Quarry's List

Quarry #2

by Max Allan Collins

Killer-for-hire Quarry is trying to lie low when he gets a midnight visit from two other gunmen sent by an old associate. Someone wants Quarry off the scene--for keeps. Back in print, this early crime novel by the author of The Road to Perdition shows once again that nobody is harder-boiled than Quarry. With a new Afterword by the author.

Genres: Crime, Noir, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Audiobook, Pulp

187 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1976

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

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Now, I'm not exactly a bruiser; I'm a couple inches under six-foot, and at one hundred sixty pounds I was heavier than I'd been in a long time. I'm also no expert in karate or any of that - the only belt I wear holds my pants up. I know the basics of hand-to-hand from my Marine training; but from practical experience I've found that whenever I'm in a kill-or-be-killed situation, pulling a trigger is all the exercise I crave." -- the candidly blunt thoughts of the title character, on page 19

Although the second book in a series of fifteen, which were sporadically published between 1976 and 2021, the sophomore entry Quarry's List is easily accessible for readers - like me - who missed out on the introductory volume. (Additional trivia note: author /creator Max Allan Collins apparently took a cue from John D. MacDonald's style - who famously introduced long-running troubleshooting Travis McGee character with four (!) books in 1964 alone - by issuing his first three Quarry books in 1976.) Although later acquired for issuance under the Hard Case Crime imprint - such as this edition - the nearly 50 year-old slice of pulp fiction is an agreeable dessert that doesn't feel dated, but more like an exquisite little period piece. A professional hit man known only by the moniker of 'Quarry' - a U.S. Marine combat veteran from the Vietnam era - has chosen to work as an independent gun-for-hire, or not being employed by any organized crime outfit. In the opening pages he narrowly escapes being murdered at his quiet lakeside A-frame home in the rural Midwest. The tight, uncomplicated plot then has him tracking down possible leads in the Quad Cities region of both Illinois and Iowa - a favorite setting of author Collins - and enacting the expected rough justice on his evil would-be assailants, including a surprise moment of defenestration which had me laughing in its audacity.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a botched hit at his lakehouse, Quarry goes looking for a hitman named Ash who has supposedly stepped into the void left by the Broker's unfortunate demise. Quarry quickly finds out things go a lot deeper than that. But what do Ash and his cronies have to do with the mysterious woman Quarry meets at the hotel?

I can't say much more about the plot without giving too much away although the ending leads nicely into the later books. Quarry's List has all the hallmarks of a Quarry story: violence, sex, and scheming, leading to a violent showdown. While it's not as good as the Quarry books published by Hard Case Crime, it's easy to see the potential is there. One of the things I'm enjoying about these early Quarry books is watching Collins develop as a writer.

So why only a 3? The Quarry series is one I enjoyed the hell out until I had a run-in with the author on my blog. Now, the little flaws that would have been like molehills resemble meteor craters. Once again, Quarry is in the Quad cities of Iowa and once again, the law is never around. The Broker's wife is pretty much just someone for Quarry to nail in between gunfights. One thing that bothered me that probably wouldn't have on another day is that Quarry was on stakeout leaning against a tree while reading the newspaper. I just happened to have read The Judas Goat by Robert Parker and that's one of the big no-no's of a stakeout, according to Spenser.

Quarry's List was a pretty entertaining read for what it was but the Quarry books put out by Hard Case were better.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

QUARRY’S LIST opens with the swift and ice cold professional killing of an intruder inside Quarry’s home. The midnight attack, the result of a former associate in the murder of hire business looking to take out any competition that may stem the takeover of the Brokers former empire. Not wasting time, Quarry grills the back-up man from the attempted hit for information which leads him to a confrontation and subsequent sit down with the Brokers lawyer, Curtis Brooks, and Ash, a former partner of Quarry’s.

Originally titled THE BROKERS WIFE, QUARRY’S LIST is aptly titled twice over with both capturing the theme of the second installment in the hitman series. The Brokers wife, Carrie, plays a huge role as she is thrust into the violent world her now deceased husband so flourished by virtue of some over zealous and ambitious business associates. While a 'list' supposedly in Quarry’s possession detailing the Broker's hired guns contact information is coveted by the same associates hoping for a one-two punch in taking over the business while also scoring a monetary windfall by eradicating Carrie in order to obtain her inheritance.

It’s in QUARRY’S LIST that Quarry takes a turn of direction, using his former associates as form of revenue:

“…there were other Brokers. Most of the hit men (and women) named here would be working again, soon, if not already, for new Brokers. If I picked a name from the list, followed whoever it was to a job, found out who the potential victim was, I could go to that potential victim and offer my services. If my offer was rejected, no skin off my ass; let the asshole die, it’s up to him.”

My rating: 3/5 stars. QUARRY'S LIST contains one of the most mouth watering twists I've read across all the Hard Case Crime books and had just the same impact on the re-read.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1976
I did like the first Quarry book, but I far preferred this one. It is so entertaining.
In the Afterword (yay, I hate forewords) Collins says he was told his Quarry was the first ever hit man character in fiction.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second book in the series about a Hired Killer,

Excellent

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarry has tried to move on with his...life. However, he knows that there are certain people who aren't really sanguine with him moving on, or having any more life. So Quarry is making a list (well he came into possession of a list) and he's checking it, more than twice. The things Quarry brings are not gifts the people on the list are looking for.

Quarry's stories are fast, action filled. hard edged and bloody. They are also (maybe a little surprisingly) absorbing.

I can recommend this one two...though again the smell of cordite may linger in your reading area along with the coppery scent of blood.

(Yeah I know that cordite isn't commonly used in gun-powders today but the books go back to the '70s and actually refer to "the smell of cordite so...yeah, just enjoy and don't worry so much, "yuh' know?"

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarry is back in a new book a sequel from the time where Quarry was instrumental in the death of his broker. And when I say broker I mean no Wall Street person but the person that brokered Quarry's targets. As the leading character of this noirish novel does have the profession of hitman. So essentially since the end of first book in the series Quarry has nobody giving him new jobs.

When we reacquaint ourselves with our leading man we find him in bed being woken by something, and that something has some plans about killing him. Which he takes kinda personal and stops that attempt dead in its tracks. He then starts out to question the person who ordered the hit on his person, only to find himself looking on the preparations of yet another hit and this time on an unsuspecting victim. What will Quarry do and how will the whole affair play out. Quarry has got to use his wits and a good plan.

This return of Max Allan Collins' hitman is a rather better effort than the first installment, it is somewhat lighter on his feet and easier to read. Quarry is a less darker person and the story does make more sense and while the subject is murder and mayhem a wee bit more fun to read. On basis of this one I might continue reading some more installments in this series.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I thought life was cheap, I wouldn’t charge so much to take one.” Quarry in a nutshell and in his own words.

This book was very fast paced and you just knew Quarry was going to find out the truth of the situation. Who IS the new broker?

When assassins are sent to Quarry’s residence, you knew this would be a very violent read. They had no chance. Quarry’s MO is lure the hitmen into a false sense of security and then bam 💥 dead 💀.

This book had a hidden agenda by the bosses. Quarry through sure determination finds how the broker’s business is really run. I’m definitely going to continue on. I love the hard boiled nature of the plots and the characters. Very matter of fact with little nuance. I can relate to that 😆

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

QUARY’S LIST is the 2nd book in the “Quarry” series by author Max Allan Collins based on the mysterious but highly in-demand hit man that goes by the alias “Quarry”, as so named by his recently deceased employer known to him only as “The Broker”.

Finding himself a free agent after freeing himself from a situation that could have resulted in his own death, Quarry soon learns that even though no longer among the living, Broker has put out a contract on him, and he’s forced to learn who is in charge of the Broker’s organization to reveal who he needs to target before he’s killed as a result of the target on his own back.

Swimming and beautiful women are Quarry’s favorite things in life, and while swimming he meets a beautiful woman that he strikes up a heated romance with; only to learn she is somehow involved in everything that is taking place in his current investigation.

Can Quarry continue to avoid being located before getting to the bottom of everything in the case he’s committed to, or will his life be taken as a result of the high risks he’s taken to find out who he needs to remove to ensure his own safety?

Strong follow-up to the original story in the series, and Quarry is an interesting character who is made up of a combination of strong morals along with being a cold blooded killer when required; something that makes decisions difficult for him in this and later novels in the series.

4 stars.

[Karl]

A Long time ago, back in 1976, this book had the title of "The Broker's Wife". However, although it had a great cover on that volume, I could not pass up this new Robert McGinnis cover.

Since I plan on reading this installment again, I did not rate the book yet although I I would have given the original a five star rating.

All the books in the series along with the original publication date are:

Quarry (a.k.a. The Broker) (1976)
Quarry's List (a.k.a. The Broker's Wife) (1976)
Quarry's Deal (a.k.a. The Dealer) (1976)
Quarry's Cut (a.k.a. The Slasher) (1977)
Quarry's Vote (a.k.a. Primary Target) (1987)
Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003)
The Last Quarry (2006)
The First Quarry (2008)
Quarry In The Middle (2009)
Quarry's Ex (2010)
The Wrong Quarry (2014)
Quarry's Choice (2015)

It's nice that Hard Case Crime is re-issuing these with a beautiful new cover and for Amazon for selling them for five bucks each.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Quarry series by Max Allan Collins, a solid 4 stars.

I think I'm really going to enjoy this series.

[F.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quarry meets the man in an underground car park. Quarry has actually just killed a man in a hotel room. The man in the carpark is in town to kill someone else. The man takes Quarry’s guns away from him, but ignores the towel balled up under his arm. He knows Quarry has been swimming and doesn’t think anything of it. Quarry blows a hole in the man’s chest with a 45 he has wrapped in that towel.

It’s that kind of book. Unpleasant people doing unpleasant things to each other. If you’re a connoisseur of tough guy fiction then this, in principle, should be perfect for you. But what’s frustrating about it for me is that it’s clearly going for the brutal existential poetry of Richard Stark’s Parker novels, but realty only coming up with the brutal part.

For all that’s tense and well written within ‘Quarry’s List’, I just kept coming up against its limitations. It’s a sadistic book, one which has no compulsion about throwing in a last gasp nasty twist about its most pure character. A move which left a sour taste in my mouth, made worse by the fact I could see the book actually smirking as it did it.


If you get chance, please visit my blog for book, TV and film reviews - as well as whatever else takes my fancy - at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.

[Mohammed Abdikhader Firdhiye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarry's List had more of what made the new Hard Case Crime Quarry books awesome reads.
The violence, action was more hardcore, better written than Quarry book 1 and Quarry's Deal which is book 3. Still compared to the newest Hard Case Crime Quarry books, Quarry is not as twisted character he cares too much about Carrie. He is dangerlously close to being like a PI hero. He is not a great amoral,twisted hitmen yet. Which is what i liked about him most of the new books.

This was the most enjoyable read of the first 3 books.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally found a copy of this & read through it last night in a couple of hours. Lots of fun. Full of the typical Quarry twists & humor.

I re-read this in order after reading the first of the series. Definitely found it better writing than the first book. It is second in the series, although published 3d. This is a super fast read.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several of the Quarry series but its been awhile.
Nice to get back to it.
If you aren't familiar with the series it is a hard case crime novel. I have heard that is now a Cinemax TV series.
If you aren't familiar with what Hard Case crime is think Mickey Spillane or old detective shows, Humphrey Bogart etc.
Quarry is a hitman and the focus of the series.
Quarry's boss, The Broker, is dead, and Quarry finds himself in the expendable category as someone is trying to clean up and take over. What is it that the new man wants? Who is taking over for The Broker?
Why is the gorgeous blond in the gothic mansion a target of a killer?
Quarry decides he isn't interested in just becoming a target so he starts looking for answers.
And noone wants to be on the wrong end of his gun...

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third Quarry book and no signs of becoming any less fun (in a trashy way where you kinda hate yourself after finishing, that is.) This was a continuation of the story started in the first novel and seems to have wrapped it up nicely as well as setting Quarry on a very intriguing new tack.

[Oli Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

HCC S03 finished and it’s the second #quarry novel #quarryslist by #maxallancollins originally Published in 1976 as #thebrokerswife . Entertaining and fast moving. Relatively short but plenty of plot. The three major reveals throughout the second half of the novel were delightfully unexpected. The end reminded me of Chinatown to a degree. I really enjoyed this entry in the series. Not quite as funny as some, but the internal logic of the plot made a lot of sense. The sex in this volume wasn’t quite as gratuitous as it is in the others as it makes sense from the female character’s perspective given her history. I managed to read the entire thing in less than one day which is quite unusual for me so that shows how much I enjoyed it. Plus another great cover from Robert McGinnis

[Bram Macgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second Quarry novel picks up some months after where the first left off. After the harrowing confrontation with The Broker and his unfortunate bodyguard Carl (the memorable amputee who, like Quarry, was a Vietnam vet before his brief stint as a hitman), Quarry is in a kind of limbo. Waiting for retaliation from his former associates in the criminal underworld. Months go by and nothing has happened, Quarry starts to wonder if anyone will actually show up until one night when he's in bed, he wakes up to a loud crash downstairs.

The hit-squad has finally showed up it seems. Quarry quickly grabs the gun from under his pillow and starts searching the house. Needless to say, he is able to turn the situation in his favor pretty quickly, since the hitmen consist of one pro and one amateur who made enough noise just getting into the house to begin with. As the situation unfolds, it turns out Quarry has been planning his solution to this problem for months now.. and so have they.... in a way.

During his months of self-imposed exile/limbo from the criminal underworld, Quarry thought out every aspect of the planned retaliation from his former associates and how to deal with them when they eventually showed up. When the amateur crashes through the window downstairs, Quarry isn't afraid, he's excited.

Quarry jumps on the amateur from the railing, knocking him down and quickly taking his weapon. his weapon is the exact same one Quarry used to use, a silenced 9-millimeter. When he picks up the gun, he smiles. it's like seeing an old friend.

He tells the amateur to get undressed, leave his clothes in a neat pile, and get into bed with the sheets pulled around up to his neck. he speaks for the first time... and the last, uttering the phrase "now what?". Quarry quickly shoots him with his own 9-millimeter.

Quarry puts the dead man's clothes on and sits on the floor, leaning against a dresser in front of the bed. he's waiting for the other man, a true pro, to discover the scene he's set up. he wants the pro to think he's the amateur, and the amateur is the target. But before he even realizes it, another man is in the room and nudges him on the shoulder. this guy really is a pro.

He easily takes the pro down, but not before he tells Quarry that a man named Ash is who sent them to kill him and that he would be willing to team up with him to takedown Ash and effectively takeover as the new broker.

Quarry has the guy lead him directly to Ash, kills him, and disposes of the body and car in a river.

Quarry confronts Ash and realizes that the reason why the hitmen were sent to his house and why his house was so thoroughly searched while he was out wasn't because of The Broker's death but was in reality, all about a list of hitmen that he possessed. Whoever is in possession of that list is the only person who can replace The Broker.

For the rest of the novel, Quarry is on the run from the mob (and various other people from his sorted past) with a woman he met at the YMCA pool. Things start to get odd when he realizes they aren't after him, they're after her.

Thoughts and Review:

When I finished the first Quarry novel, I was going to take a break in-between books 1 and 2 so I didn't get burned out with the series but "Quarry" has a preview to "Quarry's List" at the very end, and those first four chapters were so great, long story short, I read the entire thing in about 4 hours....

Seriously, these books are addicting. they are more or less the perfect Crime-Fiction in my eyes. there's really never a dull moment.

5/5; Quarry's list is effectively a "On The Run" novel and quite a terrific one at that.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Allan Collins had given us the ultimate anti-hero almost five decades ago. Quarry, the hitman, returns in this novel as the quintessential lone-wolf operator.
First, there are people trying to kill him. Then he gets involved with people, especially a dame— without whom such novels fade to nonsense— whose identity and involvement would have made Ross Macdonald proud.
Quarry's laconic wit and hardboiled expressions make this book worthy of repeat reads. And the sex...
This operator sure packs a hot rod.
Hard Case Crime has earned our sincere gratitude by bringing this classic back.
Highly recommended.

[Jason McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining, fast paced adventure with my new favourite assassin. Great progression on the major arc so I'm already excited for the next in the series.

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epitome of hard boiled

[GD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a crime fiction series about an Nam vet hitman, and holy crap it's as good as the first. I wanted to read these books after seeing the tv series, which has actually very little to do with the books except for atmosphere. Quarry is hard as fuck, always has awesome replies to smartasses. I have a feeling the Parker books are like this, which I'll check out one day.


This book starts off right where part 1 ended, Quarry hiding out in his lake house, laying low, until they come for him, and he was ready. The plot is him trying to find the beginning of the chain of people that want to kill him for smoking the Broker in part 1, and in the meantime he hooks up with a chick that plays a big part in what goes down, which I can't elaborate on without spoiling not one but two surprises in the book.


One thing about these first person books that still drives me nuts is the novelistic way the narrators tell them, leaving out cool plot points they could have just told you. I always feel like these novels should be in third person limited. Anyway, that's a minor bitch. Overall it's awesome.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarry's List, by Max Allan Collins. 1976.

This is the second title of the Quarry series. The original four books were written between 1976 and 1977. Then, a ten year pause until the fifth book came out in 1987, and another pause until the sixth came out in 2003 with subsequent titles pretty consistently ever since. I read the first book back in 2022 and enjoyed it. I like the idea of the protagonist/anti-hero being a Vietnam vet turned professional assassin. These are quick reads and very much along the lines of Richard Stark's (Donald Westlake's) Parker books. Collins publicly acknowledges the influence in various places. I plan on reading the other books in due course.

[Dartharagorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun and exciting book by theaster Max Allan Collins. This is the second in the Quarry's series and I loved it. Its so much fun having these stories taking place in the Midwest. In rather small cities. Especially compared to New York or Chicago or L.A. and when it's basically your own back yard and you recognize the places he's talking about even better!
Also the ending was amazing and what a twist. I didn't think I could end up liking a Hitman! Such a good story and I'm so excited to read a more in this series and see this character grow and change more! For me it was definitely worthy of the 5 stars! Highly recommend.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But this corpse had better manners than most, and wasn’t smelling up the room at all. He was, in fact, better company than a lot of people I’ve met.”

This one begins with an assassination attempt on Quarry at his cabin in Wisconsin. It fails, of course, and Quarry finds out the name of the man behind it - Ash. So, Quarry goes after Ash. But what does it all have to do with the Broker? And the Broker’s widow? And ‘the list’?

A good second book in this series, fast paced and fast to read! Can't wait to read the next one!

[Amber Wooddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and hard to put down.

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quarry series is classic pulp fiction from Max Allan Collins that has spanned almost 50 years. The newest books in the series may be set in the past, but where actually written recently. The success of the newer books e.g. [[Quarry's Choice by Max Allan Collins]], has revitalised interest in the original 1970s run of books. Once known as ‘‘The Broker’s Daughter’’, ‘‘Quarry’s List’’ is the second book in the series that may not introduce you to the character, but it does introduce you to why Quarry became a killer of killers.

Life seems a little dull when you are a retired hitman; not because you miss the cut and thrust of cutting and thrusting, but because you have to stay in the house waiting for someone to kill you. There are no retired assassin’s, just dead ones. Quarry is not a nice man, but he is a good killer – surely he has the skills to get himself out of the death game, or at least bend the rules enough so that he can win?

A series like ‘‘Quarry’’ can sometimes take a while to settle in, but ‘‘List’’ shows that this does not always have to be the case. The books were not originally envisioned as a series, but once the publisher got in touch with Collins, he brought Quarry back and needed a way to make the character stick around and partake of more deadly adventures; therefore we have the list. This is a list of hitmen and hitwomen that many people want; whoever holds the list, holds the money. You can dictate who lives and who dies.

This being a Quarry novel, our antihero somehow manages to get himself right in the middle of the fight for the list. The criminal underworld think that he has it and Quarry must disavow them of this notion. Rather than taking a full page advert out in The Times, Quarry does what he does best and tracks down the people after him and despatches them. It is this cold heartedness that makes the book strangely appealing. Too many authors are hell-bent on making even their antiheroes somehow likable, Collins just does not care. All we know about Quarry is that he kills bad people. In a perverse way you could be following one of the other characters in the book and witness them killing Quarry – you probably would not tell the difference.

The book works because Collins is such an effective writer. ‘‘List’’ is short and grimy; somewhat like its central character. It comes along, quickly packs a punch and then leaves. Most readers can probably finish the book in one sitting, but that is how the books should be read. There is a sense of dark entertainment to be had from quality pulp fiction and this is exactly what ‘‘Quarry’s List’’ is. Original review on bookbag.co.uk

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quarry's List is the second book in the series, was first published in 1976, and details Quarry's adventures in the immediate aftermath of the Broker's death. Quarry has been laying low in his cottage for months, believing that someone will be sent to kill him, tying up loose ends. Quarry has been expecting a two-man team and, although he has a two-bedroom cottage, he sleeps in the fold-out couch in the loft, believing that it will get him better odds.

After dealing with the assassination attempt, Quarry follows his leads to whoever is appearing to take over the Broker's business in Miluakee, believing that this is the person who ordered the hit on him. He sees that there is a two-man team watching a brick house.

Quarry stays at the Concort Inn, a place where he used to meet the Broker. He liked to swim there. "Maybe I was an idiot," he explains, "coming back here, staying here again. Maybe I was just risking my ass, just so I could go swimming." Of course, it wouldn't be a Quarry book without a romantic interest and, as Quarry takes his swim, he hears a voice from behind him, "feminine, soft, so soft it didn't even echo in a room that threw sound around so thoroughly the barest ripple of the pool caused a tremor." She was a "good-looking woman of maybe twenty-eight, with white blond hair that hung to her shoulders and the sort of face you see on the covers of classy fashion magazines." Is this a coincidence or was she sent there to lure Quarry into a trap?

The book reads quickly and perhaps too quickly as Quarry maneuvers between the Broker's replacement and the blonde (whoever she is) and tries to figure out how he will get out of this situation alive. There are great fight scenes throughout the book as Quarry deals with those who are planning to put a hit on him. In the end, the title makes sense, too.

Like all Quarry books, it is a great read. Collins has a great ironic tone to the narrator's voice and it is not hard to accept that he is a hit man, perhaps one with certain morals and qualms.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything I hoped it would be and not a paragraph more...

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point, reading a Quarry book is like slipping on a pair of comfortable shoes. I know what to expect but that's not a bad thing. It's nice to revisit the same character so often, and there's enough new stuff to keep it interesting. You pretty much know what you're getting from a neo-pulp noir crime novel like this: plenty of violence, some gratuitous sex, and lots of hard-boiled characters.

One cool thing about the Quarry books is you do not need to read them in order. I actually started with The Wrong Quarry then jumped to The Last Quarry before hopping back to The First Quarry. With Quarry's List I finally get to discover how Quarry came to own the Broker's list of hitmen. While Quarry might be the first published and The First Quarry the first chronologically, Quarry's List feels like the true beginning of the character.

That isn't surprising given the afterward included in the Hard Case Crime edition of this novel. Quarry was written as a one-shot novel, not a series. So it makes sense this second book is the one that lays the groundwork for the all the subsequent Quarry novels. Granted, Quarry's logic feels a little shallow, but you still can't beat the premise it provides for Quarry hunting other hitmen.

That said, the plot of this novel gets a little convoluted. There a fair number of new characters and it was tough to keep a few of them straight. Near the end I thought I had mixed up some character relationships but turns out it was just an unsavory twist. I'm not sure that last bit involving Carrie was actually necessary, especially since I'm not sure the character ever returns. It casts a darker light on the Broker himself without much gain. But, like I said, I don't believe this icky bit is expounded in future books so just let it drop after you read it.

That last twist can't ruin an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable neo-pulp noir novel. I always look forward to a Quarry novel, and this one continued my love of the character and his exploits.