Customer Reviews

Getaway Man

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Readers used to novels featuring Vachss's continuing character Burke will find this book a true change of pace. Vachss alters his literary voice completely in his creation of Eddie, a professional getaway driver. Eddie is as far from Burke as can be imagined, an innocent in a world of corruption, a man who is a criminal mainly because his talents are best suited for that particular job. He is a driver who lives to drive, and spends his evenings watching old movies that he likes to think parallel his own life (like Thunder Road and Moonshine Highway). Loyal and honorable, realistic but trusting, Eddie seems a sweet child in an evil man's world until, as in the classic plots of James M. Cain, a woman makes him reexamine his priorities and loyalties. To say more would give away too much of the plot, but Vachss never takes a wrong turn on Eddie's drive away from innocence.

The tight prose and simple style suit the subject perfectly. Eddie isn't nearly as eloquent with language as Burke, and there are frequent grammatical errors in this first-person narrative which only add to the richly drawn portrait. Nor is Eddie as outwardly intense as Burke. There's no crusader in these pages, only a guy trying to make a living doing what he loves to do, and trying to deal with the temptations and moral dilemmas that go with the job. The sense of the 1950s predominates, although there are frequent references to contemporary technology.

The book is short, less than 200 pages, and they fly effortlessly by, with Vachss's trademark style of using simple breaks rather than the artificiality of chapter heads. The trade paperback package is totally simpatico with the novel's spirit, displaying stylish 50's cover artwork and logo, and even creases printed on the covers, to give that stuck-in-the-back-pocket paperback feel (you'll have to break the spine yourself). It's a terrific book that ends with a perfectly measured body blow to the gut, and those who appreciate crime fiction at its best would be fools to miss it.

Andrew Vachss has a long series of hits with the Burke books. (Also recommend each of them). The Getaway Man is something different and new for Mr. Vachss. The characters come to life and emotional attachment occurs. The main character is a criminal but you care for him none the less. This book is a quick read that leads you through the life of Eddie who's only goal is driving. Through a series of stays in prison, comes out and begins driving for a series of criminals, each case seemingly to get more complex. Eddie gets through the story with his simple views on life and fierce loyalty to the people he drives for. After all, he's a professional. The last page makes the whole trip worth the time to read this book.

The latest effort in the impressive body of work from Andrew Vachss, THE GETAWAY MAN, tells the story of Eddie, a character whose outwardly simple nature masks a complex psychology that reveals itself in the subtext of this carefully crafted story.

Eddie is determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a getaway driver. That is the extent of his ambition. Eddie is not in the game for easy money or for the thrills --- he just wants to drive. He is a simple and likeable character, whose dedication to his craft and loyalty to those who hire him for his abilities is admirable, if misguided. But that's a good deal of what makes Eddie so fascinating. He takes to the outlaw's life in a manner so unassuming and natural that it's as if "Life of Crime" was a booth he visited on Career Day in high school. For Eddie, a straight life was never a consideration --- it wasn't even on the radar.

Despite his chosen profession, there isn't the slightest hint of menace in Eddie. This sets him apart from Burke, the main character in several of Vachss's previous books. Burke is a bad guy, an anti-hero whose moral matrix occasionally syncs-up with the law. Burke oozes a streetwise menace that is as impressive as it is frightening. Eddie, on the other hand, is as threatening as a cocker spaniel, yet he and Burke follow a similar moral code. But where Burke survives on projecting this menace and on the judicious delivery of the violence it presages, Eddie gets by on a keen ability to read people and tell them what they want to hear. Yet, there's nothing insincere about Eddie. He's not manipulative; he's desperate for approval. There's a childlike quality about this need that hints at some hidden tragedy. This is something that Eddie and Burke share: a dark and troubled psyche that is implied rather than revealed. Vachss trusts his readers to look not just at the characters in the spotlight, but also at the shadows they cast. It's there where Eddie takes shape, where his form is filled in and it's there that Eddie gets into your head.

Eddie's story is told in first person, in a narrative that describes his evolution from misguided teen to career criminal. The story is a remarkable distillation of detail and action into a form so crisp and concise that reading it is a bit like pouring water onto a dried sponge --- it expands before your eyes. In the end, you're astonished that a story so rich was contained in so small a package.

--- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart

This short novel offering from world renowned author Andrew Vachss is sure to please the reader of "hard boiled" crime fiction. Direct and to the point (as most Vachss offerings are)this "novella" is a proverbial page turner. I felt like a kid as I delved into this story. Wait...no I didn't say kid...well read the book and you'll know what I 'm talking about,

Andrew Vachss doesn't need his iconic protagonist Burke to knock the reader for a loop. This book was a pleasure from the cover to the core; action-packed and smooth as silk. It's the first in Vintage's new line, and for sure every other author who produces for the series will have one hell of a high level to live up to.

You just can't go wrong with Vachss. This tightly woven noir novel drags you into its world quickly and won't let you go. Vachss is a master of drawing seemingly round characters with only a few quick strokes, then immersing them in an action-filled story that keeps you guessing. Although this book less openly didactic than the Burke series, its ethical foundation is no less solid and no less clear than that of his other works.

If you haven't read Vachss before, this is a fine place to start--a quick read that reveals his terse yet gripping style and uncompromising honesty. If you are a fan of Vachss, this one won't let you down.

Probably best known for his "Burke" series (FLOOD, STREGA, PAIN MANAGEMENT, ONLY CHILD, et al.) Andrew Vachss' newest book, THE GETAWAY MAN is vividly reminiscent of the fast-paced, tensely-plotted thrillers offered up by such publishers as Gold Medal, Lion, and Popular Library during the 1940s and 1950s ... authors such as David Goodis, Charles Williams, Harry Whittington, William Campbell Gault, Paul Cain, Jim Thompson, Robert Edmond Alter, and Bruno Fisher come to mind.

THE GETAWAY MAN tells a deceptively simple tale of Eddie, a young man on the cusp of adulthood whose one goal in life is to become a first-class driver of "getaway" cars. The simplicity of Eddie's goal belies the depth of the person he is. Though limited in education and experience it would be a mistake to think of Eddie as merely simple-minded or dim ... he is very capable, quite perceptive, and remarkably focused ... his innocence, his courage, and his honor are paramount. Eddie's voice, in a streamlined, first-person narrative, takes the reader on a journey through time spent in a juvenile institution for Grand Theft Auto, to his "apprenticeship" with several criminal crews, and ultimately arrives at a violent and startling climax.

Mr. Vachss' "first" profession as an attorney representing youth, his training as a federal investigator, as well as a stint running a maximum security facility for violent juvenile offenders stand him in good stead as he "fleshes out" Eddie's story with a number of vignettes which might appear, at first glance, to perhaps be peripheral to the main action. These vignettes (one of which involves the abuse of a female child) are far from being tangential or irrelevant ... they are, in fact, subtle and carefully constructed devices, which prove to be an integral part of the fabric that make up who and what Eddie is and provide the reader with important clues as to the man he may or may not become.

Beautifully packaged in the style of the colorful paperback originals from the 1940s and 1950s, THE GETAWAY MAN provides every bit as much, if not more, entertainment value than its predecessors.

An imaginative and inventive departure by Andrew Vachss from his exceptional "Burke" series ... outstanding.

Crime, criminals, loyalty, betrayal, and innocence, it doesn't get any better than this timeless story. Vachss has assembled an amazing crew for a ride you won't forget. The road twists and turns but the end is always in sight right up to the last page ... or so you think.

Vachss again shows his talent in this book. While many may only know him through his hard-boiled Burke novels, this book shows the amazing range of Vachss' talent and is a not to be missed tale.

Perfect control of language, seamlessly written, Vachss makes no mistakes here. It's like reading James Cain again, only better. Classic noir lives! Get "Getaway Man" and read it in one sitting, you will not regret it.

As a youngster Eddie finds cars quite fascinating. He teaches himself how to drive by stealing cars, which leads to time in youth detention facilities where he begins to understand the workings of society, at least his segment that is. Grand theft auto sounds like music to Eddie's ears as opposed to kiddy joyrides.

Eddie begins stealing cars for Mr. Clanton, which leads to his becoming the GETAWAY MAN for two brothers, Virgil and Tim. A bank robbery goes bad when a vice president tries to be a hero. Virgil and the Veep are dead with Tim and Eddie in jail. Tim testifies taking the heat because Eddie stayed though fleeing would have been easy and smart. Eddie receives a reduced sentence. In prison, Eddie meets big shot J.C. Upon their mutual releases, Eddie begins driving for J.C. However, his boss' girlfriend looks great and wants Eddie to help her when J.C. goes for the big score.

THE GETAWAY MAN is an exciting insightful autobiographical crime fiction that will open the eyes of readers to how a young felon thinks. The story line is a first person character study that enables the audience to comprehend Eddie's world as he sees it. The "hard on crime when the vote counts" politicians and the social do-gooders whom neither stop to understand the specimen they place so eloquently under the microscope should read this discerning tale. Andrew Vachss is at his noir best with this homage to the pulp fiction of the 1930s while jabbing the elite of the right and the left.

Harriet Klausner