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Burke #8
Footsteps of the Hawk
In Footsteps of the Hawk Burke himself is in danger of becoming a victim. Two rogue cops are stalking him. The coolly seductive Belinda Roberts wants him to free a man charged with a grisly string of rape-murders. The brutal and half-crazy Detective Jorge Morales may be trying to frame Burke for the same crimes. What ensues is a novel of high-wire suspense and nightmarish authenticity informed by an insider's knowledge of the city where everything—from flesh to other people's cellular phone numbers—is up for sale.
237 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
24 people are currently reading
321 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 37 reviews
August 15, 2012
Burke finds two cops gunning for him. One, Belinda, wants him to clear an imprisoned man for murder. The other, Morales, wants Burke dead or in jail. But how are the two cops linked...
Here we are again, another installment in Andrew Vachss Burke series. Like most of them, it's bleaker than a Valentine's Day at Jim Thompson's house.
Belinda, a character introduced in the previous Burke book, wants Burke to clear a prisoner of a murder. It seems other victims have turned up dead with the same calling card, a red ribbon inserted in the birth canal. Standing in Burke's way is a gung-ho cop named Morales, who wants Burke for a number of crimes, some of which he didn't even commit. As per usual, Burke plots and schemes his way to the novel's thrilling conclusion, which I didn't see coming until it was too late.
For my money, the thing that keeps me coming back to a long-running series of this kind are the characters. At this point, I'd read a book featuring Burke playing cards with Mama and the Prof. In this book, Vachss introduces another character, Frankie. Frankie's an up and coming boxer trained by the Prof and I hope he's a recurring member of the cast.
Belinda and Morales made suitable foils for Burke. I was surprised by the end and hope the repercussions are felt in the next book.
About the only gripe I had was that there weren't enough clues for me to solve the mystery. Other than that, no complaints. It was a worthy addition to the Burke saga.
Here we are again, another installment in Andrew Vachss Burke series. Like most of them, it's bleaker than a Valentine's Day at Jim Thompson's house.
Belinda, a character introduced in the previous Burke book, wants Burke to clear a prisoner of a murder. It seems other victims have turned up dead with the same calling card, a red ribbon inserted in the birth canal. Standing in Burke's way is a gung-ho cop named Morales, who wants Burke for a number of crimes, some of which he didn't even commit. As per usual, Burke plots and schemes his way to the novel's thrilling conclusion, which I didn't see coming until it was too late.
For my money, the thing that keeps me coming back to a long-running series of this kind are the characters. At this point, I'd read a book featuring Burke playing cards with Mama and the Prof. In this book, Vachss introduces another character, Frankie. Frankie's an up and coming boxer trained by the Prof and I hope he's a recurring member of the cast.
Belinda and Morales made suitable foils for Burke. I was surprised by the end and hope the repercussions are felt in the next book.
About the only gripe I had was that there weren't enough clues for me to solve the mystery. Other than that, no complaints. It was a worthy addition to the Burke saga.
September 22, 2013
Book Review
For those readers not familiar with this series: please pick up a copy of Flood and begin there. But before you do and if you've been reading literature or any of the other genres where you feel the plight of heroines, represented as ladies, or characterized with depression, or struggling with love, or narcissism, or treated as outcasts due to theology, and especially if you are a reader sensitive to feminine rights...well, you can throw all that stuff out the door when you read this stuff.
Vachss is here to tell you that you've been living in a dream. He wants you to know that beneath your civilized society lies a quadrant that is positively depraved. In this quadrant your civilized sensibilities would be laughed at...not by men, but by the women who live in it. Please meet Michelle, a transsexual hooker who has saved enough money for a sex change operation. She is also Burke's...hmmm, let's say, secretary. I would be remiss if I did not mention Mamma, a Chinese restaurant owner who is best described as Burke's business manager. Now, up to this point, the titles of the novels are the names of the women who are featured in the story: Flood, Strega, Blue Belle, Hard Candy, Blossom and Sacrifice. These are women you have never met but who live in the same so-called civilized city as you do.
Burke, our PI and narrator is fiercely loyal to these women who are part of his family and/or fall victim to their story. And then there's Burke's male cast of characters, also part of his family. His weapon of choice: a deaf martial arts instructor named Max the Silent. Let's just say that once let loose, you don't stand a chance. There's the Mole, an electronics expert who lives beneath a junkyard. And then, of course, there's the Prof, a moniker that can stand for The Prophet, or the Professor, all depending on the situation.
Vachss will turn your world upside down and make Jim Thompson, or Mickey Spllane's novels look like bed time stories you'd read to your kids. We often measure our satisfaction or dissatisfaction between two antithesis. For citizens who become aware of the true nature of the society they live in, reading one of these novels will make you feel quite satisfied at living in the world you know...despite your objections to its many facets (what suddently feels like irrelevant quibbles) . That's what happens when you move one apex much further left, into a much darker abyss.
Although not titled to reflect the featured femme fatal, Footsteps of the Hawk is all about Belinda, a hardened and seductive cop who turns to Burke's dark quadrant to get her man, an accused serial rapist and killer, out of jail. She maintains he is innocent, but is he? Burke walks a fine line in this novel as he is placed directly between Belinda and Morales, a rock-hard cop whose sole aim is to destroy Burke for crimes he did commit and crimes he didn't.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars because this particular novel seems not as well developed as all the others that come before...but still a really good read.
---------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Before becoming a lawyer, Vachss has held many front-line positions in child protection. He was a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases, and a New York City social-services caseworker. He worked in Biafra, entering the war zone just before the fall of the country. There he worked to find a land route to bring donated food and medical supplies across the border after the seaports were blocked and Red Cross airlifts banned by the Nigerian government; however, all attempts ltimately failed, resulting in rampant starvation. After he returned and recovered from his njuries, including malaria and alnutrition, Vachss studied community organizing in 1970 under Saul Alinsky. He worked as a labor organizer and ran a self-help center for urban migrants in Chicago. He then managed a re-entry program for ex-convicts in Massachusetts, and finally directed a maximum-security prison for violent juvenile offenders.
Children of the Secret
Vachss, as an attorney, represents exclusively children and adolescents. In addition to his private practice, he serves as a law guardian in New York state. In every child abuse or neglect case, state law requires the appointment of a law guardian, a lawyer who represents the child's interests during the legal proceedings. Vachss coined the phrase "Children of the Secret", which refers to abused children, of whatever age, who were victimized without ever xperiencing justice, much less love and protection. In the Burke novels, some of these Children of the Secret have banded together as adults into what Vachss calls a "family of choice". Their connection is not biological, and their bond goes well beyond mere loyalty. Most are career criminals; none allows the law to come before the duty to family.
Another important theme that pervades Vachss' work is his love of dogs, particularly breeds considered "dangerous," such as Neapolitan Mastiffs, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and especially Pit Bulls. Throughout his writings, Vachss asserts that with dogs, just as with humans, "you get what you raise".
This series features the unlicensed investigator Burke, an ex-con, career criminal, and deeply conflicted character. I consider Burke, Vachss's opportunity at blowing off some steam from his day job. And well deserved, I might say, given Vachss's focused pproach to anything and everything that concerns the abuse of children and women. About his protagonist, Vachss says:
If you look at Burke closely, you'll see the prototypical abused child: hypervigilant, distrustful. He's so committed to his
family of choice—not is DNA-biological family, which tortured him, or the state which raised him, but the family that he chose—that homicide is a natural consequence of injuring any of that family. He's not a hit man. But he shares the same religion I do, which is revenge.
Another important theme found in Vachss's work: his love of automobiles.
l969 Plymouth two-door post that had gone through half a dozen life changes since it rolled off the assembly line as Burke's Roadrunner
Perhaps the baddest car in detective fiction belongs to Andrew Vachss' outlaw protagonist, Burke. Burke drives a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner that has been "breathed upon" by a legendary car tuner who specializes in street racers. No trailer queen, Burke's Roadrunner is all business, all the time: "The beast's undercarriage was a combination of an independent rear suspension unit pirated from a Viper, and subframe connectors with heavy gussets to stiffen the unibody."
In my readings of Scandinavian crime fiction I have often remarked that what distinguishes American crime-fiction from its Scandinavian counterpart is that Nordic authors tend to use the genre for sociopolitical commentary, often more so than Scandinavia's traditional non-fiction and journalistic mediums. But, that's not a blanket statement. There are exceptions with American writers and certainly Vachss is one of those. Often scathing in its commentary, the Burke novels are a devasting
condemnation of how society fails women and children.
For the most part, Vachss like his Nordic counterparts keeps the commentary well integrated into the storyline so that it doesn't overwhelm it. But there are instances where his passion gets the best of him, such as what we find in Burke #9 False Allegations. Here we are, interestingly exposed to long discourses on psychiatry and psychological testing as applied to victims of abuse. As a final word on the series, I have a warning: this stuff's not for the faint of heart, or for those who have a finely tuned PC attenna. It is raw, dark stuff, a story about those whom society has discarded and those who because of that live outside of it. For me, I find the series distinclty unique, an excellent crime fiction read, bar none.
Enjoy!
For those readers not familiar with this series: please pick up a copy of Flood and begin there. But before you do and if you've been reading literature or any of the other genres where you feel the plight of heroines, represented as ladies, or characterized with depression, or struggling with love, or narcissism, or treated as outcasts due to theology, and especially if you are a reader sensitive to feminine rights...well, you can throw all that stuff out the door when you read this stuff.
Vachss is here to tell you that you've been living in a dream. He wants you to know that beneath your civilized society lies a quadrant that is positively depraved. In this quadrant your civilized sensibilities would be laughed at...not by men, but by the women who live in it. Please meet Michelle, a transsexual hooker who has saved enough money for a sex change operation. She is also Burke's...hmmm, let's say, secretary. I would be remiss if I did not mention Mamma, a Chinese restaurant owner who is best described as Burke's business manager. Now, up to this point, the titles of the novels are the names of the women who are featured in the story: Flood, Strega, Blue Belle, Hard Candy, Blossom and Sacrifice. These are women you have never met but who live in the same so-called civilized city as you do.
Burke, our PI and narrator is fiercely loyal to these women who are part of his family and/or fall victim to their story. And then there's Burke's male cast of characters, also part of his family. His weapon of choice: a deaf martial arts instructor named Max the Silent. Let's just say that once let loose, you don't stand a chance. There's the Mole, an electronics expert who lives beneath a junkyard. And then, of course, there's the Prof, a moniker that can stand for The Prophet, or the Professor, all depending on the situation.
Vachss will turn your world upside down and make Jim Thompson, or Mickey Spllane's novels look like bed time stories you'd read to your kids. We often measure our satisfaction or dissatisfaction between two antithesis. For citizens who become aware of the true nature of the society they live in, reading one of these novels will make you feel quite satisfied at living in the world you know...despite your objections to its many facets (what suddently feels like irrelevant quibbles) . That's what happens when you move one apex much further left, into a much darker abyss.
Although not titled to reflect the featured femme fatal, Footsteps of the Hawk is all about Belinda, a hardened and seductive cop who turns to Burke's dark quadrant to get her man, an accused serial rapist and killer, out of jail. She maintains he is innocent, but is he? Burke walks a fine line in this novel as he is placed directly between Belinda and Morales, a rock-hard cop whose sole aim is to destroy Burke for crimes he did commit and crimes he didn't.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars because this particular novel seems not as well developed as all the others that come before...but still a really good read.
---------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Before becoming a lawyer, Vachss has held many front-line positions in child protection. He was a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases, and a New York City social-services caseworker. He worked in Biafra, entering the war zone just before the fall of the country. There he worked to find a land route to bring donated food and medical supplies across the border after the seaports were blocked and Red Cross airlifts banned by the Nigerian government; however, all attempts ltimately failed, resulting in rampant starvation. After he returned and recovered from his njuries, including malaria and alnutrition, Vachss studied community organizing in 1970 under Saul Alinsky. He worked as a labor organizer and ran a self-help center for urban migrants in Chicago. He then managed a re-entry program for ex-convicts in Massachusetts, and finally directed a maximum-security prison for violent juvenile offenders.
Children of the Secret
Vachss, as an attorney, represents exclusively children and adolescents. In addition to his private practice, he serves as a law guardian in New York state. In every child abuse or neglect case, state law requires the appointment of a law guardian, a lawyer who represents the child's interests during the legal proceedings. Vachss coined the phrase "Children of the Secret", which refers to abused children, of whatever age, who were victimized without ever xperiencing justice, much less love and protection. In the Burke novels, some of these Children of the Secret have banded together as adults into what Vachss calls a "family of choice". Their connection is not biological, and their bond goes well beyond mere loyalty. Most are career criminals; none allows the law to come before the duty to family.
Another important theme that pervades Vachss' work is his love of dogs, particularly breeds considered "dangerous," such as Neapolitan Mastiffs, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and especially Pit Bulls. Throughout his writings, Vachss asserts that with dogs, just as with humans, "you get what you raise".
This series features the unlicensed investigator Burke, an ex-con, career criminal, and deeply conflicted character. I consider Burke, Vachss's opportunity at blowing off some steam from his day job. And well deserved, I might say, given Vachss's focused pproach to anything and everything that concerns the abuse of children and women. About his protagonist, Vachss says:
If you look at Burke closely, you'll see the prototypical abused child: hypervigilant, distrustful. He's so committed to his
family of choice—not is DNA-biological family, which tortured him, or the state which raised him, but the family that he chose—that homicide is a natural consequence of injuring any of that family. He's not a hit man. But he shares the same religion I do, which is revenge.
Another important theme found in Vachss's work: his love of automobiles.
l969 Plymouth two-door post that had gone through half a dozen life changes since it rolled off the assembly line as Burke's Roadrunner
Perhaps the baddest car in detective fiction belongs to Andrew Vachss' outlaw protagonist, Burke. Burke drives a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner that has been "breathed upon" by a legendary car tuner who specializes in street racers. No trailer queen, Burke's Roadrunner is all business, all the time: "The beast's undercarriage was a combination of an independent rear suspension unit pirated from a Viper, and subframe connectors with heavy gussets to stiffen the unibody."
In my readings of Scandinavian crime fiction I have often remarked that what distinguishes American crime-fiction from its Scandinavian counterpart is that Nordic authors tend to use the genre for sociopolitical commentary, often more so than Scandinavia's traditional non-fiction and journalistic mediums. But, that's not a blanket statement. There are exceptions with American writers and certainly Vachss is one of those. Often scathing in its commentary, the Burke novels are a devasting
condemnation of how society fails women and children.
For the most part, Vachss like his Nordic counterparts keeps the commentary well integrated into the storyline so that it doesn't overwhelm it. But there are instances where his passion gets the best of him, such as what we find in Burke #9 False Allegations. Here we are, interestingly exposed to long discourses on psychiatry and psychological testing as applied to victims of abuse. As a final word on the series, I have a warning: this stuff's not for the faint of heart, or for those who have a finely tuned PC attenna. It is raw, dark stuff, a story about those whom society has discarded and those who because of that live outside of it. For me, I find the series distinclty unique, an excellent crime fiction read, bar none.
Enjoy!
September 23, 2022
I continue to re-read the series 10 years later. I initially read the printed books but now I am using Audible and e-books which is a bit of a different experience. This book continues to be a bit of a variation from earlier books with significant digressions from the normal main focus of the author.
——————————
The eighth book of the Burke series Footsteps of the Hawk was published in 1995. I have had mixed reactions to the first seven books of the series with as many three stars as four. For me to continue reading a series I would like to have at least four stars as the norm.
Vachss has an aggressive style of writing; part of the enjoyment is that intensity. Burke mixes action with philosophy when he is at his best. He doesn’t mind breaking the law to get a desirable end and eliminating a bad guy is always desirable.
At this point at about the halfway mark in the series Burke has assembled his basic cast of characters and there is not a normal person in the bunch. His friends are smart but not necessarily intellectual, down to earth philosophical but not dogmatic. They are a cadre bonded to each other and to their commitment to justice on their own terms. Burke is not quite Robin Hood although he does take from the bad to rescue the good. He values being a role model and is always willing to take chances to achieve a good end. His cohorts are not the Merry Men but they have a range of most useful skills that make use of the technology of the day. And his series of women, so far a new one each book, are not quite Maid Marian. The Burke contingent can be raw or well mannered; they move between a comfortable routine and an intensity of purpose. But they land on their feet ready to do battle another day.
One of the subplots in this book is about boxing. Now boxing is one of my least favorite blood sports, just a notch above bull fighting and dog fighting. So this side trip into boxing was not a positive addition to the story for me. But it keeps popping up.
Does a book like this have to be macho? I hate that and yet what is Burke if not macho? Well, he is cynical: “But if you embezzle a million bucks out of some widow’s estate, you’re probably looking at probation and community service.” Emotional: “I still hurt for Belle – for what happened to her. My fault, all of it.” Nostalgic: “When I was a kid, I used to come here a lot. By myself. There was always something to see: the chess hustlers on the permanent playing boards, folksingers trying out new stuff, pretty girls walking – gentle, safe stuff.” Coarse: “An open-topped, pus-yellow Suzuki Samurai slowly prowled past, a boom box on wheels, aggressively smashing its hyper-amped sound violence at hapless citizens in a scorched-earth assault.” You have to wonder if Burke “goes over the line” or “lives over the line.” More about Burke, the abused child: “Even after they’re grown, abused kids are different. A lot of them stay different too. Hyper-vigilant. Distrustful.” One of the fascinating things about reading a well done series like Burke is how much you gradually learn about the main characters.
I had a hard time getting involved with this book. It seemed like there was more of Burke talking with his sources than there was action. But there was a one sentence that hooked me:
I can’t totally give up on an author who can write a sentence like that.
There is a fair amount of dramatic tension at the end of the book, if you get that far. His cohorts play significant roles but are mostly spotted in for their role responsibilities with minimal attachment to the story otherwise. The boxing side trip brings in a new character who plays an important role but may not ever return to the series. We will see. It would be fine with me if boxing faded away as well. The spotting ongoing characters in and out of the books is not a positive for me. I would rather have some regulars becoming more developed for the reader with each book. The rotation of the main supporting cast does not fit in with their identification as Burke’s substitute “family.���
Abused children were present in background or supporting roles as well as Burke’s abused background being identified as the cause of many of his actions and reactions. There were no abused children directly in the current story. Since the reputation of this series is built on child abuse, I would expect that issue to be more front and center rather than just a part of Burke’s personal history.
Poetry vis-a-vis the title:
Sadly, this book does not rise above three stars for me. There was no benefit for me from reading two Vachss books back to back. I have the rest of the series on my shelf but will probably back burner them for a while.
——————————
The eighth book of the Burke series Footsteps of the Hawk was published in 1995. I have had mixed reactions to the first seven books of the series with as many three stars as four. For me to continue reading a series I would like to have at least four stars as the norm.
Vachss has an aggressive style of writing; part of the enjoyment is that intensity. Burke mixes action with philosophy when he is at his best. He doesn’t mind breaking the law to get a desirable end and eliminating a bad guy is always desirable.
At this point at about the halfway mark in the series Burke has assembled his basic cast of characters and there is not a normal person in the bunch. His friends are smart but not necessarily intellectual, down to earth philosophical but not dogmatic. They are a cadre bonded to each other and to their commitment to justice on their own terms. Burke is not quite Robin Hood although he does take from the bad to rescue the good. He values being a role model and is always willing to take chances to achieve a good end. His cohorts are not the Merry Men but they have a range of most useful skills that make use of the technology of the day. And his series of women, so far a new one each book, are not quite Maid Marian. The Burke contingent can be raw or well mannered; they move between a comfortable routine and an intensity of purpose. But they land on their feet ready to do battle another day.
One of the subplots in this book is about boxing. Now boxing is one of my least favorite blood sports, just a notch above bull fighting and dog fighting. So this side trip into boxing was not a positive addition to the story for me. But it keeps popping up.
Does a book like this have to be macho? I hate that and yet what is Burke if not macho? Well, he is cynical: “But if you embezzle a million bucks out of some widow’s estate, you’re probably looking at probation and community service.” Emotional: “I still hurt for Belle – for what happened to her. My fault, all of it.” Nostalgic: “When I was a kid, I used to come here a lot. By myself. There was always something to see: the chess hustlers on the permanent playing boards, folksingers trying out new stuff, pretty girls walking – gentle, safe stuff.” Coarse: “An open-topped, pus-yellow Suzuki Samurai slowly prowled past, a boom box on wheels, aggressively smashing its hyper-amped sound violence at hapless citizens in a scorched-earth assault.” You have to wonder if Burke “goes over the line” or “lives over the line.” More about Burke, the abused child: “Even after they’re grown, abused kids are different. A lot of them stay different too. Hyper-vigilant. Distrustful.” One of the fascinating things about reading a well done series like Burke is how much you gradually learn about the main characters.
I had a hard time getting involved with this book. It seemed like there was more of Burke talking with his sources than there was action. But there was a one sentence that hooked me:
I went out to resupply. Came back with a pint of ice cream, a bag full of warm bagels, a thick wedge of cream cheese, and a quarter pound of nova lox.
I can’t totally give up on an author who can write a sentence like that.
There is a fair amount of dramatic tension at the end of the book, if you get that far. His cohorts play significant roles but are mostly spotted in for their role responsibilities with minimal attachment to the story otherwise. The boxing side trip brings in a new character who plays an important role but may not ever return to the series. We will see. It would be fine with me if boxing faded away as well. The spotting ongoing characters in and out of the books is not a positive for me. I would rather have some regulars becoming more developed for the reader with each book. The rotation of the main supporting cast does not fit in with their identification as Burke’s substitute “family.���
Abused children were present in background or supporting roles as well as Burke’s abused background being identified as the cause of many of his actions and reactions. There were no abused children directly in the current story. Since the reputation of this series is built on child abuse, I would expect that issue to be more front and center rather than just a part of Burke’s personal history.
Poetry vis-a-vis the title:
the ferret, hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk
Sadly, this book does not rise above three stars for me. There was no benefit for me from reading two Vachss books back to back. I have the rest of the series on my shelf but will probably back burner them for a while.
November 18, 2018
Burke is being hounded by two cops in this novel, ostensibly having to do with the arrest and conviction of a criminal for beating on a woman, and then for a series of female murders by slashing. One of the cops is Belinda, who seems to be his girlfriend, and the other is Morales, a NYPD partner of one of Burke's friends on the force.
There are three positives in this one:
1. Child abuse is only in the deep background, for once.
2. The addition of a new character to Burke's family. Frankie is a boxer, learning the trade from the Prof with an assist from Max. He is deferential to his mentors and serves with unquestioning loyalty. The boxing scenes add depth to the story too.
3. Mama teaching calligraphy to Flower, who is copying an ancient haiku:
"the ferret hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk."
Sage advice, especially for those looking at their I-Phones: look all around you, not always down.
There are three positives in this one:
1. Child abuse is only in the deep background, for once.
2. The addition of a new character to Burke's family. Frankie is a boxer, learning the trade from the Prof with an assist from Max. He is deferential to his mentors and serves with unquestioning loyalty. The boxing scenes add depth to the story too.
3. Mama teaching calligraphy to Flower, who is copying an ancient haiku:
"the ferret hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk."
Sage advice, especially for those looking at their I-Phones: look all around you, not always down.
December 25, 2022
Review to Come
February 9, 2011
So I guess this is obvious to anyone who reads from the Burke series but Vachss seems to draw from the same pattern for each story. Identify the criminal right off the bat, follow the trail of clues that led to the abuse that created that criminal, kill the abuser.
With that said, there was little doubt as to who was behind the crime in this novel and their ultimate fate wasn't too hard to guess. But what struck me as odd, was that Burke, who is so methodical that he won't take a piss before planning out an escape route, would even undertake a job that involved such scrupulous circumstances. In this case, he's hired by a police officer convinced that the man she loves has been unjustly imprisoned for a string of brutal murders. The officer's story is so weak and the circumstances surrounding the case are so off kilter that never in a million years would I have assumed that Burke (now flush with cash from ripping off rich people in Connecticut) would have any need or desire to work this job. Even so, he takes it, and the story starts working itself backwards until we learn how and why the "bad guys" became who they are and how and why Burke and his crew plans to "put them down".
The most interesting part about this installment was that we catch a small glimpse into Burke's past. It's nothing "solid" so to speak but we do learn more about his psychology and the kind of abuse he suffered through as a child.
Even a "bad" Burke book is still worth reading, in my opinion. The two stars are more of a reflection as to how this story compares with the others in the series, not against crime novels in general.
With that said, there was little doubt as to who was behind the crime in this novel and their ultimate fate wasn't too hard to guess. But what struck me as odd, was that Burke, who is so methodical that he won't take a piss before planning out an escape route, would even undertake a job that involved such scrupulous circumstances. In this case, he's hired by a police officer convinced that the man she loves has been unjustly imprisoned for a string of brutal murders. The officer's story is so weak and the circumstances surrounding the case are so off kilter that never in a million years would I have assumed that Burke (now flush with cash from ripping off rich people in Connecticut) would have any need or desire to work this job. Even so, he takes it, and the story starts working itself backwards until we learn how and why the "bad guys" became who they are and how and why Burke and his crew plans to "put them down".
The most interesting part about this installment was that we catch a small glimpse into Burke's past. It's nothing "solid" so to speak but we do learn more about his psychology and the kind of abuse he suffered through as a child.
Even a "bad" Burke book is still worth reading, in my opinion. The two stars are more of a reflection as to how this story compares with the others in the series, not against crime novels in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
I’m not sure if I can call Burke a P.I., not in the traditional sense like Sam Spade, Atticus Pund, or Phillip Marlowe. He seems more of a grifter mixed with a thug & add a dash of cynicism. In this book the child abuse is pushed in the background as Burke is being hunted by 2 cops for very different reasons. All of your favourites of Burke’s family makes an appearance & even adds a new member to his “family”, Frankie a kid the Prof is schooling to be a boxer.
Vachess’ writing in this book doesn’t seem quite as good as in the previous books, but still this story is enjoyable. I still plan on hanging out with Burke for a few more books.
Vachess’ writing in this book doesn’t seem quite as good as in the previous books, but still this story is enjoyable. I still plan on hanging out with Burke for a few more books.
December 27, 2023
Vachss was one of the best American crime writers.....
May 12, 2024
Burke is back and being set up in Footsteps of the Hawk, the eighth in Vachss hardest of hardcore series. We ride along with him through New York City’s dirtiest streets dealing with dirtier cops…
Vachss stays true to form as always with this one, another bone dry, ice cold dose of ‘people are the worst’ literature that always keeps me turning pages. Also true to form, it’s the relationships and Burkes inner monologues that lock you in, while the core mystery goes the wayside. In most authors, that would be a deal breaker but his characterizations are so compelling you’re more than willing to stick it through.
Footsteps continued with more of Burkes character growth, as he self reflects more on his past and what made him the paranoid survivor he is. His family of choice is featured and his love for them and their roles in his life delved into. It’s refreshing to see a flawed character grown where the reader can follow and be invested.
The mystery here involves Burke being used as a pawn by two police officers while working a sex crime serial murder case. Things are of course not all as they seem and Burke finds himself in a closing snare trap.
While we get a more satisfactory close to this one than a usual Vachss ending, you’ll still want some answers you won’t get. Of course, by now in this series? Expect it.
Another hard hitter from a master of the real life ugly.
Vachss stays true to form as always with this one, another bone dry, ice cold dose of ‘people are the worst’ literature that always keeps me turning pages. Also true to form, it’s the relationships and Burkes inner monologues that lock you in, while the core mystery goes the wayside. In most authors, that would be a deal breaker but his characterizations are so compelling you’re more than willing to stick it through.
Footsteps continued with more of Burkes character growth, as he self reflects more on his past and what made him the paranoid survivor he is. His family of choice is featured and his love for them and their roles in his life delved into. It’s refreshing to see a flawed character grown where the reader can follow and be invested.
The mystery here involves Burke being used as a pawn by two police officers while working a sex crime serial murder case. Things are of course not all as they seem and Burke finds himself in a closing snare trap.
While we get a more satisfactory close to this one than a usual Vachss ending, you’ll still want some answers you won’t get. Of course, by now in this series? Expect it.
Another hard hitter from a master of the real life ugly.
June 9, 2018
I honestly don’t know if I’m just getting burned out on Vachss admittedly-idiosyncratic style or the past few Burke novels just haven’t been up to the snuff of the amazing first few. The ostensible plot of the story is good stuff: Burke finds himself caught in a fucked up game of cat-and-mouse involving two mercurial cops and a fucked up string of murders. Sounds great, right? Well, the 50 pages involving that stuff WERE great! But the majority of the book is a bunch of forgettable stuff about boxing or whatever. Again, I might just need a break from Vachss because this dude is one of the most unique voices in crime/social novels but I have to be honest about my experience.
November 19, 2023
My least favorite book in the series. I like boxing, but I don't really enjoy reading about it. I figured out who the real killer/ killers were way before the book disclosed who and why....won't keep me from reading the next book False Allegations which I'm actually half way through already.
March 4, 2025
Solid book that leaves you wondering what the end game is. Only issue I had was the set up for Belinda was like 3 books ago and in universe a 3-5 years when they met. You're telling me she kept calling him and everything for years on end just to be the villain of this story?
August 13, 2017
Another solid Burke Book! Really can't say much more then this - Vachss always delivers.
September 17, 2019
I forgot how mesmerizing Vachss' Burke stories are. The characters, setting, dialogue are all just thrilling. Dirty, confusing nobility for sure. Will I be disappointed reading them out of order?
April 26, 2021
Read in 1996. Burke is being stalked by two rogue cops.
January 15, 2022
Excellent book
I am on a mission to read all the Burke books. This one is astonishingly good. Can’t really say much in a concise manner. Just read it.
I am on a mission to read all the Burke books. This one is astonishingly good. Can’t really say much in a concise manner. Just read it.
February 10, 2022
Mediocre, dated and lame.
September 11, 2022
Overall another good story, I just wish they'd get to finish more sentences.
May 6, 2024
3.5. Should of read the earlier books in the series first but it wasn't hard to piece things together.
February 2, 2025
This felt like reading one of the first three again.
January 9, 2009
After floundering in the last book (Down In The Zero) -- and having way too much sex, seriously -- Burke seems back on track here, boxed between two cops and their games; McGowan's old partner Morales and Belinda, the hot cop who has been after Burke's contact info for a couple of books now.
The tension is well maintained, but there were points when I lost who was doing what. The Righteous Crusader we'd been lectured at in the past was also gone -- but quite honestly, I didn't really mind Burke's inner monologues against sexual predators, but others have and it probably did detract from the story. We know Burke's beef. We know he's been used and abused and we know his trigger is kids, and it doesn't really need to be pounded home quite so hard -- but all the same, it was kind odd to not have at least one moment of 'Child of the Secret' bitterness from Burke that came with a monologue.
It probably had to do with the case; it was adult crimes on other adults -- sex based, certainly, and had it's ROOT in past abuse -- but it was still adults hurting other adults. To Burke's mind, that's just the human animal, hunting and pissing. Hardly that surprising, especially not to the man who has seen Inside Time. It didn't really turn his personal crank until the end, when one discover the roots of the killer's particular psychosis.
Either way, it seems like this book is better then the last, and so I'll continue on to the next, False Allegations, with vigor, as soon as I've whittled down some of my 'to be read' pile. Still, returning to Burke's New York has always been a strange pleasure for me, so I might find some way to get back there sooner rather then later.
The tension is well maintained, but there were points when I lost who was doing what. The Righteous Crusader we'd been lectured at in the past was also gone -- but quite honestly, I didn't really mind Burke's inner monologues against sexual predators, but others have and it probably did detract from the story. We know Burke's beef. We know he's been used and abused and we know his trigger is kids, and it doesn't really need to be pounded home quite so hard -- but all the same, it was kind odd to not have at least one moment of 'Child of the Secret' bitterness from Burke that came with a monologue.
It probably had to do with the case; it was adult crimes on other adults -- sex based, certainly, and had it's ROOT in past abuse -- but it was still adults hurting other adults. To Burke's mind, that's just the human animal, hunting and pissing. Hardly that surprising, especially not to the man who has seen Inside Time. It didn't really turn his personal crank until the end, when one discover the roots of the killer's particular psychosis.
Either way, it seems like this book is better then the last, and so I'll continue on to the next, False Allegations, with vigor, as soon as I've whittled down some of my 'to be read' pile. Still, returning to Burke's New York has always been a strange pleasure for me, so I might find some way to get back there sooner rather then later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2016
Another streamlined entry in the Burke series. There's a few extraneous elements that could easily have been left out of the book (the whole Vyra bit, for example) and, as I've mentioned with previous novels, the ending comes swift and somewhat rushed, so a little more exposition in that area would have been cool. But overall, Vachss continues to keep the action lean and mean, introducing some new characters, removing some others (shame that the Irish cop just retired to Florida, since he was somewhat prominant in a few of the earlier books). Interesting that this is one of the first in the series where Burke doesn't reminisce about Flood or very much about some of his other past loves and he avoids getting sucked into the twisted sexual exploits of the femme fatale, as well. Again, I'd give this one more of a 3.5.
June 16, 2012
Vachss serves up Burke in a cop sandwich. Not a typical Burke novel. Vachss is shaking things up. There is no "love interest" for one, Michelle is not around and hey, no freaks buy it. These are not criticisms - just observations. If we had the same tropes every time, the series would not work. Here Burke is stuck and needs to go into the Zero and work his way out. Not as visceral as the early books, but still damn fine.
February 29, 2016
Footsteps of the Hawk (Burke #8) by Andrew Vachss (Alfred A. Knopf 1995) (Fiction - Mystery) finds Burke being tracked by two different cops with totally separate agendas. Belinda wants Burke to break an innocent man out of prison, and Morales, who apparently hates Burke beyond all reason, believes him to be a serial killer. This book provides the back story as to why Officer Morales is so loyal to Burke. My rating: 5/10, finished 6/24/11.
January 16, 2015
First-tier Burke novel. The focus is on the psychology and the bonds tying Burke's family together; Frankie, an aspiring boxer, is the new addition here. The plot's solid enough (that's never the reason I read Vachss), the themes are familiar but well done, the portrait of New York City at its nadir devastatingly clear. What sometimes gets in the way when I read Vachss are the threads involving Burke and the beautiful woman of the moment; that's minimized in this one.
June 27, 2016
Burke an ex con hit man is caught between a cop that wants to punish him and a lady cop that needs his help in solving a string of murders to exonerate an innocent man. The story didn't come together until the end and had many different story paths that didn't add to the plot. Overall good writing and interesting characters.
February 3, 2013
Caught between two cops who think they know what drives Burke, he must figure out which way to run.
Vachss gives us the Haiku:
the ferret, hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk
I cannot recommend these books highly enough! One of the best book series that I have ever read.
Vachss gives us the Haiku:
the ferret, hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk
I cannot recommend these books highly enough! One of the best book series that I have ever read.
June 3, 2014
Once again, Andrew Vachss works his gritty modern day noir in the Burke series. Who is the culprit this time? While the field is narrow, the surprises keep coming. Be prepared for dark and depraved crime...
August 20, 2007
just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in!
June 22, 2011
Burke isn't the only lunatic loose in NYC. Plenty of suspense figuring out who's nuts in which direction.
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