The Weight: A Novel

Description

Andrew Vachss returns with a mesmerizing novel about a hard-core thief who’s about to embark on a job that will alter his life forever.
 
Sugar is that rarest of commodities: an old-school professional thief, as tough and loyal as a pit bull, packing 255 pounds of muscle. When he’s picked out of a photo array in a vicious rape case, the cops find his apartment empty. A stakeout catches Sugar when he returns . . . carrying a loaded pistol. The sex-crime cops get nothing from their interrogation, but a streetwise detective figures out why Sugar offers no alibi: at the time of the rape, a holiday-weekend break-in job was being pulled at a jewelry store. The DA offers Sugar two options: give up his partners in the jewelry heist and walk, or plead to the rape he didn’t commit—and he’ll toss in the gun charge. For Sugar, that’s not two options; he takes the weight.
 
When Sugar finishes his time, his money is waiting for him, held by Solly, the mastermind behind the jewelry heist. But Solly tells Sugar that one of the heist crew was actually sent by another planner—and that planner has just died. In Sugar’s world, all loose threads must be cut. He suspects that there’s more to this job than what Solly is telling him. But nothing he suspects or imagines can prepare him for what he finds . . .

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Another Life (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780307390394
• Modify: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Certitude, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and utility to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

In this blistering conclusion to the nationally bestselling series, Burke is forced into a journey that will change the lives of the urban survivalist and his outlaw family forever.

The only person Burke has ever called father, known throughout the underground as “The Prof,” is in a coma, barely clinging to life in an off the-books hospital. So when Pryce, a slippery man with government connections, offers the best medical services for the Prof and a clean slate for all concerned, Burke takes the contract without reading it. The two-year-old son of a Saudi prince has been kidnapped. A highly professional snatch; no mistakes, no clues, and no ransom note. Burke’s job: get the kid back, whatever it takes. To do so, the ultimate man-for-hire must return to the day “Baby Boy Burke” was written on his birth certificate, and write, in the blood of his enemies, the final act of this story.

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Book Description
In this blistering new novel, Burke ("lord of the Asphalt Jungle"–-The Washington Post Book World) is forced into a journey that will change the lives of the urban survivalist and his outlaw family ... forever.

The only person Burke has ever called "father," a legendary crime planner known throughout the underworld as the Prof, is in a coma, barely clinging to life in the off-the-books hospital where the crew stashed him after their last job went off the rails. So when Pryce, a shadow-man with deep (and very dark) government connections, offers a package–Presidential-grade medical services for the Prof and a wiped-clean slate for everyone who participates–Burke signs the contract without reading it.

The two-year-old son of a Saudi prince has been kidnapped. A highly professional snatch: no errors, no forensics ... and no ransom note. Burke's job: get the kid back. Whatever it costs, whatever it takes. Pryce came to Burke because the profile concluded this was the work of a pedophile ring. But after Burke turns over every rock and comes up empty in his hunt for maggots, the ultimate man-for-hire must return to the day "Baby Boy Burke" was written on his birth certificate to conduct the one interrogation that could possible save this child and write, in the blood of his enemies, the final act of his life story.

An Interview with Andrew Vachss on Another Life

Q: There has been some discussion that this might be the last novel in the Burke series. Do you see it that way? And if so, why?

Andrew Vachss: I don't just "see" it that way, I wrote it that way. Another Life is the coda to the Burke novels, the final chapter in a series that has been running since 1985. The timing was no accident. If I was to keep faith to those who gone the distance with me, I had to be true to my original promise: unlike some series in which the protagonist never ages, I set out to have each book show the main characters not only aging, but changing as well. Even dying. This series is all about "Family of Choice." All the members of Burke's family share this truth: The most righteous of parents don't want their children to "follow in their footsteps," they want their children to walk past those footsteps. Burke's family have always walked the outlaw road, and can never walk another. But as the children reach adulthood, it is the family's blood obligation to fork that road for them. And that time has now come.

Q: This is the 18th volume in the Burke series. How has the series changed? How have the issues you address in the novels changed over the years?

AV: I am not sure the series has changed... because all the changes depicted throughout have been part of the original concept. Of all of the descriptions of my books, Sonny Mehta dubbing them "investigative novels" is the one I am proudest of, because I wanted the books to be Trojan horses, a platform from which I could show people a world known only to the "Children of The Secret." I didn't know there was a name for such an intent until I won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and a French reporter told me the Burke series was "littérature engageé." My goal was not to raise consciousness, but to raise anger. Ours is a country where anything can be accomplished if enough people get angry... because, in America, we act on our collective anger. If you want proof of how that works, just take a look at how New York State finally closed the hated (and virtually unknown) “incest exception.” When I first wrote about predatory pedophiles modem-trafficking in kiddie porn, reviewers condemned the book as a product of my "sick imagination." Who would say that today? Time and time again what I have written about has "come true." This is not because I am prescient, it is that my work takes me places most citizens never see. So the issues never really change, but as more and more folks become aware of the foundational truth in my "fiction," those issues no longer flourish in the shadows. Years after the series launched, enough folks focused their rage at how children are seen as property in America to form the first PAC (Political Action Committee) solely devoted to child protection. Anyone who says "books don't change anything," or--more commonly--that crime fiction is the wrong genre for promoting social change--should take a closer look.

Q: Burke has a very close family of choice. What drew these people together, and what do you see is the future for them, beyond the series?

AV: It would be easy to say that everyone in Burke's family was a "Child of The Secret," but that would not be true. What they have most powerfully in common is a marrow-deep hatred of humans who prey on children. The rest of the question is actually answered within the book itself, and I'm not a fan of "spoilers."

Q: Over the years, you're consistently ahead of the curve in terms of spotting cultural, political, and criminal trends before they become headlines. How are you constantly able to do this? And is there anything in this new novel that you think is likely to be in tomorrow's headlines?

AV: It's no great trick to spot things you see with your own eyes, which is why I wrote about predatory pedophiles deliberately seeking work in day care centers, or organ trafficking, or cults practicing "baby-breeding"... it's a long list. Most folks had never even heard the word "piquerist" before my novel on the subject. And although it looks as if I "predicted" the use of the Internet to lure children, or what I called "noir vérité," etc., I was functioning far more as journalist than a novelist when I wrote about such things. Burke has two extraordinary skills which set him apart from his contemporaries: the "pattern-recognition software" inside his mind, and his ability to extract information. Another Life is going to showcase both of those skills far more than any previous book. As for "tomorrow's headlines," you have to remember that I wrote the book over a year ago... so some have already surfaced. Ask my scalpel-penciled editor--Edward Kastenmeier--if you doubt my word. Many times we have had to alter a manuscript because what I was "predicting" had just come to pass. I don't know how long it is going to take for some of the truth revealed in Another Life to reach public consciousness. It may be "tomorrow's headlines"... or it may be another year or two. But if you look at my track record, you'll know where to put your money down.

(Photo Credit National Association to Protect Children)

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Customer Reviews

I have always looked forward to reading about Burke & his family
Another Life, by Andrew Vachss (280 pgs., 2008). This is the eighteenth novel in the suspense series featuring Burke. It's the twenty-third book published by Vachss. I've read them all. Vachss is a darker version of Robert B. Parker. Parker deals with outlaws working both sides of the law & often helping the hero accomplish good things. Vachss' outlaws are always outlaws. Even Burke is an outlaw, something which doesn't occur in Parker's series. Spenser, Sunny Randall & Jesse Stone are all flawed characters, but none are active outlaws. Burke is. His pals are the same as he is. Rather, his "family" is the same as he is.
In his other job as a lawyer, Vachss deals with the dark side of child abuse, child abduction & child pornography cases. This may color his novels. They are very dark. Burke does whatever is needed to help children. Rarely, does he do good deeds for any other reason. In this novel, he works with a shadowy government operative to help his "family" come out of the shadows & live normal lives with normal paperwork attesting to their legal identities & marriages & sons & daughters.
He is told he has to find & rescue the abducted two-year old son of a Saudi Arabian Prince. Burke delves into all the darkest recesses of his life to do this. Eventually, he digs up the truth. It's an ugly truth. It's one of many ugly truths dug up by Burke. Burke needs to do all these things to save his "family" & save the life of his "father," the Professor (who took Burke under his wing while both were in prison). Vachss writing style is perfectly suited to his dark noir books. I have always looked forward to opening the pages of a new Vachss novel featuring Burke & his family. I will look forward to the next novel published by Vachss.

2010-05-20 | Brooklyn Bum (St. Louis, MO) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A sad but fitting goodbye to Burke et al
It's not the very best of the Burke-novels, but it ends in a fitting way and lives up to the usual high standards. It feels a bit sad to say goodbye to the best crimeseries ever written in my opinion. I can only hope Andrew Vachss continues creating new fascinating characters and gripping intrigues. Bye Burke, long live Vachss.

2010-02-02 (Gothenburg, Sweden) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A contractual obligation?
Maybe a bit harsh, but my impression was this was a book that had to be written quickly before the author could move on. It may also be that the "book" I had in my head for Burke's last outing was so different.

A number of pivotal characters in Burke's past are very conspicuous by their absence. Little set pieces that are not plot driven but familiar to all Burke fans were also missing...no card games with Max, no bets on the trotting. Even Burke's relationship with a new dog is glossed over and made irrelevant and unbelievable.

I am glad that most reviewers found the book to be 5-star but I'll stick with my version. If Mr Vachss gives me permission I might even write it!

In the meantime I'm going back to Flood to read through the series again.

2009-10-29 | keep music live (Bromsgrove UK, Austin TX) | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 1

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I have every Vachss book written
and some are better than others, but all advance the story of Burke and his "family". Since the beginning I've been fascinated by Vachss' spartan writing style and will frequently back up and reread a section just to savor the words. Go back and pick up all his books and read them from the beginning. These are on my "desert island" shelf of books to read again and again.

2009-05-16 | WR Gma (Wood River, IL United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Spectacular finale!
The only problem with this novel is that it's the last of the series! Burke faces two final mysteries -- the first, a kidnapping involving an infant, the Israeli secret service, and a Saudi prince. The second is the murky history of Burke's own birth. I loved this series, this journey, from beginning to end; if you haven't picked it up yet, then jump right in! Andrew Vachss' Burke novels always speak from the heart, and always spoke to my secret, vengeful soul.

2009-04-23 (Detroit, Michigan) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Pain Management: A Burke Novel

Description

Burke is back, but still lurking in the shadows, unable to return home. He is prowling the unfamiliar streets of Portland, Oregon, in search of a runaway teen. By all accounts, Rosebud Carlin is a happy, well-adjusted girl. She doesn’t fit the profile of the runaway kids Burke knows so wellÉand once was. But there’s something about her fatherÉ

Burke knows the street script, but the actors are all strangers. Cut off from his family and his network of criminal contacts, Burke is forced into a dangerous alliance with a renegade group dedicated to providing relief to those in intractable pain by any means necessary. A bargain is struck, and the fuse is lit. Heart-stopping and hard-hitting, Pain Management is the latest bout in Andrew Vachss's thrilling reign as undisputed champ of brass knuckles noir.

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When last encountered (2000's Dead and Gone), career criminal Burke was on the rebound from a nearly successful assassination attempt, lying low and licking his wounds in Portland, Oregon. Severed from his connections in NYC, Burke survives on jobs--"violence for money" mostly--brokered by his live-in lover, Gem, an Asian beauty with a painful, larcenous past and a present to match.

At hand is a task Burke has done before: the recovery of a runaway, a 16-year-old girl named Rosebud. But Burke, an assassin with scruples, knows when things aren't right. Rosebud's father, Kevin, has a '60s-era contempt of "The Man" that doesn't jibe with his obvious wealth. Mother Maureen limps through life on pharmaceutical crutches. Younger sister Daisy and best friend Jennifer know things but won't share. As his search spirals out from Portland's mean streets, Burke encounters a mysterious young woman, Ann O. Dyne, who offers to help for a price. Her raison d'être is pain management--securing and dispensing medications vital to the terminally ill but held beyond their reach by a largely uncaring cadre of doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Eventually, of course, this plot line connects with Rose's whereabouts.

Andrew Vachss's MO here, as usual, is a mystery (Rosebud's disappearance) plus an actual cause célèbre (humane pain management). It's a risky formula that aims both to entertain and to enlighten. With its believably unbelievable characters, Vachss's spare noir, and steely pacing that counterpoints a bolt-upright climax, Burke's 13th outing is every bit as satisfying as the dozen that came before. --Michael Hudson

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Customer Reviews

Excellent, as always
Let me tell you - when Burke first lit out for Oregon, I was kind of disappointed. NYC has become such a character in the previous novels, I incorrectly assumed Portland would be a snoozer (I know, I'm such an East Coast-er). Boy was I wrong!

In "Pain Management" Burke is hired to track down a missing 16-year-old. His always on-target instinct tells him that there is something not quite right with the girl's family, and things just go to town from there. Burke manages to come across all types of underbelly characters, and Vachss is able to portray his experiences without making them sound too spy-novel.

Add to the mix a pharmaceutical drug plotline, lots of violence, sex, and a healthy serving of blues and doo-wop, and you've got yet another Vachss masterpiece.

As good as this book is - I really miss Burke's family back in NYC. I've got the next book sitting right here waiting for me, and I can't get to it fast enough.

2007-08-12 (Phila, PA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Touching and inspirational
Pain Management is touching and inspirational. Out of one of the grimmest parts of society, goodness blossoms in an effort to save people from deadly pain. Burke is his endearing self, as always. I recommend the novel as heartily as Andrew Vachss' other books which are also excellent.

2005-12-26 | Dee Lambert (Nashville) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Not quite there
I think that _Blue Belle_ was the first Vachss novel that I tried, and after reading that I ripped through his subsequent novels with a sense of discovery and pleasure. To be honest, I lost that interest and amazement a number of books ago. While the first book set in Oregon gave me a glimmer of new hope, this book really isn't there either.

A lot of the problem is that what made Burke so interesting in the first few books was the very real tension between light and dark in the character. He was constantly in balance, and the nastiness made for a really refreshing read after all the weaker characters that you find in detective novels today. Unfortunately, Burke has been around too long, and he's just too much a defender to really believe in the Dark Knight anymore. He's taken on too many good causes and acted too much as protector of the helpless. Good thing in a person, less good if you want to keep the tension of someone strung between good and evil. I'm sure that the continuing novels serve Vachss' not-so-hidden agenda of educating his audience, but they just aren't as interesting to read at this point.

I'm a little troubled with myself for writing this kind of review, as I recognize that there are larger issues with these books than a good escapist read. I applaud Vacchs' determination in the work he does for children and I think he's chosen a nearly ideal vehicle for getting his messages out.

I just wish that I had the same compulsion to read Burke novels as I did with the first.

Anyways, this book (Burke tries to ignore his problematic relationship with Gem, while taking on the case of a 16-year old runaway) is well-written and will probably appeal. Still worth a read, in any case.

2002-11-29 | frumiousb (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) | Helpful Votes: 14 | Rating: 3

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Burke returns, in Oregon
Andrew Vachss has to be an interesting individual. You get the idea that Burke, the main character in his novels, is a somewhat nastier version of himself. Burke is a shadowy figure, with only one name (only one was given when he was an orphan) and a mysterious, cloudy, bitter view of the world. He works around the edges of things, making money on the black market, specializing in being untraceable and invisible, or almost. He is almost completely uninterested in the fate of people he doesn't know, and for the most part he's pretty cold. He has a real hatred for criminals who exploit children.

In this outing, he's gone to ground in Portland Oregon. This is a departure for Vachss, who's set almost all of his books in New York City. He bounces around town, establishing a "rep" so that someone can hire him to do something. Eventually a troubled father contacts him, looking for his daughter. Burke agrees to look, and does so with his usual disregard for rules, animosity towards authority figures, and dark, mysterious methods. When he finds the girl, the answers are not at all what you were expecting, satisfying though they are. There's a whole interlude where Burke helps a woman who steals drugs for the chronically ill, and it's from this side-plot that the book gets its title.

I liked the story, about as much as I usually do with Vachss. Everything's very dark (I don't think I could read two of these in a row without contemplating suicide) and murky, and the structure of the book is strange, too. For those who aren't familiar, Vachss has veered between numbering his chapters and not bothering. They're anywhere between a couple of lines and a page or two of text, very short, very choppy. The author seems to just only write part of the story, several lines of dialog, and expect the reader to fill in the rest.

Given that, this is a good book.

2002-11-19 (Montrose, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 4

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The sadness works, but I miss the wrath...
Burke is laying low in Oregon. He's not in his element (New York), and this affects "Pain Management" as it affected "Down in The Zero." For me, a Burke story works best when the villain inspires a gut-deep flash of pure HATRED. I didn't get that fix this time. Also, just the words "New York" carry a seediness integral to the mood of Vachss' work.

Under an alias, Burke agrees to locate a well-heeled hippie's daughter. Things about her disappearance don't add up, and Burke encounters some locals who may or may not help him. They also may or may not be milking him for their own cause - getting pain meds to those in greatest need despite America's short-sighted treatment policies. These two plotlines never really merge. The daughter's family bears a secret that caused her to take off, but it's...well, a more "esoteric" reason than molestation. On the plus side, Vachss offers some intelligent, sympathetic young characters. He reminds us that everyone has the potential to be both Cain AND Abel.

Burke's usual anger and vigilance fall short of his melancholy. Things with Gem are decaying, and this almost becomes a distraction from the plot. His woman troubles don't end there; Ann O. Dyne is the most annoying girl Burke has dealt with since Fancy ("Down in The Zero") or Nadine ("Choice of Evil"). She's not stupid, just annoying. Flood, Blossom and Belle are still the top-tier Burkettes.

Vachss' effort to broaden the scope of issues in Burke novels is commendable. However, it doesn't play to Burke's strengths. Baby Boy Burke is a conman first and a killer first-and-a-half. "Pain Management," while thought-provoking, didn't hit me as hard as earlier works. Burke has the blues six feet deep, and the only effective remedy is to get back to New York and take it out on the lowest of the low. With "Only Child," I hope to see How Burke Got His Groove Back.

2002-11-14 | Music Freak (Colorado Springs, CO) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 3

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Flood

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780679781295
• State: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Self-confidence, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and navy to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

Burke’s newest client is a woman named Flood, who has the face of an angel, the body of a high-priced stripper, and the skills of a professional executioner. She wants Burke to find a monster for her — so she can kill him with her bare hands.

In this cauterizing thriller, Andrew Vachss’s renegade private eye teams up with a lethally gifted avenger to follow a child’s murderer through the catacombs of New York, where every alley is blind and the penthouses are as dangerous as the basements. Fearfully knowing, crackling with narrative tension, and written in prose as forceful as a hollow-point slug, Flood is Burke at his deadliest — and Vachss at the peak of his form.

“An extraordinary thriller. . . . Vachss never flinches from the horror.” — Washington Post Book World

“Burke would eat Spade and Marlowe for breakfast, not even spitting out the bones. [He] is one tough, mean, pray-God-you-don’t-meet-him hombre.” — Boston Herald

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Book Description
In Vachss's acclaimed first novel, we are introduced to Burke, the avenging angel of abused children. Burke's client is a woman named Flood, who has the face of an angel, the body of a high-priced stripper, and the skills of a professional executioner. She wants Burke to find a monster -- so she can kill him with her bare hands. In this cauterizing thriller, Andrew Vachss's renegade private eye teams up with a lethally gifted vigilante to follow a child's murderer through the catacombs of New York, where every alley is a setup for a mugging and every tenement has something rotten in the basement. Fearfully knowing, buzzing with narrative tension, and written in prose as forceful as a hollow-point bullet, Flood is Burke at his deadliest -- and Vachss at the peak of his form.

An Interview with Andrew Vachss on Another Life, the Final Book in the Burke Series

Q: There has been some discussion that this might be the last novel in the Burke series. Do you see it that way? And if so, why?

Andrew Vachss: I don't just "see" it that way, I wrote it that way. Another Life is the coda to the Burke novels, the final chapter in a series that has been running since 1985. The timing was no accident. If I was to keep faith to those who gone the distance with me, I had to be true to my original promise: unlike some series in which the protagonist never ages, I set out to have each book show the main characters not only aging, but changing as well. Even dying. This series is all about "Family of Choice." All the members of Burke's family share this truth: The most righteous of parents don't want their children to "follow in their footsteps," they want their children to walk past those footsteps. Burke's family have always walked the outlaw road, and can never walk another. But as the children reach adulthood, it is the family's blood obligation to fork that road for them. And that time has now come.

Q: This is the 18th volume in the Burke series. How has the series changed? How have the issues you address in the novels changed over the years?

AV: I am not sure the series has changed... because all the changes depicted throughout have been part of the original concept. Of all of the descriptions of my books, Sonny Mehta dubbing them "investigative novels" is the one I am proudest of, because I wanted the books to be Trojan horses, a platform from which I could show people a world known only to the "Children of The Secret." I didn't know there was a name for such an intent until I won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and a French reporter told me the Burke series was "littérature engageé." My goal was not to raise consciousness, but to raise anger. Ours is a country where anything can be accomplished if enough people get angry... because, in America, we act on our collective anger. If you want proof of how that works, just take a look at how New York State finally closed the hated (and virtually unknown) “incest exception.” When I first wrote about predatory pedophiles modem-trafficking in kiddie porn, reviewers condemned the book as a product of my "sick imagination." Who would say that today? Time and time again what I have written about has "come true." This is not because I am prescient, it is that my work takes me places most citizens never see. So the issues never really change, but as more and more folks become aware of the foundational truth in my "fiction," those issues no longer flourish in the shadows. Years after the series launched, enough folks focused their rage at how children are seen as property in America to form the first PAC (Political Action Committee) solely devoted to child protection. Anyone who says "books don't change anything," or--more commonly--that crime fiction is the wrong genre for promoting social change--should take a closer look.

Q: Burke has a very close family of choice. What drew these people together, and what do you see is the future for them, beyond the series?

AV: It would be easy to say that everyone in Burke's family was a "Child of The Secret," but that would not be true. What they have most powerfully in common is a marrow-deep hatred of humans who prey on children. The rest of the question is actually answered within the book itself, and I'm not a fan of "spoilers."

Q: Over the years, you're consistently ahead of the curve in terms of spotting cultural, political, and criminal trends before they become headlines. How are you constantly able to do this? And is there anything in this new novel that you think is likely to be in tomorrow's headlines?

AV: It's no great trick to spot things you see with your own eyes, which is why I wrote about predatory pedophiles deliberately seeking work in day care centers, or organ trafficking, or cults practicing "baby-breeding"... it's a long list. Most folks had never even heard the word "piquerist" before my novel on the subject. And although it looks as if I "predicted" the use of the Internet to lure children, or what I called "noir vérité," etc., I was functioning far more as journalist than a novelist when I wrote about such things. Burke has two extraordinary skills which set him apart from his contemporaries: the "pattern-recognition software" inside his mind, and his ability to extract information. Another Life is going to showcase both of those skills far more than any previous book. As for "tomorrow's headlines," you have to remember that I wrote the book over a year ago... so some have already surfaced. Ask my scalpel-penciled editor--Edward Kastenmeier--if you doubt my word. Many times we have had to alter a manuscript because what I was "predicting" had just come to pass. I don't know how long it is going to take for some of the truth revealed in Another Life to reach public consciousness. It may be "tomorrow's headlines"... or it may be another year or two. But if you look at my track record, you'll know where to put your money down.

(Photo Credit National Association to Protect Children)

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Customer Reviews

This is the one that started it all
I read this book when it first came out some years ago. I recently reread it and it lost none of it's impact. Gritty and exciting, it introduces Burke, a truely original character in the the hard-boiled detective genre, as well as Pansy, Max, Prof, Mole and Michelle. I have read all the Burke novels and enjoyed everyone. This series is highly recommended.

2010-07-13 (Delaware) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A fine mystery and thriller
Andrew Vachss' FLOOD receives Christopher Lane's smooth narration and background as an award-winning audio reader as it tells of a woman named Flood who wants Burke to find a monster for her - so she can kill him herself. A fine mystery and thriller evolves.

2010-05-13 (Oregon, WI USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Baby Boy Burke/Hard Boiled
I admit it,I am a huge mystery/police/detective genre fan. I have met along the way (and liked) Harry Bosch, Spenser, Lucas Davenport, Lincoln Perry, Elvis Cole, Smokey Barrett, Jonathan Stride, Bill Tasker and Alex Durate, Ray Dudgeon, even Jack Reacher, Myron Bolitar, Doc Ford, Elizibeth Waring and Patrick Bowers, plus I guess there are others. If you too are in my pool, try Andrew Vachss for something different. FLOOD starts the Burke series (always read them in order). Burke, one name, see the birth certificate, is hard boiled action and adventure in the under belly of New York, down and dirty. Burke and his crew, Mama, Max the Silent, the Prof and others, help situations. He is an ex-con and cannot be licensed to investigate, but there is so much more than investigating here. Funny too, a reoccurring theme against child molesters and a favoritism to dogs is very different. Wait till you meet Pansy. Vachss in the real world in a child advocate lawyer and his wife a prosecutor against sex crimes, this ads so much realism to these gutsy stories. If you like things on the dark side, try FLOOD and get hooked to Burke. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

2010-02-14 | Wooly in Jupiter, FL. (Sunny Florida) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A SIZZLING THRILLER TO HEAT THESE COLD DAYS
Amazing when you think that this iconic thriller was first written some 25 years ago. Since then there have been a number of copycats who have tried to imitate Vachss's tough guy narrative or replicate the jaw-dropping cast of characters who dwell in hero Burke's netherworld, but it can't be done. Vachss set the pace when he introduced his quixotic hero, a guy with a record and standards he's set for himself. Burke is a street wise (or more accurately dark alley wise) misfit who takes on cases that baffle the police.

A gorgeous gal named Flood comes to him asking for help in finding a child killer so as she delicately puts it she "can kill him with her bare hands." The search is on through some of the most dangerous places in New York City and among the lowest of the lowlifes, the desperate depraved denizens of the City. However, while police and other private eyes would be put off by the likes of these, they're people Burke knows and understands.

Vachss writes in a gripping almost staccato style, which is the way actor Christopher Lane narrates the story. It's a task to take on the voices of not only Burke but also his crew of pals, such as a panhandler dubbed the Prof and a genius in electronic who dwells under a pile of junked cars.

If you want a sizzling thriller to heat these cold days, FLOOD is for you.

- Gail Cooke

2009-11-08 (TX, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A New Genre in Mystery Writiing
This is an interesting mystery novel about life's seamiest side. Burke, a private eye (sort of), who also dabbles in shady businesses, teams up with a female karate expert in order to find a child murderer, rapist and sodomist.

This book is peopled with real freaks - - both good and bad. The novel focuses on Burke's contingency plans for every possible problem. It is a great book for feeding paranoia.

Vachss is writing in a wonderful genre that has not been tapped by other mystery writers. It is lucid, horrific and fun. It is also educational. The reader learns about issues that are eye-opening and important, but often traumatic.

2009-05-23 | Fairbanks Reader (Fairbanks, Alaska) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Only Child

Product Details

• Acclimate: New
• ISBN13: 9781400030989
• Notes: BUY WITH Certitude, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and rite to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

It’s been years since Burke has been home, years since he’s seen his “family” and worked in the underbelly of New York City. Although his appearance has changed, his reputation grown dusty and his wallet thin, his skills and his crew remain razor sharp. So when he is contacted by a mob boss to investigate the murder of his illegitimate daughter, Vonni, Burke takes the job and begins searching for an unspeakably brutal killer.

Posing as a casting director looking for tomorrow’s stars, Burke reaches out to the high school students who knew Vonni, and may know the identity of the killer. Before long he unearths a perverse enterprise—a young director pursuing a brutal new type of cinema verité.

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Andrew Vachss's series hero, an outlaw vigilante named Burke, is on the trail of the man who murdered the teenage daughter of a Mafioso whose secret affairs with a black woman and a gay crime boss make Tony Soprano's sub rosa relationship with his psychiatrist seem inconsequential. More accustomed to committing crimes than investigating them, Burke comes out of retirement and reunites with his New York family, a group of criminals who join him in a clever ruse to unmask the killer. The circuitous trail eventually leads to an underground filmmaker whose disturbing brand of noir vérité was responsible for the girl's death; as usual, Burke metes out vengeance with a steady hand. As usual, Vachss turns in a suitably dark, violent thriller with a strong narrative drive and an explosive conclusion. --Jane Adams

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Customer Reviews

Terrific
Book Club Review
ONLY CHILD
Andrew Vachss

Our book club's book for August with ONLY CHILD, by Andrew Vachss. Usually we like to keep it light in the dog days of summer (it was 90 degrees when we met, with about 99% humidity), but we'd been talking about authors who "live" their books as opposed to completely making them up. Vachss was discussed, and we discovered that a lot of us had not read him because we didn't think we could handle the brutality for which the Burke novels are known. But that's what a book club is all about, right?--to discover new things and try new authors, so we decided to go for it.

This is a later book in the Burke series. There are parts of it that are occasionally confusing if you haven't read previous installments, but for the most part such understanding really isn't necessary to understand or appreciate the book. (I almost used the word "enjoy" there, but can a Burke novel be truly enjoyed, given its inevitable subject matter? More on that below.) In ONLY CHILD, Burke has returned to New York City, where most of his enemies (including the NYPD) think he is dead. This allows him to connect with his family of choice, most of whom he's saved in earlier books. There's Terry, a teenager he saved from a pimp; two role-playing lesbians, Cyn and Rejji, who have an online live porn business; Mama, who runs a sort of den of thieves from a Chinese restaurant; and Michelle, the leggy transsexual; and others. Burke realizes he has very little money to live on and has to go back to work to make ends meet. His reputation precedes him, and he receives a couple of job offers before he takes one on: The love child of a mafioso has been murdered, and the mafioso thinks the goal is to send him a message/warning. He wants Burke to find the perp.

Our discussion of this book was one of the most interesting and animated we've ever had. Yes, the subject matter is dark, very dark, and maybe that's what makes it so eminently discussable. The people who make up Burke's "family" are troubled, refugees, and in some cases homicidal--and yet they are strangely likable, maybe because they have such a strong sense of loyalty to one another and a feeling of "outsiderness" that ties them all together. They also have a moral code of their own and have no issue with judging others as worthy of being removed from the planet without a trace. While society may consider these people "freaks," Vachss reserves that term of derision for predators (such as pedophiles, rapists, and so forth); the result is that we developed a great deal of sympathy for the type of people who populate a side of life almost none of us ever see. I should mention, though, a few of our members felt that the characters--especially the S&M, sex-crazed lesbians--were more of a man's fantasy than actual people.

Then, too, there is the writing, which is razor sharp. I don't think any of us expected to be as impressed with the writing as we were. The man is simply an amazing stylist, and even those of us who said we couldn't handle more than one Vachss book in a lifetime, agreed that Vachss is impressive. His spare style, his ability to draw a vivid scene in just a few sentences, his way of reducing complexities into cynical one-liners is second to none, we thought.

Finally, we felt we wanted to examine why this series is so successful and so long-running, and we decided it wasn't hart to find an answer. Vachss, like Burke, is a crusader, and their passion is evident on every page. Burke is damaged, but his compassion isn't. He's the savior of the underdog, especially when it comes to children. He's generous, kind, loving--all while being a singularly rough individual. That doesn't mean he can't be ruthless, and therein lies his appeal as a character. I can't go into detail about the ending of the book, but it is really an excellent point of discussion.

Of course there are a few things to criticize. The book takes a while to get off the ground, while Burke gets set up in New York and turns down a couple of cases. Also, the book is a satire on, or consideration of, Hollywood, film-making, and film-mania, and in some ways it almost seems like a caper (more Elmore Leonard than Andrew Vachss). That's a sort of strange admixture at times, but ultimately it didn't affect our enjoyment of the book. Also, for those who worry that Vachss is overly violent--you should know that (at least on the basis of this book), he really isn't. In fact, much of the violence happens off-page or is implied. We have all read much more violent books, with detailed "torture"--which probably made us appreciate Vachss' subtletly even more.

I personally thought the book was terrific, and I'm now a fan. It was sort of amazing, I thought, that a Vachss book has a lot more heart than many cozies I've read lately.

2010-08-17 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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The Dark World of Abusive Film
Burke is back on the trail of child abuse freaks. This time, the predators like to take films with teenagers to violent, even lethal extremes. (As Vachss, himself describes the ease in which someone with no more than a camera can approach teens with the intent of producing violent movies where the teens are hurt and the teens saying, "cool.")

With the aid of his friends, Max the Silent, Terry (who he rescued from a pimp), Michelle the transexual, Mole (genius criminal), the Prof and two beautiful dominatrix workers, Burke sets a trap for a sadistic film maker and his two steroid pumped henchmen. The investigation takes Burke through the sex film industry, separating the harmless from the sick. As usual, Burke enters areas where the police and average citizen cannot go.

This book was hard to put down.

Doug Setter author of One Less Victim: A Prevention GuideStomach Flattening

2009-11-08 (Vancouver, BC, Canada) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Only Child
One of the Burke series. Not one of the best, but if you are a fan of the storylines you will enjoy it as it has new developments inside.

2008-04-05 (Providence, RI USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Back In The Big Apple!!
Oh, you have no idea how amazingly awesome it is to have Burke back in NYC. And as always, Vachss, does an amazing job of spreading out this despicable underworld and helping us navigate it.

Burke's back. He's got a new hideaway, and he's among his loved ones again. There is still the pain and betrayal that befalls everyone whose paths he crosses, just as there is also his sense of justice, and his determination to bring the worst offenders to their come-uppance.

2007-08-21 (Phila, PA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Read this book!
This book is the greatest! The author's critique of movie worshippers is the best ever.

2004-04-11 (Santa Fe) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Terminal (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780307387059
• Notes: BUY WITH Nerve, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and aid to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Adapt: USED - Very Good

Description

After years of carefully working the edges, a blood-commitment forces Burke's return to his former career: "violence-for-money."

Claw, once the shot-caller of a white supremacist prison gang is free . . . and terminally ill--he desperately needs a pile of cash to bet on a long-shot cure. He tells Burke about a punk who once purchased protection from him, a man who claims to know the truth behind a "cold case, " the unsolved rape-murder of a thirteen-year-old girl. The killers are all weathly men today, ideal blackmail marks. But wealth is power, and the informant needs Claw's protection again. Burke decides to roll the dice. A win would give Burke the two things he lives for: Money and Revenge. A loss would turn "terminal" from a diagnosis into a certainly, and not just for Claw.

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Customer Reviews

Incomprehensible Waste of Time
This is the first Burke novel I've read and will also be my last. What a colossal waste of time!! The poorly defined characters and lack of coherent plot made this muddled mess a torture for me to get through. I kept hoping it would get better but it never did, in fact the ending was one of the most unsatisfactory wrap-ups I've ever experienced. I got this on a recommendation from the Black Lizard site...I feel let down that they ripped me off by goading gullible me into wasting my money...never again.

2010-02-09 (Natrona Hts., PA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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Make no mistake...
I'm coming in with a bias. I'm a big fan of Andrew Vachss's books, especially the Burke series. And the short stories. And Shella. And the comics. And ... well, all of it. So, yes, I loved this book. And I love all Vachss's books. But this one, especially. The end had me _very_ impatiently waiting for the next one--and that's all I'll say about that. With the Burke series closed down now, I'm re-reading these, and knowing what follows next book to resolve the end of this one doesn't make the ending any less moving. Read it for yourself--it's worth it.

2010-02-09 (Tucson AZ) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Promising tale disappears in screed - loses steam.
I have heard that the author has had a significantly positive impact in the area of child exploitation - "he is a true warrior for the protection of children". If that is true, I deeply applaud it. However, this book plods on and on and on, with little diatribes showing up more and more frequently. Filler, really. These are not insightful or balanced opinions on psychotherapy, politicians, zoos, the UN, etc. They are screeds - "a long monotonous harangue". Also, the author seems to assume that you have read all of his other books and understand the vague connections between all of the characters - most of whom are utterly 2 dimensional without any true voice or their own. Some of it is just silly - the "Prof" who always speaks in rhyme (like a dime store '50's hep cat) and rarely says anything of any depth. At times, without knowledge of the back story, I just felt lost. And bored. The plot, initially fairly interesting, races along like a glacier. And the author is so smug and arrogant! Us "citizens" - we are so naive and stupid he reminds us, over and over!! Here is a typical line related to some governmental malfeasance which fills up a page or two without any real purpose in terms of moving the narrative along ("filler")

"Yeah. Citizens read the news. But we know the truth."

Ooh, what an insider!! Wow! I am so impressed. Not.

Here is some more of the author's charming, arrogant, bile:

You know why we hate you? Not because you don't know what we know, but because if you did, you wouldn't give a damn.
So I'm sitting here, waiting to commit extortion [after 207 pages, finally!], and planning a lot worse. I'm what you'd call a career criminal. That's why I'll never be you. And I'm proud of it."

Gee, I guess there are a lot of self hating Vachss fans? Or only career criminals read his books?

Although the characters claim (essentially, we are simply told by the author, who does not possess much finesse as a writer) to be all about protecting children, their behavior and "code" borders on, or is outright, sociopathy. If you feel that the ends always justify the means then you may not object - I found it cold, pretentious and simplistic. This is a tedious book, and by page 181, even a knock out finish won't justify the time spent reading it. Zero humor, always quite dark, not clever - an unpleasant read, and - even worse - a bore.

And that is all of the time I will waste on this one!

2010-01-16 (Pasadena,CA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 2

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Terminal: A Burke Novel
This is the alluring Andrew Vacchs that we long for. As in all the Burke novels, Vacchs teases us with sexy counterculture innuendos and play! Burke is as believable as Vacchs' dark side and I am intriguided by both. A great tale in Vacchs' fashion. PLEASE DO NOT MISS ANY OF HIS TALES!

2009-12-20 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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One of his hardest, darkest novels yet
This Burke novel is one of my favourites next to Strega. Burke is approached by a terminally-ill white supremacist named, Claw. (Formally named Claude until he achieved phenomenal grip strength in his right hand.) Claw has a black mailing scheme based on the story of a creepy former convict who claims that three wealthy men had raped and killed a girl decades ago. Burke smells a rat from the creepy guy. But, Burke following his instincts for money and revenge pursues the scheme with help from his friends, a teen gang and a massive enforcer called Gigi.

As usual, Vachss makes his own social commentary and wastes no time in slagging politicians and the obscene ways that child abusers are protected. All along he describes the shady world of hard criminals and where children are hurt, bought, sold and killed. I liked the way he describes the white supremacist organizations as just another group of gangs out to make a buck.

With the planning that would impress the military, Burke puts together the black mailing scheme and the story seems simple enough. Three now-wealthy men who killed a small-town girl will pay in more ways than money. Just when you think that crime was grim enough, another situation reveals the heart of a sick, evil soul. Even after reading 15 other Vachss books, I did not even see the end coming on this one.

Grim as the story reads, there is also thought-provoking comments and humor. Probably why I keep reading books by Vachss.

--Doug Setter, author of One Less Victim: A Prevention Guide and Stomach Flattening

2009-11-10 (Vancouver, BC, Canada) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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