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emenendez1's review
4.0
Very, very good book. Is it full of cheap thrills? Yes. Does it have sex scenes? Yes. But the fact is that it has a very good main character, great writing, and a narrative that keeps you engaged.
dantastic's review
4.0
Quarry gets recruited by The Broker to be a contract killer. His target: A university professor writing a tell-all book about a mobster. However, things are never as easy as they seem. Complicating matters are the professor's numerous female companions and his soon to be ex-wife. Can Quarry eliminate the professor and his manuscript without collateral damage?
The First Quarry was a good read. Maybe a shade behind The Last Quarry but still quite good. There was more violence, more sex, and more twists. Quarry's inexperience was nicely done, as was his relationship with The Broker. Some of the violence was shocking. I have to think things would have been better for Quarry had he been able to keep his pants on but I can't fault him for doing what (or whom) he did.
As far as the Hard Case Crime series goes, this one is definitely on the high end of the scale, a good way to spend a few hours.
The First Quarry was a good read. Maybe a shade behind The Last Quarry but still quite good. There was more violence, more sex, and more twists. Quarry's inexperience was nicely done, as was his relationship with The Broker. Some of the violence was shocking. I have to think things would have been better for Quarry had he been able to keep his pants on but I can't fault him for doing what (or whom) he did.
As far as the Hard Case Crime series goes, this one is definitely on the high end of the scale, a good way to spend a few hours.
camcam007's review
4.0
Guns, women, and alchohol...what more can I ask for? Hard Case Crime is my new favorite publisher.
bundy23's review
3.0
Pretty much the same as all the Quarry’s but it loses a star because if this really was his first job there’s no way he’d have been hired for a second one.
brother_stephen's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kegriese1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book in the Quarry series that
I've read, but seeing as it is a prequel to all
the others it seemed like a good place to start.
Typical pulpy story but I still found it amusing
as Quarry takes on an assignment and -- as
expected -- things do not go according to plan.
Quarry has integrity despite being a hitman so
the reader will tend to find him very likeable.
I know I did, and now I'll probably read more
of this series to see if others are as interesting
or whether the author fell into some kind of
formulaic trap with the character.
But if you only read this one, you should at
least have an entertaining time of it.
I've read, but seeing as it is a prequel to all
the others it seemed like a good place to start.
Typical pulpy story but I still found it amusing
as Quarry takes on an assignment and -- as
expected -- things do not go according to plan.
Quarry has integrity despite being a hitman so
the reader will tend to find him very likeable.
I know I did, and now I'll probably read more
of this series to see if others are as interesting
or whether the author fell into some kind of
formulaic trap with the character.
But if you only read this one, you should at
least have an entertaining time of it.
kal_el's review against another edition
4.0
I have been a fan of Collins for many years. I read this while riding my stationary bike because it is a fun, quick read. I have not read any of the other Quarry novels, but enjoyed the Nathan Heller novels. Being a bit OCD, I had to start with this title even though it was written almost 25 years after the first Quarry book. It was an added plus that it was set in Iowa City and threw in a few references to places that I remember from growing up but that are no longer there.
Collins does an excellent job of describing the scene and transporting you back to shortly after Quarry's return from Vietnam and how he got into the murder for hire business. Very good neo-noir.
Collins does an excellent job of describing the scene and transporting you back to shortly after Quarry's return from Vietnam and how he got into the murder for hire business. Very good neo-noir.