Customer Reviews

Only Child: A Burke Novel (Burke Novels)

5 star:		(17)
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3 star:		(1)
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In the mid 1800s, Gustave Flaubert described France as a place where "the banal, the facile, and the foolish are invariably applauded, adopted, and adored." Flaubert's lament is an equally apt condemnation of early 21st century life in America, or indeed, much of the modern "developed" world.

I have never written a book review before. I have never read a Burke novel before either. The convergence of the two firsts is no accident. I loved this book, but from reading the descriptions and professional reviews before getting my copy, I didn't necessarily expect to even *like* it.

I'm not a stranger to Andrew Vachss' writing, having enjoyed all the comics, short fiction, and full-length novel "Shella." And Vachss is well known as the author of the Burke series, so most fans are presumably already closely acquainted with the characters I just discovered in fall of 2002.

"Only Child" has been promoted by pros and fans alike as the book "we" have all been waiting for, the one that sees Burke return to his native New York. And if you've ever read even a single review of any Burke novel, or any article about Vachss for that matter, then you already know that Vachss, and Burke, are both the ultimate New Yorkers. One review of the books I've seen stated that New York City is actually the "predominate character" of the entire series. For those people who are "fans" of New York, this is bound to be a draw, but Vachss' and Burke's fans come from all over the world. If you're one of those people who hated "Dead and Gone" and "Pain Management," and couldn't wait for Burke to get back to his home turf, then you've probably already ordered "Only Child" and need no encouragement to give it a shot. If you are more like me - West Coast to the core, never been to New York, nor had any special desire to go there, met plenty of people *from* NY who pay homage to the Holy City, but would laugh in your face if you offered them a pre-paid one-way ticket and guaranteed job back to where they're from - then you might be a little more dubious about jumping into an established series at the "coming-home-after-an-enforced-absence" point.

If so, DON'T BE. Perhaps people familiar with and fond of New York see the city as a character, but if this is not the case, it's no kind of problem at all in my eyes. The themes Vachss deals with are international and timeless, and so are the characters. If you've never been closer to the east coast than El Centro, don't fear that you'll be left out. I think every single review I've read so far stresses the back-to-New-York angle, and the fact that Burke must "infiltrate the teenage subculture" of Long Island as pluses. The first drawing point initially made me worry that I'd be confused by endless local references, and the second I admit had me half expecting some kind of "Samurai Jack undercover at the rave" trick, but both worries proved so groundless that it was amazing. Yes, Burke is home, and if you're a NY native, you'll doubtless rejoice, but rather than a passel of location minutia, this fact is written in a way immediately comprehensible to anyone who's ever returned to *anything* that felt like coming home. Crossing the Triborough, crossing the Grapevine, crossing the threshold to anywhere one has missed from someplace else - what's the difference? When the writer is as good as Vachss, there isn't one.

I found (to my relief) the "teenage subculture" sections to be both believable *and* not entirely integral to the plot. I noticed things in this book I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere, and those are what truly impressed me. There's a totally excellent kid early on in the book that I fell in love with right off.If there's a god in this world, then Hugh (and BOO) will find a way to cross paths with Burke again. This kid is so real you've probably birthed or babysat him, and so cool that you were probably truly enriched by the experience! The part that impressed me the most is difficult to express without giving away too much, but it involves the book's villain (one of them at least). Someone I know was reading "Only Child" around the same time I was, and both of us were like "Hey -- did you think of..." and both immediately said the same acquaintance's name - it was honestly freaky. A certain number of us have probably met people a lot like Cyn and Rejji in childhood, probably a lot more of us as teenagers...but the really soul-tweaked specimens often make themselves known, in other guises, to the college-aged masses, of which I am a member. If you read certain portions of the "Only Child" dialogue, there would definitely be dozens at my own school, and thousands across the country, so sure they recognized an actual person from their own lives, that one can begin to understand the "Vachss is reading my mail" phenomenon.

To say any more would spoil the enjoyment of discovery, so I'll close by saying -- if I was pitching a screenplay, I'd probably describe this book as "Hannah Arendt meets Antonin Artaud"...and then throw in some crap about "...on a gritty urban landscape" to try to hook the reader, but this book is written for people too smart to get hooked, so I'll just say: Take a chance, buy this book, if you're anything like me you won't regret it. (If you're nothing at all like me, you might, but you're probably not sufficiently interesting for me to care, LOL.)

Great book. Buy it and see for yourself.

Here's the thing. Vachss keeps turning out the most realistic bad guys ever. After every one of his books get released, there's a story in the news about the Feds busting a gang of bad guys (and bad girls) doing just what Vachss warned us about.

Again, the characters in Only Child are bound to turn up on tonight's news. In his quirky and serious style, Vachss sets Only Child on Long Island, a densely populated suburb of New York City. Its bad guys who prey upon the (mostly) sanguine suburbanites are exactly the kind of predators that your Mom warned you about.

This is not a novel ripped from the headlines, quite certainly, it's the other way around. Tomorrow's headlines will, once again, be written about the real people behind the fictionalized characters in this book.

Only Child is another Burke novel. If you think you're getting tired of yet another one, don't worry. It's fresh, (in Vachss' punishing kind of way) it's twisted, and the ending plays out like a novel written with a sense of fairness in a decidedly unfair world.

Vachss writes dialogue like every writer wishes he could. No matter what crime/noir/verité writer you've been hooked on before, you never really get hooked until you've read Vachss.

I'm a slow reader. I finished Only Child in about 2 days. Vachss' writing is like a pitbull locking onto you - you just can't shake it loose. When one of Vachss' books hits the stores, I drop everything else to go get it and read it. Not many writers I can say that about, and there are several reasons.

Real characters that inspire true emotions from the reader, with depth and development across time; intricate plot line; sledge hammer prose; a perfectly-woven story - all are standard issue with any Vachss novel. I can't guarantee you'll like his work. I've heard people say it's too intense, too scary, too gritty, too real - but never boring, and never bad writing. Maybe those people were looking for a "light read," I don't know. This stuff is more like mercury. If you read one of his stories and you dig his work, you'll be hooked for life.

Because this man brings together two elements in his writing that make for a potent combination. First, Vachss is a warrior. Read his credentials on the sleeve of the novel, and you'll know - he's been there. He has lived the stories he writes - or has battled for people who have. Like any true warrior, Vachss stays with the mission until either the job is finished or he is. Vachss' war is against child abuse. His writing is one powerful weapon in that war. It has inspired legislation (see the CARE Act) and recruits an increasing number of soldiers to the cause with each new book.

Second, Vachss doesn't just have an inborn talent for writing. He is a master - and I mean skill, as you can only gain from practice. And like any true master, Vachss never stops becoming more skilled at his craft. Only Child proves that. Beautiful writing about an ugly subject. "Criminal psychology" through the criminal's eyes - Burke (the main character) seeking redemption in the only way that matters, and telling us where evil truly comes from. Vachss clearly views writing as a medium for accurately conveying experience, emotion, and truth. Few things are more beautiful than the truth; and if any writer is more qualified to pull it off, I'd like to hear about them.

The passion that drives Vachss' mission hits you with the power of a .50 cal, firing words like voodoo-cursed bullets - aimed with the grace of a samurai's blade. This isn't just hard-core, top-notch writing. It is the stuff of life-and-death; the pulse of the streets. You will be educated, enlightened, angered, scared, empowered, and, hopefully, spurred into action. "I just open the case files and change the names," says Vachss. But he does far more than that. A good story goes miles further than a good sermon. Vachss writes great stories - the message behind the writing woven in as deeply as sinew, and will strike you just as deep. College criminology classes need to make Vachss required reading.

Andrew Vachss lost the thread of his Burke books about five years ago. What he needs is a good editor again to tell him what's working and what isn't. I have to say, though, that he seemed to be getting back on track with this one, although there's about 80 pages of padding. I kept saying to myself, "Get to it, Vachhs, and stop babbling!" Finally I gave up and just couldn't finish. Still, I remain a fan of the man's work.

When it becomes clear at the end of 'Pain Management' that Burke has decided to return home to New York many readers breathed a sigh of relief. Burke's pain at his losses had created a world that was too nightmarishly bleak, even for Andrew Vachss. If the silent crusader had remained, the call of the zero would simply have become too strong.

So the first part of 'Only Child' is a homecoming, one as joy filled as a Vachss story is ever allowed to get. Burke's family - Michelle the transsexual, Mama, the Professor, the Mole, Clarence, Max, Terry, and the countless others that Burke has helped all reappear. It is unusual to speak of love in the dark side of the city that Vachss' characters inhabit, but it is there, ready to lend one of the shadow knight all the strength he needs.

The case Burke becomes a reflection of Burke's one need for family. Two men, both important in the organized crime world come to Burke with a grim problem. One of them had and interracial daughter at a time that is organization could not tolerate that behavior. He gave in to his fears and detached from the woman, and now, 18 years later she is dead, stabbed repeatedly and the police are useless. Giovanni doesn't know if the killing was a sex crime or an attempt at getting to him, but he wants revenge. And he and his lover want Burke to find the killer.

The story turns into an intricate piece of detection, which is rare for a Vachss novel. In order to penetrate the world the girl lived in, Burke must hatch scheme after scheme, including an outstanding effort as a casting director. This is really one of Vachss more interesting plots, a shade less noir than usual. Think of it as an anti-heroic procedural.

It has been a while since a Burke story has been this light on its feet, and the change is refreshing. The dialog is sharp, Vachss knack for making the reader feel the ghostly presence of the darkness is at a peak. As is his ability to penetrate to the essence of the victims and their predators. I think many old fans who have been less than happy lately will find this one a source of great delight.

Having read most of the Burke books, I can say I've never been disappointed. ONLY CHILD is no exception. It's a compelling story that will keep readers turning pages long into the night. But the thing I have to point out is the absolutely dead-on right way Vachss captures the feel for the Long Island (NY) locale. Being born and raised here it's nice to see the Island truthfully and honestly depicted in this book. Vachss even managed to find the best hardware store on Long Island (Karp's Hardware in East Northport), and include them in the story. Now I *really* know that Vachss knows what he writes.

It is 4:30 in the morning.
Now that we have established that little fact, let me tell you a little bit about my reading habits. I have a library full of books. Heck, I work in a book store. I adore books. A nice little chunk of every day is spent reading something. Since my son was born almost a year ago, this reading mostly takes place at the foot of the stairs to my apartment while I draw on a pipe so the smoke won't offend anyone else in the house. I usually read in twenty to forty minute sessions, usually enough for a bowl or two of Vanilla Cavendish. After that I put the book down and go about my day (or night as it usually turns out). It is like my own little sanctuary, and that is where I leave it. There is a stack of books at the foot of the stairs I am currently working through. In the last year I have never brought a book back up with me to continue. There is always a good spot to put a book down, believe me. At least I thought so until I started Only Child today. I read while I smoked, then I came up to the living room and read while my wife watched TV, then I returned to the spot and smoked some more (at least with a pipe I am looking at lip and throat cancer rather than that lung stuff), followed by a stint in the rocking chair and finally finishing with a last smoke while the book raced to its conclusion. I am not a fast reader either. I tend to savor books. The closer this book got to the final pages, however, the faster I read. I read as I walked up and down the stairs. I read as I went to the kitchen for a soda. I just couldn't look away from this book. In my younger days, I might have read a book straight through, but age (and being an aging father) has caught up with me. Now it is an unknown experience. Until I started Only Child today.
I am not going to go into plot elements and how wonderful and engaging and hard Mr. Vachss writing is or even how amazing the character of Burke is at he has evolved over the years and in the pages (and you should read the Burke novels in order as there is definite evolution and continuity). You probably know all that. I am simply going to tell you that in years of reading some really wonderful books, the experience of having found one so intriguing that I couldn't put it down until it was done is an experience I haven't had in a very long while.
It is 4:30 in the morning, and I couldn't be happier. Or more blown away.

It took Andrew Vachss nearly two full novels to get his tarnished hero, the underworld figure Burke, back to his native New York from his exile on the West Coast. Burke's return is more than wlecome, for it pumps new life into a series that was growing somewhat stale heading into its 15th volume. Though bringing Burke home causes "Only Child" to start a little slow, it picks up the pace after about pasge 25, and is ultimately one of the better entries in the series.

This time out, Burke is hired by a closeted homosexual gangster to investigate the murder of his teenage daughter. Burke enlists his usual crew: The Mole, The Prof, Michelle, Mama, Max the Silent, etc., to help him track the killer. The investigation eventually leads to a video ring that is taping violent "reality" encounters featuring local teenagers.

Once again, Vachss has managed to mine the depths of human depravity to lend additional weight to his story. Crime novels simply don't get much grittier than this. Though some of his dialog still tends to be a bit over the top (the worst offenders this time out are the two lesbian porno queens), no other mystery writer working today writes with such cuttingly sharp prose or with a better feel for the streets.

Overall, "Only Child" is a winning entry in a veteran mystery/crime series.

"Only Child" is a return to what makes the Burke novels great. Andrew Vachss is giving us the message through great characterization and great plot when Burke goes back to New York. His great supporting cast is one of the best I've encountered and it's great seeing Mama, Max, Prof, Clarence, the Mole, Terry and Michelle back in the mix. Some of the fringe players are back as well when Burke is hired to investigate the murder of a young girl.

As with all Burke novels, this book takes place in the present and incorporates recent events both above and below ground. People who read it will definitely draw comparisons to the underside of some themes in modern movies like Vin Diesel's XXX (though this book is obviously not an extreme sports action/adventure international spy story, it won't be hard to notice the topicality of some of the themes in this book.)

For Burke fans, you won't be disappointed. For newcomers, there's plenty enough in this book to make you want to read the entire series from front to back.

Burke knows it is time to come home so he packs up what little he has after living on the run and returns to New York City where he connects with Mama, Michelle and a host of old friends. When Mama tells him his "bank balance" is only $60,000 dollars, Burke understands that he must find a high paying job rather quickly. Mama gets a phone call from a man who needs Burke's special services and she pushes him into listening to what the client has to say.

Giovanni Antonelli, a man highly placed in the mob, wants Burke to find out who killed his illegitimate sixteen year old daughter. Giovanni thinks that the killing was to drive a wedge between him and Felix Encarnacion, an assassin for the Colombian cartel. The "friendship" that exists between the two men precedes a betrayal so Burke has to use all his contacts to trace the girl's movements before her death. By doing it his way, he gets answers from people that will not talk to the police and that leads him to what she was doing in her last hours, which could also prove to be Burke's last moments too.

Dead or Alive Burke stands for the children when no one else does. He may break many laws in his quest for justice but there is something so admirable about a man who respects and reveres innocence that readers do not care about his methods as long as they are effective. ONLY CHILD is Andrew Vachss at his very best, which makes for an awesome reading experience.

Harriet Klausner