Hard Case Crime discussion

The cover of Quarry's Ex is up at the Hard Case website.

I can't wait for that. I love the Quarry books.

It comes out in October. I'm hoping to be completely caught up by then.

Its awesome to see another new Quarry but i hope HCC reprints the old ones. I mean they are what Quarry is known for.

I do have Quarry in the Middle now.

How was reading the book about his last work ? Since i enjoy the young Quarry stories, it would strange to read him as old...

He's not that old at the time of The Last Quarry. I wouldn't say he's mellowed much with age.

Nah its not the age, its more like i there are 5,6 books of the old series,plus 2 new ones that is about Quarry before his retirement.

It feels like i should get the old books before reading The Last Quarry.

I can only hope for HCC reprinting them some of them at least.

I read the Last Quarry first and didn't feel like I was missing a lot. I think the Quarry novels are fairly self contained.

I couldn't remember which Quarry books there were or what I have & I thought others might be challenged as well, so here is the list of them from Fantastic Fiction:

Quarry (1976)
aka The Broker
Quarry's Deal (1976)
aka The Dealer
Quarry's List (1976)
aka The Broker's Wife
Quarry's Cut (1977)
aka The Slasher
Primary Target (1987)
Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003)
The Last Quarry (2006)
The First Quarry (2008)
Quarry in the Middle (2009)

I only have & have read the last 3. I enjoyed them all.

Jim, thanks for posting that list. Much appreciated!

Good luck finding the earlier Quarry books at an affordable price. I've been watching them on Amazon for six months. I jumped on Primary Target yesterday went I saw one for 7 bucks.

I assume there's some kind of demand given that HCC and MAC are doing new ones. I wonder why no one is doing any reprints or anthology or something?

Check Paperbackswap, its only for Americans ;)


Kemper i keep wondering the same thing.

Whats the point of doing new books in the series when the old are near impossible to find.

I'm geussing the old Quarry books are not as self contained. The titles,synopsis give away too much.

I've also been on the look out for old Quarry books & they're tough to find. I noticed high prices at Amazon, too.

High price is not an issue for me if its not crazy things like 100-200 dollars.

Its the fact i cant find any of the books online except book 5,book 2.

I finished Primary Target yesterday. It's the story mentioned in The Last Quarry where he was retired, refused a new contract, and his wife is murdered. He goes hunting for the people responsible.

Dan wrote: "Good luck finding the earlier Quarry books at an affordable price. I've been watching them on Amazon for six months. I jumped on Primary Target yesterday went I saw one for 7 bucks."

Randy Johnson here.

Dan, try here and put in Quarry/Max Allan Collins. You might be surprised.

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk

Randy, that's great. 4.5 pounds is $6.95 US, much cheaper than I'm seeing the same books on Amazon. Not sure what shipping will be, though. I have a couple coming. I'll be sure to check this out after they arrive & I make sure what I have & need. Thanks!

Wow they have all the old Quarry books. The shipping to europe is only £3.50.

A great site for Quarry books if they can send the books 2-4 weeks like they say.

The status of my order says processing with an April 10th expected delivery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Randy wrote: "The status of my order says processing with an April 10th expected delivery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

Let us know who the delivery goes so we know you can trust that site.

I will be reading his series before i go after Quarry books again.

I just got Quarry's Greatest Hits in the mail. It's an old library book, but in good condition. The first story is the first chapter or so of The Last Quarry, I think (the one where 2 gay guys kidnap a girl). I think I'm on the novel now. Great reading.

I'll second Mohammed's request, Randy.

I reviewed Primary Target on my blog and Mr. Collins linked to it on his blog here:

http:/www.maxallancollins.com/blog

If interested in reading it, click on retro review.

He also mentions Quarry's Greatest Hits as well.

I just got an update from Blackwell's on the four old Quarries. I'd begun to worry as it had been two months. The new update says they should have the books on the 18th.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Update on the old Quarry titles. After two months of being processed, Blackwells in England canceled my order on the old Quarries. Out of print was the explanation.

Sorry, I was hoping, after the previous email saying they would have them on the 18th.

Oh! A tease like that is just horrible. Sorry to hear it, Randy.

That is very wrong of them and such a shame.

How in the world are suppose to ever read Quarry.

Max Allan Collins must stop be a tease and try to reprint these books instead of writing new Quarry......

http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/t...


Read his blog where he mentions there is talk of publishing the first four Quarry books by a small publisher.

!

I see on Collins' blog that he's now negotiating on an audio book deal for the out-of-print Quarries.

http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/2...

I'm not much for audio books and I have the third of the old Quarries in the mail headed my way now. One more to go.

In the mail ? How ? Where ?

Damn i cant stand audio,kindle stuff i can only read books. Hopefully after Audio he goes fron real books reprinting....

Good news!

I posted this morning on my adventures in securing the first four Quarry titles here:

http://www.randall120.wordpress.com

Max Allen Collins dropped a comment thanking me for my interest and mentioning that he'd signed a deal to reprint the first five with Perfect Crime.

Excellent news. Thanks, Randy.

I'm reading the first Matt Helm book again, Death of a Citizen. My copy is an old Gold Fawcett(?) paperback, probably one of the first from the 60's. I can't believe it's still readable as this is probably the 6th or 8th time I've read it.

That's great. Now I won't have to get a second mortgage to read the early Quarry stories.

This is the best literary news this whole year!! I was hoping for reprint so much. My fingers was itching after the old Quarry's.

This time i had luck, not like with the early Parker books being reprinted weeks after i bought the first 7 very expensivly :P

Jim wrote: "Excellent news. Thanks, Randy.

I'm reading the first Matt Helm book again, Death of a Citizen. My copy is an old Gold Fawcett(?) paperback, probably one of the first from the 60's..."
Good one. I read a few years back that there was an unpublished Helm that Hamilton left. His son, in charge of the estate, said he wasn't ready to publish it yet.

Update time.

Check this out:


http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/2...

Cool. Thanks, Randy. Hope it isn't too long, but I guess it could be a year...

Ooh i wonder if that Nate Heller novella is as good as the novels. I would want it then.

Atleast they are getting closer to publication the original Quarry books.


Isnt this Quarry Ex re-wtitten from an original Quarry ? Wouldnt want to spoil the old Quarry books for myself. Randy ?

Mohammed, I don't think it is. His wife is mentioned in the early Quarrys, an explanation for how he ended up in the business, but we never actually see her.

Good thats very good news cause then i can read a couple of HCC Quarry while i wait for the original novels.

Check this out:

http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/2...

The first book comes later this month.

Cool! Thanks, Randy. I just wish they were regular paperbacks & not trades. Oh well, at least they're being republished.

We cant complain really and i usually prefer trades to small mass market paperbacks.

Im gonna call my bookshop this second and order the first Quarry.

I'm going to have to go home & figure out which titles I have & then double check them against renames. I'm not a fan of books being renamed when they're reissued. I have enough trouble figuring out which books I have or need. Luckily, Fantastic Fiction is usually pretty good at giving me a list.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/m...
1. Quarry (1976) aka The Broker
2. Quarry's Deal (1976) aka The Dealer
3. Quarry's List (1976) aka The Broker's Wife
4. Quarry's Cut (1977) aka The Slasher
5. Primary Target (1987) aka Quarry's Vote*
6. The Last Quarry (2006)
7. The First Quarry (2008)
8. Quarry in the Middle (2009)
9. Quarry's Ex (2010)
Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003)

*aka added by me from the blog.

I can & will complain about trades. They're awkward to carry around & don't fit in one hand as easily. Does anyone know why publishers like them so much?

Jim wrote: "I'm going to have to go home & figure out which titles I have & then double check them against renames. I'm not a fan of books being renamed when they're reissued. I have enough trouble figuring ..."

They can charge more for trades than paperbacks and don't have to go through the extra expense that hardcovers require.

Jim wrote: "I'm going to have to go home & figure out which titles I have & then double check them against renames. I'm not a fan of books being renamed when they're reissued. I have enough trouble figuring ..."

Heh i meant Quarry original books have been criminally out of print,neglected. I would buy them in expensive hardcover too.

Trade are popular because its not about carrying it around, its about wanting your fav books in good big,sleak paperback and not small easily damaged paperback.

Paperbacks = pocket books = carry any where so I can read when I want. They're cheap, so I don't care if they get beat up some.

I do agree about the Quarry & other books being criminally under published.

Im not a collector but i don't like small paperbacks for fav authors. Collins is in top ten of my crime writer list. I want his books to last for years.

Like i buy hardcovers,trade(which are the bigger paperbacks over here) when i have a choice for books i know will be rare.

Collins reprinting of old series is rare category.

Collins has talked about the title changes before. The original versions contained titles changed by then publisher from what he preferred and he's simply restoring his originals.

Good news and bad.

http://billcrider.blogspot.com/2010/1...

Bad news, Another year before Quarry's Ex.