Andrew Vachss Books

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Andrew Vachss was an American author and attorney that spent his life fighting for young people. Born in 1942 in New York City, the writer’s passion for children was sparked during his stint with a syphilis task force in the US.

Vachss cared about the plight of children in the US after a rough encounter while working as a field investigator. Eventually, Vachsss went to Biafra, volunteering his abilities to projects bringing food and medical supplies to the people who needed them the most. The project was a failure because of opposition from the Nigerian government.
By the time the author returned home, he was plagued by injuries and diseases. He attended the New England School of Law following his recovery, officially starting his journey as a lawyer in 1975.

Vachss continued his charity work, lending his skills to programs that helped immigrants and convicts. As a lawyer, he primarily represented young people, doing what he could to help child abuse victims.

The author’s literature reflected his determination to help children and teens. Burke, the investigator at the heart of his novels, has a history of abuse, which is why he’s so distrustful.

Burke is loyal to the family he chose because the family into which he was born tortured him. He will fight tooth and nail to protect those he adores and avenge them when the worst comes to pass.

The character is not unique. Many of the author’s stories feature abused children that had to band together as adults to attain a semblance of normalcy. People have attributed the term ‘Circle of Trust’ to Vachss.

During this legal and literary career, the writer thought that society was mistaken in emphasizing the dangers that strangers posed. While he accepted that predators who grabbed kids off the street were real, the biggest threats to a child were the people in his home, the individuals he trusted: fathers, mothers, coaches, counselors.

Additionally, Vachss found hope in the lives of children that had suffered significant abuse. And yet, instead of becoming oppressors and abusing other kids, they retained a modicum of empathy that pushed them to protect other children during their adult years.

The author believed that the resilience seen in the lives of these abuse victims showed that the human race could overcome impossible odds.

His compassion for dogs was equally strong. Vachss’ love for so-called ‘dangerous’ breeds was well documented. He argued that the aggression seen in pit bulls, rottweilers, and the like was a consequence of unrelenting abuse.
On the personal front, the author’s most recognizable attribute was the eyepatch that obscured his right eye. A boy struck the eye with a chain when Vachss was seven.

Vachss’ wife, Alice, worked as a sex crimes prosecutor before turning her attention to publishing.

Andrew Vachss Awards

Vachss received a Bram Stoker nomination in 1995.

Best Andrew Vachss Books

The author died in 2021. He was 79. Coronary artery disease was the cause. Vachss’ best books include:

Flood: Burke was a private detective and the perfect man for the job. Flood was dangerous. She went to Japan to study martial arts, and now she had returned to get revenge. A predator had victimized her best friend’s child. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on him.

But before that, she had to find him, which is where Burke entered the equation. Any other detective would have questioned the request. But Burke was a different breed, a former mercenary, and ex-convict that had no love for child predators.

Strega: Strega was at the end of her rope. She wanted Burke to recover a photo. But this wasn’t a simple case of infidelity. The picture was of a boy being abused. Burke was reluctant to dip his toes into those particular waters. But then he learned about the individuals responsible for the atrocity and realized that he couldn’t stand by and watch.

His detached approach to life wouldn’t do, not this time. However, helping Strega meant wading into the seedy underbelly of the city, a place rife with twisted adults that took great pleasure in causing helpless children anguish.

When Does The Next Andrew Vachss book come out?

Andrew Vachss doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Blood Line and was released on January, 26th 2022.

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