Quarry: A "Nameless Detective" Mystery

Fiction. Mystery. Sometimes a reader can take a good piece of writing, like QUARRY, and suck the life out of it with a bland portrayal of the lead character. This is one of those cases. QUARRY is moody story that captures both the ambiance of rural California and the slick impersonality of San Francisco in a gritty detective yarn with a real undertone of malevolence. Sadly, Nick Sullivan plays the hero, The Nameless Detective, so blandly it's hard to believe Nameless has a tough bone in his body, though he's thrown into physical danger on a regular basis. Interestingly, Sullivan breathes life into the minor characters, having an easier time with accents, mannerisms, and tics in these supporting roles. If this production were a full-cast production with committed actors making strong choices, it would be memorable listen. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine. HTML: Old Man Hass is concerned by the near-catatonic behavior of his daughter, Grady. The young woman showed up at his doorstep a few days earlier, refused to admit that anything was wrong, and has been wandering around the farm, not talking, barely eating. The "Nameless Detective" thinks the old farmer would have been better off calling a psychiatrist � but he's at least willing to ask a few questions. As Nameless begins to investigate, he discovers that Grady's affliction is more than just a broken heart: she has been the victim of brutal psychological torture. In order to save her he's not only going to have to find her tormentor, he's going to have to call on his own darkest impulses and turn the quarry into the victim..… (more)