"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
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