Terminal

Terminal, the latest in the much-revered series of novels featuring career criminal Burke, finds Andrew Vachss in a real groove, writing-wise. The end result is an exceptional episode in what is one of the most important series in its genre. Perhaps not the most commercial series, mind you, but that's more a function of the marketplace than anything else. Vachss' novels, both series and stand-alone, require commitment beyond that which is normally required in order to appreciate their full impact. And intent. And as any Vachssian will tell you, that commitment involves action. That action could be anything, from becoming more educated about the realities behind Vachss' fiction--the "Trojan horses" that he constructs--to actually becoming part of the effort to right the wrongs (PROTECT.org). In his words, let your actions be your truth. But we'll talk about that later. At its core, Terminal is a great crime thriller. It finds Burke and his crew at the nexus of a scheme to bring some long-overdue justice to the killers of a young girl. The suspects have been protected by the privilege of their upbringing some 30 years after the murder, and a dying man comes to Burke, via Vachss' time-honored fashion of back-channels and references, with a notion of payback. Burke sees potential for a multi-level reward, so he pulls together his family to vette his ideas and create a plan of action. We are introduced again to Burke's Chosen Family--the indomitable Max The Silent, the rhyming wisdom of the Prof, the laser-focused devotion of Michelle, the genius of The Mole--as they help Burke filter his emotions and desires into a brilliant scheme of deception. Vachss' gift, as his writing has evolved, involves his ability to blend those Trojan horses in so seamlessly with his plotting. His mission is now DNA-bound with his prose. Unlike, say, Tom Clancy--who can be read, and even enjoyed, without signing on to his extreme politics--anyone who DOESN'T think that we have a long way to go before children in this country are truly protected against the monsters we've systematically created is going to find this a challenging read. And if you're that person, you'd better read this--or any other Vachss novel, and learn some truth. As Vachss weaves his plot--and make no mistake, the plot here is complex and very well-knitted--he also takes some interesting detours. Those would be the Trojan horses we talked about. Whether it's a fascinating recollection of how prison society is REALLY organized (as opposed to how it's generally portrayed in American Media) and how that organization manifesting itself into our concept of "rehabilitation" affects us in The World, a prescient look dog-fighting in the "gangsta" cuture, or exposing the outrages that stay under society's radar, primarily because their images don't make good TV, Vachss constructs them in such a way that makes them inseparable from the plotting. It's the reason his novels kick your ass. And that is,

Other reviews here have commented on the plot elements of TERMINAL, the 17th installment in Mr. Vachss' highly popular "Burke" series, as well as the sociopolitical digressions contained therein, so I won't revisit those areas. What I do want to say is that TERMINAL is a deceptively deep, provocative, intensely psychological, incredibly entertaining novel. Mr. Vachss' protagonist, Burke, continues to age and evolve, as do his relationships with his family of choice ... most interesting (and very moving) among them is Burke's reconnection with his brother the Mole. The machinations and manipulations Burke and his family go through to pull off a multilayered extortion scam are of Machiavellian proportions and brilliant in the extreme. The book is beautifully paced, with the excitement and tension growing page-by-page as a potentially violent climax approaches. Masterfully constructed, TERMINAL could perhaps be described as skeletal but, make no mistake, there is nothing "thin" here and much would be missed by reading this truly extraordinary book superficially. A remarkable addition to an already outstanding series, TERMINAL elevates the "Burke" series to whole new level. Anyone reading this exceptional book thoughtfully and carefully will certainly be rewarded. ADDENDUM: Prescience is also something with which Mr. Vachss seems to be gifted. TERMINAL contains a scene in which three "gangsta" types attempt to arrange a big-money, dog fight tournament. The fallout from their misguided efforts is laugh-out-loud funny, strangely touching, and, again, right on target. Given the pace at which the publishing industry moves, the creation of that scene would have had to predate the media roar surrounding Michael Vick's illegal activities by at least a year.

I have to be honest and admit that I understand why Publishers' Weekly describes the work of Andrew Vachss as "over-the-top." Like so many pundits, they are writing from a position of ignorance and wishful thinking. While I have come to expect such ignorance in everyday life, I expect more from those who claim the right to judge the literary merit of America's finest authors. On the other hand, to be honest, there are times when I envy their ignorance, though never for long. Over the years, as I have read each and every one of his books, I have consistently wished that the work of Andrew Vachss really was more fictional and less real. When he wrote about Internet porn, years before "regular people" were aware of this horrendous and lucrative criminal enterprise, he was called "over-the-top," and accused of a wild and sick imagination. If only those accusations were correct. I wish I didn't know so much about the evil that (mostly) men do, and I wish that I could join in the ill-informed chorus that accuses Vachss's novels of being "over-the-top." It would be a better world if he were inventing this stuff, but he is not. Each of Andrew Vachss' novels has required a combination of skill and courage. Because he relies so heavily on unpleasant, unthinkable truth, he is guaranteed to draw fire from bad people who perpetuate these evils, and otherwise good people who simply don't want to believe that they exist. But ignorance is not bliss; ignorance harms children. The telling of hard truths has always been the hallmark of our greatest thinkers, and they are almost always vilified. Later, when the entertainers who bring us our news confirm the unthinkable, too slowly they are believed. Andrew Vachss, it seems, has long ago decided that when it comes to protecting our children, time is not our friend. Subtle education is not on his agenda, because we don't have time for people to figure this stuff out. So Terminal, like every Vachss novel that preceded it, hits us in the face with things we'd rather not believe. If his prose is "over-the-top," it is because of the unvarnished accuracy of his observations. These books may be fiction, but the stories they tell are not. When Vachss hits us in the face with truths we'd rather deny, the correct response is not to assault the messenger. Instead, America should say, "Thanks, we needed that," and do something about it. (For those who choose to do something about it, write to protect.org. You won't be alone.)

Burke is back: older, perhaps wiser, attempting to avoid being crushed by the accumulation of his losses, at the book's beginning. The basic plot has already been described accurately enough. Burke is going through the motions, attending to his usual schemes and scams, but gaining no real satisfaction from his successes. He's back in New York and his family is there for him, as always, but Burke seems struck by a sense of impending...not loss, exactly, but perhaps sadness, as he observes the Family Pride at Flower's academic achievements, even as he shares them, remembering the day her parents met, so long ago. Terry, too, is now a grown man, struggling to accept the idea of commencing with his own life, as he fears his future will bring him further away from his own mother and father, even while understanding that this is what they *want* for him -- a life of his own, outside the shadows. The Prof has Clarence; the Mole has Michelle; Max has Immaculata, and while Burke loves them all, and rejoices in their closeness with one another, Burke himself is all alone. Thoughts of Belle and Pansy haunt him, as does his knowledge that he's blown his last chance with prosecutor Wolfe, and he finds (to his own surprise) that the events which took place in Vachss' last Burke book, _Mask Market_, have affected him profoundly. This is the state of mind Burke is in when contacted by Claw, the terminally-ill, high-ranking member of a White Supremacist group with ties to another member of Burke's family-of-choice, Silver, who Burke fans will remember from other novels. Silver vouches for Claw, so Burke agrees to help him with an extortion scheme against three rich men, who've been keeping a secret, the rape and murder of a young girl that happened way back when they were still three rich *boys*. There is enough detail from former Burke novels to bring new readers at least somewhat up to speed, while not growing tedious for long-time readers. The plot, as always with Vachss, is tightly-woven, intricate, and takes a few surprising turns. Also, as always with Vachss, it serves as a means of conveying deep truths...about family, greed, and the choices people make. I imagine the reviews I've read which mention Vachss' supposed over-the-top "political commentary" most likely all stem from the PW review's mention of "the Bush administration," because this was not what I saw at *all*. Since book one, Burke has had a habit of reading the papers, listening to the radio, and watching teevee, while commenting on the inanities and insanities of the world. Similarly, Burke has *always* criticized the "criminal justice system" -- it's what made him the man he is! Again, Burke has never had a high opinion of politicians -- any politicians from any political party. I did not find him any more overly focused on the Bush administration than he was on the Clinton administration, during the books in which Bill Clinton was President, for example. In no way did I

If you've never picked up a Burke book before, this is the one to start with. Full of action, darkness, and a message buried in the pages that will haunt you long after you finish. Andrew Vachss always calls his books "Trojan Horses" because he wants the public to take a good look at themselves and understand why certain types of evil happens in the world. Vachss has reported on child molestation, Internet child porn, sex slavery in Thailand, and school shootings long before the "media" pretended that they discovered a new phenomenon. Chris Hanson is not a hero; he's a television personality looking for ratings. Andrew Vachss writes "thrillers" to wake people up to the truth. Terminal continues that trend. I don't want to give elements of the plot away. Suffice it to say that this is a one-sitting read, with Hammett-like economy and a poetry all his own. It's no wonder that many of the popular writers today (David Morrell, to name one) sing his praises. To me, if he isn't pissing people off, he's not doing his job. And by pissing off, I mean making the predators of this world angry that he's exposing them for what they are, and angering those "Children of the Secret" who will try to show lawmakers, politicians, and bureaucrats that "behavior is truth." I know that's Mr. Vachss' rallying cry. I hope everyone who sees this will read the book and answer the call.