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That's How I Roll: A Novel
Andrew Vachss, the master of hard-boiled fiction, returns with a deeply revealing new novel about an assassin whose love forced him to kill his own conscience.
Esau Till’s race is almost run. After pleading guilty to a series of homicides, he sits on death row, awaiting lethal injection. And writing his life story. But his memoir is no case study in tragedy—it’s his one last chance to protect his brother, Tory, after he’s gone. And, as too many have learned, when it comes to protecting his baby brother, Esau Till is a man without boundaries.
Esau’s father was a widely feared beast who, it was commonly believed, killed his wife and used his own daughter as a substitute. In Esau’s own words, when your sister is your mother, too, you know you’re not going to come out right. Not you, not your life, not nothing.
When the genetic cards were dealt, Esau drew a genius IQ but a horribly crippled body. His brother Tory drew a “slow” mind but almost superhuman strength. Very early on, Esau learned that the only way to guarantee his baby brother’s safety was to make himself indispensable to certain people. A self-taught explosives expert, he became the top assassin for two rival local mobs. When a third mob attempted to recruit his brother, Esau took them all out, unaware that one of them was an under-cover FBI agent.
Execution looms, but no prison can hold Esau’s mind. Or his love. As the State prepares to take his life, Esau plots going all-in on the last and most deadly hand he will ever play.
Esau Till’s race is almost run. After pleading guilty to a series of homicides, he sits on death row, awaiting lethal injection. And writing his life story. But his memoir is no case study in tragedy—it’s his one last chance to protect his brother, Tory, after he’s gone. And, as too many have learned, when it comes to protecting his baby brother, Esau Till is a man without boundaries.
Esau’s father was a widely feared beast who, it was commonly believed, killed his wife and used his own daughter as a substitute. In Esau’s own words, when your sister is your mother, too, you know you’re not going to come out right. Not you, not your life, not nothing.
When the genetic cards were dealt, Esau drew a genius IQ but a horribly crippled body. His brother Tory drew a “slow” mind but almost superhuman strength. Very early on, Esau learned that the only way to guarantee his baby brother’s safety was to make himself indispensable to certain people. A self-taught explosives expert, he became the top assassin for two rival local mobs. When a third mob attempted to recruit his brother, Esau took them all out, unaware that one of them was an under-cover FBI agent.
Execution looms, but no prison can hold Esau’s mind. Or his love. As the State prepares to take his life, Esau plots going all-in on the last and most deadly hand he will ever play.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
28 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
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 92 reviews
December 20, 2016
For the most part I was really enjoying this first person death row confession of a hitman born with spina bifida right up until I noticed that it was essentially Lee Child-esque middle aged white male fantasy nonsense dressed up as a dark, incest ridden, unreliable narrator who overcame the deck that was stacked against him at birth.
The story reads fantastically, the casual nature of Esau Till's narration feels exactly like a story he is so comfortable with telling that he forgets that those listening don't know all of the facts and aren't necessarily going to be as comfortable with the shocking details of his actions. I've been there myself, telling stories of the absurd things that I've done or been on the receiving end of as if it's no big deal only to see the look of horror on the other persons face, unable to process that somebody can continue to function after such events and with no idea how to react to the tale.
But the flip side is that all of the narrative revolves around how totally badass awesome this guy is despite being in a wheelchair, how many babes he can get, how super amazing he is at building things, how massive his brain is, what a cool and calm killer he is with every weapon you can find him, how charming he can be, how much pain he can take, how well he manipulates everyone, what a cool prepper he is. And on and on and on, who really cares about a superhuman, totally infallible douchebag just because he is in a wheelchair? Exactly. Boring old white men who jerk off over guns and conspiracy theories.
The story reads fantastically, the casual nature of Esau Till's narration feels exactly like a story he is so comfortable with telling that he forgets that those listening don't know all of the facts and aren't necessarily going to be as comfortable with the shocking details of his actions. I've been there myself, telling stories of the absurd things that I've done or been on the receiving end of as if it's no big deal only to see the look of horror on the other persons face, unable to process that somebody can continue to function after such events and with no idea how to react to the tale.
But the flip side is that all of the narrative revolves around how totally badass awesome this guy is despite being in a wheelchair, how many babes he can get, how super amazing he is at building things, how massive his brain is, what a cool and calm killer he is with every weapon you can find him, how charming he can be, how much pain he can take, how well he manipulates everyone, what a cool prepper he is. And on and on and on, who really cares about a superhuman, totally infallible douchebag just because he is in a wheelchair? Exactly. Boring old white men who jerk off over guns and conspiracy theories.
June 1, 2012
This is an absurdly weird book. To be sure, I'm sure there's weirder out there. But it's not even as interesting as it clearly should be.
Andrew Vachss is certainly an original with his writing style, I will give him that. However, the real story doesn't even begin until 50 pages. Then, since you already know what happens if you read the inside flap, the story lags with 50 pages left to go. It's a miracle I waded through everything.
It gets bumped up a star for having a few quotes I did mark.
If you're at all interested in the premise, it goes like this: Esau Till and his brother, Tory-boy, were born fucked up (physically and mentally, respectfully). This is because their father killed their mother and used their sister as a substitute. As often happens, this resulted in spina bifada for Esau and mental retardation for Tory-boy. The only underlying theme of the book, really, is how far someone will go to protect someone they love. Esau writes the whole book from death row, where he stands ready to die for a crime he committed in order to save his brother. The whole book is just about what he does to protect Tory-boy. In some parts it's touching. In others it wears thin. By the end, I didn't care much what was happening, I was just treading water until the last page.
I'm glad it's over. Can't say I would recommend it.
Andrew Vachss is certainly an original with his writing style, I will give him that. However, the real story doesn't even begin until 50 pages. Then, since you already know what happens if you read the inside flap, the story lags with 50 pages left to go. It's a miracle I waded through everything.
It gets bumped up a star for having a few quotes I did mark.
If you're at all interested in the premise, it goes like this: Esau Till and his brother, Tory-boy, were born fucked up (physically and mentally, respectfully). This is because their father killed their mother and used their sister as a substitute. As often happens, this resulted in spina bifada for Esau and mental retardation for Tory-boy. The only underlying theme of the book, really, is how far someone will go to protect someone they love. Esau writes the whole book from death row, where he stands ready to die for a crime he committed in order to save his brother. The whole book is just about what he does to protect Tory-boy. In some parts it's touching. In others it wears thin. By the end, I didn't care much what was happening, I was just treading water until the last page.
I'm glad it's over. Can't say I would recommend it.
February 17, 2013
The average rating of this book is high, and I believe that is because Vachss attracts devoted readers. I'm not sure if I count in that group. I read all of his Burke books; they're about violence and child abuse. When I criticize his books, one of his fans will comment on it to chastise me. Don't bother, crazed fan! You are not Burke, neither am I; he doesn't exist in real life.
And that is my critique: Vachss' books are too far afield from Real Life. They romanticize killing child abusers. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for that. It's like The Sopranos, the song Big Rock Candy Mountain, or Anne Rice's vampire books. The fantasy is that you do whatever you want, at all times, killing anyone who gets in your way, until you are killed by The Man, who cannot allow a person as honorable as you are to live in our society, lest truth, honesty, and ultra-violence become popular and threaten The Man's reign over mankind. I criticize because I have known many who dwell on society's periphery, and I have compassion with them all, but I have met none who are like Vachss' characters, criminals who do what they say, and say what they do, and succeed in their vengeance on any who harm a child, or rat out a brother, or hurt a woman. See, that's part of what I like about them...I like that kill the misogynist and pedophile scenario, but it's not realistic. I have known more criminals than most readers, I stake my reputation on that now, and I believe that many hundreds of them talk big about such values, but 99% are full of shit.
But you know, The Avengers are popular, and Anne Rice vampires, and I don't think they are real, or The Sopranos for that matter, but there's something unseemly about creating these honorable killer characters over and over again. I do not believe that this genre appeals to my higher nature, but only to my baser level. I think I'll go read a Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism book now to cleanse off my karma after the Vachss.
Oh, spoiler alert! I didn't mention any characters or plot, but you already get it if you read this far. The protagonist will die on Death Row, but he has more character and true values than any upstanding citizen or churchgoer in the story, plus he's in a wheelchair and has taken care of his handicapped brother all his life. The hero is also the only one who treated the prostitute with the heart of gold like the true lady she was, the only one who gave her an orgasm after she saved him from an asexual life, and now he'll die for avenging her death with his own two bare hands. :-) It's pretty far out, like I said.
And that is my critique: Vachss' books are too far afield from Real Life. They romanticize killing child abusers. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for that. It's like The Sopranos, the song Big Rock Candy Mountain, or Anne Rice's vampire books. The fantasy is that you do whatever you want, at all times, killing anyone who gets in your way, until you are killed by The Man, who cannot allow a person as honorable as you are to live in our society, lest truth, honesty, and ultra-violence become popular and threaten The Man's reign over mankind. I criticize because I have known many who dwell on society's periphery, and I have compassion with them all, but I have met none who are like Vachss' characters, criminals who do what they say, and say what they do, and succeed in their vengeance on any who harm a child, or rat out a brother, or hurt a woman. See, that's part of what I like about them...I like that kill the misogynist and pedophile scenario, but it's not realistic. I have known more criminals than most readers, I stake my reputation on that now, and I believe that many hundreds of them talk big about such values, but 99% are full of shit.
But you know, The Avengers are popular, and Anne Rice vampires, and I don't think they are real, or The Sopranos for that matter, but there's something unseemly about creating these honorable killer characters over and over again. I do not believe that this genre appeals to my higher nature, but only to my baser level. I think I'll go read a Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism book now to cleanse off my karma after the Vachss.
Oh, spoiler alert! I didn't mention any characters or plot, but you already get it if you read this far. The protagonist will die on Death Row, but he has more character and true values than any upstanding citizen or churchgoer in the story, plus he's in a wheelchair and has taken care of his handicapped brother all his life. The hero is also the only one who treated the prostitute with the heart of gold like the true lady she was, the only one who gave her an orgasm after she saved him from an asexual life, and now he'll die for avenging her death with his own two bare hands. :-) It's pretty far out, like I said.
March 27, 2012
Book Review (ARC)
That’s How I Roll is an excellent book. Esau and Tory are brothers, born of an incestuous relationship between their father and sister. They are perfect compliments of each other. Tory has superhuman strength, but is mentally slow, while Esau has a genius IQ, but is confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida. In an effort to protect his brother and ensure his future safety, Esau takes to building bombs and provides his services to rival mobs in the area. It’s only a matter of time until Esau finds himself on death row. It is from here that he reveals to the reader that he has one last trick he has up his sleeve.
This book packs a punch. I didn’t quite know how to feel about Esau most of the time because he’s indirectly killing many people just to protect his brother, but I still hoped he and his brother would come out on top. Then Esau lands himself in jail where he’s no longer going to be able to protect him anyway – at least not personally – so that was a little disappointing. I just think it’s a really cool idea for a story; I love that there’s no real hero and everyone has blood on their hands. The relationship between Esau and Tory’s father and sister is creepy, though. I had a hard time with that bit, but only because it’s so disgusting to imagine. Overall, the characters were really well-written and relatable, even though the circumstances are far from normal. That’s How I Roll is one of the better books that I’ve read in a while and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s into mystery/suspense novels. I wish that I had an actual copy of this book, so I could read it again right now.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
That’s How I Roll is an excellent book. Esau and Tory are brothers, born of an incestuous relationship between their father and sister. They are perfect compliments of each other. Tory has superhuman strength, but is mentally slow, while Esau has a genius IQ, but is confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida. In an effort to protect his brother and ensure his future safety, Esau takes to building bombs and provides his services to rival mobs in the area. It’s only a matter of time until Esau finds himself on death row. It is from here that he reveals to the reader that he has one last trick he has up his sleeve.
This book packs a punch. I didn’t quite know how to feel about Esau most of the time because he’s indirectly killing many people just to protect his brother, but I still hoped he and his brother would come out on top. Then Esau lands himself in jail where he’s no longer going to be able to protect him anyway – at least not personally – so that was a little disappointing. I just think it’s a really cool idea for a story; I love that there’s no real hero and everyone has blood on their hands. The relationship between Esau and Tory’s father and sister is creepy, though. I had a hard time with that bit, but only because it’s so disgusting to imagine. Overall, the characters were really well-written and relatable, even though the circumstances are far from normal. That’s How I Roll is one of the better books that I’ve read in a while and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s into mystery/suspense novels. I wish that I had an actual copy of this book, so I could read it again right now.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
November 8, 2014
Audiobook
So this book was available as an audiobook from my library and it was just under 7 hrs. Thought it would be short and sweet. I got the former, but defiantly not the latter!
I'll be honest, I only got half way through part 2 (of 6), and I just couldn't finish it. It was terrible. The story was so slow. The voice was waaaay to exaggerated, and it made the story seem sooo pretentious! The narrator made it seem as if he was the shit. He just boosted waaay to much.
I *HATED* that his brothers name was "Tony-boy". I felt as if the author was somehow trying to piggy back off of "Pony-boy" in The Outsiders (not that I fully remember the character, but just having a similar'ish name).
Ugh, I couldn't stand this book. It was just awful!
DO NOT READ!
So this book was available as an audiobook from my library and it was just under 7 hrs. Thought it would be short and sweet. I got the former, but defiantly not the latter!
I'll be honest, I only got half way through part 2 (of 6), and I just couldn't finish it. It was terrible. The story was so slow. The voice was waaaay to exaggerated, and it made the story seem sooo pretentious! The narrator made it seem as if he was the shit. He just boosted waaay to much.
I *HATED* that his brothers name was "Tony-boy". I felt as if the author was somehow trying to piggy back off of "Pony-boy" in The Outsiders (not that I fully remember the character, but just having a similar'ish name).
Ugh, I couldn't stand this book. It was just awful!
DO NOT READ!
April 18, 2012
Pretty much what I expected -- raw and overwrought. It's a variation on what Vacchs does over and over again: a killer with a heart of gold protects defenseless victims from ubiquitous evil. This time it's George protecting Lennie with a load of C-4. I think I'm done with Vacchs unless he finds a new pond to fish in.
June 17, 2017
My first Vachss in a while and the first one since I finished the Burke series. It wasn't particularly good. More character and less plot, but we've seen enough of Vachss's honor-bound characters where reputation is more important than anything, etc, etc.
There were grim elements in all the Burke books, this just wasn't terribly entertaining. Shame.
There were grim elements in all the Burke books, this just wasn't terribly entertaining. Shame.
October 15, 2023
Man, I don’t know about this book…my opinion on it vacillated all over the place over the course of reading it. Some parts felt like cheesy regurgitated tropes—the crippled man with the broken body but the mind that can’t be beat, the brother with the damaged mind but the unbeatable body, the kindly librarian, the hooker with the heart of gold, the murder of the abusive incestuous father, etc. The text is also riddled with cliches, and with tortured similes. And it took me a long time to even get into it and I wasn’t sure I’d finish it. But then about if a quarter of the way through, I locked in and just flew through the text. There IS cool stuff here, but there’s also a lot to wade through or forgive to get there. Also, given the jumbled timeline and the promise of a big reveal, the ending fell pretty flat, which is what nudged my 2.5 star feelings to be rounded down to a 2 overall.
April 3, 2012
I love this guys writing. It pains me to give this two stars, but this novel doesn't have that Vachss feel. I never sympathized with the protagonist, and just couldn't get into the story. I get what he was doing, but sadly, I didn't like this one.
July 25, 2012
I am a huge fan of Mr. Vachss, but I think this one could have been improved with a little editing. To me it felt like there was a bit of repetitiveness. To my mind, it would have made a better novella than a full fledged novel.
September 24, 2014
Liked it well enough. Would have been four stars but it takes you 1/3 into the book before the story actually seems to start. First 1/3 rather tedious and repetitive. Once it for moving though I enjoyed it.
May 9, 2012
Vachss doesn't know how to write easy novels, just superb ones. Gritty, insightful, happy and profoundly sad all at the same time.
May 29, 2014
It would have been much better if I wasn't so confused.
June 19, 2018
A Vachss novel through and though with all his hallmarks. Child abuse builds our monsters and the silence of society that wrings it's hands and cries" "but think of the children!" when it's politically expedient. Found family is the key to survival for survivors, even those ones who become monsters themselves. Layers of facts in the fiction, teaching you a little bit here and there, educating as Vachss set out to do.
Slow moving start (and this time I think his pacing was a touch off) building up until suddenly you're in the middle of criminal tribes, the families they form, and the bonds they share. Once you're in the thick of it, suddenly it's a sharp drop, the drop is sharp and you're speeding to the end.
Esau Till is not nearly so relatable as Burke. Life has made him meaner than the titular Burke series lead, and frankly that takes some doing. But he's got both a mind and a relentless nature you have to respect. Tory-boy is both his Savior and his stone, both giving him heart and dragging him down to the depraved things he'd do to help keep his brother safe and secure long after Esau's death, which will come from the spina bifuda he suffers from or from the cost of his work.
The plan is long and fraught with difficulty, but Esau is no stranger to hardship. He makes it work, finding it how things work from the local library, the internet, or the extension of the family he builds. Esau is capable of kindness though, and love - and that's why he's damned to meet a terrible end.
Working our way though the story of how things got off the rails starts as a slow climb and during the first 30 pages I struggled to give a shit about Esau. But once we got to where we actually see him taking care of Tory-boy instead of just hearing him talk about the plan itself we finally hit paydirt. From there it's a tense thriller, watching Esau navigate back country crime and working too keep his brother safe while he does it.
Fans of Vachss will definitely want to read That's How I Roll. Readers new to Vachss may want a stronger jumping on point for his work, but this isn't a bad book but any stretch. Just needs to get up to steam to really start rolling, that's all.
Slow moving start (and this time I think his pacing was a touch off) building up until suddenly you're in the middle of criminal tribes, the families they form, and the bonds they share. Once you're in the thick of it, suddenly it's a sharp drop, the drop is sharp and you're speeding to the end.
Esau Till is not nearly so relatable as Burke. Life has made him meaner than the titular Burke series lead, and frankly that takes some doing. But he's got both a mind and a relentless nature you have to respect. Tory-boy is both his Savior and his stone, both giving him heart and dragging him down to the depraved things he'd do to help keep his brother safe and secure long after Esau's death, which will come from the spina bifuda he suffers from or from the cost of his work.
The plan is long and fraught with difficulty, but Esau is no stranger to hardship. He makes it work, finding it how things work from the local library, the internet, or the extension of the family he builds. Esau is capable of kindness though, and love - and that's why he's damned to meet a terrible end.
Working our way though the story of how things got off the rails starts as a slow climb and during the first 30 pages I struggled to give a shit about Esau. But once we got to where we actually see him taking care of Tory-boy instead of just hearing him talk about the plan itself we finally hit paydirt. From there it's a tense thriller, watching Esau navigate back country crime and working too keep his brother safe while he does it.
Fans of Vachss will definitely want to read That's How I Roll. Readers new to Vachss may want a stronger jumping on point for his work, but this isn't a bad book but any stretch. Just needs to get up to steam to really start rolling, that's all.
Read
May 10, 2024If you like mystery, I got the perfect book for you. That’s how I Roll by Andrew vachss. In my book here our main character goes through many loops, falls in love and he's also a part time lawyer. His job is to stop Troy boy from getting in trouble but is failing. Our character is an interesting person. My opinion on the book is mixed because it's slow and fast and boring. But it has a good mystery. The writtingstyle is easy to follow and it has big words. The Strength of this book is that it keeps you entertained. Weaknesses are slow and long. Most of the time the main character yapping. I give this book a 7-10 because it's somewhat fun to read. I would recommend it if you like slow mysteries.
April 25, 2021
I believe I have read maybe 2 other books by Vachss? This might be the last. The author is an excellent technician in explaining antisocial behavior--how it is likely to be developed and how it can be enacted in that individual's life.
If you are not in a mental health, correctional, or judicial enforcement type of work you may not have a grasp of why people think this way.
They are not like us. They were made this way and the ineffective behaviors they use(d) to get their needs met were continually reinforced.
Very much appreciate Mr. Vachss' experience and technique. Respectfully done for awhile.
If you are not in a mental health, correctional, or judicial enforcement type of work you may not have a grasp of why people think this way.
They are not like us. They were made this way and the ineffective behaviors they use(d) to get their needs met were continually reinforced.
Very much appreciate Mr. Vachss' experience and technique. Respectfully done for awhile.
June 13, 2022
“There isn’t a liquor store in the world that lets you buy on credit. So, if a man walks into a liquor store after dark, it’s either because he’s got money … or because he doesn’t.”
Who doesn't want to read a story about a hitman in a wheelchair? This was a good story and the first that I've read from Vachss. I would definitely read another one, in fact I have a couple on my to-read list already from the library. If you're looking for a fast, easy read with some excitement and an easy to follow plot then this is a great book for you to jump into.
Who doesn't want to read a story about a hitman in a wheelchair? This was a good story and the first that I've read from Vachss. I would definitely read another one, in fact I have a couple on my to-read list already from the library. If you're looking for a fast, easy read with some excitement and an easy to follow plot then this is a great book for you to jump into.
August 11, 2024
It took me a while to get into the book. It's first person POV and I wasn't overly fond of the main character, his speech patterns and it was hard to follow as the main character was talking around things but was being evasive and cryptic. I pushed on and about 1/3 of the way through, the story was being told in a more direct manner and I found it much easier to read.
It was an interesting plot and I did finally start to root for Esau and his brother. Understanding their story made them more real and I really felt for the circumstances they both started the world with.
It was an interesting read, good for me to try a different style. Give it some time and don't put it down before it hits its stride.
It was an interesting plot and I did finally start to root for Esau and his brother. Understanding their story made them more real and I really felt for the circumstances they both started the world with.
It was an interesting read, good for me to try a different style. Give it some time and don't put it down before it hits its stride.
November 5, 2019
Definitely an odd book. I guess you could call it the confession of a contract killer with heart of gold. You might think about giving up on it a few pages in. Just another killer justifying himself. Give it more time, and you'll see that there's far more to this particular killer. You may not want to have him over to your house for tea, but you'll find him a curious invention of a creative mind.
September 12, 2018
There is truth and darkness in everything Andrew Vachss writes. There is light, too. Loyalty, love, steadfastness. It is not easy reading. Each word has an opportunity to cut you down to your soul as he lays bare that truth and darkness. I am not going to retell any of this story and pretend it is part of the review. You need to feel that story for yourself.
August 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this novel. Of course, I have enjoyed every novel and short story collection that Vachss has written. This is a stand-alone novel, so you do not need to read his other books to enjoy this one. Try it if it's just not you then put it away. But I have found Vachss to have exciting potential.
July 2, 2024
I thought it was a pretty good book. General premise is a man born with spina bifida is sitting on death row for being a mafia hitman. His only family member is his younger brother, who is mentally challenged, but very strong.
The book is the telling of how he ended up where he is. It is not a life changing thriller, but if you are looking for a quick read, I think it’s worth it.
The book is the telling of how he ended up where he is. It is not a life changing thriller, but if you are looking for a quick read, I think it’s worth it.
August 14, 2024
This is a very weird, twisted tale that's not even remotely credible. And the main character Esau, has the excuse " I am an apathetic human being and a killer for hire because I was abused as a child."
February 22, 2018
I didn't care much for this book. When the protagonist is an anti-hero the author has to create some empathy for the character and I don't think he did.
June 9, 2021
I found the narration highly repetitive. The story was good, but the narrator kept saying the same things again and again and again.
September 14, 2021
Goes around in circles. Needs editing. Story pours out like molasses.
February 18, 2023
Read in 2012. A deeply revealing novel from the master of the hardboiled.
July 2, 2015
This ranks as one of Vachss very best books. I love all three series: Burke, Cross, and the newest "Shockwave" series. This is a "one off" not part of any series.
The book takes the form of a letter written from death row by a convicted man who performed murders for hire. It is supposed to be his "insurance policy" in the event of his untimely death. Our narrator admits early on that he was born both blessed and cursed. Blessed with a brilliant mind (probably a little too brilliant, but hey, it's a novel not a documentary) and a kind neighbor. Cursed with a severe birth defect and (this comes as no surprise to anyone who has read a single Vachss novel) with an abusive parent. His brother is more of a stereotype: mildly developmentally delayed, and incredibly strong.
In sum, the set up is essentially a dark rebelling of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." But wow, what a re telling! Digging deep into our narrator's mind, Vachss illuminates much about the way the world works, how "bad" people make the choices they do, and the consequences imposed on people by the world they are born into.
BTW, the narrator makes one of the greatest come-backs ever to the claim that he just made bad choices, and this needs to be punished. Paraphrased, he says most of the choices were made for him before he could make choices.
Anyway, fascinating narrator, compelling read, and Vachss, as usual has a way to make the English language do things it was never intended to do. All while exposing the ugly underside of life.
Only when I got to the end did I realize just how dark the story is. AsRobert Burns wrote (made famous by Steinbeck), "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley"
The book takes the form of a letter written from death row by a convicted man who performed murders for hire. It is supposed to be his "insurance policy" in the event of his untimely death. Our narrator admits early on that he was born both blessed and cursed. Blessed with a brilliant mind (probably a little too brilliant, but hey, it's a novel not a documentary) and a kind neighbor. Cursed with a severe birth defect and (this comes as no surprise to anyone who has read a single Vachss novel) with an abusive parent. His brother is more of a stereotype: mildly developmentally delayed, and incredibly strong.
In sum, the set up is essentially a dark rebelling of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." But wow, what a re telling! Digging deep into our narrator's mind, Vachss illuminates much about the way the world works, how "bad" people make the choices they do, and the consequences imposed on people by the world they are born into.
BTW, the narrator makes one of the greatest come-backs ever to the claim that he just made bad choices, and this needs to be punished. Paraphrased, he says most of the choices were made for him before he could make choices.
Anyway, fascinating narrator, compelling read, and Vachss, as usual has a way to make the English language do things it was never intended to do. All while exposing the ugly underside of life.
Only when I got to the end did I realize just how dark the story is. AsRobert Burns wrote (made famous by Steinbeck), "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley"
March 29, 2012
Vachss is recovering his voice after concluding the Burke series. His protagonist is, as always, a damaged yet honourable criminal. Set in a unnamed possibly southern rural community, Esau Till tells his story from death row. Fraternal love comparable that of Cal and Niko motivates extreme measures. Vachss's Burke books benefitted from the depth of characterization that only many years of development can bring; a single book, especially on this short, cannot do that. As always, Vachss shows us the world from the point of view of the criminal. Motivated by horrific childhoods, his characters are noble, but not "citizens" in that they live by a atrong ethical code totally unrelated to that which the law abiding adhere. He displays contempt for criminals who don't adhere to a code of honour, and seems at times nostalgic, implying that there was indeed once honour among thieves. No mercy for the sexually abusive, or informants, or gratuitious violence against innocents, yet he approaches adulation for fictive kinship amongst outlaws who protect one another from the System. One wonders whether his underworld truly exists, or ever did, but Vachss understands the vicarious thrill we "citizens" get from glimpsing lives so diametrically opposed to the law abiding.
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