A review by ericwelch
Quarry in the Middle by Max Allan Collins

4.0

Written in between the last Quarry and the First one (dah), we find our anti-hero on a job with a body in his trunk. Quarry has decided on a new line of work now that the "broker" is dead, and he came into possession of a fat file that listed all the contract killers in the broker's employ as well as their work history. The idea is to tail one of the assassins, determine who his next hit might be then go to the intended victim and offer to kill the killer and the person who hired him (as an extra bonus) for a rather substantial fee.

Everything starts to go a little wrong. After Quarry has taken care of the two hit-men sent to kill the owner of the Paddlewheel Casino, he is hired to find out who ordered the hit on its owner, Richard Cordell. Allegedly, the former mob boss and owner of the competing strip jointa and gambling establishment, Quarry soon discovers it was unlikely the old man who is in the throes of dementia.

That's enough totally without spoiling the plot, but I have to admit the ending was a surprise. Lots of fun for us Walter Mittys.