Customer Reviews

Blossom

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Vachss takes Burke away from his crew and into the Midwest in "Bloosom," and in the process comes up with one of the best Burke novels. Some readers may miss his crew, but instead we get a lot of insight into Burke's history recounted as he strives to help out an old prison buddy. The title character is Burke's most interesting leading lady since Flood walked out of his life after the first novel. Overall, an exciting read pumped full of the philosophy of life by Burke.

"Blossom" is Andrew Vachss' fifth Burke novel, and while it is an excellent book, I would not suggest that those folks new to Burke's world make his acquaintance here. "Blossom" definitely stands on its own, but for a richer more comprehensive read you should have more background information. I do not have an addictive personality, but the Burke series is one of the most powerful in the crime suspense/thriller genre. I am totally caught-up in Vachss' complex characters and their mind-boggling escapades. Actually, forget the genre "bit," these novels belong in a class of their own. I began with book one - "Flood" - and never looked back. However, "Strega and/or "Blue Belle" are also good places to meet Burke and crew. And meet them you should if you are looking for well crafted fiction and you don't flinch at the gritty, seamy, darker side of life.

Burke, is still in a funk after losing his woman, Belle. Then Virgil, and old cellmate, asks for his help. Rebecca, Virgil's wife, travels to New York hoping to bring her husband's "brother" back to the Indiana mill town where they live - and where the trouble is. Burke and Virgil are tighter than blood makes most brothers. There's no way our man can refuse - nor would he want to.

Rebecca's teenage cousin Lloyd has been accused of a heinous crime he didn't commit...so he says. When the police don't have enough evidence to hold the boy, they remand him into Virgil's and Rebecca's custody on bail. Then the heat gets turned up. The press, out in full force, are looking for blood. A reporter hears some of Lloyd's classmates comment about his "peeping" habits and all hell breaks loose. Bail is revoked and Lloyd runs. Virgil goes after him and both are now in hiding. Virgil wants Burke to find out the truth about his cousin and about the "Son of Sam" type murders that have been going down in Merrillville, Indiana.

The perp is a sex sniper...sometimes call a "piquerist." "It wasn't in the DSM-III, not even in the latest revised edition. It is a pathological condition: it means the realization of sexual satisfaction from penetrating a victim by sniper activity. Or stab wounds, or even bites." Is Lloyd the one killing the young couples who park in Lover's Lane? And if not, who is?

Enter Blossom. A waitress and much more. She has her own reasons for wanting to catch the killer.

Vachss continues to reveal more of Burke's character, his grim inner world and his past in "Blossom." He is one of the most complex protagonists I have encountered in popular fiction - edgy, dark, an outcast, as hard-boiled as they come, a scam artist who is a standup guy, a righteous man, and above all, a survivor. Burke, the man, and the strange folks who people his world and call him" friend," are what make me a faithful fan and keep me hooked on the series.

The usual suspects are all present, including: Max the Silent, a Mongolian warrior who also calls Burke brother; Pansy is a warrior of another species - she's a Neapolitan mastiff and Burke's roommate; the Mole, a pasty-faced genius who lives in a bunker beneath a high-tech junkyard; the Prophet, a scam artist who speaks in rhyme; Mama Wong, group doyenne - a Chinese Jewish mother and restaurateur. She cares for the gang, takes Burke's messages, holds his stash and feeds him hot and sour soup; Michelle, the gorgeous transvestite who is absent here - dealing with her "change." She is present in spirit." And Terry, the lost boy who was adopted by Michelle and Mole is around also. I think this novel is all the more interesting for getting Burke out of the Big Apple and having him hang-out with the Hoosiers. The new cast of characters that comes with the new surroundings only adds richness to the narrative.

As always Vachss narrative hits hard. His street tough dialogue and staccato-like prose lend authenticity to this raw, darker than noir world - a world where unspeakable horrors are perpetrated upon innocent children. The author, a leader in the child protective movement, calls it "a war," and considers his writing as powerful a weapon as his litigation. He openly admits that he writes about the abuse of children because he wants to raise people's awareness of what's going on, and he'll reach a wider audience with fiction.

This is a powerful novel - part of a superb series. Kudos to Andrew Vachss!
JANA

By his own admission, Andrew Vachss isn't a particularly good "writer": his characters are caricatures who we know only by an unusual style of speech or odd clothing; the dialogue often devolves into rambling lectures directed at the reader; the plots are formulaic; and many of his novels (particular the more recent ones) seem focused far more on social commentary than Story . . . why, then, do I feel compelled to read everything he publishes? Because Burke is COOL. I could care less about any of his "crew" of regulars (a little Black man who carries a sawed-off and speaks only in rhymes, a huge Asian man who is the best martial artist alive but speaks only in a made up sign language, a bespectacled Jewish man who provides all sorts of high-tech weaponry free of charge and continually mutters about nazis, a "beautiful" transvestite who is a skilled con artist and talks unendingly about high fashion, and a Jamaican teenager who is a crackshot with a 9mm and makes an occasional comment in his distinctive dialect . . . you get the idea). The other characters are mere background (as well as a lesson to the reader in multicultural tolerance). Burke, however, is the driving force behind this series. An unlicensed private investigator who is a wanted fugitive with nothing to lose. A man with a single mission: make the freaks PAY (if he can save a kid, that's a bonus).

I do not necessarilly think that Blossom is Vachss' best work (that'd be either Shella or Two Trains Running), but it is probably the most accessable and mainstream of all the books in his Burke series. Although it might be advisable to read the earlier volumes first, Blossom stands alone and could be read as your introduction to the series. Since Burke is out of the city and away from his crew, they are less of a distraction.

In short, this is more of a "coming of age" story than the usual Burke theme (VENGEANCE). A teenage boy is accused of being a sex sniper because he lives in the area, is a loner, owns a rifle, and was found to have a stash of pornographic magazines. Burke interrogates him, and decides that he's not the type -- so, being the righteous outlaw that he is -- instead of handing him over to the law (to get beaten and raped by fellow inmates), he conspires to hide him out while Burke tracks the real killer. In the meanwhile, he teaches the immature and inept boy what it means to be a Man (honor, duty, dignity, etc). As it oft seems as if Burke is really Vachss' alter-ego, it's like getting "fatherly advice" from one of the baddest men alive.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is unfamiliar with the series.

Burkes travels to Indiana to help out the nephew of a prison buddy. While uncovering the truth about whether or not the boy is actually the serial killer prosecutors say he is Burke also meets and romances the beautiful Blossom and tracks down a white supremacist sniper (quite obviously modeled after an actual criminal). I found the change of scene and characters refreshing. Recommended.

Burke heads to the midwest to do a favor for an ex-con he bunked wit in prison. The man's son is the prime suspect in a rash of sniper killings and Burke needs to find the real killer. A refreshing turn in the Burke series.

This is a great read. The novel is peopled with freaks, both good and bad. Vachss' descriptions are like a ground fog rising on a steamy New England day. They're dense, opaque and filled with mystery.

His characters are 'noir'. They're over the top and outside of society in a sub-culture that has real values and true connections that don't exist in the realm of language but belong to a deeper place inside ourselves where words cease to exist. Their connections are through the fog, obscured by the limits of every day existence.

This is the best book Vachss has ever written. I hope it will be followed by more books of this caliber by him.

In the world of hard-boiled crime fiction, few are as hard-boiled as Andrew Vachss. In his Burke series of novels, the reader is plunged into a hellish world where even the good guys are crooked. In this world, Darwin means everything: only the fittest (which is to say, the slyest, most violent or most evil) survive and the weakest soon perish. Parallel to this dark land is the world of "citizens": the more-or-less law-abiding people who pay taxes and go to school and church. When a citizen is forced to go into this hell - like when a child is kidnapped by a pedophile - it is Burke who tries to set things right, as long as his price is met.

Although Burke is basically a loner who exists outside the system, he does have a family of sorts, people who he's bonded with over the years. In Blossom, we are introduced to another such family member, Burke's "brother" and former prison-mate, Virgil. Virgil is a rare success story, an ex-con who has become a citizen. Unfortunately, his nephew, a troubled teenager named Lloyd, is accused of killing some people; when it looks like he will be put in jail pending trial, Virgil helps Lloyd flee.

Through Virgil's wife, Burke is recruited to determine if Lloyd is actually guilty. And although Burke does determine that Lloyd is innocent, he decides to also find the killer. The disadvantage for Burke is that he's out of his element: instead of being in the comfortable - if dangerous - confines of New York, he is in a small town in Indiana. Adding to the complications is the title character, Blossom, who is also after the killer. It is no surprise that eventually she and Burke will get together, but readers of previous novels know this is not necessarily a good thing for him.

Although superficially, Burke may resemble other tough-guy heroes such as Richard Stark's Parker, he is actually a much deeper character. Burke has undergone a number of traumas in his life, to the point where he doesn't so much try to be happy as he tries to avoid being unhappy. As always, I find the supporting characters in these stories to be a little too offbeat at times to be taken seriously in these rather grim novels, but in Blossom, they are pushed off to the side for the most part. Vachss once again has succeeded in presenting a tale that is well-written and suspenseful. If you have enjoyed the other Burke novels, this one will also be a pleasure.

In this book, Burke tries to help the nephew of a man he knew in prison. This man's nephew is accused of a sex killing. The plot takes some unlikely turns. The characters and dialogue are often stilted.

Like other Burke novels the character is given a crystal clear goal and he pursues the monster with every step he takes. An extremely quick read but enjoyable as always.
Unlike other thriller writers, Vachss implants/transfers his disgust and rage against criminals who prey on the weak or unfortunate. Having been exposed to this brand of evil makes the eventual conclusion feel righteous and the reader is left not feeling a shred of sympathy for the villain, who is by his crime a despicable coward.

I love the Burke series. Love them. And with this book more than ever, read the books in order. Go back and do it, they are so much better that way. This story is away from NYC and his usual crew. That I miss, other than that, BLOSSOM is another great story dealing with a teenager accused of murder. Burke goes to Indiana to help a friend, Virgil, an old cell mate save the child. How can Burke say no when a child is involved. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED