Blue Belle

Burke #3

by Andrew Vachss

            Burke is one of the most cold-blooded yet strangely honorable heroes in the history of crime fiction, an outlaw who makes his living by preying on the most vicious of New York City’s bottom-feeders, those who thrive on the suffering of children.
            In Andrew Vachss’s tautly engrossing novel Burke is given a purse full of dirty money to find the infamous Ghost Van that is cutting a lethal swath among the teenage prostitutes in the ‘hood.  He also gets help in the form of a stripper named Belle, whose moves on the runway are outclassed only by what she can do in a getaway car.  But not even Burke is prepared for the evil that is behind the Ghost Van or for the sheer menace of its guardian, a cadaverous karate expert who enjoys killing so much that he has named himself after death.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Noir, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Detective

562 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Andrew 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.

Reviews

[Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Andrew Vachss did his books Sesame Street style, then this one would be brought to you by the letter M because in addition to Max, Michelle, Mama and the Mole, he adds characters named Mortay, McGowan, Morelli, Morales and Marques. Of course, if Vachss did Sesame Street then Bert and Ernie would turn out to be pedophiles that would lure Elmo into their house with promises of candy while Big Bird filmed it. And you don't even want to know what that freak Mr. Snuffleupagus would be doing.

Vachss’s hero Burke is back for another lighthearted and fun-filled adventure in a glittering New York filled with rainbows and unicorns. Someone has been rolling around in a van and randomly shooting prostitutes. A stripper named Belle contacts Burke to arrange a meeting with a pimp who wants to offer a bounty on the so called Ghost Van. Burke accepts the gig and strikes up a relationship with Belle. Since this is a Vachss novel, Belle turns out to have a history messed up enough to keep Dr. Phil booked for years.

Things take a dark turn when Burke’s friend Prof is badly injured while making inquiries on the street about the van. Prof’s attacker was a crazy kung-fu master named Mortay who wants to draw their buddy Max into a fight to the death. Burke scrambles to protect Max, learn Mortay’s connection to the Ghost Van and deal with his new romance.

While I generally like the Burke novels, they wear me down. Burke’s world is a relentlessly grim place with freaks and criminals waiting around every corner. While I like the idea of this urban survivor living off the grid and working these crazy jobs, the stories are just so goddamn bleak that I don’t dare read them too often lest I fall into a dark depression that would leave me weeping under the covers for days at a time.

I had a lot of other problems with this one, too. Far too much time is spent with his relationship with Belle. Essentially they instantly fall in love, and Burke is showing her every aspect of his life which doesn’t really fit with the character's paranoid nature. And as you’d expect from two people with traumatic issues in their childhoods, their relationship is pretty fucked up. She’s needy and constantly demanding more while Burke is always instructing her on how he expects his woman to behave. And of course Belle ends up sacrificing her life for Burke at the end. Was it even necessary? Didn’t seem like it.

This relationship stuff was almost enough to get me to drop this to two stars but one of Burke’s crazy and ultra-violent scams to draw out Mortay was enough to bump it back up to three.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While working to collect the $50,000 bounty on the Ghost Van, a mysterious vehicle whose appearance marks the disappearance of one or more prostitutes, Burke gets entangled with a buxom stripper named Belle. Can Burke keep Belle out of harm's way as he tracks the Ghost Van? And what, if anything, does the Ghost Van have to do with Mortay, the insane karate master who's gunning for Max the Silent?

Wow. Burke bit off more than he could easily chew in this one. The relationship with Belle really complicated Burke's life of scamming and surviving by his wits. Like the other Burke books I've read, Burke and his associates were made to look like angels when compared to the big bad villain, Mortay in this case. The scariest thing about Vachss's books is that he draws the villains from his real life experiences. Chilling stuff.

It was nice to see the old supporting characters and I'm glad Vachss kept Terry around. While Burke is much the same as he was in the two previous books, his supporting cast continues to evolve. Burke's concern for Max was both believable and well done. The disgusting underbelly of New York is almost a character in the Burke series and Blue Belle is no exception. I could easily see Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder inhabiting the same New York as Burke.

Any gripes? Yeah. The plot came together a little too neatly. It seemed like Burke took a couple really big leaps in deduction. But that problem was minuscule compared to my other problem with the book: Burke's relationship with Belle. I just didn't buy the way she was desperate for Burke to love her a minute or two after they met. The way Burke treated her was in character for him, not wanting anyone getting too close, but I didn't believe that she'd stay with him. Burke's one cold bastard, although he redeemed himself to Belle at the end.

All in all, I enjoyed Blue Belle. Four easy stars.

[Joanne Parkington · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointed!! This book is part 'Carry On' .. part violent revenge and the rest is misogynistic cod's wallop. I fail to understand why a woman need's to be 'slapped', 'nipped' and 'patted on the rump' to reassure her insecurities .. What is she, a farm animal!! The character of Belle is so deeply annoying that i started to skip the Belle & Burke scenes just to get on with the story. Andrew Vachss clearly has a thing for large, mentally unstable, obsessive women .. she's only met Burke for a few hour's and before you know it she's pledging undying love, whilst naked!! & talking about having babies, whilst naked!!! And WTF is with the 'little girl voice' ... it's just plain weird & an unsettling insight into AV view of the fairer sex. The story is not too bad when it finally get's going.. However, Belle is such a whinging, whinning manic obsessive that think's getting her enormous, of course .. Oooh Matron, tit's out every 2 second's & constantly dropping her pant's whilst 'bending from the waist'... Oh please stop!! ... is the solution to all life's problem's & disappointingly, Burke is only to happy to oblige. A poor addition to the Burke series but Thank God for the ending ...

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burke is asked by a pimp named Marques to take on a bounty for the operators of the Ghost Van, a vehicle patrolling the streets of Manhattan, killing prostitutes. His contact with Marques is initiated through Belle, a buxom stripper who thinks Burke is her savior. Turns out she is an excellent wheelman. The search for the Ghost Van brings Burke to Mortay, a psychotic killer, who wants to fight Burke's close friend, Silent Max, to the death, and breaks the legs of the Prof to get Burke's attention. Violent, gritty stuff, but Burke's love of his ad hoc family sets him apart from the scum.

Reading the Burke series at the same time as the Parker series is very interesting. Burke is much more prone to violence, but also seems to be in the game to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Parker is all about the score, himself, and often, his team.

[KillerBunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars, it takes a while before anything happen. I do love Belle with all my heart, but I thought it was a bit less dark than usual. The book is more based on the relationship. But I do love every characters of Burke family.

[Ed]

DNF.

It read pretty well up to about 12% when the plot brought in a child-rape theme. I can't bring myself to continue on right now. I just have so many books waiting for me to read that I've decided to move on.

[Browncoat359 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever were to ask me to reccommend a book without any criteria or caveats at all THIS is the book I would tell you you MUST read. Why? Why would I specifically choose this book out of all of the many books I have read over the many,many,years?

Heart. THIS book has heart,or more properly perhaps it has A heart,a living,beating,palpable heart that drives this story much as an actual heart pumps blood through the body in which it resides.
Andrew Vachss is not an author for the casual reader,his characters are criminals. Thieves,gun runners,con-artists. They are hard and unkind to those outsiders whom they do not deem as being "family",but to one another they are a true family caring for each other in the ways that only a family composed of those who have chosen to be family to one another could be.

The head of this family,as much as it actually has one is Burke,an angry man with an even angrier past. He and his family exist in the underworld of society in New York where "citizens" don't dare to tread. Burke is a criminal but he isn't without those things inside each of us that make us human,he's just better at ignoring them than we are.
Burke is the man the world tells you not to trust but he's more honest than those who would warn us against him. That honesty and spark of integrity which he closely gaurds agains those that would rather see both it and him extinguished are at once his Achilles' Heel and most redeeming quality.

"Blue Belle" reads like Raymond Chandler channeling Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood",it's harsh,it's cruel,but it's damned good and you can't help but be hooked on this modern day Manhattan style gumshoe. It's noir,New York style. Much like Chandler's Phillip Marlowe Burke's life becomes suddenly and irreversibly complicated by what Marlowe would have called a "dame",and not unlike Marlowe Burke finds himself drawn to ths damsel in distress as more than hust his client.

I refuse to give you anymore information about this,my absolute favorite book,except to tell you that Burke has taught me a lot about being a man and having a family,and that family doesn't have to be the folks you were born to.
This is a novel about honor,redemption,love and pain and I think it's a true modern masterpiece and it has a most revered place on my bookshelf.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saved my life.

How's THAT for a "review"? When I discovered this Author, and read this book, I suddenly realized that the abuse (or let's call it what it is: the terrorisation of children by their so-called "parents")I was suffering wasn't my fault-as I had been made to believe. Even though mine was emotional,not sexual, I recognized "power" and it's ab-use.Took some time, but eventually I got away.Thank you Mr. Vachss, once again!
How's the book? One of my absolute favourites (without the above being involved here). A love story, a brilliant thriller, and an atmosphere you can taste. This is a CLASSIC, and I have given it to people with that introduction. Forget Chandler, this is THE TRUTH!

[Larry Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

just finished listening to this book while following along with the e-book version. Audible is a good complement to this author.

The third book of the series and the third woman for Burke. The early books of the series seem less complex than the later books with Really only one main story. And the book doesn’t really get into that main story until halfway through. But the other members of the Burke family are becoming quickly well-established and memorable. The early books seem to focus more on the psychology of sexual aberration and child abuse. Also on the background and childhood of our hero/villain Burke. Although I think I recall there are many beautiful and sexual women in these stories that range over 18 books, this book seems to have more alternative male/female sex between Burke and Belle than most of the other books. To analyze the relationship between these two would be complicated. but suffice it to say the obvious that Burke and his family members succeed and live to battle evil another day.

This book does include a couple of things that are always favorites for me: short chapters and NYC!

—————————-

I am reading this in the omnibus book of Burke #2, #3 and #4 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82...

The Burke beat goes on. There are eighteen books in this series published from 1985 to 2006.

If Burke pops in a tape in his Plymouth, there is a good chance it is Judy Henske. We might consider her one of the cast of characters since she appeared in an earlier book and her tunes seem likely to show up in the future when Burke isn’t playing the blues. Burke says: "If Linda Ronstadt's a torch singer, Henske's a flame thrower."

It does look like we have added to the regulars. Reappearing is Lily who works with abused kids and Immaculata, Max’s woman. Max the Silent. Lily is a conduit for some of the factual information about child abuse and child abusers. Facts are woven into the story. Vachss won’t let you miss them since they are a big part of the reason he is telling these stories. Let me not forget that Immaculata and Max have a new baby daughter, Flower. Terry, the pre-teen boy rescued from his pimp in the last book, is still being looked after by Michelle, the transsexual, a man working on becoming a woman. She is saving money to go to Denmark for the surgery. (In Denmark they do not require the psychological counseling to have the sex change operation like they do in the U.S.) As I have said before, there is not a normal person in the book, maybe not a normal person in the entire series. Unless you have a much different definition of normal than I do. I notice one more likely regular: a steaming tureen of Mama’s hot-and-sour soup. Perfect!

Burke makes reference to the women in the past books. This is the third book in the series so he is on his third woman. He has nightmares about all three. There are small flashbacks to the first two women: Flood from the first book and Strega from the second. And now there is Belle in the third book. At least some sex seems to be mandatory for these books and these women provide that as well as the potential love interest. Burke does not have multiple sexual partners in a book and does compare the women. But at the start of this book it is Flood that he longs for although she is on the other side of the world and they have no contact.

Lots of books include sex. Very few books mention birth control or safe sex. Burke with his vasectomy is halfway there and way out in front of the pack. Since sexual abuse is the big issue for Burke, you might think safe sex would be highlighted since the 80s was the time of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. Burke does say to a stranger in a bar, “Rubbers take some of the romance out of sex, but they beat the hell out of AIDS.” But as far as being a condom user himself, Burke seems to see himself as bulletproof. I am interested to see if Vachss becomes more responsible in portraying sexual encounters as the series moves into more enlightened times.

Since I am reading an Omnibus I am reading books back to back. I don’t think that is such a good idea and I should cut it out. Vachss repeats too much background material and that doesn’t work too well for me when it is still fresh from the previous book. I need more of a chance to forget when I am reading a series! The struggle of an author trying to make a book part of a series but also work as a stand-alone is not unusual. The idea of reading the eighteen book Burke series in order intrigues me for some reason. Maybe because I have just never done it before.

I do like the way Vachss writes.

. . . outside the pool room on 14th up to Union Square, across into Eighth Avenue and up into Times Square, working river to river into midtown. And back again. Driving through the marketplace, someone selling something every time the Plymouth rolled to a stop. Crack, smoke, gravity knives, cheap handguns, watches with Rolex faces and Taiwan guts, little boys, girls, women, men dressed like women. Cheap promises – high prices. Murphy Men selling the New York version of safe sex – the hotel-room key they sold you wouldn’t open the door, and they wouldn’t be standing on the same corner when you went back for better directions. Islands of light where flesh waited to take your money – pools of darkness where wolf packs waited to take your life. And vultures to pick your bones.

Remember quarters and pay phones? Not the pager era yet and still a few more years until cells, Burke carries a roll of quarters. This is very noticeable with Burke since his MO involves a lot of phone contact. Again it will be interesting to see how this aspect changes as the series progresses through beepers and into the cell phone age.

In some ways Burke seems very modern with his car and his gadgets. And his drinking habits, strictly ginger ale, do set him apart from most mystery/crime main characters. And, one more thing, do you think his dog Pansy ever eats dog food? The variety of people food she eats seems endless. I thought hard boiled eggs were an interesting addition to her diet in addition to the mandatory raw steaks and egg roles.

Much of Burke is intense, but the end of Blue Belle is especially intense. I am not usually too good at seeing how a book is going to end in advance, but in this case, I was pretty sure that Belle was going to be dead in the end. My reasoning: I could not imagine Belle maintaining her intensity into another book. Like Flood and Strega, she had to bow out at the end. Burke’s last words to her as she died had to be “I love you.” Now he can go on through the next fifteen books in the series with a new woman in each book?

Early on I thought that Blue Belle might only be a three star book but by the end I was sure it was easily worth four stars.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought Blue Belle pretty much motivated solely because I heard Vachss wrote good crime stuff and also because if the cover of this book was the cover to an album I would buy that album. It's wonderfully garish and mildly unsettling with an undeniable '80s flavor. The typeset seriously looks like mold. The matching cover to the next book Hard Candy is even better! Anyways...the point is that I really had no idea what to expect. Not only is it my first Vachss but it's the third Burke novel so a good deal of stuff and people have been established by this point. Thankfully, I was able to figure it out pretty quickly and had a good time with this novel, although I definitely felt like I needed a scalding psychic shower after.

Burke is...I don't even know what to describe him as. I don't think the usual P.I. applies here. He definitely does some investigative work, but he's also a straight up criminal that did a stint in prison and has this very Punisher-like crusade of ripping off and ruining people who commit crimes against children. The theme of protecting and avenging wronged children and often women as well was prominent to me from within the first hundred pages or so. Burke is paranoid and lives off of the grid, but still has a surprisingly close-knit "family" of other outcasts and weirdos or "outlaws" as they call themselves (opposed to "citizens.) These range from Mama, a restaurant owner with extensive underworld connections to the transsexual lady of mystery Michelle to the Nazi-hunting Mole to the mute Mongolian warrior Max. If not fully fleshed out, the characters are always at least interesting. They kind of remind me of the people that inhabit Miller's Sin City comics, which was a plus because I love those.

Yes, this series can be a bit over the top at times but all that really serves to do is keep things entertaining and provide a bit of fantastical respite from the utterly grim and often revolting world Burke inhabits. Vachss' apparently extensive life experience with the world of crime as an attorney only adds to the novel's weight, and his obvious close familiarity with New York provides a wonderful detail, mood and atmosphere to the surroundings. The story moves all over Manhattan and as someone who has never been anywhere near New York I loved that. Most authors will tell you the characters are on 53rd and 7th or whatever but like I said, I have no idea what 53rd and 7th looks like. I have trouble even envisioning having that many streets. My city goes up to like 30th at the most. With Vachss you get vivid descriptions of what's actually going on with each block the characters are visiting and it's awesome. Setting and atmosphere is vital with this type of novel and Vachss has it.

The plot...you know, your basic "mysterious van murdering hookers around the city for a totally unknown reason" with some ill-fated love story thrown in. It certainly kept the pages turning. I'm not a fast reader by any means but I did finish it in a day or two. The villain was pretty goddamn creepy, which I always love, although I was kind of baffled by the occasional dips into martial arts stuff...I'm just gonna blame it on the general '80s obsession with karate and that kind of thing. I will say that this novel had a decent bit of gratuitous sex, what with the whole repeated descriptions of how overpoweringly buxom Belle was and the lovely cherry on top with the four-page anal sex scene. This was probably to be expected, though...I really don't know if you can get any grittier than this author. Gritty isn't even the word. It's more mucous-y. If this sounds good to you, give it a shot. But don't say I didn't warn ya. It's about half serious-as-a-heart-attack crime thriller and half macho revenge fantasy comic book nightmare.

[Feliks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was always astounded at the quality of this hard-hitting writer but with 'Blue Bell' he really nails it. Best of breed. Its just incredible detective fiction. "Belle" is Vachss' most well-drawn female character (topping 'Strega') and the plot of this story--where he no longer has to introduce Burke and all Burke's exposition--is more taut and economical than any of the preceding titles in the series. Vachss writes with the veracity which stems from his career in law enforcement and with a nasty rawness none of his peers match. Robert B. Parker may have revived the "hard-boiled detective" for contemporary times--but if he hadn't--Vachss certainly would have done it. This is a form of lean, muscular prose set in the seamiest urban sub-strata you can imagine. Belongs among the best 'New York City books' ever written. Vachss is just ...out there. He delivers a unique inventiveness so convincing that it borders on surreal. Are there really characters like Burke and his pals, in our cities? I think Vachss comes pretty close to the truth; if not--the difference is too small to live on. Creepy, creepy, dudes populate these pages. Tougher than any you'll likely meet elsewhere. Unpleasant hombres; weird lifestyles--survivors, though; and once you accept them you'll relish following the schemes they're all pursuing. Highest recommendation. The only other modern detective fiction to compare to it, is James Crumley's "Last Good Kiss".

[John Culuris · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ 1/2

The third Burke novel and as with the previous two, titled after the woman central to the story. As I was reading, this was easily my least favorite so far--and by a wide margin. I’ll put aside the transparent mystery of the Ghost Van. That’s a time issue. In 1988, when Blue Belle was published, it would take more than half the book to figure it out. It’s hardly fair to hold that against Vachss since it’s because of the tireless work of him and others like him that these things are no longer a dirty secret here in 2016. It was Belle I had the problem with. We got essentially the same scene between her and Burke over and over: her desperate need for his love, his need for her to conform to the rules by which he lives his life, the clash of the two, and an accepted agreement or stalemate. Mix and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Not that Belle wasn’t an interesting character. Sprinkling her past into scenes like these is one of Vachss’ premier skills. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough history to invigorate these exchanges as they started to repeat themselves. But remember, I qualified my comments with “as I was reading.” Once we got down to dealing with the main villain and the cost of doing so, Blue Belle was as good as anything Vachss has written (conceding I’m three novels and one co-written short story into his work). A great ending can cover a multitude of sins. And this hardly qualified as a multitude.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

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)

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great story about Burke and his merry band... Max the Silent, Mama, The Mole, The Prof, Michelle, and never forget Pansy, the Neapolitan Mastiff. Sadly, the reason I can't bring myself to give this four or more stars is the title character and Burke's love interest Belle. Vachss draws her as this one-dimensional, sex-obsessed (well, Burke-obsessed!) embarrassment and I really wanted to skip over the parts where she appeared (adding precious little to the story, actually). But, it's still a great story and that's all you can ask.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The entire Burke series can only be described as 'gritty'. Burke is the ultimate anti-hero.

As characters are developed as the series moves along, I highly recommend any new readers start this from the beginning, Flood, and move on from there.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually the first Burke novel I read and I instantly fell in love. It helps to read the series in order but this is one of the best stories in the series.

[Richard Kenneth Conde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cleaning my bookshelves I came across this book. I first came across this Andrew Vachss novel back in the mid 1990's and read it back then as a young man.

The crime fiction/mystery/suspense book was filled with interesting characters, and at the time I read it, came across as very original, especially the supporting characters. Themes in the book and the series of books were very disturbing as it involved child abuse especially amongst its main characters. You can read the book preview and overview here in Good Reads to get an idea of what the book was about. At the time when I read it I was new at reading suspense and mystery novels.

To me, a mystery is a story where the reader doesn't know who the villain is until the hero does. You get the clues as the good guys do and may try to figure it out with them. First person point of view detective stories are true mysteries, as well as others.

A suspense story is when you see more than one side of the story, and may even know exactly what the bad guy is up to. The fun here is in knowing more than the hero does, so you know when something that makes perfect sense to him may be a bad decision. The fun in a suspense story comes from trying to figure out what happens next, or how the hero will overcome it.

Vachss' writing is enjoyable to read without ever getting in the way of the story, and at the same time it is gut-wrenching. Burke is the main character and is a great character, and his friends and supporting characters such as Max the Silent and the Prof kind of sets the standard for realistic interesting semi-psycho supporting characters in these type of stories. I also enjoy crime fiction set in fairly recent history, and Vachss at the time did a wonderful job of putting the reader in a 1980's New York City setting from a post abused child's, grown man's perspective. This book in particular showed the seedy underbelly of New York City's life's attitude at that time. The villain was a somewhat almost unbelievable antagonist whom you believed the protagonist might actually lose to in this story.

[Charles Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It often pays to follow your instincts. I was in a bookstore one day -- the day itself was nothing special -- when I spotted this book on a rack. I wasn't into any particular genre (I'm still not), and I'll never be able to tell you what one thing drew me to picking up BLUE BELLE. My instincts just told me to get it, even though I had never heard of Andrew Vachss before in my life, and I've seen far, far more appealing cover art than what was displayed of a glamorous blonde bombshell and the grim profile of a mystery man. The synopsis of the story on the back cover was intriguing enough, so I got it. I had no idea what kind of amazing yet relentlessly dark ride I was in for.

Ever since, I've had nothing but the utmost respect for Andrew Vachss, and if in any way I can enlighten others about his novels and more importantly the good works he does, his mission to enlighten us about 'The Children of the Secret', I will without a doubt. Vachss has done many things in his life, but he's most committed to his work as a child lawyer and to increasing awareness about the hideous evil of child abuse, physical and sexual, a subject too many aren't aware of...at least, most aren't aware of how completely horrifying and overwhelming this evil is in our world today. His novels, in fact, have been some of his best weapons in getting out his message of what kind of dark, terrible things are happening in the shadows we refuse to really look into...and what we can do to make things better.

BLUE BELLE, like most all of Vachss' works, enlightens us to the world we citizens can't see...it's a pavement-coarse, brutal world where survival is everything. This is the third novel in a long series of books featuring his signature hero, Burke. Unlike Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, though, Burke isn't a private investigator, altough he does fulfill the spirit of that role at times. Burke is the name most know him by and his past is a mystery to everyone but himself, although there's no doubt he's been to prison and he'll never go back. He's a thief and con artist who lives so far under the radar he even pays taxes under another name. He also has what can be best described as a truly extraordinary family, bound together by honor instead of blood relations. They're a singular supporting cast that includes Prof, a short, aged black prophet who taught Burke everything he knows about the streets and how to survive on them...Mole, a quiet and deadly-dangerous genius who lives under a junkyard...Max the Silent, a veteran enforcer and professional killer who is unable to speak, but he and Burke use a sign language only they both know...among others. If one of them is threatened, they all come together to do whatever is necessary to end the threat.

Burke is sometimes an investigator when someone contacts him (they're few and far between because Burke doesn't advertise his services) to solve a problem that no one else can. Teenaged prostitutes are dying, murdered by those who drive a mysterious vehicle some have called the Ghost Van, and the pimps affected most want Burke to find and stop the killers. The reward they offer is more than enough incentive, but they also give him a childlike yet passionate stripper named Belle to support him. Burke and Belle fall into an intense, sexually supercharged love affair made all the more poignant when she tells him about her nightmarish past. That's enough to get the blood boiling for any man with a heart, but the stakes get raised to shocking levels when Burke discovers the Ghost Van is under the protection of a monster feared by the underworld...Mortay, a martial artist who wants something that will make things VERY personal for Burke...

The atmosphere of BLUE BELLE is almost relentlessly bleak, especially when it comes to the subject of child abuse. It's a subject that the author knows intimately because of his passionate fight to make others aware of this evil. The story has a nasty, serrated edge to it that can only be called authentic. When you read a story by Vachss, you have no doubt you've glanced through a window briefly into society's underbelly, and it's never been presented in a way quite like it is here...it's never felt more real. The story is fast-paced, violent and sensual...the characters aren't just colorful and unique, we're driven to care deeply for them and what will happen next. It isn't perfect, though...things happen, especially at the climax, that could have been written better. Even though it's the third of Burke's novels, it's friendly to newbies...I had no problem jumping into his world a bit late, and it made me want to hunt down his first two novels. I've never regretted it, and you won't, either...hunt down BLUE BELLE and read it!

[Chris Cangiano · Rating 2 out of 5]

An early entry in Vachss' Burke series and my first introduction to the character and his world. Burke is an independent sort of gun for hire/fixer/investigator living in New York City's underworld.
He has a family of people also living in the margins of society to aide him in his work. He also has a particular hatred for those who would exploit or abuse children. In this one Burke is hired by a pimp to track down and put a stop to the "Ghost Van", a mysterious van that's been trolling NYC's red light districts and gunning down teen prostitutes. Unfortunately the van is apparently under the protection of an insane and murderous martial arts expert who is "addicted" to the act of killing with his bare hands. Vachss had the basis for a great thriller here. He had interesting villains. Burke's family are all really interesting characters. The setting of NYC in the 1980's is a great one. Where the story falls apart is its focus on Burke's relationship with the titular (no pun intended for those who've read the book) Belle. The character's obsession with Burke is equal parts pathetic and headshakingly annoying. Yet the relationship between the two becomes almost the singular focus for most of the novel with the potentially interesting thriller elements simmering in the background. She has a baby doll voice, huge breasts and enjoys smacks on her ample rear. Is the character portrayed in a misogynistic fashion? I"m not going to hazard an opinion but I wouldn't argue with anyone who suggested that it was (yes I understand that she suffered a childhood trauma which partially is meant to explain her behavior). My other problem is that the resolution of the interesting thriller plot is rushed through in the last 20 pages of the book almost as if it is a throwaway. I've heard great things about the Burke series and will be tempted to try some of the other books but this was a poor place to start, IMHO. Add a half star if you are looking to set up a drinking game around the phrase "She held him in her mouth" because it is way overused in this book to no real effect.

[Mark Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the reviews seem to criticize Vachss while not acknowledging how ahead of its time the book was for 1988 with strong characters who are women of color, transgender and disabled. In this case, I see reviews criticizing Vachss for having a character who likes to be spanked and pinched during sex, among other habits not so easily discussed in a review. Of course, many people love that kind of thing. And in full context — her being a product of incest with violence and sex work in her past — it’s even more understandable. And how many books, especially from that time period, have the love interest and hero be a woman whose large girth is proudly and frequently celebrated? Admittedly, the recurring lead character — a kind of private eye whose focus is protecting children from predators — has some of the less flattering traits common among straight white American males in 1988, but he is accepting and generous with everyone who does not exploit others. I think he deserves some understanding, even if the tough guy prose can make you groan sometimes (“‘You want to be my woman?’ She nodded. ‘This is part of what it costs,’ I told her. I didn’t look back.”) The plot here involves a “ghost van” that kills or kidnaps underage prostitutes. If you’ve ever seen a 1970s exploitation film, you know early on how the book will ultimately end. It contains a lot of sex. I’ll admit a lot of this book made me uncomfortable — especially the clingy, petulant, highly sexed title character — but everyone has a justifiable reason for being the way they are and the plot plays out the way it does because of their quirks. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to Book 4 in the series. Grade: A-

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the early Burke novels. The ingredients are familiar: Burke's brooding personality; the extended family centered at Mama's Chinese restaurant; a plot set in the gritty underside of New York City; the sex scenes between Burke and the women who gives the book its title. As always, I wish there ws a bit less of the latter--Vachss isn't particularly talented at writing the erotic and that piece feels a bit like fantasy. That's a problem mostly because those scenes may keep some potential readers away from a book which in every other way deserves the highest level of attention. Vachss is as clear as any contemporary novelist in any genre about the ways in which our society fails/refuses to look clearly at its roots in sexual violence. When Burke explains his take on the world to Belle in chapter 107 (with echoes preceding and following), the insights remind me of James Baldwin (the highest praise in my literary universe). Vachss anger and disgust come through clearly, but they're tied to a fierce determination not to put up with the status quo. Read it as a parable, not just a genre exercise. This time around, the resolution of the plot didn't stretch credibility.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

when I was younger I devoured these novels. I still respect the author for what he is trying to do but now I find it difficult to not roll my eyes when reading these books. The sheer horror is affecting and horrifying when it comes to what can happen to children and is something that needs to be recognized. Still the writing style and the over the top theatrics of Burke and his "crew' becomes tedious. This novel is particularly cringe worthy when it comes to the relationship between him and Belle. A woman that he falls into a relationship extremely quickly and without any real reason. The constant sexual references become tiring and the main plot seems to be a minor afterthought.
As a novel it also feels very much a product of its time. It seems very much linked to the 1980's and I truly hope that there is more done to protect children.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of the first three Burke books. I liked the first, Flood, the best. The girl this time is Belle, a young and voluptuous woman who falls in love and lust with Burke and even manages to be friends with Pansy, Burke's enormous Neapolitan Mastiff. She is also, surprisingly, an amazing driver and is wheel man for some of the action. My problem with this outing is the frequent and explicit sex. Some is fine. More is not necessary. But the amount in this novel is ridiculous and, for me, off-putting. If it continues in the next installments of this otherwise sound series, I'll have to give it up. Otherwise, Burke is fascinating and a tough, smart hero of the downcast. His loyalty to his little "family" of odd folks is amazing, and I love him for it. So for now, I'll move on to the next in the series.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took another trip through the dark, gritty, mean streets of New York. Where you'll find the sicko, deranged minds of those that are into sex with young girls. Those that want to inflict pain, to satisfy their sexual perversion....to snuff films. And, when word hits the street, that there's young hookers getting kidnapped off the streets....Burke is who they look up. Hardboiled, lean writing, and one of the best anti-hero protagonist ever.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Third novel in Vachss 'Burke' series. Burke is an outlaw detective/man for hire usually solving cases that no one else cares about. I found this book to be more about Burke's personal relationships rather than the action of solving his "case." I prefer the previous two books that were more about the case and less about the woman. i'll keep reading the series because i really like the motley crew of characters but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book.

[John Machata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like Vachss. Enjoy Burke. Blue Belle did not work for me.

[Milo Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Sad:(

[cool breeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, hard-boiled “outlaw detective” story. The characters are excellent. The setting is New York City around 1988, an odd mix of sleazy decline and the beginnings of its yuppie revival. It is the end of some eras and the dawn of others. Burke frequently shuttles from pay phone to pay phone, but the pimp's Rolls Royce has one of the first mobile phones. None of the characters yet own a personal computer, but Burke has his press contact run a Nexis search. Oddly, Burke races around New York by car, cab, bus and foot, but he never takes the subway. Go figure - Quiller never uses a gun and Burke never takes the subway. But having lived in New York around that time, I can understand his aversion.

Burke’s version of The Baker Street Irregulars are irregular beyond imagination and make for a great supporting cast. Burke and Belle have sex like Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora Charles have cocktails - early and often. This isn’t a genre I usually read, but it is a good read and I can see why others praise this book as a standout.

[Holger Haase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, so I am officially done with the Burke novels. This was the last one I had in a 3-book collection and yet again Burke spends a ridiculous amount of time being paranoid to amusingly ludicrous levels contemplating whether to accept a case, not accepting it, still not accepting it, pondering to accept it, maybe accepting it, not committing to accepting it, pretending not to accept it until he finally accepts it.... which is what we knew he'd do anyway cause after all we'd have no story otherwise but this takes up easily a fifth of the book and strains patience quite a bit and three books in has also become something of a cliché with this character.

When he is not out there shooting off tough guy speech, he has the most idiotic sex in literary history cause Burke is way too tough for cunnilingus but instead smokes a cigarette while getting head, followed up by giving life advice to a woman: "Take off that makeup! You're fat but you're gorgeous. And here's a slap because you'll love it" (not a quote but the gist of it... he spends endless pages sprouting that kind of advice).

So, yeah, I can't take those books seriously. They often come across as an overblown parody of hard boiled fiction.

[Xrysoula Patatoukaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Είχαν δώσει ένα παιδί σ' ανάδοχους γονείς και το είχαν παρατήσει εκεί, ενώ οι κοινωνικοί λειτουργοί προσπαθούσαν να μετατρέψουν σε γονείς δυο καθάρματα που το βασάνιζαν. Σε τούτη την πόλη, έτσι και δαγκώσει σκύλος δύο ανθρώπους, τον καθαρίζουν. Για να προστατεύσουν τον κόσμο. Κάποιος σακατεύει το παιδί του και του δίνουν κι άλλη ευκαιρία."

"Λες κάποιες λέξεις -τις λες με το σωστό τρόπο - και χάνουν τη δύναμη να πληγώσουν."