Quarry in the Black

Quarry #13

by Max Allan Collins

WHERE DOES A HIT MAN DRAW THE LINE? With a controversial presidential election just weeks away, Quarry is hired to carry out a rare political kill the Reverend Raymond Wesley Lloyd, a passionate Civil Rights crusader and campaigner for the underdog candidate. But when a hate group out of Ferguson, Missouri, turns out to be gunning for the same target, Quarry starts to wonder just who it is he’s working for. NOW A CINEMAX TELEVISION SERIES! The longest-running series from Max Allan Collins, author of Road to Perdition, 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, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Novels

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2016

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

[Geevee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but fairly light modern "pulp" fiction.

Professional assassin Quarry is tasked to eliminate the Reverend Raymond Wesley Lloyd - a Martin Luther King type character.

There's some complications along the way both in the contract killing operation and the Rev'd Lloyd's campaign set up.

The plot is okay, although there is a piece involving the local KKK nutters that is daft (no more detail as it would be a spoiler).

Overall, the writing is okay, and if you like a throwback to 1970s pretty girls, wise talking guys and guns crime-fiction this is for you.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all 13 Quarry books. This was not one of my favorites, kind of middle of the road. So I gave Quarry in Black 3 stars. Most of the books in the Quarry series are very good. If you like books about a Hit Man. Out of the three Hit Man series books I am reading (Keller-Lawrence Block & Peter Macklin-Loren Estleman) this series would be my favorite.

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is still 1972, and “Quarry” is working with Boyd, the “passive half” of their killing team. (I believe Boyd was in an earlier novel, one of those actually written in the 70s). This book is about the Klu Klux Klan and “Quarry” does plenty of killing. So does Boyd. No longer passive, he steps in to save Quarry’s life.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this advance review copy of "Quarry in the Black" in the Goodreads Giveaways thank you.

This is the 13th book featuring Quarry and is a great action packed story that is humourous and funny at the same time with some very quirky dialogue, it starts off moderately and continues at break neck speed. It was a quick read and could easily imagine this played out in the tv series that is apparently being showing on Cinemax as it is full of action typical of pulp fiction. Although quite political I thought the plot line was good and very interesting. I loved the banter between Quarry and Boyd and they made a great assassin team. Would happily read more.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished watching the Quarry TV series and this book fits in perfectly with the tone of that Quarry medium. Set approximately two years after joining the Broker in the murder for hire business, Quarry is no longer a reluctant killer; as long as the person with the hit on them needs killing for a reason that is. This time round Quarry is joined by Boyd - the lookout who gets much more hands on than he had anticipated, making the story all that much more colorful for it. Both are hired to take out a Reverend causing a stir in St. Louis, only, they aren't the only killers hired for the job...

Quarry in the Black is one of the more pulpier Quarry novels. Like the other books, there is plenty of sex and murder but this one has a little extra sauce to it. That, along with Boyd who is a great sidekick to Quarry make this one of the more memorable reads. 5 stars all the way.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This later Quarry is not particular exciting but rather straightforward with little surprises or twists in the tale.
Quarry gets a new hit appointed by his middleman and this New target is a sort of Martin Luther King Jr. But also dabbles a wee bit in drugs.
While preparing Quarry meets murderous hicks, gorgeous ladies and the KKK.
As assassin novels goes one of the lesser Quarry novels. But still a mildly entertaining thriller that does not overstay its welcome.

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not as interesting as Lawrence Block’s Keller, Quarry is an adequate substitute if you are suffering from assassin-story deprivation. I’ve read all the Kellers and now all the Quarrys. They are both enjoyable, but Keller is a much more interesting and well-developed character.

This time Quarry discovers that a second hit team has been assigned to hit the same target, a serious breach of etiquette. The target is a “future” Martin Luther King. Jr. prospect and soon Quarry is up to his pubic hairs in attractive women and KKK sheets.

Fast, enjoyable read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Can You Not Like These

Pure pulp. Collins is one of the modern masters of the fifties Gold Medal type novel--sex, violence , hit men, crooked politicians, etc.. This one has his series "hero", the hit man Quarry, hired to kill a black activist working for McGovern's election in 1972. Replete with historical references it's fast and fun. Recommended.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun installment sees Quarry questioning his morals and completely out of his element as he goes undercover in urban Saint Louis with an assignment that could turn the tide of the upcoming Presidential Election.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you told me earlier this year that I would enjoy a war-veteran-turned-hitman novel in 2016, I would've laughed you out of my life, but I'm glad you didn't. Because I got quite a kick out of Max Allan Collins' new Quarry novel QUARRY IN THE BLACK.

What makes Quarry interesting?

I wouldn't say he's a moral man, but he's ethical. He has a code of conduct that allows him to deal with the stone cold materialistic nature of his job and while his assignment in QUARRY IN THE BLACK conflicts with his set of ethics, the people he frequents keep giving him justification to be a cold, ruthless bastard and Quarry is caught between enjoyment and guilt on every page. There's a subtle, inherent tension to the character that makes him fascinating.

Think old school James Ellroy meets True Detective.

[Mike Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment, cant go wrong with the Quarry books.

[Woody Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Hard Case Crime, of Quarry & of Max Allan Collins, whom I had the good fortune to meet at ComiCon 2009, but I just wasn't feelin' this one. Feel me, homie? I found the sequence with Quarry undercover at a KuKluxKlan rally just too unbelievable to suspend my disbelief. The rest of the book was okay, but it just was not as compelling as other entries in this series. 'nuff said.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1972, The Broker is still assigning jobs. Boyd is Quarry’s back up here. It was nice to have Boyd back in the mix. This was a wild book. Super high body count. All of them deserved the instant karma.

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, if not fantastic, Quarry novel. It is also the most self-referential and funniest, with some lines that crack--if not break--the fourth wall.

[Jason McCracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would work perfectly fine as a stand-alone but, like all the later Quarry books, it goes against everything that was set up earlier in the series.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book filled with lots of action and excitement. The Quarry series, about a sardonic hitman, first came out in the mid 1970s (although many of the novels like this one are of more recent vintage) and like a number of action series from the 1970s features a guy who honed his skills in The Vietnam War only to come back and find his life back in the States wasn't what he thought it would be. Recruited by a Broker, who acts as an intermediary, Quarry is a meticulous professional contract killer who sometimes wonders about the why's and wherefores of his contracts.

The story is firmly placed in its era because of its use of big muscle cars, the references to the type of music playing, and the long haired hippie types populating just about everywhere. This story involves McGovern's ill-fated presidential race and Southern racial tensions at the time.

Sexy, sardonic, filled with double entendres (starting with the very first sentence), explosively violent, and a lot of fun to read.

[Sawyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the Quarry books (and MAC's writing, in general), but this one is a disappointment. It is too short to become a twisted knot of proper noir fiction. It seems rushed. The other Quarry books seem to flow naturally, for the most part. I would get into the details (such as the KKK absurdities), but I don't want to include spoilers.

[Byron Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typical Quarry, but still enjoyable. Shame that the tv show was cancelled.🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#13 in the Quarry series. This 2016 series entry by author Max Allan Collins follows #12 Quarry's Choice (2015) and both are throwbacks to 1972. It's interesting to see Quarry reappear as a 20-something hitman at the beginning of his criminal career. Author Collins, however, has not successfully eliminated the years of maturity attained by Quarry since Primary Target, was written in 1987. An enjoyable read as we join Quarry in overcoming layer after layer of obstacles on the path to his target.

It’s 1972, and Quarry is a twenty-something who has served in Vietnam. The Broker is the intermediate setting up contracts between Quarry the eradicatorand the client requesting the extermination. Quarry usually pockets $5k a hit, though this latest one is worth $25k. He has a partner this time out, named Boyd, who collects intel on the target and occasionally provides “back-up and escape support.” Boyd is already in St. Louis surveilling their mark, the Reverend Raymond Wesley Lloyd, a civil rights activist considered by some to be the heir to Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. Quarry almost turned the assignment down because there are political ties attached to the good reverend as he’s trying to help elect George McGovern for president. But it’s explained by the Broker that Lloyd deals in drugs and is otherwise dirty. That’s enough to outweigh the politics obstacle, and Quarry our killer is onboard. That is, until Quarry beds a racist woman who may be working for the client—a spy, so to speak, sent to watch the hit go down. Sure enough, the comely blonde is working for a man named Starkweather , Grand Dragon of a KKK Klavern and founder of the White Christian Freedom Party, who admits he was misguided in butting his nose in on Quarry's operation. Quarry does talk to the Broker, who manages to convince him to stay put and finish the job.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Quarry in the Black" is the 13th Quarry novel from Max Allan Collins. Even though the author jumps around in the timeline of Quarry's career of assassination and adventure from novel to novel, the narrative voice stays strong and clear and is (almost) always a lot of fun to read.

I found it interesting to note that this novel is based directly on some political events that happened to the author in 1972. Anyway, it's the usual Quarry set-up. We're back in 1972, when Quarry is working with his usual partner Boyd and the both of them are working for "The Broker."

The hit they're supposed to perform is far different than what they're used to, however. It seems to be both politically and racially motivated. The religious and political figure they're set to execute is supposed to be the "next Martin Luther King" (though I kept thinking of Obama when he was described) who is working tirelessly to get Nixon out of the White House.

If you know the Quarry series--he's a sarcastic, insubordinate Midwestern hit man who has a way with the ladies--you know that Quarry doesn't like political murder and prefers to whack those "who deserve it." So his moral qualms get in the way of the work for (considering where this story is on the timeline) probably the first time. Of course, a killer with a sudden growth of conscience is a tired trope. Yet the author keeps Quarry from sliding into maudlin territory.

Lest we make Quarry the bad guy for possibly derailing the cause of Democrats for racial equality (and kicking out Nixon), there are a lot of right-wing racist loonies swarming about as well to muddy the waters. They don't share Quarry's qualms--or his skills. Further complicating matters is a question about the target's morality. Is he really MLK-esque? Or is he hiding a criminal enterprise within his noble efforts?

I nearly gave this novel five stars, rounding up due to a fun Leonard Nimoy cameo. But I managed to restrain myself at the last moment. Heh.

If you're a fan of the Quarry books, this is a solid entry in the series. There is plenty of sex and violence and humor, with a sprinkling of social conscience as well. I look forward to the next Quarry book.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a passage where Quarry explains he hasn't gone soft.

He hasn't but Max Allan Collins has.

Even though he doesn't take on political assignments, Quarry takes a contract on a civil rights figure. Quarry sleeps around, kills some people, and finds out who is behind the whole thing, just like every other book in the series, but the sense of nihilism is gone. The solution is obvious from the beginning, and an obvious red herring at the near end didn't fool me at all.

Not bad, but nowhere near the quality of the early books.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the first two new entries in the series, this volume is a little to related to (influenced by?) current events to be completely enjoyable. A racial component to a story wouldn't have been bad, and setting a story in St. Louis wouldn't have been bad, but doing both while openly referencing Ferguson pulls the reader out of what had been until then escapist entertainment. Still, after that jarring interlude, the rest of the tale rolls along to a satisfying conclusion.

[Robert James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid entry in the Quarry series. Very quick read. Nothing memorable about it. Just a good quick read that you can knock out on a weekend.

[Mark Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these Quarry books. In the Black has a cool twist to it, which I did not see coming.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant slice of retro crime.
Full review to follow

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 2.5. Collins seems to be running down a bit, although this was perfectly timed. It takes place in 1972 just before the Nixon vs McGovern presidential election, so there were a lot of similarities & blasts from the past. Quarry's irreverent quips were good, but a bit stale & there was very little mystery. IOW, it was typical Quarry

It was too typical, though. There were 2 somewhat explicit sex scenes that he seems to have copied from previous books. Blowjobs right on queue, only the color of the hair & skin changed. The violent scenes were right on queue, although he had to apparently turn Quarry into an idiot for one & it went downhill from there. The scene with the KKK was ridiculous from start to finish.

One thing I didn't expect was a sloppy detail in Quarry's cover. About page 60, he says he inherited a farm from his parents to explain why he could volunteer. About page 95, he says his father is still alive. Something about embarrassing him if he's seen working for the Reverend. I let it go thinking it was a plot device, but it wasn't used at all. That kind of slop really undermines the character, especially in such paranoid circumstances.

Definitely not my favorite of the series. If I didn't like the series & character so much, I'd only give this 2 stars, but I was entertained for a couple of hours. Quarry is still fun. I won't be pre-ordering the next book nor buying this one in audio, though.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm...not bad, but not great either. This is the second Quarry novel that I've read, and if I recall correctly, the first one was not bad but not great either. Just a personal opinion. It felt like Collins was throwing in tough guy tropey stuff just for the sake of writing a badass character, but most of the tough stuff felt forced and didn't add to the story. I'm not offended by language, sexual situations, etc, but there's a way to do it and make it believable. I feel like Collins may be trying just a wee bit too hard with Mr. Quarry. Dialing him back a bit would make these books way more relatable. I'm also not sure I buy how willingly the Reverend's crew took to Mr. Quarry, especially considering the political landscape around the McGovern/Nixon election. This is fiction so 100% accuracy isn't necessary, but still...it was a stretch, at least for me.

I love Hard Case Crime books, I really do. They feel amazingly classic and edgy and politically incorrect and sexy and fill in the blank, and if liking them makes me an asshole then so be it. I'm going to keep reading them and that's that. I may skip Quarry books, though. I'm in the minority here and that's totally cool. To each his/her own.

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I honestly wish Broker would have been plugged a few times by the end of this book. Honestly.

[Solitairerose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any time I get my hands on a new Max Allen Collins novel, it’s probably going to be a good day. Collins is one of the masters of writing hard boiled crime and detective novels, and his Quarry series reminds me a lot of the Parker novels. Quarry is a hitman, and each novel is about one of his jobs. In Quarry In The Black is a different type of novel and the change of pace works well.

The novel is set right before the election in 1972, and Collis gives the right amount of detail to make the setting come alive without it being a nostalgia piece. He’s been hired to kill a civil rights leader in the lead up to the election, but as with any good crime novel, there’s more going on under the surface.

The story is told through first person narration, and the writing is crisp, direct, and defines the lead character through his actions and observations rather than with description. The story has more twists than I expected, and Collins plays fair with the mystery at the core of the narrative while still making certain revelations a surprise. Collins also play with the morality of the Quarry, drawing a hard line of what he will and won’t do, which gives the book an added sense of drama and raises the stakes that raises the novel above most in the genre.

An excellent read, showing a master working at peak form within his chosen genre.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can Quarry be getting a conscience?

Another chapter in the life of Quarry, the hitman who targets other hitmen (and assorted bad guys), but this is from earlier in his career where he was still doing jobs for the Broker. This is 1972, so be prepared for casual sex, drugs, and some outdated stereotypes.

Quarry has some standards for taking jobs from the Broker, one of which is nothing political. So when the Broker assigns the removal of a black preacher who is making too much noise in the upcoming election, Quarry refuses until the Broker explains that Reverend Raymond Wesley Lloyd, the Civil Rights crusader target, is actually still dealing drugs. Okay, so maybe the job is still worth the extra money.

Quarry makes his way to St. Louis, where his "passive" partner Boyd is already doing surveillance. When Quarry goes undercover as a volunteer for McGovern, he begins to question if the Reverend is really a bad guy, if maybe this time the target needs to be protected.

A second hit team. KKK rallies. Campus activists. Drug dealers. Hard, fast violence. Raunchy sex. Double-crosses and hidden motives. Just another fun outing with Quarry.

[Phil Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I busted a cap in this instalment of the Quarry series. In accordance with my previous principles never to serial read books in a series (see earlier failed attempts at sustaining my enjoyment), I’ve been surprised at my fortitude in nailing on all (well not “all” yet, but a whisker away) of Max’s output on the subject of Quarry.

It probably doesn’t bear thinking about too much, maybe I delighted in the possibilities of being Quarry, or enjoy his escapades as a “medium octane” version of life to spice up the largely procedural corners of my existence (anyone else notice how Covid has done that?). Or maybe because they’re just easy reads, and that suits my busy mental and physical schedule. What eve’s , they’re all similar books but it really doesn’t hurt because we only need one or two dimensions to Quarry.

Thanks Max, you’ve created the book version of chicken dinner.