Sex, deceit, and an unusual hitman.
Author:
Max Allan Collins
What They Say
Quarry doesn’t kill just anybody these days. He restricts himself to targeting other hitmen, availing his marked-for-death clients of two services: eliminating the killers sent after them, and finding out who hired them—and then removing that problem as well.
So far he’s rid of the world of nobody who would be missed. But this time he finds himself zeroing in on the grieving family of a missing cheerleader. Does the hitman’s hitman have the wrong quarry in his sights?
The Review:
Jack Quarry is the hitman’s hitman. He stalks others that work in his profession and offers his services to their intended target. If you have the money, he will take care of the people after you and the person that hired them. His most recent target takes him to the small Missouri town of Stockwell, where someone has hired a killer that specializes in torture to take out the local dance instructor, Roger Vale. Vale hires Quarry, and in the process of discovering who hired the torturer, Quarry becomes involved with the daughter of the man who basically owns the town—the man that may well be his next target.
The Wrong Quarry is the fifth book starring this character and my first introduction to him. After reading this, I’m going to have to track down those other books, because this was a hell of a lot of fun. This is Chandler and Spillane-level hard boiled and it never pulls its punches. What Quarry does isn’t pretty, but he does so with a sense of ruthless efficiency and a wry attitude. He doesn’t enjoy his job, but he also doesn’t hate it either. However, like all good antiheroes, there are lines he won’t cross—killing innocents (if that can be helped), and torture. This and his wonderfully sarcastic attitude make him someone you can root for as you read.
The novel is written in first person, so we’re in Quarry’s head all the way. In doing this, Collins accomplishes three things: he makes Quarry’s wry, sarcastic character seep into the text, giving the entire story a strong authorial voice that allows for brief asides to the reader; he gives us a glimpse into the mind of a professional killer, allowing us to see the world through those specific—sometimes frightening—eyes; and it makes Quarry as a character relatable. By giving the character the reins to the story, by putting us in his place, we are almost forced into a position to empathize with him. Of course, it helps that he has such a gruff, charming personality.
And the plot is equally strong. It surprised me in more than a couple of places, and kept me guessing—which I always enjoy in a good crime thriller. It also chugged along at a strong pace. There are no wasted words in Collins’ prose. Each word seems meticulously chosen to move the plot along and/or divulge some new aspect of one or more of the characters. There are no moments of literary self-indulgence: the writing is lean, tough, and smart, just like Quarry.
In Summary:
Quarry is a classic hardboiled character: tough, smart, and dangerous. The plot was lean and hard and the character wry and charming. Collins is a worthy successor to Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane, and Quarry may be his best character. I enjoyed this book enough that I plan on tracking down the other Quarry novels, so obviously this is highly recommended.
Content Grade: A+
Published By: Hard Case Crime
Release Date: January 7, 2014
MSRP: $9.95
