Quarry's Cut

Quarry #4

by Max Allan Collins

It's normal to see bodies on the set of an adult film. But when they're dead bodies -- and the cast and crew discover they're trapped in a house with a serial killer -- Quarry's got his work cut out for him.

!

The longest-running series from Max Allan Collins, author of  Road to Perdition, and the first ever to feature a hitman as the main character, the Quarry novels tell the story of a paid assassin with a rebellious streak and an unlikely taste for justice. Once a Marine sniper, Quarry found a new home stateside with a group of contract killers. But some men aren't made for taking orders - and when Quarry strikes off on his own, god help the man on the other side of his nine-millimeter...

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Noir, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Action

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In an effort to score a quick payday, Quarry locates the target of another hitman with the idea of hiring himself out to stop the killer. Only the intended victim is a porno producer. When Quarry ends up snowed in on the set of a porno and people start dying, is it the work of the hitman Quarry is trying to stop or a psychopath?

The Good: The plot of being snowed in wasn't new, since cozy British mysteries have been using that for about a century, but being snowed in on the set of a porno movie was pretty novel. Quarry does what he does best in Quarry's Cut, namely kill people. His unlikely friendship with Wilma at the beginning fleshed out his character a bit.

The Bad: The writing lacks the seasoning of the Hard Case Quarry books, not surprising since these were done early in Collins career. One thing that really bugged me was that Quarry does stupid things that seem against his character because the plot hinged upon them. For one thing, he let Turner live even though he knew Turner was probably going to come gunning for him later. The other thing was even more irksome. Quarry goes through the effort of switching bedrooms with Castile so he can have a confrontation with the killer when he comes for Castile, then proceeds to have sex with Janet in that very bedroom. Quarry mentions looking over his shoulder during the act. How about not having sex with her when there's a killer in the house, you asshole!

The Ugly: My edition from Perfect Crime books is riddled with typos. I'm not exaggerating when I say there must have been a typo every four pages. If you're charging fourteen bucks for a book that's less than 180 pages long, at least have someone proofread that damn thing before you send it to the printers. That seriously impaired my enjoyment.

I was on the fence about what to rate this one. It was right on the line between being just okay and actually liking it. The typos were what pushed it down to two stars.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarry's Cut is pitch perfect pulp fiction from beginning to blood-soaked end.

In the fourth installment in the long-running series, Quarry sans Broker, finds himself smack-bang in the middle of a hit all too close to home. When he learns that a former partner in the murder game is in town and sleeping with the niece of an acquaintance it feels too coincidental to be anything but purposeful. Still raw from an earlier attempt on his life, Quarry immediately goes on the attack, confronting his former partner and learning the true target; a pornographer who is shooting his swan-song in a nearby cottage.

Quarry's Cut contains more elements of a true murder mystery than previous installments thanks to a mass murder at the pornographers cottage. Fingers and guns point in varying directions until suspects are eliminated, either by investigation or death, steadily building towards a crescendo of violence.

My rating: 3/5 stars. I really liked the first portion of Quarry's Cut prior to the plot shifting towards the pornographers cottage, that said; if you're after a quick pulp, this book certainly fits the bill, however as a long time Quarry reader, I just wanted a little more depth.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"Sheer coincidences are something I have always had trouble swallowing. In my line of work, it pays to be skeptical, even paranoid, especially in the face of anything even vaguely coincidental. Otherwise, you may find yourself dead. And death is nature's way of telling you that you ****ed up." -- Quarry's rule of thumb, on page 59

Although not quite as breezily involving as a prior entry (Quarry's List) from the series that I had read last month, Quarry's Cut is unique for throwing author Max Allan Collins' hit man protagonist into a Agatha Christie-styled locked room sort of mystery . . . but with a decidedly grungy 1970's American twist. In short order Quarry's innkeeper/tavern owner neighbor is murdered AND he soon discovers that the inn's sole current guest is a former accomplice from his earlier contract killing days. This leads Quarry (assuming the identity of a Oui columnist, an actual but now-defunct French version of 'Playboy' magazine published in the 70's and '80's) to a nearby isolated and bankrupt mountain lodge where a pornographic film is being shot by a small crew. A snowstorm hits, and the eight characters are stuck together during the overnight in which the bodies then start literally hitting the floor, with author Collins providing an indelible line "a 'whump' sound [.] like a bag of laundry that had been heaved onto cement" for a person thrown to their death. Drawing on some of those now-bygone 70's-era rumors like 'snuff' films (in which someone is supposedly murdered on camera) and organized crime's control of the X-rated movie industry (probably more fact than fiction), Quarry anticlimactically takes out the trash and delivers a sort of rough justice for several victims in a sparse 200 pages.

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Quarry novel so far. There is far more endless talking than action, most of the deaths happen off-screen, and the plot meanders on and on. It feels like Collins was trying to go for more of a mystery than a thriller in this one, and it just didn't work for me.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1977
Quarry follows another killer to a snowed in ski lodge where a pornographic movie is being filmed. A bloodbath ensues.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. Didn't like this one as much; it's much darker than the previous ones.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Ignorance is bliss, all right, but it’s also a good way to get blown away.”

Quarry runs into Turner, an old partner whom things went sour with five years before. Following Turner, Quarry ends up on a porno film set, which is in a snowbound lodge. Two murders quickly follow. It's not the best of the Quarry books, but it is entertaining! On to #5!

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fun fourth entry in the series, sees Quarry stumble upon his version of a locked room mystery; a snowed in XXX film set with a suspicious skeleton crew and a limited time for him to figure everything out.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarry is pretty much the same in this story, but he's in a different situation - his own turf & a porn movie. It made for some interesting twists. Another great, fun read. On to Primary Target

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in matter a fact prose from the perspective of Quarry. As the title implies, this was a blood bath.

Quarry is one of the few that make it out alive. He was even the assassin for most of it 😳😳😳

The end will have you 🤯🤯

[Bram Macgregor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the highs of “Quarry” and “Quarry’s List” are gonna be tough to beat.

Collins constantly reinvents the series in every book, book 1 is the classic revenge tale, book 2 is a straight up masterpiece, book 3 is a more intimate piece with Quarry hunting down a female assassin while falling for her in the process, and book 4 had Quarry snowbound at an abandoned hotel with the crew of an adult film and a murderer running loose.

The third act completely took me out of the story. It’s really absurd and doesn’t make a lot of sense if you think about it. The villain was cartoony in how evil he was. The sex scenes were amplified (it takes place on the set of an adult film so I guess I understand why) and the author just doesn’t know how to write a sex scene. Every one of them had this nerdy-pervy feel to it that just makes you cringe a ton.

2/5; By the end I was glad it was over and the more I think about it, the more I don’t like it.

[John Biddle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This will be my last Quarry novel. Much of it takes place at a porn movie set and the violence was pretty graphic as well as the sex. The story was OK but not anything to write home about and I've lost interest in Quarry himself.

[Bradford D · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don’t want to read a detailed description of a porn shoot, you might want to skip this story. Aside from that, Collins is such a good writer and writes with such heart that he elevates his stories above their basic plot elements and genre. For a guy who kills as easily as you or I would crack open a book, Quarry has a moral compass and cares about certain people. Just hope you aren’t his intended target because that’s certain to ruin your day. Great escapist fun to blow off the stresses of everyday life.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarry's Cut, by Max Allan Collins. 1977.

The final installment of the original tetralogy of Quarry books. Collins would return to the series about a decade later, and is still publishing entries to his Quarry series today. In fact, the latest title - Quarry's Return - was just released earlier this month (November, 2024).

In Quarry's Cut, Quarry is back in his hometown. He spots a partner he used to work with. When a friend of his is murdered, he suspects the previous partner was the killer. Investigating the situation, Quarry is led to a lodge where a small crew is shooting a porn film. When a snow storm forces the crew to be bound to the lodge, things begin to escalate. Bodies start dropping. Quarry is trapped in the lodge with the rest of the crew and tries to uncover who the killer is and why they are committing the murders. Of the four early novels, this one is perhaps the darkest and most gruesome, with a high body count and the grisly means used to kill people off. Not for the faint of heart.

[Oli Turner]

Hard case crime S05 finished and it’s the fourth #quarry novel #quarryscut by #maxallancollins originally Published in 1977 as #theslasher.
Entertaining and fast moving as always. Quarry attempts to stop an assassination and gets stuck at a snowed-in cabin where a porn film is being shot. The last third of the book is very surprising - @MAC leads you to believe the quarry books will follow a formula (quarry follows hitman, warns target and takes out the hitman) and he manages to subvert it in such fun and inventive ways. Another insightful afterword from MAC. Plus a #robertmcginnis cover which Is great in its own right as always but to me really seems to fit the setting of the novel

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of the original four Quarry novels is probably my favorite. It's funny: I don't like locked room mysteries but I like locked room mysteries written by people who don't normally write them. Also, Collins displays an intricate grasp of the 70s porn era. It's a little homo/biphobic for my tastes but if that does not stop you, it's a good book in a good series.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's normal to see bodies on the set of an adult film. But when they're dead bodies and the cast and crew discover they're trapped in a house with a serial killer, Quarry's got his work cut out for him.
This is the first Quarry novel I’ve read (but the fourth in the series), so I missed out on some of the character development (which I presume happened in earlier novels), though he (Collins and Quarry, as the narrator) does recap a few essentials to keep us up to speed. The style takes a few chapters to get used to (this was originally published in 1977) but has a nice pulpy quality to it and Collins writes well, keeping your attention throughout. Fast paced, this essentially becomes a whodunit in a grand house where an adult film is being shot, but the interplay is nicely done and Quarry is a good character. I enjoyed this a lot and can easily see myself reading more in the series. Recommended.

[Craig Childs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of the Quarry series (I have read 7 of the 10 novels so far), but this is the first one I did not enjoy.

In his afterword, the author states that he was trying to do something different with this narrative, to avoid falling into a predictable formula; he said he was going for "dark comedy" and he felt he skirted the edge of "unpleasant absurdity". In my opinion, this felt too much like a Concept Story ("Quarry hangs out on a porn set!") and the ending was over-the-top ("Serial Killer: Descent into madness!").

The only potentially poignant moment--the death of a selfless, sacrificial character at the hands of a self-absorbed lover--was handled too flippantly to salvage any emotional payoff.

However, this one misstep is perhaps forgivable in a series that has otherwise delivered consistently. For now, I plan to continue reading the rest of the books.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just kind of there. There's really not a lot of mystery in this one, and the plot is basically over before any suspense can build. Character development takes a huge step back compared to the previous books. Not a terrible way to spend an evening, but also not a book I'm likely to ever revisit.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt a little contrived, as if the author was forcing Quarry to do some silly mistakes that only an amateur would dare make.

Overall decent, but not as good as the Hard Case books. I recommend it as it is a lite and easy read.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the darkest of all the Quarry novels that I've read, considering that this is a series about a contract killer, that's saying a lot. Nonetheless, still an entertaining read, as are all the Quarry novels.

[Jon Weidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

You really can't go wrong with any of the "Quarry" books. My comfort zone when I want something lurid, fast-paced, and morbidly funny.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

QUARRY’S CUT by Max Allan Collins is the 4th book in the “Quarry” series, and finds the now semi-retired hitman of the previous books in the series in a small resort town setting and trying to assimilate a peaceful lifestyle dependent on anonymity using the alias he’s adopted.

Often in the past Quarry has been sought out both by prospective employers as well as enemies from his past.

Turner is a hitman that Quarry has worked with in the past, and Quarry’s new lifestyle is threatened as a result of Turner coming to town, and when he commits a violent crime involving a woman that Quarry has grown fond of as a friend, he’s both forced and motivated to take action and hit the road abandoning his Paradise Lake home and community that he’s grown attached to.

Quarry again adopts another alias and poses as a reporter to place him close to a porno director and the cast of the movie being filmed, and is once again put in a situation with an attractive young woman he looks out for, while his main focus is on the group and the nearby location of Turner have become his immediate concerns.

I’ve really liked the Quarry series, and of the Hard Case Crime novels his books are some of the best, so I’ll be continuing with the series moving on to the next novel, “Quarry’s Vote” aka “Primary Target”.

4 stars.

[Tom Donaghey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarry’s Cut (1977) (Quarry #4) by Max Allan Collins. This book finds Quarry retired and living in Wisconsin. Things are going well for him. He even finds a local diner/small hotel that he enjoys eating at and gets to know the people operating it Then one day he spies a man from his past and things change rapidly.
Is the man in Quarry’s area of the world because he is part of a team to hit Quarry? Or, after being interrogated, is the man’s story about the hit being against a movie director working in the area true. Knowing his life depends on the answer, Quarry has to make some hard decisions.
Winter in Wisconsin means snow and the lodge the director is working at gets snowed in, but only after Quarry gets inside. Turns out it is a porno flick that is being made. The director is about to leave the porn business behind and slip into the Hollywood mainstream because his pictures are just that good and he comes in under budget every time.
But then bodies start dropping and we know it is not our hero doing the trigger work. Faced with an unknown murderer in a snowed in chalet (shades of Christie) Quarry doesn’t know who to trust.
This is a nice little mystery from Max Collins, Our unusual protagonist does well although it becomes rapidly apparent to the reader just who the true enemy is. Still, a “fun” read.

[Alexander Engel-Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7/5

Quarry's Cut is a decent followup to the other three Quarry novels, not at all disappointing but definitely not the best of the original four. Here, we find Quarry in a slightly different element--a porno film set. It takes a while for him to get there, and when he does, it moves along at a dutiful and satisfying pace. That's the thing with these Quarry novels. They're fast-paced, easy to digest, and often contain several different elements and plot points that are intelligently put-together without being hard to follow. Everything falls into place in the end, and Quarry's Cut is no exception to that rule.

Collins' writing style is so fluid, so rapid-fire, so brisk and masterful in its surface-level artlessness, that it's hard to put one of these down once you get started. I read the first 90 pages in one sitting, in the span of maybe twenty, thirty minutes. And while this may be the worst of the four, that in no way means that this is a bad book. It's terrific, just not as terrific as the others.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: the premise of this book is the making of an adult film (a porno, for the folks back home). It... gets a little graphic in places. Sexually, I mean. I mean, Quarry is a killer for hire, so it gets graphic in other ways, too, but... y'know... don't read this one if you have any hang-ups about sex. Or killings. Or, I guess, chili.

Unlike the previous Quarry books, this one actually does have a murder mystery in it. Actually, several murders, and no one (including Quarry) knows whodunit. So that's new.

Sadly, what isn't new is the continued use of a common slur for gay people. Collins continues to put gay characters in his books, and he at least attempts to make Quarry sympathetic to those characters. But then he continues to have other characters call them fairies, or f*ggots, and make jokes at their expense. And yes, the book was originally written in 1977, when it was still ok to do that, I guess. But this edition of the book came out in 2015, and it's still in there, and Collins's afterword (written in 2010) doesn't address it. So maybe he's... ok with it?

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Max Allan Collins and his hardboiled writing style. This is my fifth book featuring Quarry, the hitman who targets other hitmen (and assorted bad guys). Once again, this is the 1970's, so be prepared for casual sex, drugs, and some outdated stereotypes; this is a pulp book of its time.

This time Quarry is comfortably retired in a small town outside of Chicago when he spots an old partner from his previous life as a hitman. Fearing that someone has put a contract out on him, Quarry confronts the guy only to find out he's after someone nearby, a movie director shooting at an abandoned ski resort. Sensing an opportunity to make some quick money, Quarry goes to the set to see if he can get the director to pay for his life.

But being the 1970's, this isn't just a regular movie - it's a porn. With a winter storm hitting, the entire cast and crew are snowed in. And pretty soon actors and crew members start being killed, in rather spectacular fashion. Can Quarry figure out who the killer is before he becomes the next victim?

Hard, fast, crude, fun.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enter Quarry 4 in which this hitman in retirement only wants to enjoy the local cuisine and gets to do a favor scaring a man away that is or wants to enjoy relationships with the niece of Quarry's favorite diner.
He finds out that the man in question is a hitman too who is on a job, but surprisingly it is not Quarry who is being chased of targeted. The Target in question is a director working thee field of Pornography and he is currently filming one.
Too good to be true Quarry sets out to the set to make some money in his racket of protecting targets for money. And then the blizzard comes,
A nice straightforward actioner with a wee mystery chucked in which a wee because it gets no time to really breath before the ending of the book.

Not a great book but a fun well written and easy to read installment of Quarry and it is certainly not one of the best but a fairly decent book that passes the time and makes you smile and enjoy the company.

[Tony Romine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth volume in the Quarry series finds out retired hitman encountering an old partner who messed him over and ending up in the middle of an adult movie film shoot, the director being the target of the old partner. Most of the action and plot takes place in an abandoned ski lodge where the shoot was happening. Quarry doesn't really have any major mystery to figure out, he is only serving in a bodyguard capacity for the director to prevent his old partner from completing the hit. There's not much action or anything really, mostly it's a lot of Collins' excellent dialogue carrying the story. I love this series because it's not the big city setting that seems to be standard for mystery books and Quarry is an excellent, likable character. Recommended.

[Max Driffill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may actually be five stars. It’s a fun romp with hit man turned protector of targets, Quarry. The writing is sharp and the dialogue crisp and witty.
Quarry has to protect a director of adult film in a snowstorm that has gotten out of hand. That won’t be the only thing getting out of hand in this book. I won’t go into that. I don’t do spoilers.

I’m giving it 4 stars instead of five mostly because I’ve read these Quarry novels (four over the summer and winter) in pretty short succession. The adventures sort of blend together.

Had I taken a longer break, this wold have felt fresher. It’s certainly darker and funnier than the others.

If you like any Quarry novels you will certainly like this one.