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Max Allan Collins

Author of Road to Perdition

407+ Works 15,148 Members 452 Reviews 15 Favorited

About the Author

Max Allen Collins was born in 1948 in Muscatine, Iowa. He is a two-time winner of the Private Eye Writer's of America's Shamus Award for his Nathaniel Heller historical thrillers "True Detective" and "Stolen Away". Collins also wrote the Dick Tracy comic strip begining in 1977 and ending in the show more early 1990s. He has contributed to a number of other comics, including Batman. Collins created his first independent feature film, Mommy, following a nightmarish experience as screenwriter on the cable movie The Expert. Collins has been contracted by DC Comics to write three tie-ins to his critically acclaimed graphic novel "The Road to Perdition", which was adapted into the feature film. Author of other such move tie-in bestsellers as "In the Line of Fire" and "Air Force One", he is also the screenwriter/director of the cult favorite suspense films "Mommie" and "Mommie's Day". (Publisher Provided) Max Allen Collins was born in Muscatine, Iowa on March 3, 1948. His graphic novel Road to Perdition, published in 1998, is the basis of the Academy Award-winning 2002 film starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Daniel Craig. His other works include Road to Purgatory, Road to Paradise, Return to Perdition, Bye Bye, Baby, and Target Lancer. He won the Shamus awards for True Detective in 1983 and Stolen Away in 1991. He is completing a number of Mike Hammer novels begun by the late Mickey Spillane. He has collaborated with his wife Barbara Collins on three novels and numerous short stories. Their Antiques Flee Market won the Romantic Times Best Humorous Mystery Novel award in 2009. His comics credits include the syndicated strip Dick Tracy (1977-1993), Ms. Tree, Batman; and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, based on the hit TV series for which he has also written ten novels. He has written tie-in books for several movies including Saving Private Ryan, Air Force One, and American Gangster, which won the Best Novel Scribe Award in 2008 from the International Association of Tie-in Writers. His non-fiction works include The History of Mystery and Men's Adventure Magazines, which won Anthony Award. He is also an independent filmmaker. He has written and directed five features and two documentaries, including the Lifetime movie Mommy and the sequel, Mommy's Day. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by Max Allan Collins

Road to Perdition (1998) 511 copies
Bones: Buried Deep (2006) 344 copies
Double Dealer (2001) 334 copies
Cold Burn (2003) 318 copies
Sin City (2002) 318 copies
Two For The Money (2004) 281 copies
Body Of Evidence (2003) 266 copies
You Can't Stop Me (2010) 255 copies
Grave Matters (2004) 254 copies
Windtalkers [2002 film] (2002) — Author — 251 copies
Saving Private Ryan (1998) 248 copies
Binding Ties (2005) 245 copies
The Last Quarry (2006) 237 copies
Dark Angel: Before the Dawn (2002) 223 copies
True Detective (1983) 221 copies
The First Quarry (2008) 204 copies
Dark Angel: Skin Game (2003) 202 copies
Quarry (1976) 199 copies
Dark Angel: After the Dark (2003) 195 copies
Killing Game (2005) 193 copies
The Mummy: a novel (1999) 189 copies
Quarry in the Middle (2009) 178 copies
Supreme Justice (2014) 164 copies
Snake Eyes (2006) 154 copies
Florida Getaway (2003) 150 copies
The Titanic Murders (1999) 139 copies
Batman: Child of Dreams (2000) — English Adaptation — 135 copies
Waterworld (1995) 130 copies
Stolen Away (1991) 126 copies
The Goliath Bone (2008) — Author — 124 copies
Seduction of the innocent (2013) 122 copies
Quarry's Ex (2022) 120 copies
The Pearl Harbor Murders (2001) 119 copies
Jump Cut (Criminal Minds) (2007) 119 copies
Heat Wave (CSI: Miami) (2004) 115 copies
True Crime (1984) 115 copies
Flying Blind (1998) 113 copies
The London Blitz Murders (2004) 109 copies
The Hindenburg Murders (2000) 107 copies
The Mummy Returns: a novel (2001) 106 copies
Dick Tracy (1990) 106 copies
Quarry's List (1976) 106 copies
Angel in Black (2001) 101 copies
The Consummata (2011) — Author — 101 copies
Majic Man (1999) 98 copies
The Million-Dollar Wound (1986) 96 copies
The Lusitania Murders (2002) 93 copies
Quarry's Deal (1976) 91 copies
The Wrong Quarry (2014) 89 copies
Damned In Paradise (1996) 87 copies
Carnal Hours (1994) 87 copies
Quarry's Cut (1977) 86 copies
CSI: Serial (2003) 84 copies
Chicago Confidential (2002) 84 copies
Quarry's Vote (1987) 82 copies
The Big Bang (2010) 81 copies
Quarry's Choice (2015) 79 copies
Finishing School (2008) 79 copies
Blood and Thunder (1995) 79 copies
A Century of Noir: Thirty-two Classic Crime Stories (2002) — Editor; Contributor — 78 copies
Air Force One (1997) 78 copies
Bye Bye, Baby (2011) 78 copies
Dick Tracy: The Secret Files (1990) — Editor — 77 copies
The history of mystery (2001) 75 copies
Road to Purgatory (2004) 75 copies
American Gangster (2007) 74 copies
Neon Mirage (1988) 73 copies
CSI: Mortal Wounds (2007) 70 copies
Windtalkers (2002) 69 copies
The Scorpion King (2002) 69 copies
Quarry in the Black (2016) 67 copies
Road to Paradise (2005) 66 copies
Lady, Go Die! (2012) 64 copies
Quarry's Climax (2017) 62 copies
In The Line Of Fire (1993) 55 copies
Target Lancer (2012) 51 copies
U-571 (2000) — Author — 50 copies
What Doesn't Kill Her (2013) 49 copies
Killing Quarry (2019) 48 copies
Nice Weekend for a Murder (1986) 48 copies
CSI: Bad Rap (2002) 47 copies
Return to Perdition (2011) 43 copies
Ask Not (2013) 43 copies
Girl Most Likely (2019) 42 copies
The Baby Blue Rip-Off (1982) 41 copies
Kill Your Darlings (1984) 40 copies
Batman: Scar of the Bat (1996) — Author — 39 copies
No Cure for Death (1983) 37 copies
CSI: Demon House (2004) 36 copies
Tough Tender (2022) 36 copies
Strip For Murder (2008) 35 copies
Batman: Second Chances (2015) — Author — 33 copies
Regeneration (1999) 33 copies
Elvgren: His Life & Art (1998) 33 copies
Quarry's Blood (2022) 33 copies
Maverick (1994) 32 copies
Skim Deep (2020) 31 copies
Mommy's day (1998) 31 copies
Ms Tree : One Mean Mother (2019) 31 copies
Kill Me, Darling (2015) 30 copies
Double Down (2021) 30 copies
Dying in the Post-War World (1991) 30 copies
G.I. Joe: Above & Beyond (2009) 29 copies
A Shroud for Aquarius (1985) 29 copies
Executive Order (2017) 29 copies
Fate of the Union (2015) 29 copies
Better Dead (2016) 29 copies
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (2009) 28 copies
No One Will Hear You (2011) 28 copies
Kisses of Death (2001) 26 copies
Vengeance Is Hers (1997) — Editor and Introduction — 26 copies
The Big Bundle (2022) 25 copies
Mommy: a novel (1997) 24 copies
The Dark City (1987) 24 copies
Quarry's War (2018) 23 copies
Fly Paper (1981) 21 copies
A Long Time Dead: A Mike Hammer Casebook (2016) — Introduction — 21 copies
Flesh & Blood: Erotic Tales of Crime and Passion (2001) — Editor & Contributor — 19 copies
It's in the Book (2013) — Author — 19 copies
I Love Trouble: Novelization (1994) — Author — 19 copies
Bait Money (1973) 19 copies
The Pink Panther (2006) 18 copies
Daylight (1996) 18 copies
Spree (1987) 18 copies
Caribbean Blues (1988) 17 copies
Varga Girls I (1999) 17 copies
Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003) 17 copies
Mad Money (2023) 17 copies
Do No Harm (2020) 16 copies
Killing Town (Mike Hammer) (2018) — Author — 16 copies
Bombshell (2004) 16 copies
Varga Girls II (1999) 16 copies
Murder by the Numbers (1989) 15 copies
Too Many Bullets (2023) 14 copies
Bullet Proof (1988) 14 copies
Blood Money (1973) 14 copies
Butcher's Dozen (1987) 14 copies
Patriotic Pin-Ups (2002) 13 copies
Hush Money (1981) 13 copies
Swimsuit Sweeties (1999) 13 copies
CSI: NY: Bloody Murder (2006) 13 copies
Johnny Dynamite (2003) 12 copies
U.S. Marshals (1998) 12 copies
Ms. Tree (1988) 12 copies
Dick Tracy Goes to War (1991) 11 copies
Mourn the Living (1988) 11 copies
Flesh & Blood: Dark Desires: Erotic Tales of Crime and Passion (2002) — Editor & Contributor — 11 copies
Hard Cash (1981) 11 copies
Mike Hammer - Masquerade for Murder (2020) — Author — 10 copies
Dick Tracy Meets His Match (1992) 10 copies
Faisans et malfaisants (1985) 10 copies
Cowgirl Pin-Ups (2002) 10 copies
Pin-Up Nudes (2001) 9 copies
Scratch Fever (1982) 8 copies
Playful Pin-Ups (2004) 8 copies
Midnight Haul (1986) 7 copies
Pin-Up Nudes II (2002) 7 copies
The Files of Ms. Tree, Vol. 2 (1985) — Author — 6 copies
Flesh & Blood: Guilty as Sin: Erotic Tales of Crime and Passion (2003) — Editor & Contributor — 6 copies
Batman Vol. 1 #412 (1990) 6 copies
Elvgren Girls I 5 copies
CSI Omnibus 2 (2007) 5 copies
Skin: A Mike Hammer Story (2012) 5 copies
Comics Prose (2004) 5 copies
I Spy (2002) 4 copies
Kill Me If You Can (2022) 4 copies
NYPD Blue: Blue Blood (1997) 4 copies
Batman Vol. 1 #403 (1980) 4 copies
Ms. Tree Vol. 1 (2019) 4 copies
CSI: Bad Rap #1 (2003) 4 copies
La polka des polluants (1987) 3 copies
En la línea de fuego (1994) 3 copies
Die Lover, Die! 3 copies
The Perfect Crime (1992) 3 copies
Batman Vol. 1 #402 (1980) 3 copies
CSI doppeltes Spiel (2001) 2 copies
Quarry's War #3 of 4 (2018) 2 copies
USS Powderkeg (2019) 2 copies
Mommy [1995 film] — Director — 2 copies
Quarry's War #1 2 copies
Loterie en noir et blanc (1996) 2 copies
Ms. Tree: I, for an Eye (2009) 2 copies
Ms. Tree Quarterly No. 5 (1990) 2 copies
Robber's Roost 2 copies
Kaddish for the Kid (1998) 2 copies
Wolf (2012) 2 copies
CSI: Deadly Days (2015) 2 copies
Elvgren girls 2 copies
De Navajo-code (2002) 1 copy
Maverick : romaani (1994) 1 copy
Dick Tracy / 1. del (1990) 1 copy
Dick Tracy / 2. del (1990) 1 copy
Early Crimes (2013) 1 copy
Wild Dog #2 1 copy
Quaff! 2002 (2001) 1 copy
Hunger 1 copy
Mommy [AB] 1 copy
Ms. Tree 3-D 1 copy
Batman n. 03 1 copy
Batman n. 02 1 copy
Batman n. 01 1 copy
Chicago 1933. (1990) 1 copy
Mommy [short fiction] (1721) 1 copy
REGRESO A PERDICIÓN (2012) 1 copy
CSI: Bad Rap #5 (2004) 1 copy
Synnin kaupunki (2007) 1 copy
CSI: Demon House #5 (2004) 1 copy
Wild Dog: Unleashed (2016) 1 copy
CSI: Bad Rap #3 (2003) 1 copy
Nekik annyi (2010) 1 copy
Heures charnelles (2004) 1 copy
GRAND SACCAGE (LE) (1989) 1 copy
3 Spannende Filmboeken (1992) 1 copy
CSI: Bad Rap #4 (2003) 1 copy
Quarry's War #1 of 4 (2017) 1 copy
Quarry's War #2 of 4 (2018) 1 copy
Quarry's War #4 of 4 (2018) 1 copy
Ms. Tree Comic # 32 September 1986 (1986) — Author — 1 copy
Sed de dinero (1982) 1 copy
Én, a kém (2003) 1 copy
Un detective de verdad (1983) 1 copy
Jeux de massacre (2005) 1 copy
Le plagiaire (2005) 1 copy
CSI: Bad Rap #2 (2003) 1 copy

Associated Works

The Further Adventures of Batman (1989) — Contributor — 346 copies
Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side (2010) — Contributor — 323 copies
Inherit the Dead (2013) — Contributor — 290 copies
The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries (2013) — Contributor — 289 copies
Hellboy: Odd Jobs (2003) — Contributor — 270 copies
The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction (1996) — Contributor — 234 copies
Stalkers: 19 Original Tales by the Masters of Terror (1989) — Contributor — 222 copies
The Black Lizard Anthology of Crime Fiction (1987) — Contributor — 218 copies
Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe (1988) — Contributor, some editions — 200 copies
The Best American Mystery Stories 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 189 copies
The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories (1988) — Contributor — 161 copies
A Century of Great Suspense Stories (2001) — Contributor — 152 copies
Crafty Cat Crimes: 100 Tiny Cat Tale Mysteries (2000) — Contributor — 142 copies
Usagi Yojimbo, Book 13: Grey Shadows (2000) — Introduction — 137 copies
The Mammoth Book of Roaring Twenties Whodunnits (2004) — Contributor — 116 copies
The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics (2008) — Contributor — 103 copies
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 2 (2015) — Introduction — 96 copies
The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Dailies & Sundays, Volume 01: 1931-1933 (2006) — Introduction, some editions — 92 copies
Vampire Detectives (1995) — Contributor — 90 copies
Deadly After Dark (1994) — Contributor — 90 copies
Trust No One (2015) — Contributor — 89 copies
Cat Crimes III (1992) — Contributor — 86 copies
Hot Blood X (1998) — Contributor — 85 copies
The Big Book of Female Detectives (2018) — Contributor — 79 copies
Kiss and Kill (1997) — Contributor — 78 copies
Dante's Disciples (1996) — Contributor — 74 copies
First Cases: First Appearances of Classic Private Eyes (1996) — Contributor — 68 copies
The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs (2013) — Contributor — 68 copies
Captain America: Red, White & Blue (2002) — Contributor — 65 copies
Women on the Edge (1992) — Contributor — 63 copies
The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told (2010) — Contributor — 56 copies
Chicago Blues: A Collection of Crime Stories about the Real Windy City (2007) — Contributor, some editions — 55 copies
Diagnosis Dead (1998) — Contributor — 54 copies
Deadly Anniversaries (2020) — Contributor — 53 copies
Chicago Noir: The Classics (2015) — Contributor — 50 copies
Werewolves (1995) — Contributor — 48 copies
Shock Rock II (1994) — Contributor — 46 copies
Blue Motel (1994) — Contributor — 42 copies
Mob Magic (1998) — Contributor — 40 copies
Danger in D.C. (Anthology) (1993) — Contributor — 38 copies
Celebrity Vampires (1995) — Contributor — 37 copies
Murderers' Row (2001) — Contributor — 37 copies
Death Cruise: Crime Stories on the Open Seas (1999) — Contributor — 34 copies
And the Dying is Easy (2001) — Contributor — 31 copies
Fatal Attractions (2003) — Contributor — 30 copies
Most Wanted (2002) — Contributor — 29 copies
Deadly Allies II (1994) — Contributor — 26 copies
Murder Most Confederate: Tales of Crimes Quite Uncivil (2000) — Contributor — 23 copies
Dark Faith: Invocations (2012) — Contributor — 22 copies
King of the weeds (2014) — Author, some editions — 21 copies
Mystery Street (2001) — Contributor — 20 copies
The Shamus Game (2000) — Contributor — 20 copies
The Interrogator and Other Criminally Good Fiction (2012) — Contributor — 19 copies
Tales of Zorro (2008) — Contributor — 15 copies
Hardboiled Horror (2017) — Contributor — 15 copies
Fear Itself (1995) — Contributor — 12 copies
Crimes of Passion: Twenty-Three Tales of Love and Hate (1993) — Contributor — 8 copies
Steve Canyon Magazine No. 3 (1983) — Contributor — 8 copies
Batman Annual #11 (1987) — Author — 8 copies
Sex, Lies and Private Eyes (2009) — Contributor — 8 copies
Fifty Shades of Grey Fedora (2015) — Contributor — 6 copies
AV in 3-D (1984) — Contributor — 5 copies
Ink and Daggers (2023) — Contributor — 5 copies
Grimjack #11 (1984) — Author — 3 copies
Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories (1996) — Contributor — 3 copies
First Cases [Unabridged Audiobook] (2002) — Contributor — 3 copies

Tagged

anthology (548) art (74) Batman (125) comics (253) crime (547) crime fiction (222) CSI (286) Dark Angel (71) detective (107) ebook (198) fantasy (141) fiction (1,423) forensics (80) graphic novel (241) graphic novels (59) Hard Case Crime (456) hardboiled (91) historical fiction (120) historical mystery (51) horror (241) Kindle (117) mystery (1,706) Nathan Heller (81) noir (138) non-fiction (58) novel (75) paperback (78) pulp (103) quarry (55) read (197) science fiction (177) series (95) short stories (507) suspense (58) television (86) thriller (103) to-read (1,007) tv tie-in (112) unread (56) WWII (68)

Common Knowledge

Members

Reviews

I cannot fault this book in any way. It is a very pure and classic example of the hard boiled genre. I read it because I’m looking at the Edgar nominees. Plotting was taut, characters given just enough flesh and blood. Sex and violence dolloped out with aplomb.splashes of humor and pathos raise it above the average
 
Flagged
cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |
“Ignorance is bliss, all right, but it’s also a good way to get blown away.”

Quarry runs into Turner, an old partner whom things went sour with five years before. Following Turner, Quarry ends up on a porno film set, which is in a snowbound lodge. Two murders quickly follow. It's not the best of the Quarry books, but it is entertaining! On to #5!
 
Flagged
Stahl-Ricco | 5 other reviews | Feb 4, 2024 |
“Killing people with blunt objects isn’t really my style, but then style is a luxury I can’t always indulge in.”

"I hoped I wouldn't have to kill her. I probably would. But I hoped not."

Ahh, big hearted Quarry! He comes into contact with a female version of himself, as he is trying out his new business plan to prevent killers from killing - for a fee! He's still got the Broker's list, and he is hoping he can use it to be in business for himself. This is his first attempt at the new plan. And it's a pretty good read (and quick!), with an interesting ending.

“Maybe next time.”
… (more)
 
Flagged
Stahl-Ricco | 3 other reviews | Feb 2, 2024 |
Quarry is a professional hit-man working for a man known only as Broker. He works as a part of a finely tuned organization and has no qualms about his work - recently back from Vietnam, Quarry is more than acquainted with death and in new line of work he is almost always targeting people that are living on the other side of the law. So it is not like he is losing sleep over any of his contracts.

Then out of the blue somebody tries to kill the Broker - unfortunately Quarry was also present so he took the unsuccessful attack on Broker as an assault on his life too. So he gets a new contract to find who are the perpetrators and this takes him to the southern parts of the USA where he will get head to head with some pretty unsavory and violent characters.

This is my first quarry novel and I gotta say it got me hooked. Main character is not exactly Matt Helm but he is very close.

Violence is present but it is not central but supportive part of the story (sometimes you will read a sentence in which Quarry just plainly says "I shot him" and that is it).

Recommended to all fans of fast action, thrillers, witty story and lots of violence.
… (more)
 
Flagged
Zare | 1 other review | Jan 23, 2024 |

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Associated Authors

Jeff Gelb Editor & Contributor
Mickey Spillane Contributor, Blurber, Editor and Contributor
Terry Beatty Illustrator, Cover artist, Interior art
Matthew V. Clemens Contributor, Research associate
Barbara Collins Contributor
Jim Starlin Illustrator, Author
Steve Lieber Illustrator
Eduardo Barreto Illustrator
Jim Aparo Illustrator
Stacy Keach Narrator
Robert J. Randisi Contributor
Ed Gorman Contributor
Robert McGinnis Cover artist
Bill Pronzini Contributor
Lawrence Block Contributor
Marcia Muller Contributor
Loren D. Estleman Contributor
John Lutz Contributor
James Horner Composer
Dorothy B. Hughes Contributor
Donald E. Westlake Contributor
Stuart M. Kaminsky Contributor
Wendi Lee Contributor
Annette Meyers Contributor
Harvey Richards Assistant Editor
Dan Nakrosis Letterer and Art Modification
Sara Paretsky Contributor
Talmage Powell Contributor
James M. Cain Contributor
Evan Hunter Contributor
Fredric Brown Contributor
Chester Himes Contributor
John Jakes Contributor
David Goodis Contributor
Richard S. Prather Contributor
Gil Brewer Contributor
John D. MacDonald Contributor
Ross Macdonald Contributor
Leigh Brackett Contributor
Benjamin M. Schutz Contributor
Lia Matera Contributor
Norbert Davis Contributor
John Carroll Daly Contributor
Milton Lesser Contributor
F. Paul Wilson Contributor
George Hagennauer Research associate
Gary R. Bush Contributor
Michael Garrett Contributor
Thomas S. Roche Contributor
Dick Lochte Contributor
Gary Phillips Contributor
Josef Rubinstein Illustrator
Dennis O'Neil Group Editor
Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh Colour Separations
Todd Klein Letterer
Jordan B. Gorfinkel Associate Editor
Michael Collins Contributor
Mike DeCarlo Illustrator
Chris Warner Illustrator
Dave Cockrum Illustrator
Jo Duffy Contributor
Dick Giordano Illustrator
O'Neil De Noux Contributor
Don Heck Illustrator
Catherine Dain Contributor
Ross Andru Illustrator
Denys Cowan Illustrator
Martin Meyers Contributor
Kieron Dwyer Illustrator
Greg Brooks Illustrator
Norm Breyfogle Illustrator
S. J. Rozan Contributor
Sharyn McCrumb Contributor
Jan Grape Contributor
Joan Hess Contributor
Christine Matthews Contributor
Mary Wings Contributor
J. A. Jance Contributor
L. J. Washburn Contributor
Valerie Frankel Contributor
Nancy Pickard Contributor
Margaret Maron Contributor
Vicki Hendricks Contributor
Edward D. Hoch Contributor
Joe Gores Contributor
Terrill Lankford Contributor
Bill Crider Contributor
Jon L. Breen Contributor
Stephen Mertz Contributor
Jeremiah Healy Contributor
Paul Bishop Contributor
Mary Kay Lane Contributor
Alan Ormsby Contributor
Richard S. Meyers Contributor
Deborah Morgan Contributor
David Fulmer Contributor
Jack Kelly Contributor
James L. Traylor Contributor
Michael Bracken Contributor
Robert S. Levinson Contributor
Gayle Lynds Contributor
Rex Miller Contributor
Gary Lovisi Contributor
Robert Lappan Letterer
Dan John Miller Narrator, Reader
Ron Lesser Cover artist
Glen Orbik Cover artist
Ken Laager Cover artist
Stephen Sommers Contributor
Brian Moore Cover designer
Tyler Jacobson Cover artist
Laurel Blechman Cover artist
Stanley Tucci Narrator
Rob Leigh Letterer
Paul Regina Narrator

Statistics

Works
407
Also by
86
Members
15,148
Popularity
#1,510
Rating
½ 3.6
Reviews
452
ISBNs
1,326
Languages
22
Favorited
15

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