Down in the Zero

"Down In The Zero" is Andrew Vachss' seventh novel featuring Burke, the hard-boiled, in-your-face, ex-con detective, who still isn't sure on which side of the law he prefers to operate. Abandoned at birth, father and mother unknown, Burke has no real first name. "Baby boy" is the name on his birth certificate. He is a survivor. He's also a standup guy. The novel is set in early 1990s NYC, just after Mayor Guiliani came to office with the intent to clean up the City's mean streets. I have read the six previous Burke books and have became so fascinated with this complex character, and with the strange folks who people his world, that I will probably go on to read the entire series. I am addicted. If you are a Vachss/Burke fan, or have the potential to become one, I would suggest that you try to read the books in order. Of course, every novel stands on its own, independent of the others, but the growth and development of the characters are continual. There are also references to past events, and for a richer reading experience it is helpful to know the history. If you're just looking for a good read, and not interested in becoming a Burke maven, then by all means, read at random. Throughout this book Burke mourns the horribly violent death of a little boy for which he feels responsible, (these events took place in a previous novel). He finds himself in a black place - the Zero, he calls it - "a deep black hole you dive into," and he is unable to climb out. It is not death, but this abyss may be worse than death because one still feels the intense pain of the living. Then he receives a phone call from a troubled teen who fears for his life. The boy, a rich kid from the Connecticut suburbs is the son of a woman from Burke's past - a ghost from long ago who once saved his skin. He feels like he owes her a favor and so takes a trip to the burbs and the world of the super wealthy. Here he discovers a string of inexplicable teen suicides all linked to a common experience at a psychiatric clinic. Burke also becomes involved with a woman, Fancy, a friend of his friend and a member of an elite private sex club. She is definitely not a "vanilla sex" lady. Fancy introduces Burke to the world of S & M, D & S, and encourages him to participate. She is even willing to switch for him and play the submissive. This kinkiness all eventually links-up to the suicides in an extremely convoluted way. P. I. Burke, as always, is the narrator. And the narrative, at times, goes off on a tangent, like Burke's thought processes. This occasional stream of consciousness has always been extremely effective and enhances the detective's persona. However, here Vachss wanders a bit too much and his usual tight writing style suffers for it. While "Down in the Zero" is strong on character development, the storyline is not the best. However, I am into these novels because of my man Burke and the characters who form his "real family." In this area Vachss does not disappoint. So

By "Dark Side," I don't mean the occult. Real-life attorney Vachss has an intimate grasp on all that that is offensive to the majority of us who live quiet, (semi-)organized lives. We gasp and recoil at the real-life occurrence of a brutal act by one human against another. The world of Vachss is the opposite. Therein we are non-plussed by an act of kindness. His world is real; it is simply a world that most of us chose to deny the existence of. (In this latest outing, Vachss takes his main character, Burke, to the upper class suburbs to fulfill a longstanding "debt." Burke, an abandoned and abused former ward of the state, (both in childhood and occasionally in adulthood) is a urban survivalist, con artist and city animal. He is also presently mourning his "accidental" killing of a small child. (I told you it was tough stuff to take!) But he adapts to this new, ritzy environment as only a true survivor can. (Vachss' fans will recall that he pulled this off before, in exurban Indiana, in "Blossom.") And, as always, he solves the underlying crisis through a combination of detective work, technological assistance, sheer bravado and unrelenting violence.The common theme to all Burke novels is moral outrage. Once Vachss has overwhelmed us with the horror of the situation (and it always involves the sexual and physical abuse of children), we applaud his character as a vengeful angel. Burke consciously believes that he does what he does for the money. Nonsense. He's driven by the demons of his own abusive upbringing. And I wouldn't want him "cured' for the world...Keep writing 'em, Andrew. I'll keep reading them and recommending them.

Despite its laid back approach to a mystery, I liked its down-to-earth descriptions of how the rich think and feel. I would have liked it better if they had spent a little more time on Burke, but I'm sure I'll get that in other books. All in all an enjoyable adventure.

Those who have not read anything by Andrew Vachss have missed out on one of the really original voices in contemporary mystery writing. His recurring hero, Burke, has a shadowy past and an even more shadowy collection of friends and 'family'. The writing style is spare, the atmosphere is tense and the plots tend to emphasize a combination of quick violence and brooding psychological insights. In Down in the Zero, Burke moves to somewhat unfamiliar territory in tackling the mystery of a rash of teen suicides. The action, while less ugly than in many of Vachss books, is typically emotionally charged. Burke is a unique hero - sensitive, flawed and competently violent when need be. If you've never read Vachss and enjoy thrillers with a dark edge, give this one a try. It might give you a taste for more - and he has seven or eight Burke novels, all deserving of attention.

His writing is poetic, real, entrancing. Andrew is grossly analytical. Burke becomes very real, Fancy, Sonny, even Cherry seem to nest themselves in my thoughts even still. One of the best authors of this time. This book has created an impact on me.