Books On Board

Quarry Books in Order

  • 17 Books
  • 1976 – 2024 Published

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Reading order
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The Recommended Reading Path

Max Allan Collins’ Quarry series is a landmark in hard-boiled crime fiction, offering a raw, first-person perspective of a Marine sniper turned professional killer. Because Collins has written prequels, sequels, and mid-career stories over a span of five decades, readers face a choice between two main reading paths: Publication Order and Chronological Order.

For first-time readers, the safest and most satisfying route is Publication Order. Starting with the original 1976 novel, Quarry (also published under the title The Broker), allows you to experience the evolution of Collins’ lean, punchy style and the gradual uncovering of the protagonist's cynical worldview. Alternatively, if you want to follow the character's life sequentially from his very first contract hit in 1970 to his retired years in the 21st century, the Chronological Order offers a rewarding biographical experience.

Publication Order of the Quarry Novels

Reading in publication order lets you see how the series transitioned from mid-1970s paperback originals to a modern hard-boiled revival under the Hard Case Crime imprint. Many of the early novels were originally published under alternative titles, which have since been restored or standardized in modern reprints:

  • Quarry / The Broker (1976)
  • Quarry's List / The Broker's Wife (1976)
  • Quarry's Deal / The Dealer (1976)
  • Quarry's Cut / The Slasher (1977)
  • Quarry's Vote / Primary Target (1988)
  • The Last Quarry (2006)
  • The First Quarry (2008)
  • Quarry in the Middle (2009)
  • Quarry's Ex (2011)
  • The Wrong Quarry (2014)
  • Quarry's Choice (2015)
  • Quarry in the Black (2016)
  • Quarry's Climax (2017)
  • Killing Quarry (2019)
  • Quarry's Blood (2021)
  • Quarry's Return (2024)

Additionally, the collection Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003) compiles short stories that provide valuable snapshots of his career, while the upcoming novel Quarry's Reunion (scheduled for late 2026) marks the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

Chronological Reading Order

If you prefer to piece together Quarry's career in the order the events happened, you must start with the prequels Collins wrote later in his career. Chronologically, the narrative timeline flows as follows:

  1. The First Quarry (Set in December 1970, depicting Quarry's very first assignment and introduction to the Broker)
  2. Quarry's Choice (Set approximately 18 months after his first assignment, around 1972)
  3. Quarry in the Black (Set during the tense 1972 presidential election between Nixon and McGovern)
  4. Quarry (The original 1976 novel, setting the foundation of his career)
  5. Quarry's List (The immediate fallout of his early assignments)
  6. Quarry's Deal (Introducing a female contract killer and testing his code)
  7. Quarry's Cut (Set in the mid-1970s, involving an adult film shoot gone wrong)
  8. Quarry's Climax (Set in Memphis in 1975, detailing the smut industry and a target on a publisher)
  9. Quarry's Ex (Set around 1979, dealing with the ghosts of his past)
  10. The Wrong Quarry (Set in the early 1980s, showcasing a case of mistaken identity)
  11. Quarry's Vote (Set during a political campaign, dealing with a high-stakes conspiracy)
  12. Killing Quarry (Set later in the 1980s, where Quarry finds himself hunted)
  13. Quarry in the Middle (Fills in gaps in his mid-career operations)
  14. The Last Quarry (Depicts what was originally intended to be his final, retirement-wrecking assignment)
  15. Quarry's Blood (Brings an aging Quarry into the 2010s, facing his ultimate legacy)
  16. Quarry's Return (Set in the modern day, with a retired, elderly Quarry facing the realities of contemporary technology)
  17. Quarry's Reunion (Set during his 50th high school reunion, blending a murder mystery with nostalgic background)

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Quarry's world, it helps to understand the historical context. The character is a disillusioned Marine sniper returning from the Vietnam War. Finding his personal life shattered, he is recruited by a mysterious coordinator known only as 'The Broker.' The Broker assigns hitmen targets, but when the Broker's network unravels, Quarry begins to use the Broker's own target list to hunt down the people who hire assassins, turning blackmail and prevention into his own survival strategy.

Unlike many modern procedurals, these books are lean, fast-paced pulp noir novels. They are written as first-person memoirs of an older Quarry reflecting on his past actions. This framing device means that even though the timeline jumps around, the narrative voice remains consistent, and each book functions perfectly well as a standalone adventure.

Adaptations and Spin-Offs

Quarry's gritty world has expanded beyond the page. In 2008, Collins' novel The Last Quarry was adapted into the feature film The Last Lullaby, starring Tom Sizemore. In 2016, Cinemax aired an eight-episode television series titled Quarry, starring Logan Marshall-Green as the titular hitman. While the show took creative liberties with the setting and character names, it captured the dark, sweaty 1970s aesthetic of the books. For comic book fans, Collins also wrote a graphic novel prequel titled Quarry's War (2018), published by Titan Comics, which illustrates his traumatic military service in Vietnam.

Frequently Asked

Can the Quarry books be read as standalones?

Yes. While there is a loose chronological progression, Max Allan Collins wrote each novel to be self-contained. You can pick up almost any book in the series and enjoy a complete, satisfying crime story without being lost.

What is the difference between Quarry and The Broker?

They are the same book. The debut 1976 novel was originally published under the title Quarry, but has also been released as The Broker in various paperback editions.

Is the Cinemax TV series faithful to the books?

The 2016 TV show is a loose adaptation. It changes the protagonist's name to Mac Conway and moves the main setting to Memphis, but it successfully preserves the gritty tone, moral ambiguity, and 1970s atmosphere of the novels.

Which book should I read first?

We recommend starting with the original 1976 novel Quarry to get the classic introduction, or the prequel The First Quarry if you want to follow the timeline strictly from the beginning.

How did Quarry get his name?

In the series, the protagonist is given the name 'Quarry' by his handler, the Broker, who compares him to a cold, hard block of stone carved out of a quarry.