Flood (Paperback)

by Andrew Vachss (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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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)

Product 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 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. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (March 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679781293
• ISBN-13: 978-0679781295
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,046 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vachss has written a noir tour d' force!!!, March 4, 1998

By A Customer

I stumbled upon the noir of Andrew H. Vachss quite by accident. I was browsing the section of mystery/noir novels, and found an entire slew of Vachss' books. I scanned the covers, and found them all in the hard boiled vein I appreciate. However, I decided to scan the Amazon reviews of Vachss' books before I would purchase one. The reviews intrigued me, and taking the advice of a reviewer I decided to read the first novel in the series Flood. And it was an incredible read!!! The main character a private detective known as Burke, comes to the assistance of a young woman named Flood. She is searching for a psychotic freak known as the Cobra. A child molester/killer who has murdered her closest friend's child. Burke accepts the job, and the reader is taken into an underworld of S&M, perversion, and snuff films, that will leave the reader both horrified, and enraged that the human monsters Vachss describes do actually exist. The reader should keep in mind that Vachss, a lawyer specializing in child abuse cases, from what I have been able to learn based his noir on many true life situations he had found himself involved in. Burke assisted by his crew of streetwise characters, who many would regard, like Burke himself as an anti-hero, create an elaborate trap for the Cobra. Allowing Flood the chance for her revenge. This book is truly noir for the late 20th Century. Vachss wants his book to upset you, but also to make you think, about life in our cites, and in particular of our nations children. And the all too glaring problem of child abuse, and kidnapping, which happens every day. Vachss' writing style is clipped and in the hard boiled style of the best of noir writers. However, the book did tend to loose momentum towards the end chapters, and once finished did leave me with the feeling of wanting to learn more about the fate of Flood. Regardless, Vachss does an excellent job, of detailing a side of our society, which we too often turn a blind eye too. In the balance, I'm glad I decided to read Flood, and I will continue to visit with Burke, and his crew in Vachss' other novels.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gritty Urban Revenge Fantasy, October 7, 2000

By	Stone Junction "The Suburban Hobo" - See all my reviews

What is it about revenge that makes it such a vicariously satisfying experience? While most people would never act on their impulses for it, the desire for vengeance can be an overwhelming pleasure. To read about, or see, characters who follow their baser emotions can make for a thrilling ride.

Enter Andrew Vachss. A lawyer who has specialized in crimes against children, Vachss has condensed and distilled all his rage on the subject, and has created a revenge fantasy that may be one of the nastiest stories put to page.

FLOOD, Vachss' first novel, introduces the reader to Burke, an anti-hero like no other. Not necessarily a hitman, Burke is more of an avenging angel for hire, if he can be convinced the cause is worthy, and his Neopolitan mastiff Pansy doesn't rip a prospective client to shreds. His existence consists of an odd assortment of hookers, restaurant owners, gambling, and Max the Silent, his spiritual brother, and possibly the most dangerous man on Earth.

Into this world enters Flood, a woman with a dilemma. She wants Burke to find a man. When he is found, she will kill him. Burke doesn't immediately jump at the opportunity, but the man Flood wants is, among other things, a pedophile. For reasons that are his own, Burke has a particular intense hatred for child molesters. Soon enough, he agrees to help, for a price.

Vachss' novels (this is the first of many Burke novels) are as hard-boiled as they come. The characters can be seen as ridiculous in the light of day, but in Vachss' hands, they take on an eerie nobility. I say eerie, because in most circumstances, you would never sit next to any of his characters on a bus. It's quite a feat to write novels based on people you'd be afraid to even glance at, and still make them entertaining. But Vachss has a genuine empathy for his characters. His novels are not disposable. They are far too well-written to be dismissed as mere 'entertainment'.

There are some who might gripe about the uneasy moral tones of the novel. The idea of taking the law into your own hands is a repugnant quality in most aspects of our lives. But almost all literary heroes can be defined as loners who work outside of convention. Is Burke different than any number of fictional characters who do what we cannot, or dare not? Burke himself realizes that his universe is not for everyone. He did not create the world, he only does what he can to survive within it.

Burke's world is fictional, to an extent. The underbelly of society he inhabits may be seductive in its way, but it is a heightened reality that is hard to swallow sometimes. But Vachss is an able tourguide. And he understands what makes revenge such an irresistible emotion, and a dangerous one as well.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "FLOOD" - A Novel Of Revenge - OUTSTANDING!!!, February 1, 2005

By	Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Flood" is Andrew Vachss' first novel featuring Burke, the hard-boiled, in-your-face, ex-con detective, who still isn't sure on which side of the law he prefers to operate. Abandoned at birth, father and mother unknown, Burke has no real first name. "Baby boy" is the name on his birth certificate. He is a survivor. He's also a stand-up guy. The novel is set in 1980s NYC, before Mayor Guiliani came to office and cleaned up the mean streets - or tried to. I have read a few other Burke books and became so fascinated with this complex character, and with the strange folks who people his world and call him" friend," that I wanted to read this first book in the series to get a better sense of how he was developed. If you are a Vachss/Burke fan, or become one, I would suggest that you try to read the books in order. Of course, every novel stands on its own, independent of the others, but the growth and development of the characters are continual. There are also references to past events, and for a richer reading experience it is helpful to know the history. If you're just looking for a good read, and not interested in becoming a Burke maven, then by all means, read at random.

"Flood" is one hard-hitting novel, reminiscent of crime fiction in the 1940s and 50s, though much more disturbing. Burke is our narrator. And the narrative, at times, goes off on a tangent, like his thought processes. Our protagonist is a meticulous man. He always returns to make his point. I think this occasional stream of consciousness is very effective and enhances Burke's persona. Vachss still manages to maintain a tight writing style throughout. Everything and everyone comes under Burke's cynical, seen-it-all scrutiny. I have never learned more about the underworld and the seamier side of life, the one most people rarely observe, than in this compelling tale. Burke's expert eyes take in details of life on the street that mine never would. His gritty urban world is one where "citizens" dwell side-by-side with "maggots."

Flood, a young woman with an attitude and a black belt in karate, hires Burke to track down a freak, Martin Howard Wilson, a.k.a. The Cobra. He is a vicious pedophile, at the very least, and responsible for killing her best friend's child. She has sword a blood oath to kill this degenerate, but she has to find him first. That's where our man comes into the picture. Flood will become an extremely important person in Burke's life and her presence in this novel is a powerful one.

Vachss populates Burke's world with a colorful assortment of characters, and I am just crazy about all of them. Max the Silent, a mute, 20th century Mongolian warrior with creative ways of communicating; Pansy, another warrior of another species - she's a Neapolitan mastiff, just like the kind that came over the Alps with Hannibal; 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, "keeps her prices high and the ambiance foul to discourage yuppies." She cares for the gang and holds Burke's stash; Michelle, a gorgeous transvestite who needs to "break out;" Mouse who continues to exploit his one successful scam "despite a lengthy sojourn in the federal joint;" Maurice the bookie, who Burke speaks to almost daily, due to his appreciation for all things equestrian; I should add here that our hero drives a souped-up Plymouth, another important character. It usually looks like it's been painted with rust. That's the fresh coat of primer it almost always sports - "the Mole makes sure to change the car's color after it is used on a job."

In "Flood," published in 1985, Andrew Vachss began to publicly address the plight of kidnapped and abused children - way before the era of Amber Alerts and photographs of missing kids on milk cartons. Mr. Vachss is a lawyer, who specialized in prosecuting child abuse cases. He has worked as a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases, a caseworker in New York, and managed a maximum-security prison for violent juvenile offenders. He was also deeply involved in the relief effort in Biafra, now Nigeria. Vachss calls the child protective movement "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.

"Flood" has some of the toughest prose and most intriguing characters around - an absolutely riveting read!!
JANA