Customer Reviews

Mask Market (Burke Novels)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Andrew Vachss has carved himself an Ellroy-sized section of the American Noir highway. His Burke novels have laid down the asphalt, and such standalones as Shella, The Getaway Man, and the GREAT Two Trains Running have marked the lanes. He is a major American writer. Just don't tell him, ok? Please, it's for the best. If you've ever attended one of his "readings," you know what I mean.

There are reasons for this. Primarily is that Vachss writes not to tell stories, per se, but to send messages to affect behavior. And it's working. He has mobilized a virtual army in the battle against child pornography, and the visible result is PROTECT, the only child-protection PAC in the nation. They've overturned the heinous incest exception in many states, and have more in their sights [...].

But I'm here to talk about Mask Market, which is the latest in the Burke series. The good news, and a point I can't stress too lightly, is this is a GREAT jumping-on point for those who have never read the series before. Vachss, we can only assume, has taken it upon himself to educate readers who were drawn to this book after reading Two Trains Running by hitting the key events of events past in the universe that is Burke's world. Those first-timers will quickly understand the Manhattan Burke operates in, along with his family, his history and, of course, his demons.

And for those long-timers, think about going to a concert by someone you've loved for years, and how, in the midst of something new, you hear hints of something you recognize, and a few bars later, the song appears in its full glory. Vachss does that here, and it's exciting to read. You know the beats, you know the characters, and yet, he brings them to life as if new. Heck, he even plays those damn trotters!! Now THAT'S kicking it old-school!!

[...] Vachss uses this plot point as a device to bring readers up to speed, in highly entertaining fashion, on the history of the characters, and in many respects, the world--according to Vachss.

The other things you love to read Vachss write about--cars, music, and girls--are all well-represented here, to the point that if I didn't know better, I'd think Vachss actually "had fun" writing about this time. There is, dare I say it, near-joy in his writing this time through, and for those of us that have been with the series since the beginning, it's pretty cool to read.

But a Vachss novel is only sizzle/prose without the meat/message. Those "Trojan horses" he loves to write about, designed to galvanize thought into action. Mask Market has "Trojan ponies" scattered throughout, mostly relating to what constitutes a mask these days. The Big Horse will hit you like buckshot. It's an inversion of something that Vachss readers are very familiar with. Of course, it's concealed in a major plot point, so I'll leave it there for you to find.

Just remember this...for years, "critics" have blasted Vachss for writing about things "too gruesome to be true," when in fact, a few years later, they have become major issues on our landscape. From child pornography/trafficking to kids blowing up kids in schools, to twisted reality programming, Vachss has warned us of the evil that's coming, and dared/inspired us to try and stop it. He just happens to do it in highly entertaining fashion, with the Burke series. Which, with Mask Market, reclaims its place among the Great Series in Crime Fiction.

Continuing characters are tricky things. Change too little, and the series grows stagnant. Change too much, and fans move on, looking elsewhere for comfort in another serving of "the familiar."

And then, there's Burke.

Vachss never sacrifices truth for expediency. Burke has evolved over the years, and yet never strayed from his core. He's loved, lost, grown and reverted, much like any other human on the planet. It's this realistic portrayal that elevates the Burke series over any other ongoing series currently on the shelves.

MASK MARKET continues the trend of honestly chronicling the life of Burke, faults and all. There's no KO punch here -no plot twist in the final paragraphs, or unexpected appearance to shock the reader- but a continual rain of punishing jabs, that in the end combine for a devestating decision. Vachss -and Burke- go the distance in this one, and at the final bell, both the character and the reader are left standing, bruised and bloody, but ready for the next fight.

You can read a synopsis by scrolling up. You can only experience the truth by spending some coin and sharing an evening with Burke. Trust me, it'll be worth your money and your time.

If you pick up this book hoping for a replay of the highly-conceived schemes and murders of the previous books, you might as well put it down. If you pick it up hoping for a replay of ANYTHING in the previous books, put it down. If you pick up ANY book just looking for a replay of the author's previous novel, seriously reconsider it.

We've all been trained since grade school that the way to read a book is primarily to Identify The Plot, but with well-written books, there's always so much more going on.

Besides, if you've read any of Vachss' work, you understand that he has no interest in reinventing his own wheel - he has an entire concept.

And in Mask Market? Part of the concept would definitely be the idea of deception - there are tons of masks in this book and the majority of them are less than effective, Burke's included.

The rest - and the best part - involves Burke's continuing evolution. Each book usually finds him in a different state of mind; this book finds him at a whole new stage in his life, not surprisingly. Risk has become a much heavier weight to carry and Burke is seriously hedging all his bets - the almost incidental mention of his now-regular prostate cancer screenings is like a frying pan to the face. His relationship with his family hasn't so much changed or even deepened as...I'm not sure. He openly admits that he loves them; he's always shown it, never said it. He spends the entire novel using a fake identity with his new lady friend, Loyal - not just a different name, but even financial and marital status. He never reveals himself. His behavior is that of a man with...something to lose?

And he's forced to face some very ugly truths about himself - one is that he's gotten away from his "code", as Wolfe identifies it, of saving kids. The other is that he may have unknowingly endangered a kid while following that code. Its a complicated juxtaposition: he was always driven to act when coming across children in danger, but he also usually managed to "find the money" while doing it.

Wolfe tells him "You can't be a mercenary and expect to be treated like a patriot." So which is he? There are a couple of very strong opinions by the end of the book.

Vachss explores all these things and even manages to include a startlingly accurate description of Paris Hilton in the process.

But no doubt, you'll see things that never even occured to me. So go ahead and satisfy your curiosity about the plot. Then, get to the heart of the book and read the rest.

In MASK MARKET, the 16th installment in Andrew Vachss' extremely popular "Burke" series, Mr. Vachss sends his protagonist/anti-hero, Burke, in a very new and different direction. The unlicensed investigator is confronted with a person from his past, a woman whom he rescued from a pimp when she was a teenager and then returned to her parents. It is now twenty years later and the woman is enmeshed in a homicide and the theft of a considerable sum of money. Burke is forced to evaluate the validity of his original rescue and explore the idea that perhaps he made a mistake. This self-evaluation and the subsequent investigation leads to a considerable amount of Burke's back-story being revealed, giving new insights into this complex and violent man's methods and motivations ... a true gift from the author to longtime fans of the series and new readers alike.

The effects of aging are also in evidence on the Burke of MASK MARKET and not at all to the negative. MASK MARKET gives the reader a somewhat wiser, more emotionally evolved Burke than is presented in previous novels. Age, however, has done nothing to diminish the hatred Mr. Vachss' main character holds for his enemies or his desire for revenge. Additionally, I very much enjoyed Burke's tangential comments on current hot-button political issues. While Burke's political beliefs do tend to reflect my own, these digressions wonderfully demonstrate how a thinking, sentient human being need not be a robotic slave to a political ideology, i.e., one can be quite "liberal" in regard to issues such as the "right-to-life" and stem cell research while being quite "conservative" when it comes to matters concerning the protection of children.


Much more introspective than previous books of the "Burke" series, MASK MARKET is crafted like a beautiful painting or piece of music, every brushstroke is in the perfect place, every note ringing true and clear. An absolutely brilliant book featuring one of the most heart-chilling villians ever created ... immensely rewarding for anyone willing and able to give it the serious and intelligent reading it deserves.

Years ago I was told to purchase Vachss' novels by the Mysterious Bookstore in Manhattan. They said they were "hard core" novels. Great if I could stomach them. Each novel opened my eyes to a part of society that I was sure he was exaggerating...only to discover that they were indeed the underbelly of society. As the years progressed, the underbelly of society would come to the surface as a truism or a cause celeb. He would write a new book, delve to a deeper more hideous layer. Then voila, society would tread down the same path.

With his history, I do not know why I would have doubted the truth in his novels. Now I take them for fact. Everytime I pick up a book his staccato writing style drops me into a comfortable world. The comfortable world of Burke and his "family". Burke's world, although outside the law, is the world that you root for, the world that you want to win. You wish the real world worked in tandem with Burke's laws.

His books always, always, make you think. They skew your thoughts in a way that leave you wondering why you did not think of the situation in that fashion in the first place.

Thought provoking, disturbing, and very readable. If you haven't you will want to read the whole series.

I received Mask Market, the newest Burke novel, from Amazon on Tuesday. By Thursday, I had gobbled it whole like a juicy burger.

The plot is *very* twisty and completely unpredictable, which contrasted very well with the warm familiar feeling I have when reading about Burke and his family-of-choice. Of course, the most interesting thing about Vachss' characters is that time doesn't stand still between books. By now, Max the Silent's daughter, Flower, (a baby during Blue Belle) has started college at Barnard!

But although they all age, none stops growing. Burke's thoughts and reactions throughout this book point to an entirely surprising kind of self-awareness I never thought would happen.
Mask Market will make a good starting point for new readers into the Burke series, as well -- the story stands by itself, and anyone who starts here will be all the more interested in where Burke started.

Vachss is your ticket to that screwed up world that exists hidden amongst us. You see glimpses, hear the news reports, but you'll never be able to see it from the inside without a guide. Vachss has provided our man Burke as that guide and as narrator, vigilante, hunter, preacher, warrior, protector, and killer.

The great news for first-timers is that "Mask Market" is the most accessible Burke novel yet. You can start with this book; Vachss put so much of Burke's background into the story that you don't need to have read any other Burke novel to get on the ride now. If you like "Mask Market", then you have a reservoir of great reading waiting for you in paperback.

For those of you who made the effort to keep up with Burke from the start, you won't be disappointed either. As Harriet wrote, Burke is back! Back in New York, back with his old crew, back to his old habits, and back in the action.

This book is driven more by set-piece scenes than by an overall plot. Burke has to make sure an organized gang of killers isn't after him. That takes a lot of work to locate a witness and squeeze a contractor he's worked with for years. I'm only giving it four stars for lack of the usual amount of action scenes, and because some of the commentary wasn't wholly consistent with the Burke we've come to know, but the writing is still excellent and flows easily.

Vachss loves music and mentions it constantly in the narrative. For "Safe House", Vachss even released a CD compilation to go along with that book. It would be great to have that here.

My last question: is there a Burke movie in the works?

First, let me say that I Love Andrew Vachss's early books, I agree with most of his social and political viewpoints and admire him as a man, but his writing has reached the point where it just plain stinks. Every new book is just a series of boring conversations between his by now very familiar main characters, conversations which go nowhere and signify nothing. You can always count on a slew of new anecdotes about life in jail and life on the streets. You can count on a plump female character talking about how she needs to lose weight and Burke saying how she doesn't because he digs fat chicks. (okay, Andrew, after all this time we know you like a lady with a little meat on her bones. Stop rubbing that point in our faces) You can also count on a paper-thin "plot" being tossed in as an afterthought, with the plot never being fully realized or explained. I told myself 5 or 6 books ago that I would never read another Vachhs book because at this point, all they do is waste my time. However, I inevitably find myself picking up each new novel and reading it, hoping it will be as good as his earlier works, only to be disappointed every time. Mr. Vachss, here's an idea; instead of trying to crank out a book every year, why not take some time off and come up with a really good plot before you begin writing again? With apologies, from a former---and hopefully future---fan.

This was my first Vachss book and I listened to it rather than read it. What a wonderful surprise to find such an engaging character, an intricate story with lots of curious morality, and the most wonderful, kind ending a person could imagine.

It is tightly written, moody, and gritty. The story is frightening as well as uplifting in an undefinable and, well, wierd way.

I highly recommend it.

Vachss is such a strong author, I have yet to find fault with much he has created. The only weakness, and it is not much of one, is Burke's treatment of his women. Important point, this is Burke's weakness, not a weakness with the writing.

All the old favorite characters are back, all have moved forward with their lives in interesting ways. I love Mamma and Max, miss Wolfe and adore the Mole.

Note to Vachss, can Burke get a new dog? Pansy is gone, maybe it is time for Burke to move on.