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Burke #17
Terminal
"You know why we hate you? Not because you don't know what we know, but because, if you did, you wouldn't give a damn.
So I'm sitting here, waiting to commit extortion, and planning a lot worse. I'm what you'd call a criminal. That's why I'll never be you. And I'm proud of it."
--from Terminal
When the former shot-caller of the country's most feared white supremacist prison gang contacts Burke, he comes with references ... and the promise of a huge score. Terminally ill, the ex-con needs major cash to gamble on the long-shot possibility of a cure that's available only in Switzerland. The only card he has to play is a small-time degenerate who paid for protection when they were in prison together. That professional bottom-feeder claims he personally buried the body of a thirteen-year-old girl who had been raped, tortured, and finally killed by three rich men more than thirty years ago--and that he's holding irrefutable proof. But such a complicated extortion scheme needs the hand of a specialist crew, so Burke is offered a piece of the action.
He and his outlaw family put together a lethal plan. If they can pull it off, Burke gets the two things he lives for: Money and Revenge. If not, "terminal" could prove to be more than just one man’s diagnosis.
Terminal is a blistering thriller that forces Burke back in time--to keep a blood-commitment to a brother from his prison past, and to avenge the "cold-cased" rape-murder of a teenage girl.
So I'm sitting here, waiting to commit extortion, and planning a lot worse. I'm what you'd call a criminal. That's why I'll never be you. And I'm proud of it."
--from Terminal
When the former shot-caller of the country's most feared white supremacist prison gang contacts Burke, he comes with references ... and the promise of a huge score. Terminally ill, the ex-con needs major cash to gamble on the long-shot possibility of a cure that's available only in Switzerland. The only card he has to play is a small-time degenerate who paid for protection when they were in prison together. That professional bottom-feeder claims he personally buried the body of a thirteen-year-old girl who had been raped, tortured, and finally killed by three rich men more than thirty years ago--and that he's holding irrefutable proof. But such a complicated extortion scheme needs the hand of a specialist crew, so Burke is offered a piece of the action.
He and his outlaw family put together a lethal plan. If they can pull it off, Burke gets the two things he lives for: Money and Revenge. If not, "terminal" could prove to be more than just one man’s diagnosis.
Terminal is a blistering thriller that forces Burke back in time--to keep a blood-commitment to a brother from his prison past, and to avenge the "cold-cased" rape-murder of a teenage girl.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
23 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Vachss
152books877followersAndrew Vachss has been a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases, a social-services caseworker, a labor organizer, and has directed a maximum-security prison for “aggressive-violent� youth. Now a lawyer in private practice, he represents children and youths exclusively. He is the author of numerous novels, including the Burke series, two collections of short stories, and a wide variety of other material including song lyrics, graphic novels, essays, and a “children’s book for adults.� His books have been translated into twenty languages, and his work has appeared in Parade, Antaeus, Esquire, Playboy, the New York Times, and many other forums. A native New Yorker, he now divides his time between the city of his birth and the Pacific Northwest.
The dedicated Web site for Vachss and his work is
. That site and this page are managed by volunteers. To contact Mr. Vachss directly, use the "email us" function of vachss.com.
The dedicated Web site for Vachss and his work is
. That site and this page are managed by volunteers. To contact Mr. Vachss directly, use the "email us" function of vachss.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 15, 2016
I knew what he was right in that moment. The kind of human that would make lice jump off his skin and vultures refuse to eat his flesh.
The world has moved on and left our antihero Burke in its dust. Members of his family have all gotten on with their lives simply by having lives. His former occupation of preying on the lawless has been supplanted, largely by the internet. Scams and stings that Burke used to spend months plotting are now done in the blink of an eye by someone sitting at a computer.
What's an old-fashioned guy to do?
Luckily some still require his specialized, personal services.
And, there are always plenty of old scores to settle.
A slam-bang ending and some fine writing earn this one four stars.
And Burke? He's got his eye on another dog.
So, there's hope . . .
The world has moved on and left our antihero Burke in its dust. Members of his family have all gotten on with their lives simply by having lives. His former occupation of preying on the lawless has been supplanted, largely by the internet. Scams and stings that Burke used to spend months plotting are now done in the blink of an eye by someone sitting at a computer.
What's an old-fashioned guy to do?
Luckily some still require his specialized, personal services.
And, there are always plenty of old scores to settle.
A slam-bang ending and some fine writing earn this one four stars.
And Burke? He's got his eye on another dog.
So, there's hope . . .
October 28, 2022
as I approach the conclusion of the series for the second time eight years later experiencing the repetition in the audible format backed up by e-books, I continue to be surprised that my lack of recollection of having read this book previously. I also find that the book is loaded with pages about criminal lifestyle rather than action. Burke reflecting on the code of the lawbreaker and the life of the skinheads and degenerates is not especially enthralling. I think I have upgraded this book from three stars to four stars because I want to honor the author who died at the end of last year. He wrote a number of other books in addition to this 18 book series. I have some of them on my shelf and may attempt to take a look at them in the print format to see what I think.
—ĔĔĔĔ�
This book is coming at the end of the Burke series. The first two pages are action packed as Burke continues to pedal his tough guy skills to make a buck for himself and his family. “I slid the length of rebar out of my sleeve, gripped the taped end, and took out his knee from behind.� But his old con games are no longer dependable as the times have changed so he forced to scheme in new ways.
Since this is the next to the last book in the series, I am like the cows going home to the barn: just moseying along ready to relax. I am both curious and impatient to come to the conclusion of this long and sometimes too complex journey called the Burke series. I am prepared for “not with a bang but a whimper� but hoping for something more satisfying.
Vachss spends a lot of page space making it OK for Burke to take on a job involving the thirty year old vicious rape and murder of a teenage girl. Sounds like a good thing for Burke to do, right? The problem here is that the person who wants him to work on this case is a dying white supremacist. Burke is best known for his exploits at bringing “freaks� to justice � people who are sexual predators against children. Pedophiles are a favorite target. In this case the guy who wants to hire him is a leader of the Arian Brotherhood, someone Burke knows from his time in jail. They have had a mutual understanding and respect in prison. While this guy has a lot of negative attributes, he is in some ways what Burke considers “righteous� in that he is a man of his word, his word is his bond, and he is no “baby rapist� slimeball. And while Burke is a killer when called for, he is a person with his own version of high moral standards! So taking a job for this guy is not a given.
The other thing that Vachss takes pains for us to understand is that one bottom line for Burke is the bottom line. That is, a major motivating factor is money. “You can’t be a thief unless you about the money. Nothing else.� He is looking for a work that pays. The more the better. This is a change from the early Burke who did the right things for the right reasons � for justice. He had some nobility and the fact that he made some money at it was not the main purpose. Now he wants to follow his principles but he needs to be able to support his family. What this Arian Brotherhood mate wants him to do is extortion. He can provide proof that the crime was committed by three rich boys (now men) who will pay millions to keep from being exposed. The AB character needs his portion of the millions to go to Switzerland to have his terminal disease cured. So here we have our principled protagonist being hired with the promise of riches, part of which will to save the life of this disreputable man but part of which will make work and money for Burke’s family. There is basic redirection of money from the very wealthy bad guys to the needy pretty-good guys.
This is Vachss and he has not completely lost his touch just because his hero has seemed to misplace his scruples. There are occasional short, snappy exchanges with the Vachss wit and wisdom.
Terry is a boy saved by Burke from the world of child sexual perversion who has become a young man and part of the Burke “family� who, while being trained in some of the perverse family skills, is expected to become a Citizen (regular law abiding person) and to go college and break away from the outlaw family. Some exchanges about this expected transition (expected by Burke; resisted by Terry) foreshadow what we know is coming � the end of the series.
There is often some technological marvel and some surprise at the end of the Vachss books. Terminal scores on both counts but still leaves me dissatisfied because I am really looking for the conclusion that will wrap of the entire series. Part of me just wants it to be over and I want some huge crescendo. Like I said, I want the bang! But I don’t quite get it. Three disappointed stars for this one as I come down to the wire with Burke. Will he end up with enough money to support himself and his entire family in retirement for the foreseeable future? Do I care?
—ĔĔĔĔ�
This book is coming at the end of the Burke series. The first two pages are action packed as Burke continues to pedal his tough guy skills to make a buck for himself and his family. “I slid the length of rebar out of my sleeve, gripped the taped end, and took out his knee from behind.� But his old con games are no longer dependable as the times have changed so he forced to scheme in new ways.
Since this is the next to the last book in the series, I am like the cows going home to the barn: just moseying along ready to relax. I am both curious and impatient to come to the conclusion of this long and sometimes too complex journey called the Burke series. I am prepared for “not with a bang but a whimper� but hoping for something more satisfying.
Vachss spends a lot of page space making it OK for Burke to take on a job involving the thirty year old vicious rape and murder of a teenage girl. Sounds like a good thing for Burke to do, right? The problem here is that the person who wants him to work on this case is a dying white supremacist. Burke is best known for his exploits at bringing “freaks� to justice � people who are sexual predators against children. Pedophiles are a favorite target. In this case the guy who wants to hire him is a leader of the Arian Brotherhood, someone Burke knows from his time in jail. They have had a mutual understanding and respect in prison. While this guy has a lot of negative attributes, he is in some ways what Burke considers “righteous� in that he is a man of his word, his word is his bond, and he is no “baby rapist� slimeball. And while Burke is a killer when called for, he is a person with his own version of high moral standards! So taking a job for this guy is not a given.
The other thing that Vachss takes pains for us to understand is that one bottom line for Burke is the bottom line. That is, a major motivating factor is money. “You can’t be a thief unless you about the money. Nothing else.� He is looking for a work that pays. The more the better. This is a change from the early Burke who did the right things for the right reasons � for justice. He had some nobility and the fact that he made some money at it was not the main purpose. Now he wants to follow his principles but he needs to be able to support his family. What this Arian Brotherhood mate wants him to do is extortion. He can provide proof that the crime was committed by three rich boys (now men) who will pay millions to keep from being exposed. The AB character needs his portion of the millions to go to Switzerland to have his terminal disease cured. So here we have our principled protagonist being hired with the promise of riches, part of which will to save the life of this disreputable man but part of which will make work and money for Burke’s family. There is basic redirection of money from the very wealthy bad guys to the needy pretty-good guys.
This is Vachss and he has not completely lost his touch just because his hero has seemed to misplace his scruples. There are occasional short, snappy exchanges with the Vachss wit and wisdom.
”You’d make a good father, Gateman.�
“Probably would have made a good sprinter, too,� the man in the wheelchair said.
I tapped fists with him, acknowledging the recital of the truth we all learn: you play with what you’re dealt.
Then I hit the stairs.
Terry is a boy saved by Burke from the world of child sexual perversion who has become a young man and part of the Burke “family� who, while being trained in some of the perverse family skills, is expected to become a Citizen (regular law abiding person) and to go college and break away from the outlaw family. Some exchanges about this expected transition (expected by Burke; resisted by Terry) foreshadow what we know is coming � the end of the series.
There is often some technological marvel and some surprise at the end of the Vachss books. Terminal scores on both counts but still leaves me dissatisfied because I am really looking for the conclusion that will wrap of the entire series. Part of me just wants it to be over and I want some huge crescendo. Like I said, I want the bang! But I don’t quite get it. Three disappointed stars for this one as I come down to the wire with Burke. Will he end up with enough money to support himself and his entire family in retirement for the foreseeable future? Do I care?
August 18, 2019
A terminally ill white supremacist contacts Burke, with bona fide references. He needs Burke's expertise for a major blackmail job to pay for his cancer treatment in Switzerland. With dwindling sources of revenue, Burke and his family decide to assist. Some thirty years in the past, three teenage boys raped and murdered a teenage girl in an affluent community, and got away with it so Burke had morality on his side. The story was fine, but Vachss now spends way too much time on his characters and their issues than he does on the plot itself, a major detraction from his earlier works.
February 27, 2008
I don't think this would make any sense if you hadn't read all the other books in the series first. Contains a 3 or 4 page excerpt from an earlier book instead of coming up with it's own way to introduce backstory -- lazy!
September 28, 2008
First I have to say I love the Burke books. The character is multidimensional and interesting. And a great anti-hero. That said, this book was rather convoluted and hard to follow at times. My favorite characters were back and the crusade against sexual abuse theme continues. But this book just doesnt come together in the satifying way of others in the series. Nonetheless, it did give me my Burke fix. LOL
May 29, 2025
I can tell that Vachss was getting to the end of the Burke storyline as there’s too much focus on the character’s interpersonal relationships & not enough on plot. I absolutely love this dark & gritty series.
This is the 3rd time I've listened to this series & its worth relistening to.
This is the 3rd time I've listened to this series & its worth relistening to.
August 20, 2018
The GoodReads website is good for a lot of things. Obviously you can keep track of books you own, want to read, and have read and post reviews if you wish to. However one other neat feature lets you see which books in a series you have yet to read-which is how I learned (to my surprise) that I had not read one of Andrew Vachss' Burke novels, something I have since rectified. Burke is arguably as anti a hero as you can find, and normally I don't care to read about thieves, shake down artists and con men. Burke and his family are all of that and more. However it occurs to me that Burke is a lot like one of my other favorite fictional characters, Dexter Morgan. Burke and Dexter are both predators who only prey on other predators. In Terminal, Burke is looking at a major score with the added bonus of revenging a brutal sex-murder that took place decades ago. We follow the action every step of the way from planning to execution. The world Burke & company live in will blow your mind. Great stuff but super dark stuff too-not for the delicate reader.
December 14, 2008
‘A book can contain truth without being truth.�
Okay. This is a book where I've let emotion rate higher than intellect. This is not one of the best Burke novels and at times I was annoyed because I was being jerked out of the story by the political commentary. But wait, this is the reality. While ever children are being traded as commodities can we choose which weapons are comfortable to fight the war? I wish that I could read these novels and say that they are the products of a bizarre imagination. But I can't because they are not.
JC-S
Read on:
This is the 17th of Andrew Vachss’s novels to feature Burke. I found this a particularly difficult novel to read: I am familiar with Mr Vachss’s work in the area of child protection; I see Burke and his outlaw family as an effective vehicle for the transmission of the message but this particular story just didn’t work for me as well as earlier ones in the series. And yet, I find myself hard-pressed to find more effective ways of awareness raising.
Claude Dremdell, a white supremacist with a terminal illness, enlists Burke in a plot to extort money from three wealthy men with a murder in their shared past which they’d like to keep there. Putting the plan together involves many of the skills of the different members of Burke’s family (‘bound by blood, not DNA�) and at times the story itself doesn’t seem strong enough to support all of the events. Perhaps Burke has come to a crossroads. While the possibility of vengeance and money still motivates him, and his cynical observations zing as well as ever, there is a sense that Burke is looking for more. Not just for himself, but also for the younger members of the family who have other possibilities available for them.
Yes, elements of the story work well. And those of us who share Andrew Vachss’s ongoing personal commitment to raise awareness of and fight against the continuing, horrific abuse of young children know that raising these issues and keeping them within consciousness is never comfortable.
Andrew Vachss’s novels are never comfortable reads. They are not intended to be. They do not graphically portray abuse, but they do force the reader to confront the results of the abuse and to think about the consequences: not just on the child but also for society.
Okay. This is a book where I've let emotion rate higher than intellect. This is not one of the best Burke novels and at times I was annoyed because I was being jerked out of the story by the political commentary. But wait, this is the reality. While ever children are being traded as commodities can we choose which weapons are comfortable to fight the war? I wish that I could read these novels and say that they are the products of a bizarre imagination. But I can't because they are not.
JC-S
Read on:
This is the 17th of Andrew Vachss’s novels to feature Burke. I found this a particularly difficult novel to read: I am familiar with Mr Vachss’s work in the area of child protection; I see Burke and his outlaw family as an effective vehicle for the transmission of the message but this particular story just didn’t work for me as well as earlier ones in the series. And yet, I find myself hard-pressed to find more effective ways of awareness raising.
Claude Dremdell, a white supremacist with a terminal illness, enlists Burke in a plot to extort money from three wealthy men with a murder in their shared past which they’d like to keep there. Putting the plan together involves many of the skills of the different members of Burke’s family (‘bound by blood, not DNA�) and at times the story itself doesn’t seem strong enough to support all of the events. Perhaps Burke has come to a crossroads. While the possibility of vengeance and money still motivates him, and his cynical observations zing as well as ever, there is a sense that Burke is looking for more. Not just for himself, but also for the younger members of the family who have other possibilities available for them.
Yes, elements of the story work well. And those of us who share Andrew Vachss’s ongoing personal commitment to raise awareness of and fight against the continuing, horrific abuse of young children know that raising these issues and keeping them within consciousness is never comfortable.
Andrew Vachss’s novels are never comfortable reads. They are not intended to be. They do not graphically portray abuse, but they do force the reader to confront the results of the abuse and to think about the consequences: not just on the child but also for society.
February 8, 2019
In many ways this is the worst Burke book so far. There has always been an element of the didactic in Burke's monologues, but here it tips over into 'way too preachy' too many times. At the same time the bits that aren't preachy and self indulgent are still really good, my feeling is that it could have lopped off about 25% length minimum and told the same story just as engagingly.
Still four stars because of the story and writing, but flirting with three because of the sheer level of Burke telling you stuff!
Still four stars because of the story and writing, but flirting with three because of the sheer level of Burke telling you stuff!
May 8, 2019
Just knowing this series is almost over made this book more important to me. It's a very nasty tale (and they all have been pretty harsh). A lot of mentions of past exploits and character history. I'll miss the weird af family dynamic.
September 17, 2022
Read in 2007. Burke returns to his former career, violence-for-money.
January 6, 2008
Not really his best work. I guess after 16 books about criminal knight Burke and his “family of the secret� you had to start stretching the fabric a little bit. In “Terminal� Vachss is now finally reaching for material. This is the first Burke book that I’ve found myself noticing the time I’ve spent reading it. I always just read these books until I was done reading.
Vachss gets a little preachy here. His books are always a little bit preachy but the preachyness always seemed to flow into the stories. In “Terminal� he seems to set aside space for Burke to get into a little tirade just because Vachss has a little something on his mind. The story isn’t as well-crafted as usual and seems to be an afterthought almost. It’s just an excuse to get his favorite characters to move around. All the characters make appearances. The Prof, Clarence, Michelle, the Mole, Terry, Max the Silent…they’re all here. There’s of course some pedophile that needs punishing, or killing as is usual in this series.
The prose has the same Vachss terseness. The style is still roughly readable. It’s just that the story itself doesn’t have that same sense of urgency that I’ve come to expect from Vachss. The stories are usually far more tightly wound. They tie the whole book into a wonderful knot of a plot. This book was kind of linear. Generally, these books feel like you’re walking on the edge of a razor blade but in this outing the blade seems to have dulled some. Hopefully there’s more Burke books coming and the next one is better. Standing alone “Terminal� is an ok noir-ish novel. As a part of the Burke series it just doesn’t quite stack up.
Vachss gets a little preachy here. His books are always a little bit preachy but the preachyness always seemed to flow into the stories. In “Terminal� he seems to set aside space for Burke to get into a little tirade just because Vachss has a little something on his mind. The story isn’t as well-crafted as usual and seems to be an afterthought almost. It’s just an excuse to get his favorite characters to move around. All the characters make appearances. The Prof, Clarence, Michelle, the Mole, Terry, Max the Silent…they’re all here. There’s of course some pedophile that needs punishing, or killing as is usual in this series.
The prose has the same Vachss terseness. The style is still roughly readable. It’s just that the story itself doesn’t have that same sense of urgency that I’ve come to expect from Vachss. The stories are usually far more tightly wound. They tie the whole book into a wonderful knot of a plot. This book was kind of linear. Generally, these books feel like you’re walking on the edge of a razor blade but in this outing the blade seems to have dulled some. Hopefully there’s more Burke books coming and the next one is better. Standing alone “Terminal� is an ok noir-ish novel. As a part of the Burke series it just doesn’t quite stack up.
August 5, 2008
The Burke series follows Burke an ex-con and his "family" of fellow criminals attempting survive on the fringes of society and below the "normal" world.
This is typical Vachss. The plot (which centers on at times convoluted effort to help a former inmate shake down a group of millionaires who years ago were involved in a murder of a teenage girl--ie the Moxley case in Greenwich Conn.) is really there just an excuse for us to watch Burke and his crew operate.
Vachss prose and descriptions are very gritty and real. And in certain descriptions he has the authenticity that came with his work as a warden in the federal prison sysetm and as a sex crimes investigator. WARNING: these books are not for everyone, if you enjoy Lehane, Pelicanos, Ellroy or the TV show the Wire you may like Vachss, but if you find any of these too graphic, you will not like Vachss. BUT I would agree with others that the earlier books are better than the more recent.
However, Vachss, also pulls out the soap box often throughout the book and it can get old.
But the characters remain interesting, the book is almost worth reading just for the exchanges between Burk and the Prof. Also, it is refreshing to see scenes, especially with the Mole, where unlike many tough guy protagonists, Burke acknowledges his ignorance about computers etc.
This is typical Vachss. The plot (which centers on at times convoluted effort to help a former inmate shake down a group of millionaires who years ago were involved in a murder of a teenage girl--ie the Moxley case in Greenwich Conn.) is really there just an excuse for us to watch Burke and his crew operate.
Vachss prose and descriptions are very gritty and real. And in certain descriptions he has the authenticity that came with his work as a warden in the federal prison sysetm and as a sex crimes investigator. WARNING: these books are not for everyone, if you enjoy Lehane, Pelicanos, Ellroy or the TV show the Wire you may like Vachss, but if you find any of these too graphic, you will not like Vachss. BUT I would agree with others that the earlier books are better than the more recent.
However, Vachss, also pulls out the soap box often throughout the book and it can get old.
But the characters remain interesting, the book is almost worth reading just for the exchanges between Burk and the Prof. Also, it is refreshing to see scenes, especially with the Mole, where unlike many tough guy protagonists, Burke acknowledges his ignorance about computers etc.
February 9, 2010
I'm a long-time fan of Andrew Vachss' writing, so I enjoyed getting my hands on another in his Burke series of novels. As with any series, the latest edition is like a new visit from an old friend, and Terminal did not disappoint. Vachss' writing continues to be gritty and seems, at least to me, to be realistic and to capture the criminal subculture in our society. I also appreciate (and realize I've been influenced by) his minimalist, direct style. My one criticism is regarding his social commentary sidetrips. These have always been a feature in his books, which makes sense since Vachss is a man with a mission to stop violence against children, and he refers to his novels as "Trojan horses" designed to deliver his message. I enjoy his commentary, but in this book it was a little too heavy and too frequent, so that it distracted from the story. I actually found myself agreeing with almost all his comments, but the story should take priority; otherwise, write an essay. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in tough crime fiction populated by good, likeable, albeit criminal, characters.
December 5, 2007
From Publishers Weekly
Vachss's 17th Burke novel combines gritty realism with an over-the-top depiction of an omniscient spy network. Claude Dremdell, a white supremacist whose sole hope against his terminal illness is a pricey experimental Swiss treatment, ropes Burke into a plot to extort money from three wealthy men who years earlier committed a brutal murder (loosely based on the real-life Martha Moxley case), but were never suspected. Armed with only fragmentary evidence in the form of two checks, Burke turns for help to an Israeli intelligence operation working covertly in the U.S. with superhuman powers of information gathering. Lengthy tirades about the failures of the criminal justice system under the current Bush administration will distract even those who agree with them. In the end, the violent vengeance Burke seeks overshadows the worthy points Vachss makes about the continuing horrific sexual abuse of the young.
Vachss's 17th Burke novel combines gritty realism with an over-the-top depiction of an omniscient spy network. Claude Dremdell, a white supremacist whose sole hope against his terminal illness is a pricey experimental Swiss treatment, ropes Burke into a plot to extort money from three wealthy men who years earlier committed a brutal murder (loosely based on the real-life Martha Moxley case), but were never suspected. Armed with only fragmentary evidence in the form of two checks, Burke turns for help to an Israeli intelligence operation working covertly in the U.S. with superhuman powers of information gathering. Lengthy tirades about the failures of the criminal justice system under the current Bush administration will distract even those who agree with them. In the end, the violent vengeance Burke seeks overshadows the worthy points Vachss makes about the continuing horrific sexual abuse of the young.
October 5, 2013
This is my first Vachss novel, but I know at least one friend of mine is a fan. I liked this. I realize I don't have enough hard-boiled fiction under my belt to make an adequate comparison, but seemingly it would be comparable to Ellroy, in that it is snappy dialogue, hard-boiled definitely adult action, and fascinating characters. Vachss always has a touch of morality (He's a child advocate lawyer) to his world of bad, bad men.
It's Vachss's dialogue that makes it- every bit as mesmerizing as Chandler and Tarantino. Although the plot is interesting, I found that I had some trouble following some of the actual action. I realize that may just be me, but the dialogue carries everything through. It makes it a minor complaint.
I have already set my sights on reading some more Vachss soon.
It's Vachss's dialogue that makes it- every bit as mesmerizing as Chandler and Tarantino. Although the plot is interesting, I found that I had some trouble following some of the actual action. I realize that may just be me, but the dialogue carries everything through. It makes it a minor complaint.
I have already set my sights on reading some more Vachss soon.
February 6, 2012
Only a so-so addition to the normally good Burke series. I enjoy the characters, and I agree with much of the author's viewpoint, although he does tend to stand on a soapbox much of the time now, but the plotlines in this series have been going downhill for a few years now. This time, Burke gets involved with members of a white supremisist group which included a former jailhouse buddy. The plot gets buried by long stretches of dialogue and too much moralizing, but if you enjoy the other books in this series, you might as well give this one a try.
April 22, 2012
My bad-asses shelf just keeps growing.
Andrew Vachss is one of my real-life heroes. He is an amazing person who does amazing things for children. He's a lawyer who uses the money from his books to fund his practice protecting children. I'm not going to write a big huge love letter here, just take a look at his site:
Sometimes this one can get a bit preachy, and if you're not a fan of Vachss before this book, I'd suggest not reading it as an introduction to his work. For the real feel, start at #1 and read on.
Grade: B
Andrew Vachss is one of my real-life heroes. He is an amazing person who does amazing things for children. He's a lawyer who uses the money from his books to fund his practice protecting children. I'm not going to write a big huge love letter here, just take a look at his site:
Sometimes this one can get a bit preachy, and if you're not a fan of Vachss before this book, I'd suggest not reading it as an introduction to his work. For the real feel, start at #1 and read on.
Grade: B
February 29, 2016
Terminal (Burke #17) by Andrew Vachss (Pantheon Books 2007) (Fiction - Mystery) is the third I've read in the Burke series. I liked this book much better than the second one. This installment has Burke brokering a blackmail scam against three men who killed a young girl over thirty years ago who were never caught. My rating: 7/10, finished 3/23/11.
December 24, 2011
Vachss's more recent books have as a rule been disappointing--little plot, a lot of posture-heavy dialogue. As recent Vachss goes, though, this one's pretty entertaining, as Burke and company take on a job to shake down three rich guys who raped and murdered a girl thirty years earlier. Vachss actually seems to have put a bit of thought into the plot for this one.
January 5, 2013
Wow. Andrew Vachss is my newest favorite author. I can't wait to read the Burke series from the beginning--I've already ordered the first five books. That should keep me occupied while I wait for the new Easy Rawlins book to come out.
December 17, 2015
I am finding as the series goes on that while the books are still good they have almost become "preachy" at times. Almost seems as though the actually plot based part of the story is much shorter and then filled out. I liked the earlier books in the series much better.
October 5, 2009
I'd forgotten who much I like this author - very dark, but very complex characters. I'm re-reading the earlier ones.
February 8, 2022
great book
I am on a mission to read all the “Burke� books. At first, I was thinking this might be the first one that I gave 4 stars instead of 5. But then it really got damn good. Read the books in a row, starting with “Flood�
I am on a mission to read all the “Burke� books. At first, I was thinking this might be the first one that I gave 4 stars instead of 5. But then it really got damn good. Read the books in a row, starting with “Flood�
November 6, 2023
The unexpected twist, the plans sophistication, the history, and the action all combined to make this maybe the best one in the series so far.
Though it still bothers me that he doesn't finish sentences.
Though it still bothers me that he doesn't finish sentences.
April 23, 2025
This was honestly better than his last few books but still a whole lot of useless filler. Burke starts to realize that maybe his mom wasn't rh whore he thought she was, we learned the Prof real name in this book, & Burke used a RPG at the end.
August 10, 2020
What a book. Just finished it. I'd easily rate it as a 5-Star novel but, I never give 5-Stars.
I'd never heard of Andrew Vachss but will surely remember his name.
I'd never heard of Andrew Vachss but will surely remember his name.
September 30, 2021
I love the Burke books.
This one however was too much background stories.
I got impatient and disappointed after hours and hours where nothing happened concerning the main story.
This one however was too much background stories.
I got impatient and disappointed after hours and hours where nothing happened concerning the main story.
December 23, 2024
Burke is the best.
Vachss writes great stories. Totally in crossing and thrilling. This one was a classic bad guy against worse guys. Lots of twist in the plot.
Vachss writes great stories. Totally in crossing and thrilling. This one was a classic bad guy against worse guys. Lots of twist in the plot.
February 21, 2018
With , Andrew Vachss began closing out his series about con man/mercenary/criminal Burke. He also offers several reasons demonstrating that ending it's a good idea. Vachss has never shied away from the charge that his books have a message as well as a story. He's said in interviews that he orients most of his life towards one goal: The protection of children. Vachss is a lawyer, and has always claimed that his fiction writing is another way of doing what he does when he represents a child in the courtroom. He exposes the way kids are hurt and those who hurt them. Vachss was one of the first to detail the way child predators would use phone modems to share photos and stories of their crimes with one another, back in the late 1980s.
The Burke novels have always been deep noir, with their language and voice one step away from a parody of tough-guy crime fiction. It was a good fit with his main character, Burke, who was usually presenting a front to the world around him in service of a scam or self-protection. is soaked in the same stew, but where Vachss used to weave his sermon into his story, of late he's taken to lazily stopping the story for some character to rant the message he wants us to know.
He started being more overt with 2001's Pain Management and almost managed to sink 2006's Mask Market with a lecture that torpedoed the end game of the novel. , though, shows us only about a third of the story we're used to, over-seasoned with lectures on the Iraq war, racial-oriented violence in prison and a half-dozen others that don't linger any longer than a flashbulb. In earlier Burke novels, Vachss' intent hit as hard as his story because he was able to weave them together. Now, though he seems as intense as ever if not more so, the message moments hold up a sign saying "Flip past me" or they dwindle out of memory before another five pages go by.
It's unfortunate, since Burke has been looking more closely at who he is, what he does and how some of his view of the world might stand some changing. Crime fiction as a genre doesn't include a lot of room for introspection and character growth, so Vachss might have felt he's done everything he could do with Burke within this genre.
Original available .
The Burke novels have always been deep noir, with their language and voice one step away from a parody of tough-guy crime fiction. It was a good fit with his main character, Burke, who was usually presenting a front to the world around him in service of a scam or self-protection. is soaked in the same stew, but where Vachss used to weave his sermon into his story, of late he's taken to lazily stopping the story for some character to rant the message he wants us to know.
He started being more overt with 2001's Pain Management and almost managed to sink 2006's Mask Market with a lecture that torpedoed the end game of the novel. , though, shows us only about a third of the story we're used to, over-seasoned with lectures on the Iraq war, racial-oriented violence in prison and a half-dozen others that don't linger any longer than a flashbulb. In earlier Burke novels, Vachss' intent hit as hard as his story because he was able to weave them together. Now, though he seems as intense as ever if not more so, the message moments hold up a sign saying "Flip past me" or they dwindle out of memory before another five pages go by.
It's unfortunate, since Burke has been looking more closely at who he is, what he does and how some of his view of the world might stand some changing. Crime fiction as a genre doesn't include a lot of room for introspection and character growth, so Vachss might have felt he's done everything he could do with Burke within this genre.
Original available .
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