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Cover of Q Is for Quarry by Sue GraftonQ Is for Quarry
Modern · Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Q Is for Quarry

by Sue Grafton
2002 · 345 pages · Fiction
61.6Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

A young woman's body was found near a quarry off California's Highway 1, bound, stabbed and with her throat slashed, and the case went unsolved. Years later, two aging detectives ask Kinsey Millhone to help them identify the Jane Doe and find her killer.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 2 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It's based on a real unsolved case.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of U Is for Undertow by Sue GraftonU Is for Undertow
U Is for UndertowSue Grafton
Cover of T Is for Trespass by Sue GraftonT Is for Trespass
T Is for TrespassSue Grafton
Cover of S Is for Silence by Sue GraftonS Is for Silence
S Is for SilenceSue Grafton

Good to know

Each book stands alone; the series begins with A Is for Alibi.

By the numbers

61.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller36 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Sue Grafton

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Cover of N Is for Noose by Sue GraftonN Is for Noose
N Is for NooseSue Grafton
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R Is for RicochetSue Grafton

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Q Is for Quarry worth reading?

Yes. It spent 2 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #2,222 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Q Is for Quarry about?

A young woman's body was found near a quarry off California's Highway 1, bound, stabbed and with her throat slashed, and the case went unsolved. Years later, two aging detectives ask Kinsey Millhone to help them identify the Jane Doe and find her killer.

How long does it take to read Q Is for Quarry?

About 9 hours (345 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Q Is for Quarry?

If you liked it, try U Is for Undertow by Sue Grafton, T Is for Trespass by Sue Grafton or S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton.