Sacrifice

I started this series with Flood and have worked my way up to Sacrifice. Vachss always was good at plot but the man is learning how to write. I cared about the people in this one. Im looking forward to the next one.

This is definitely my favorite in the Burke series, for many reasons. Even aesthetically - if you were or are lucky enough to see the jacket of the original hardcover, you'll see that the artwork is beautiful and very distinct from Vachss' earlier jackets (which usually featured a photo representing the female title character). In fact, this book title is the first in the series that does not reference a female character. Another element that distinguishes this book is how directly its drawn from real-life events. All of Vachss' novels are about the truth, but some specifics of the plot, the involvement of Wolfe, Chief of the Citywide Special Victims Bureau, and even the book's dedication page point to a very specific - and gruesome - real-life crime in New York prior to the book's publication. But the most significant accomplishment of Sacrifice is that it's the perfect answer to all the hysterical - and inaccurate - cries of vigilantism. For years, the character, and Vachss himself, suffered through the assumptions and the labels (the "Rambo of Child Abuse" being one of them). But its all very clear with this book. Consider the carefully calculated schemes of the previous novels; the predators were dispatched bloodlessly, almost efficiently. Now compare those things to the conclusion of Sacrifice. Without giving up too many details, Burke's reaction is off the cuff, completely unplanned - "Inside, they weren't the ones, but they'd do" is how he describes the targets of his fury. And he does wreak violence upon them. But someone else also pays the price for his rage, and he hadn't planned on that either. His vengeful rampage isn't satisfying and empowering; it's damaging and it changes him for good. And that is the ultimate beauty of Sacrifice, both a depiction and an indictment of vigilantism. Its the perfect answer and its an excellent book.

This was the first Vachss book I ever read, it was given to me when at the age of thirty I finally got that horrid childhood disease, chicken pox. While laid up with 104 for a fever and wanting to die, my father gave me a copy of Sacrifice to help pass away the hours. Within the first 20 pages the pox were forgotten and a Burke fan was born for life. I knew a pedophile. For years we tried to convince 'the right people' that this person was indeed a pedophile. Unfortunately no one listened and his money bought his release. How I wish I knew a Burke in the real world. What impressed me the most about this book was its truth. It is evident from the start that Mr. Vachss has spent time in the trenches, that his stories are sadly based on a grim part of life most people would rather not acknowledge. The message in his words is conveyed through the gruff gentleness of Burke. The loyalty between Burke and his group is a loyalty very few people share. His voodoo accurate as well, this is simply a high quality novel that will disturb the reader, make the reader think and introduce the reader permanently into The Zone. Read this book.

Andrew Vachss has quitely become one of my favorite writers in the last few years....His book Sacrifice (like all the novels in the Burke series) is hard hitting and an excellent read. He pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. While the subject matter may be difficult to read, his stark writing style brings the point across brutally and simply. The character of Burke is a tough SOB and is a cross between a modern day Robin Hood and the Terminator. He may be a career criminal but you'll find yourself rooting for him to avenge the innocense and KICK BUTT!Once again, I say...READ THIS BOOK.

This is a very good novel. It is very intense! At the same time the characters come across real vividly and with a lot of depth. It is easy to see and picture them, but like real people, not as easy to understand them. There many layers to each person and they don't always do what you expect, and are often surprising with what they do do. When I first started reading it, I was overwhelmed and a little confused just from the number of characters being quickly introduced, and there were repeated references to characters from previous books that I felt I was missing something. Not with regards to having trouble understanding what this book was about, but that there was a lot of history and a lot more to the characters that I wanted to learn about. It's like meeting an interesting person that you like and then want to get to know better. I want to know these characters better and experience their world. I very much look forward to picking up the novels that I missed and reading them also!