Q Is for Quarry was published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 2002. Two retired homicide detectives, haunted by an unsolved case from 1969 — an unidentified young woman found dead in a quarry — recruit Kinsey to help them take one last crack at it before their failing health makes investigation impossible. The case is entirely cold: no identification, no witnesses, no physical evidence beyond what the original autopsy preserved.
The novel is unique in the series for its basis in a real case: Grafton worked with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to apply forensic techniques (facial reconstruction, DNA analysis) to an actual Jane Doe from 1969. The real victim was eventually identified in 2015 as a result of the publicity generated by the novel.
The Real Case
In one of the most remarkable intersections of fiction and reality, the publicity from Q Is for Quarry contributed to the eventual identification of the real Jane Doe. The 1969 victim was identified in 2015 through DNA analysis and genealogy — techniques that did not exist when Grafton wrote the novel. Grafton included a facial reconstruction of the real victim in the book’s endpapers.
The Retired Detectives
Stacey Oliphant and Dolan, the retired detectives, bring a different energy to the investigation: they are old, ill, and running out of time. Their urgency — the knowledge that this is their last chance — adds emotional weight that a younger investigator’s case would lack.
Collecting Q Is for Quarry
First edition (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 2002): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $20–$40
- Signed first edition: $40–$100
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation. The real-case connection gives this volume particular significance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the real victim identified? Yes, in 2015, partly as a result of the awareness generated by Grafton’s novel and the forensic work it inspired.