The trick here is to weave sufficient suspense into a story where readers know that everything is going to be all right. Collins pulls this off, and quite successfully. Of course, there are heaping doses of violence and explicit sexual situations peppered throughout the book, as if we needed incentive to keep going (we certainly don’t) ... allows Collins to set up a few scenarios that border on the fantastic, but in their setting --- ’50s-style pulp noir --- are not out of place at all. In addition, readers are provided with a lot of deep and interesting background into Quarry’s home and the surrounding environs ... At just under 200 pages, this instant classic has something for everybody. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to Paul Mann, who designed the front and back covers and whose talent is exceeded only by his own imagination. I wouldn’t mind a bit if this series, which harkens back to a past and better era, went on forever.
... functions well as a standalone novel ... a great addition to Hard Case Crime’s list. Overall, it’s really fun, fast-paced crime fiction. Collins keeps you turning pages, with snappy dialogue, and writes closely from Quarry’s perspective, as if he’s journaling or writing his own story to record his legacy. And of course, Quarry’y story is rife with sex, tongue-in-cheek jokes, and personal asides for the reader’s benefit ... While Quarry can certainly raise eyebrows with his less-than-P.C. narration, his self-deprecating humor and underdog status in a world of enemies leaves the reader hoping he bests the other bad guys and comes out on top. I thoroughly enjoyed Killing Quarry and would strongly recommend to anyone interested in hard-boiled crime fiction.
... a lean beast at barely 200 pages, with not a word wasted. And yet despite its emphasis an action and drama, Collins is able to make his characters come alive. This novel is more than blood and thunder – though Collins makes sure our genre expectations are met – there is deft characterisation present too. The interaction between Quarry and Lucille as they try to parse each other’s motivations is a particular highlight ... Great fun from start to finish, Killing Quarry shows pulp is in a far healthier state than any of Quarry’s victims.
... a thoroughly entertaining pas de deux, evoking Richard Condon’s classic Prizzi’s Honor (1982), in which Quarry and Lu come together as lovers and co-conspirators, despite neither one being sure who will try to kill the other first. The seventies backdrop, complete with cavorting and bloodletting at a former Playboy resort, only adds to the time-capsule ambience of this pulpy pleasure trip.
... irresistible ... It’s Lu’s presence, and the dash of romance she brings, that really energizes this entry ... Collins maintains a tension between the two that’s resolved only on the final page. One of the book’s great pleasures is the humorless Quarry’s deadpan narration, whether he’s describing a pragmatic sexual encounter or exactly how a carefully planned hit can suddenly go off the rails. Newcomers and established fans alike will be happily drawn into Quarry’s cold-blooded criminal world.
