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Burke #15
Down Here
For years Burke has harbored an outlaw's hard love for Wolfe, the beautiful, driven former sex-crimes prosecutor who was fired for refusing to "go along to get along." So when Wolfe is arrested for the attempted murder of John Anson Wychek, a vicious rapist she once prosecuted, Burke deals himself in. That means putting together a distrustful alliance between his underground "family of choice," Wolfe's private network, and a rogue NYPD detective who has his own stake in the outcome. Burke knows that Wolfe’s alleged "victim," although convicted only once, is actually a serial rapist. The deeper he presses, the more gaping holes he finds in the prosecution’s case, but shadowy law enforcement agencies seem determined to protect Wychek at all costs, no matter who gets sacrificed. Burke ups the ante by re-opening all the old "cold case” rape investigations, calls in a lot of markers from both sides of the law, and finally shows all the players why "down here" is no place for tourists.
MP3 CD
First published April 13, 2004
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About the author
Andrew Vachss
138 books891 followersAndrew 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
www.vachss.com. 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
www.vachss.com. 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 31 reviews
June 24, 2013
That's the way it is down here. If you can't be counted on, you can't be counted in.
Former prosecutor Eva Wolfe is the ONLY woman who seems capable of resisting Burke's rather dubious charms. So, of course, SHE is the not-so-secret love of his life. It just seems to work out that way.
Now, Burke's heart-throb stands accused of the attempted murder of a brutal serial rapist. Time for Burke to come to her rescue and track down the real attempted killer, or lousy shot, as "attempted" killers are known in some circles. Burke revisits the rape investigations, and gets to display his compassionate side as he interviews countless rape victims, passing out the Kleenex, cooing sympathetically, and even going so far as to fix one woman up with a brand new puppy. Awww!
If the Burke books were a sitcom, this one would be something of a clip show -- Remember when Burke and Wolfe caught that child molester? Remember when Burke and the Prof were in the slammer? Maybe this went on in the other books, but I don't remember NOTICING it SO much.
I can't exactly say what's wrong with this one, but it seems very lifeless. Perhaps it's the lack of action, or maybe because we don't actually meet The Villain until the end of the book. I don't know.
I'd have to say my favorite parts were Michelle playing Barbies (or would it be Kens?) as she dresses Burke for his "dates" with the rapist's sister. (And, yes, now that I see that sentence in print, I DO realize how bizarre it sounds...)
There are only three books left in the series. At this point in the game, I'm willing to bet it's unlikely that Burke and Wolfe will be eloping to a palace in the suburbs, happily raising up a whole passel of Neapolitan Mastiffs.
Former prosecutor Eva Wolfe is the ONLY woman who seems capable of resisting Burke's rather dubious charms. So, of course, SHE is the not-so-secret love of his life. It just seems to work out that way.
Now, Burke's heart-throb stands accused of the attempted murder of a brutal serial rapist. Time for Burke to come to her rescue and track down the real attempted killer, or lousy shot, as "attempted" killers are known in some circles. Burke revisits the rape investigations, and gets to display his compassionate side as he interviews countless rape victims, passing out the Kleenex, cooing sympathetically, and even going so far as to fix one woman up with a brand new puppy. Awww!
If the Burke books were a sitcom, this one would be something of a clip show -- Remember when Burke and Wolfe caught that child molester? Remember when Burke and the Prof were in the slammer? Maybe this went on in the other books, but I don't remember NOTICING it SO much.
I can't exactly say what's wrong with this one, but it seems very lifeless. Perhaps it's the lack of action, or maybe because we don't actually meet The Villain until the end of the book. I don't know.
I'd have to say my favorite parts were Michelle playing Barbies (or would it be Kens?) as she dresses Burke for his "dates" with the rapist's sister. (And, yes, now that I see that sentence in print, I DO realize how bizarre it sounds...)
There are only three books left in the series. At this point in the game, I'm willing to bet it's unlikely that Burke and Wolfe will be eloping to a palace in the suburbs, happily raising up a whole passel of Neapolitan Mastiffs.
June 8, 2019
I liked this one better than the last few in the Burke series. A serial rapist named John Anson Wychek, convicted and imprisoned, is released via a miscarriage of justice. When he is shot, Eva Wolfe, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Burke's unrequited heartthrob, is arrested and charged. Burke is determined to get her out of this jam and mobilizes his lawyer, newspaper writer and family, getting them to analyze by computer other victims of Wychek, hoping one of them might be responsible. Burke does a number of insightful interviews and then masquerading as his writer-buddy Hauser gets emotionally involved with Wychek's sister. The good news is that Vachss has gone back to his "less is more" format, but ended up shortchanging readers with the abrupt ending.
October 17, 2022
as I read these reviews from years ago it proves to me that I actually did read these books sometime ago. But my current brain has no recollection and this story is yet another one where it seems totally new to me. In listening to this book in the audible format, the thing that intrigue me the most was his almost seemingly real relationship with the ever present new woman. This is the sister of the arch criminal of the book. And we spend a lot of time with Burke and this woman having a relationship which almost seems to have the potential to be an ongoing part of Burke‘s life. Until you realize that the whole point of this relationship is to find a way to be in touch with her brother. So the relationship is actually faults and manipulative on the part of Burke who is simply trying to reach the actual goal of finding her brother. So all of the pages devoted to his relationship with her in some seemingly relatively normal ways in spite of the fact that Burke is pretending he is someone else. This whole relationship is about Burke acting out a role which she seems to do very well. If we were going to figure out this character, It would be very hard to do. But I’m not going to try at the moment.
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I first read Andrew Vashss early in 2012 when I read a book late in the Burke series. I had heard that Vachss was “weird” and that was all I needed to give him a try. So my first Burke was #16 in the series; then I went back and started at the beginning and have been working my way to the end ever since.
You have been somewhat removed from my active shelf, Mr. Burke. But here we are together again for the first time in more than half a year and I can’t even remember where we left off. What past kinky girlfriend will Burke be recollecting this time?
The final book in the eighteen book series was published in 2008, some time ago. I am now up to #15 and the thrill of Burke has faded; I am ready for him to go down for the count or to hang it up. Must finish the series? Must finish!
Going back to a familiar series after an absence often has a comfortable feeling for the reader. Mama’s restaurant is well known.
The crime of choice in this book is rape. A serial rapist, convicted and imprisoned, is set free through some miscarriage of justice. He is shot and Eva Wolfe, a former sex crimes prosecutor and sometimes unrequited Burke heartthrob, is arrested and charged with attempted murder. Burke is determined to get her out of this jam and part of the process is to connect with other victims of this serial rapist, thinking one of them might be involved in the shooting. The interviews with the rape victims are informative and humanizing, sometimes violent but not lurid. This is one of the goals of Vachss: to educate about sex crimes, the horror without the titillation. He often focused on child victims in his earlier books when his educational goals were more out front and center. As the series has moved along, the focus has been less sharp and the lessons less direct.
The regular cast of characters of the Burke series is present and there are numerous flashbacks to people and events from previous books. There is the added factor that Burke has faked his death and his facial appearance has changed as a result of cosmetic surgery he underwent when he was almost killed by the bad guys several books ago. Both his changed appearance and regular incidents of sex involving children have weighed against this becoming a TV series although Burke’s own sexual proclivities and violent tendencies seem made for our R-rated cable networks.
For those of us who are fans of the series melodrama, there is the intriguing thought that Wolfe may be based on Vachss’ wife, Alice, who has been a real life sex crimes prosecutor and author of her own book on the subject.
For me the odd assortment of regular characters and the shocking material has lost its edge. How Burke will work out the mystery continues to intrigue me but mostly my feelings are one of comfort and curiosity. Not what I am looking for in a mystery thriller. I am drawn by the fact that I am nearing the end of the series and I do want to know how it ends after these two plus years of exploring Burke’s territory. I have this desire to binge with the last couple of books and to get it over with! Probably not the motivation sought by Vachss.
I had forgotten that when you read Vachss, you often learn about things other than crime. For example, in this book Burke masquerades as a journalist who is writing a book about innocent people who wind up in jail. In the process of telling that part of the story, Vachss writes a lot about what it is like to do investigative journalism and publishing. It is something he obviously knows about being a writer himself and he does the topic justice, although I did wonder how Burke would know all that. On the other hand, Burke does know a lot about a lot of things. He is more than a tough sexy guy! He is a guy who had a very rough early life that has somehow made him more sensitive. He is definitely more than a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am lover.
Burke endings are often nuclear, over the top. Down Here is one of those that somehow works its way out in the last half dozen pages. And it keeps you uncertain about Burke’s relationship with the leading lady. Complexity, thy name is Burke. Remember, we are not judging realism or likelihood here. Burke is a comic book character who, let’s face it, is motivated ultimately by money and loyalty to his own tribe. But he does leave my head spinning.
————————-
I first read Andrew Vashss early in 2012 when I read a book late in the Burke series. I had heard that Vachss was “weird” and that was all I needed to give him a try. So my first Burke was #16 in the series; then I went back and started at the beginning and have been working my way to the end ever since.
You have been somewhat removed from my active shelf, Mr. Burke. But here we are together again for the first time in more than half a year and I can’t even remember where we left off. What past kinky girlfriend will Burke be recollecting this time?
The final book in the eighteen book series was published in 2008, some time ago. I am now up to #15 and the thrill of Burke has faded; I am ready for him to go down for the count or to hang it up. Must finish the series? Must finish!
Going back to a familiar series after an absence often has a comfortable feeling for the reader. Mama’s restaurant is well known.
My booth, the one against the back wall, was empty, as always. So was the rest of the place. Occasionally, some tourists would ignore the filthy, fly-specked front window and wander inside. If the service didn’t send them packing, the food they were served would guarantee they’d never come back.
…
Mama came through the kitchen, carrying a heavy white tureen on a tray with three matching bowls, slightly larger than cups. She placed the tray on the table, uncovered the tureen, and ladled out a bowl for me. Hot-and-sour soup – Mama’s personal creation. I bowed my thanks, took a sip. “Perfect,” I said.
At that, Mama sat down across from me, and helped herself to a bowl.
The crime of choice in this book is rape. A serial rapist, convicted and imprisoned, is set free through some miscarriage of justice. He is shot and Eva Wolfe, a former sex crimes prosecutor and sometimes unrequited Burke heartthrob, is arrested and charged with attempted murder. Burke is determined to get her out of this jam and part of the process is to connect with other victims of this serial rapist, thinking one of them might be involved in the shooting. The interviews with the rape victims are informative and humanizing, sometimes violent but not lurid. This is one of the goals of Vachss: to educate about sex crimes, the horror without the titillation. He often focused on child victims in his earlier books when his educational goals were more out front and center. As the series has moved along, the focus has been less sharp and the lessons less direct.
The regular cast of characters of the Burke series is present and there are numerous flashbacks to people and events from previous books. There is the added factor that Burke has faked his death and his facial appearance has changed as a result of cosmetic surgery he underwent when he was almost killed by the bad guys several books ago. Both his changed appearance and regular incidents of sex involving children have weighed against this becoming a TV series although Burke’s own sexual proclivities and violent tendencies seem made for our R-rated cable networks.
For those of us who are fans of the series melodrama, there is the intriguing thought that Wolfe may be based on Vachss’ wife, Alice, who has been a real life sex crimes prosecutor and author of her own book on the subject.
For me the odd assortment of regular characters and the shocking material has lost its edge. How Burke will work out the mystery continues to intrigue me but mostly my feelings are one of comfort and curiosity. Not what I am looking for in a mystery thriller. I am drawn by the fact that I am nearing the end of the series and I do want to know how it ends after these two plus years of exploring Burke’s territory. I have this desire to binge with the last couple of books and to get it over with! Probably not the motivation sought by Vachss.
I had forgotten that when you read Vachss, you often learn about things other than crime. For example, in this book Burke masquerades as a journalist who is writing a book about innocent people who wind up in jail. In the process of telling that part of the story, Vachss writes a lot about what it is like to do investigative journalism and publishing. It is something he obviously knows about being a writer himself and he does the topic justice, although I did wonder how Burke would know all that. On the other hand, Burke does know a lot about a lot of things. He is more than a tough sexy guy! He is a guy who had a very rough early life that has somehow made him more sensitive. He is definitely more than a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am lover.
Burke endings are often nuclear, over the top. Down Here is one of those that somehow works its way out in the last half dozen pages. And it keeps you uncertain about Burke’s relationship with the leading lady. Complexity, thy name is Burke. Remember, we are not judging realism or likelihood here. Burke is a comic book character who, let’s face it, is motivated ultimately by money and loyalty to his own tribe. But he does leave my head spinning.
January 14, 2017
Easily one of the meaner and leaner of the Burke series and one of my Top 5 for sure. That said, Vachss again suffers from a way too quick conclusion/climax (the ending could have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, perhaps an additional 10-20 pages of more involved exposition, imho). In terms of the layout, this is one of the more Old School, "police procedural"-styled of the series, with Burke and crew doing some low-key, but intensive leg work to get to the bottom of a slight mystery. Definitely more stream-lined than some of the other entries in the series. I could also do without all the continuing recaps of Burke's past, since I've heard them all before, but such is the bane of a long-running series whereupon the author must insert brief re-capsules to bring new readers into the loop. But this is minor quibbling on my part. In addition to the abrupt ending (again, something that has plagued the bulk of the series, again, imho) there was a slight glitch with the last paragraph, probably a slight oversight on the part of the author and his editors, but enough to tweak with my OCD oriented brain nonetheless. Don't get me wrong, though, this is one of the strongest of the series, bar none.
January 21, 2018
I've been doing a re-read of the Burke series and I am pleased to say that Down Here has aged surprisingly well.
It's an odd thing, to go back to a series you loved and read almost a decade after you first read it. You find some things you once loved no longer move you and some things you'd forgotten or overlooked strike you right through the chest.
Down Here is probably not the most engaging plot of the Burke series, nor the most action or excitement, but I feel like it suffers from a lot less of issues that the others in this series exhibit. I like this older, wiser Burke. I like Vachss' writing of Wolfe who is so unlike the harem of pornstar cliches that make up most of the leading ladies. There is something oddly sweet about the downtime in this book and the tone of the pauses, despite the anger and bitterness that comes with the work Burke does, that feeling wraps you up in it and leaves you content.
It's an odd thing, to go back to a series you loved and read almost a decade after you first read it. You find some things you once loved no longer move you and some things you'd forgotten or overlooked strike you right through the chest.
Down Here is probably not the most engaging plot of the Burke series, nor the most action or excitement, but I feel like it suffers from a lot less of issues that the others in this series exhibit. I like this older, wiser Burke. I like Vachss' writing of Wolfe who is so unlike the harem of pornstar cliches that make up most of the leading ladies. There is something oddly sweet about the downtime in this book and the tone of the pauses, despite the anger and bitterness that comes with the work Burke does, that feeling wraps you up in it and leaves you content.
January 31, 2014
When I first started reading the Vachss' Burke novels, I thought the unique 'family' characters were an interesting deviation from the standard character fare of the detective/private investigator genre novel. However, I have tired of them, they now come across to me as over-stated and for this reason, I have rated this book a 3 while previous novels were 4s. I have also grown to dislike the abundance of unfinished statements which are sprinkled throughout the dialogues.
May 23, 2015
As I have noted before Vachss is decidedly not for every mystery reader. His prose is dark, gritty and focused on career criminals, their culture and ethics (...and yes, there is order and morality even among most "non-citizens.) His lead, Burke, is a man of strong passions and a code as inviolate as that of any philosopher or cleric. If you enjoy noir urban tales, strong characters and tight plots, Vachss is your man, but he is not for the politically correct or the faint of heart.
January 2, 2019
I have been away from the Burke series for a number of years, but it was easy to pick up again, where I left off. The books are all memorable and illustrate the author's ideas on 'family' and social injustice. This book is no exception. Another good Burke tale, but these stories are best taken from the beginning. I am nearing the end of Burke's run, but still looking forward to the next tale in the series.
August 13, 2007
Jeez, I'm finally caught up! All of the Vachss books are pretty entertaining; they all take themselves *very seriously* but some are in fact pretty silly. Also, I sometimes put them down and go, "wait, what?"
April 8, 2011
Since learning that Andrew Vachss just wrote his last Burke novel I thought it a good time to catch up on some of the missing pieces. Though entertaining, this was not the best of the bunch. The ending seemed rushed - let's just get this over with. Nevertheless a good read.
February 29, 2016
Down Here (Burke #15) by Andrew Vachss (Alfred A. Knopf 2004)(Fiction - Mystery) concerns an attempt by a convicted serial rapist to frame ex-D.A. Wolfe (Burke's unrequited love interest). Ha! Not when Burke's on the job! My rating: 5/10, finished 6/22/11.
July 6, 2013
I love Andrew Vachss. I truly do. Unfortunately this book didn't grab me as much as the preceding books of the Burke series. The story doesn't really progress and it kindof leaves you with an empty feeling after finishing it.
Read
July 31, 2011He has got to be my most favourite mystery writer. Love all of his books especially the Burke novels.
August 14, 2020
One of the hard things to do when commenting on Vachss' latest Burke novel is to feel like I'm not repeating myself. Vachss is consistently a strong writer. The novels are consistently gripping and enthralling. Every time I find myself staying up late so that I can finish the book. Vachss doesn't use chapters, so it makes it that much harder since I always think "Just until the next break." which is a page or two away. Then when I reach it I think "Next break. I'll stop for the evening then." Repeat that cycle until I literally can't stay awake anymore. It's also hard to not repeat myself because it feels like the novels are all one big story and not individual books. They are more like the chapters in this thousands plus page story that is still going. I would imagine this makes it kind of difficult for a new reader to come aboard. The good thing though is that due to the intense stories and Vachss writing style, the novels are really fast reads. You can catch up pretty fast.
September 6, 2023
The writing is, as usual, outstanding and so easy to get caught up in and forget to eat or ignore the phone.
I didn't much like the ending, and plot seemed a little off the beaten path for a Burke novel.
Vachss didn't flesh out the new characters as well as he typically does.
Even the 'family' storyline had a couple things I felt were out of place.
Maybe it's the just changes that have taken place in Burkes life and I'm reading [no pun intended] to much into it, but the 'trip out west', a couple books back, has changed the tone slightly of the stories.
I didn't much like the ending, and plot seemed a little off the beaten path for a Burke novel.
Vachss didn't flesh out the new characters as well as he typically does.
Even the 'family' storyline had a couple things I felt were out of place.
Maybe it's the just changes that have taken place in Burkes life and I'm reading [no pun intended] to much into it, but the 'trip out west', a couple books back, has changed the tone slightly of the stories.
January 30, 2024
I'm on the stretch run, finishing this, the 15th of 18 Burke novels. Three more to go.
This one was a little more satisfying than most, as it evolves into a more standard mystery/thriller than the usual Burke novel. He still uses his crew of "misfits", but more as "staff" than actual participants. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to an exciting ending, which never materialized -- we got a rather abrupt ending, the last 8-10 pages, which was less than satisfying, and really could use some additional fleshing out to fully understand what happened.
This one was a little more satisfying than most, as it evolves into a more standard mystery/thriller than the usual Burke novel. He still uses his crew of "misfits", but more as "staff" than actual participants. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to an exciting ending, which never materialized -- we got a rather abrupt ending, the last 8-10 pages, which was less than satisfying, and really could use some additional fleshing out to fully understand what happened.
March 29, 2025
I liked the overall plot but it really shows the obsession Burke has with Wolfe. He dropped everything and roped his family into helping her with no payoff at all, hell even near the end when she told him to drop it because it was over and he moved into criminal mode trying to get the money out of it there was no payoff.
March 26, 2020
Read a bit like a pastiche of an Andrew Vachss novel. I guess it is difficult to continue to be innovative and original when on #15 of a series. Same old, same old.....
February 1, 2022
Another great Burke novel
I am on a mission to read all the “Burke” books. What a great series. Read them in a row, starting with “Flood”
I am on a mission to read all the “Burke” books. What a great series. Read them in a row, starting with “Flood”
June 15, 2025
Burke may have met his match. We’ll see.
September 6, 2023
Vachss creates interesting anti heroes but 15 books into this series and I've started rooting for the bad guys. Only Max the Silent still intrigues and man do I wish Burke would just shut the hell up with his Einstein of the street routine and finally take a bullet to a vital organ. Unfortunately there's no going back and I'm forcing myself to finish this series strictly out of obsessive compulsiveness. Hearing him weigh in on the root cause of terrorism was hilariously moronic (it's apparently a money making business for those savage Muslims he loves to hate!!! Muslims are the only people on earth "born bad" in his "expert view"). I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise, the series is rife with hypocrisy (Burke's apparently a child protector yet he always finds time to lionize Wesley, a sociopath who is responsible for murdering hundreds of children). Hopefully the last three installments are somewhat better. Hell, it shouldn't be too hard, a monkey throwing piles of shit on a blank piece of paper is twice as interesting as this self righteous crap.
January 30, 2010
While reading this book I was struck by the fact that the bad guys get very little page time in the Burke series. Unlike other "detective" novels, where you often get a glimpse of what the bad guy is doing or thinking to so as to build tension, here the story is all about Burke and associates doing their thing looking for Mr. Wrong. In this one the bad guy is actually present only at the very end. All other references are to his record and past as they close in on him. Very intersting.
Another good book in the series. Again the motivations can be baffling to me but the milieu is educating.
Another good book in the series. Again the motivations can be baffling to me but the milieu is educating.
December 29, 2008
Some years ago, I read Flood and Strega and enjoyed them. As a casual fan of Mr. Vachss, I enjoyed the quick pace and grit of "Down Here," though I wished he'd developed the two female characters - Laura and Wolfe - more. There were the makings of a really interesting anti-love triangle here. Instead, "Down Here" is essentially an investigation/mystery story, enjoyable if a bit forgettable. I won't rush out for another dose right away, but Vachss is still one of the writers I know will entertain without demanding too much from me.
July 23, 2010
I am a fan of Vachss writing, especially the Burke series; there have been so many gritty, suspenseful outings. This, unfortunately, isn't one of them. A lot of 'telling' instead of 'showing' in a story digging into the reason why a serial rapist is being protected by the feds.
I had trouble with the dialogue. Vachss has all the characters (except for Max obviously) constantly interrupting each other or finishing someone else's thoughts. It can be a useful device but it is employed to distration here.
I had trouble with the dialogue. Vachss has all the characters (except for Max obviously) constantly interrupting each other or finishing someone else's thoughts. It can be a useful device but it is employed to distration here.
April 14, 2007
one of the many in a series.
andrew vachss mysteries are a special kind of seedy, gritty, and dark. i adore them.
andrew vachss mysteries are a special kind of seedy, gritty, and dark. i adore them.
October 1, 2007
Ditto my kissoff of Vachss as reflected in the other review. Some of Burke's sidekicks are interesting, but the author is not going to let you learn anything about them.
May 29, 2008
This book was interesting and kept the pages turning. I loved how everythings was to be kept a secret and how some of the characters never gave away thier identity.
October 11, 2008
Not the best Vachss book, but still good.
Read
June 27, 2008Unleash your inner vigilante. Vachss' character Burke does all the things you wish you could do (or at least all the things I wish I could do)
December 3, 2012
I love thsi series, but this was my least favorite. The interaction with the sister was odd to me and added no value.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews