Safe House

by Andrew Vachss

Book Overview

In Burke, Vachss gave readers of crime fiction a hero they could believe in, an avenger whose sense of justice was forged behind bars and tempered on New York's meanest streets. In this blistering new... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375400842
• ISBN13: 9780375400841
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

It's not as dark as his previous books!

Burke allows his emotions to show in his relationships with his loyal "family." He and his friends will go the distance to protect others from the predators that stalk them. What I like a lot about his books, is the types of characters he uses. They're not necessarily physically attractive,but their appeal is from within themselves and their loyalty to one another.

Vachss again presents astonishing depth of observation

In Safe House, Andrew Vachss again offers the reader the benefit of his astounding observational powers. This novel is a thrilling and suspenseful detective story that pits Vachss' ferocious and loyal Burke against white-supremacist gangsters who seek to bomb targets enough to start world war three. But the fierce plot is only the frosting on the cake. The true heart of this book is its unflinching report on the wrenching reality of domestic violence in America. And if you think those two themes have nothing to do with each other, buy this book right away. Once you have finished reading what Vachss has to tell, you will understand domestic violence for the form of terrorism it truly is. I read many new books this year, but this was the one I know will stay with me.

Steel and Silk!

I don't usually read mysteries, but a friend said I *had* to try Vachss. I started with Hard Candy. I never read anything so cold and so sexy at the same time. Since then, I've read *everything* Vachss writes. I thought he hit his peak with Down in the Zero, to be truthful. And False Allegations was disappointing ... at least for me and the reasons *I* read the books. But Safe House ... pow! The man is *back!* I can't wait for the next one.

Powerful and intense!

I read everything in the so-called "hardboiled" genre, and none of them can lay a glove on Burke and his crew. Vachss is cold, bold, and never gets old.

Burke to the Basics

After the dogma and "preachiness" of False Allegations, which wasn't necessarily bad, mind you, but a little long, it's nice to see Vachss get back to the Basics. Burke is back in full style, tough, hard-boiled, and a problem to solve. The intricacies of the story, the development of the characters, the pay off at the ending All these together prove that Vachss is becoming a better writer as he goes along. IF you know Vachss, you won't be surprised here. All the elements are here, the righteous indignation, the disgust with the legal system, and the notion of family. All in all, with Safe House, M. Vachss brings us back to the hard-boiled character that we met in Flood. Great Read.