Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
holgerhaase's review against another edition
2.0
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.
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.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
sireno8's review against another edition
3.0
This unflinching crime story pulls absolutely no punches and thus creates a world where anything can happen to anyone at anytime (which is my favorite kind of entertainment!). Vachss also manages to make his seemingly sociopathic main character totally worthy of empathy (because at base he is ruled by his own empathy). The grit and detail of this universe and its denizens is utterly fascinating. About halfway through, however, the two main characters' musings, though compellingly horrific, seem to take on a similarity in tone and slow down the action. Also, after a certain point, I didn't need every last detail of their sex life/therapy sessions. The combination seemed to slow the momentum about 2/3 of the way through so the last sixty to pages seemed like catch up work. But the end was satisfying and the characters are staying with me. Vachss has a singular compelling voice and I look forward to reading more of his work.
colonel2sheds's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as the first two novels, but the finale was well worth the wait.
uncle_duke's review against another edition
3.0
Burke and his disparate gang of sociopaths will all most likely be dead from lung cancer before another edition ... ?
skolastic's review against another edition
4.0
Vachss is as much of a grimy guilty pleasure as ever. Packed to the gills with sneered one-liners and the worst of humanity.