Andrew Vachss

Today I am going to write about one of my favorite authors, Andrew Vachss.
I first encountered his work about 20 years ago when a colleague in the office where I worked at that time passed on a paperback book Saying "I think you may like this". The book was called "Flood" and was my first introduction to a series of books and short stories that have kept me interested and entertained but also have provoked deep thought over many years.

Mr Vachss is a lawyer by profession, specializing in child abuse cases,but manages to also spend time on his novels and short stories, and collaboration with other authors and artists such as Geoffrey Darrow and Joe .R.Lansdale And even to co-write blues music with the great "Son"Seals.

The main thrust of Andrew's novels is a character named "Burke" an ex-convict and scam artist who makes his living in the underworld of New York City mainly by ripping off paedophiles and wannabee mercenaries,but on an altogether different level is somewhat of a moral crusader in as much that he has an overwhelming hatred of anyone who does harm to children.

One of the strengths of Andrew's writings, are the powerfully and strongly developed characters, not only of Burke but also of his "Family" as he calls it, of outlaws and misfits, a crazy-genius who lives in a junkyard,a transexual prostitute, a Mongolian warrior and may other strange but fascinating characters populate this strange world. Which is alien to me but could be on my doorstep

There is an underlying thread of morality insofar that the real villain never wins but there is always another waiting in the wings to take his turn. Mr Vachhs claims that these are not novels but "Trojan Horses" in other words the truth veiled in fiction.I cannot comment on this but every time my order from Amazon arrives H.B knows that I will be lost until I have completed reading the book.

So far he has published 18 novels and I believe 3 collections of short stories, and I have enjoyed every one.

To find out more you can go to http://www.vachss.com

Happy Reading Ogri