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Cross (novels) #3
Drawing Dead
Even the deadliest gangs in Chicagoland fear the Cross Crew and carefully avoid their cinderblock bunker Red 71 is well known as the last place you'd want to go . . . unless you’re willing to risk it being the last place you'll ever go. The Crew is notorious for its ruthless efficiency and cold-blooded cunning. Why, then, would anyone be foolhardy enough to threaten them–and even more dangerous–their loved ones?
As Cross catches the scent of a far-reaching conspiracy, he realizes that it all connects to an unexplained event in his a massacre from which he emerged inexplicably unscathed, save for the blue mark on his face that pulses when danger is near. That scar has been throbbing more frequently of late. . . . If he's reading the signs accurately, Cross might find himself again facing a terrible menace that is not altogether human.
*
MEMO
Captain Nathan Lancaster, Chief, Gang Surveillance Unit
All Precincts, Focus Near-North
Incoming Threats to Cross Crew, Situation Highly Unstable
“Cross” and known associates clearly organizing response to perceived pattern of threats. Gang Intelligence indicates high probability of pre-emptive strikes. Report any suspicious and/or unusual activity in Badlands area immediately, gang violence alert level RED.
As Cross catches the scent of a far-reaching conspiracy, he realizes that it all connects to an unexplained event in his a massacre from which he emerged inexplicably unscathed, save for the blue mark on his face that pulses when danger is near. That scar has been throbbing more frequently of late. . . . If he's reading the signs accurately, Cross might find himself again facing a terrible menace that is not altogether human.
*
MEMO
Captain Nathan Lancaster, Chief, Gang Surveillance Unit
All Precincts, Focus Near-North
Incoming Threats to Cross Crew, Situation Highly Unstable
“Cross” and known associates clearly organizing response to perceived pattern of threats. Gang Intelligence indicates high probability of pre-emptive strikes. Report any suspicious and/or unusual activity in Badlands area immediately, gang violence alert level RED.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2016
21 people are currently reading
118 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 1, 2017
I notice that the book-to-book continuity is much stronger with the Cross novels than in either of Vachss' other two series. With a few notable exceptions, the Burke novels can survive being read out of order with few spoilers. Ditto for the Aftershock novels. But the Cross books really should be read in sequence. Three books in and we're still dealing with the aftermath of the first book. And I'm thinking we'll be continuing to deal with it for at least one more book, possibly more.
In this book, someone is targeting family members of Cross' crew. The question of who and why leads them to the realization of unfinished business related to the events of Blackjack ... There are flashbacks--excerpts from, really--to previous Cross novels and short stories that show how far back Vachss has been planting seeds.
Needless to say, I loved this book. As a longtime Vachss fan, though, I'll admit that I'm predisposed to like anything he writes. I'd recommend this, but, if you're new to this series, it would be best to start with Blackjack. If you're not new to this series, you're probably at least as much a Vachss addict as I am.
In this book, someone is targeting family members of Cross' crew. The question of who and why leads them to the realization of unfinished business related to the events of Blackjack ... There are flashbacks--excerpts from, really--to previous Cross novels and short stories that show how far back Vachss has been planting seeds.
Needless to say, I loved this book. As a longtime Vachss fan, though, I'll admit that I'm predisposed to like anything he writes. I'd recommend this, but, if you're new to this series, it would be best to start with Blackjack. If you're not new to this series, you're probably at least as much a Vachss addict as I am.
April 23, 2016
Disclosure: I received a copy courtesy of the author, but I have been reading Vachss since his first Burke book came out, and this is the first freebie I've gotten. I have loved them all.
The Cross crew is the core of it all: Cross, white, smart, gang leader; Ace, Black, shooter, coulda been a gang chief; Rhino, huge, twice the size of an NFL linebacker, and just as strong, with brilliant computer skills...they formed a family of choice in juvenile hell, saving each other. Buddha joined from the caves of Laos, unparalleled driver and shooter; and Princess, muscle clad body-builder stolen as a child and train d as a cage fighter, but just wants to make friends...until someone doesn't. That's the core crew. Hat do they have in common? They were abused children, abused to the point of hate, and specifically, hating them all. This means they have no regard for authority or rules. But unlimited loyalty to each other. Add in Tracker, Native American ninja, and Tiger, the only female, an Amazon, with her own crew, as regular crew members, but not family. The result: a gang for hire, but loyal; feared by all other gangs, but invisible to the straight world. Set in Chicago--in what sounds like the abandoned steel mills on the far south side, but occasionally confusingly described as up north...and also close to "the border" (which could be Indiana, or the border between their wasteland and the straight world.
Drawing Dead begins with an attempt to assassinate Ace's wife and kids in their home. Not only is this a breach of etiquette which anyone in the know would result only in death and destruction being rained on the heads of anyone involved, but was also supposed to be impossible, as Ace's address is deeply buried and impossible to discover....except it was discovered. Cross's crew has no choice but to figure out who or what is responsible, and end it.
This mission leads to the usual series of confrontations....including, as always in Vachss' books, the evil of child abuse. Flashbacks, violence, and hilarity are interspersed with good detective work, until the crew ultimately solves the puzzle....or at least part of it, leaving plenty of story to unfold in the next installment.
This description makes it sound like a cross (pun intended) between typical noir and a madcap three stooges movie. But the reality is that Vachss is a master at using these absurd characters and situations to examine serious questions about the way we treat (and protect, or don't protect) our children, and on a deeper level, the nature of evil. Throughout the Burke series and this series, he takes a pretty form position that most people are not "born bad" but we create the monsters among us....while leaving open the possibility that there may be some who are simply born monsters.
The writing style is far more sophisticated than the standard pulp book, and the action is far more intense than one usually finds in "serious" literature. I love the combination, but there are certainly those who do not. They are wrong.
The Cross crew is the core of it all: Cross, white, smart, gang leader; Ace, Black, shooter, coulda been a gang chief; Rhino, huge, twice the size of an NFL linebacker, and just as strong, with brilliant computer skills...they formed a family of choice in juvenile hell, saving each other. Buddha joined from the caves of Laos, unparalleled driver and shooter; and Princess, muscle clad body-builder stolen as a child and train d as a cage fighter, but just wants to make friends...until someone doesn't. That's the core crew. Hat do they have in common? They were abused children, abused to the point of hate, and specifically, hating them all. This means they have no regard for authority or rules. But unlimited loyalty to each other. Add in Tracker, Native American ninja, and Tiger, the only female, an Amazon, with her own crew, as regular crew members, but not family. The result: a gang for hire, but loyal; feared by all other gangs, but invisible to the straight world. Set in Chicago--in what sounds like the abandoned steel mills on the far south side, but occasionally confusingly described as up north...and also close to "the border" (which could be Indiana, or the border between their wasteland and the straight world.
Drawing Dead begins with an attempt to assassinate Ace's wife and kids in their home. Not only is this a breach of etiquette which anyone in the know would result only in death and destruction being rained on the heads of anyone involved, but was also supposed to be impossible, as Ace's address is deeply buried and impossible to discover....except it was discovered. Cross's crew has no choice but to figure out who or what is responsible, and end it.
This mission leads to the usual series of confrontations....including, as always in Vachss' books, the evil of child abuse. Flashbacks, violence, and hilarity are interspersed with good detective work, until the crew ultimately solves the puzzle....or at least part of it, leaving plenty of story to unfold in the next installment.
This description makes it sound like a cross (pun intended) between typical noir and a madcap three stooges movie. But the reality is that Vachss is a master at using these absurd characters and situations to examine serious questions about the way we treat (and protect, or don't protect) our children, and on a deeper level, the nature of evil. Throughout the Burke series and this series, he takes a pretty form position that most people are not "born bad" but we create the monsters among us....while leaving open the possibility that there may be some who are simply born monsters.
The writing style is far more sophisticated than the standard pulp book, and the action is far more intense than one usually finds in "serious" literature. I love the combination, but there are certainly those who do not. They are wrong.
May 21, 2016
Andrew Vachss is my hero. He is the most important writer to enter my life. He changed my life. His Burke series is hands down one of the best series of books ever written. He took crime fiction, added actual topics relevant to society, and added his own style and voice.
I have followed this author wherever he has taken me, meaning I've read all of his books. Most of them have been just as good as the Burke series. Check out Two Trains Running. Stunning.
Recently, a couple of his books felt off the mark. He found his stride again with a new series of books. I'm looking forward to reading more of those.
But it's the Cross series that has confounded me. I loved the characters when he introduced them in novellas years ago. And the first couple of books were wild. I also understand they've been written in the graphic novel vein (only without pictures—with a couple of exceptions).
Drawing Dead, the latest Cross book, is my least favorite Vachss book. I still give it props for the writing style and the cast of characters he's created. But this new story lacked focus, was convoluted to the point of frustration, and was repetitive. I still can't tell you the plot, because, in my mind, there was no true plot. Add to that his usually great style of cutting dialogue off so people can draw their own conclusions really hampering the narrative, and you get a jumble of ideas.
If he has made the main story clearer, gotten rid of the flashbacks, and let his characters finish just a few more sentences, it could've been another great book of his. Sadly, that didn't happen here.
But he's so important to me, and I love his writing so much, that I will continue to read his new works. Hiccups in the road are no reason to give up on a writer.
I have followed this author wherever he has taken me, meaning I've read all of his books. Most of them have been just as good as the Burke series. Check out Two Trains Running. Stunning.
Recently, a couple of his books felt off the mark. He found his stride again with a new series of books. I'm looking forward to reading more of those.
But it's the Cross series that has confounded me. I loved the characters when he introduced them in novellas years ago. And the first couple of books were wild. I also understand they've been written in the graphic novel vein (only without pictures—with a couple of exceptions).
Drawing Dead, the latest Cross book, is my least favorite Vachss book. I still give it props for the writing style and the cast of characters he's created. But this new story lacked focus, was convoluted to the point of frustration, and was repetitive. I still can't tell you the plot, because, in my mind, there was no true plot. Add to that his usually great style of cutting dialogue off so people can draw their own conclusions really hampering the narrative, and you get a jumble of ideas.
If he has made the main story clearer, gotten rid of the flashbacks, and let his characters finish just a few more sentences, it could've been another great book of his. Sadly, that didn't happen here.
But he's so important to me, and I love his writing so much, that I will continue to read his new works. Hiccups in the road are no reason to give up on a writer.
April 25, 2016
SO DISAPPOINTED!!!!!
You'd think that an author would be able to remember who he killed off in the first book of a series when he writes the third book. No? Well then maybe he needs to go re-read the first two before writing the third.
Also, that left hand thing Cross does? That's never been mentioned before. Lame.
You'd think that an author would be able to remember who he killed off in the first book of a series when he writes the third book. No? Well then maybe he needs to go re-read the first two before writing the third.
Also, that left hand thing Cross does? That's never been mentioned before. Lame.
June 21, 2024
I've read everything Vachass has written and even seen him speak in person. I'm predisposed to liking his work, but...
I really want to like the Cross gang but the writing here is terrible. The plot is incoherent, as is much of the dialogue.
The supernatural element is never explained, even after three books. Vachss never let's his characters complete a sentence, and the all speak in circular puzzles.
Not to mention, he tends to recycle characters from other series. Ie, Tiger is a rehash of Michelle from the Burke series, to give just one example.
I highly recommend the Burke series and Vachss stand alone novels, especially Shella and Haiku. But the Cross books are duds.
I really want to like the Cross gang but the writing here is terrible. The plot is incoherent, as is much of the dialogue.
The supernatural element is never explained, even after three books. Vachss never let's his characters complete a sentence, and the all speak in circular puzzles.
Not to mention, he tends to recycle characters from other series. Ie, Tiger is a rehash of Michelle from the Burke series, to give just one example.
I highly recommend the Burke series and Vachss stand alone novels, especially Shella and Haiku. But the Cross books are duds.
September 3, 2018
Read as an audiobook performed by James Foster. This is the only book in this series that I have read, I did so via audiobook (which can make a story harder to follow), and I usually do not read this type of story. For me, the story was very hard to follow. From other reviewers' comments, it appears that one should read the series in order--and then there may be challenges understanding what is happening. Definitely an interesting and enjoyable (in a perverse sort of way) cast of characters and there was lots of action. Narrator performance was very good.
November 21, 2016
Just not the same
Its hard to compare Flood or Blue Bell to Vachss more recent work, the hard noir pride flowed so elequently Dont get me wrong I still read every book, but it's just not the same
Its hard to compare Flood or Blue Bell to Vachss more recent work, the hard noir pride flowed so elequently Dont get me wrong I still read every book, but it's just not the same
July 18, 2018
I love the burke novels, but this was like a bad comic book
March 27, 2023
Not his best. I just don’t really enjoy the Cross series.
February 10, 2017
Too disjointed. A collection of short stories forced together into one story that really doesn't connect.
June 19, 2016
Weird. Vachss needs to let the characters in Drawing Dead finish a sentence once in awhile, and figure out what to do with the supernatural element. Very little of it makes much sense. I'm bilingual, Spanish and English (English first), and I get the same sense from this books as from watching Italian or Portuguese TV shows. The gist of it seems to come across just fine, but ask me details at any specific point, and I couldn't tell you. I liked Cross and his gang of misfits loyal to each other at first, but I'm not so sure I'll read any more now.
October 20, 2016
Vachss always does things down and gritty which puts him in a class of his own when it comes to writing style and in many cases the material he covers. I recommend all of his books and this is no exception.
April 3, 2016
Got a review copy and really enjoyed the pacing and characterization ... Vachss never disappoints! This is the third in his CROSS series.
May 31, 2016
New series for me by Andrew Vachss. Will have to read the other two.
October 28, 2016
Not his best but worth reading if you're a fan of his work.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews