Archive for October 27, 2009

QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE by Max Allan Collins

Writers are always telling each other to steal, but cover your tracks. So it’s funny that Max Allan Collins, in his new novel QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE, has decided to blatantly admit his inspiration by way of three epigrams at the beginning of the book. The epigrams are quotes from Dashiell Hammett, Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone, one novelist and two film directors who each told stories about lawless men who played one gang of criminals against another in the hope of getting paid by each. Perhaps Collins thought his rip off was too blatant and it was better to display rather than hide his appropriations. This was unnecessary because QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE stands very well on it’s own and merely nods to the works of these other artists.

October 27, 2009 · Judi Clark · One Comment
Tags: , , , , ,  Â· Posted in: Award Winning Author, Job, Noir, Thriller/Spy/Caper, US Midwest