a soft spot for characters who do their jobs with mechanical precision, and that is our man Quarry. The story was tense and compelling too, set in the backdrop of a well described grayish urban Iowa atmosphere. It was a simple crime tale and Collins tells it well. I'm actually looking forward to book two, which is something I didn't think I'd be saying.
kegriese1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
r2robot's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Ableism, and War
lucca_cassandra's review
3.0
A tight and lean pulp thriller. Quarry is heavily indebted to Stark/Westlake's Parker, and the author openly acknowledges this. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, since Quarry doesn't devolve into some grimdark, "tough guy" masochist like most anti-heroes. There's some not so subtle homophobia that has not aged well at all. The opening sequence made me wanna finish the book, and I'm glad I did. The end is a bit rushed, but that's preferable to being drawn out. Not exceptional, not awful; just a really solid popcorn pulp.