The book was okay. The chapters in this one were very short which for reasons unknown to me, I tend to be able to get through books like that quicker. What I really didn't like about the book was the fact that it was written in short choppy sentences. It could have used a lot more detail. I had a lot of difficulty picturing any scene of the book in my head and it changed scenes so often and suddenly it was a little hard to keep up. Another problem that I had with the book was the fact that it ended so quickly, the book built and built and built to the killer and when the Author finally got to him and his capture it came to an end so quickly you was left going "What happened?". It felt as if he just was in a hurry to make it end, like I do with chores. Also I would have liked to seen more murders and more detail on them, like what the victims looked like, where they were shot stuff like that. Like I said before it could have used a lot more detail all around, characters, plot, climax, conclusion everything. It all boils down to the fact that there is just not enough detail in the book to make it 3 star worthy or higher. Characters Blossom, was a whore no and's, if's or but's about it. As a waitress she acts all sweet and innocent but once you see the real her, behind closed doors so to speak, she's a freaking whore. And I thought that one waitress was bad. Virgil, scared me. He's been in prison for murder and he knows stuff, stuff that shouldn't be known. Prof, he's a very confusing man. He was always talking in rhyme without any reason. It was weird. Burke, he's a badass hero who walks around acting like he's not. And there was another guy, Wesley, he was mentioned a lot and every time he was I pictured the guy West from "Common Law" (If you have never seen it, you won't understand.) I would have liked to have seen more of him (view spoiler)[but he's dead so that's wasn't going to happen. (hide spoiler)]
Burke leaves the Big Apple behind to help a former cellmate in a small town in Indiana. Virgil, the cellmate, has a nephew that's been accused of gunning down couples at a local lovers' lane. Can Burke figure out who the real killer is before he strikes again? And what about the mysterious Blossom who's tugging at Burke's heartstrings?This Burke book was one of my favorites so far. Burke does a lot more detective work than usual and Vachss doesn't rely on the usual supporting cast. While the Prof has a role and the Mole makes an appearance, this one is mostly Burke and some new supporting characters. Burke's method of tracking down and entrapping the killer was well done and fairly novel. We got a few more glimpses into Burke's dark past. The plot moved fairly quickly and there was no padding. Virgil and Burke helping Lloyd learn how to be a man was probably my favorite part.Any complaints? Not really except that Burke and his world view are so bleak I feel like reading some Jim Thompson afterwords to cheer myself up. Blossom is my Burke top two and is definitely worth a read.
What do You think about Blossom (1996)?
A bit different from the others in the series as action all takes place out of the city and for the most part, without Burke's gang (including his dog) - thought that might take away from it a bit but it didn't as it allows scope for some more about Burke's own character and background and Blossom herself is an intriguing figure who goes from a bit part in the first half of the book to the main item in the latter half. So in all in all, more of the same excellent but incredibly bleak material that you would expect from this series.
—Stephen
Enjoyable installment in the Burke series and the first one I've read that takes him out of his native habitat of New York City. Burke is lured out to the midwest to help a former prison buddy clear his nephew's name of murder. In the process, he starts up a relationship with a young woman who also hunts the killer but for different reasons altogether. Obviously the theme of society "making its own monsters" and the failure of what to do with them is once again addressed and we get to see Burke employ his incredibly adept profiling skills to locate the killer.Enjoyable but not great, I'd give it 3.5 stars (unfortunatley that's not possible with this ratings system).
—Ramzi
What did I think? This guy's the king of "Noir", is what I think. Andrew Vachss, a lawyer and author with a penchant for the welfare of kids and women - especially the kids - has created Burke to let some steam escape.Burke's world is not the world you and I live in. Burke exists in NYC but he is not seen in it. When society mentions the name "Burke" it is in the fashion of a legend: a myth, someone who is not real. Burke likes it that way.With unforgettable characters fully developed over a long series of books,we dive into the seedy, underground realm of the city. The rules are different, alien to someone such as myself. Life is very physical but full of kick ass psych ops aimed at evil.These books are dark, very raw...and not easily set aside.Usual disclaimer. There's no need to discuss plot. The books are excellent, period. And if you've read this review, you've read 'em all (save you some time)
—Harry
