False Allegations : A Burke Novel

Rating:
Summary: Hey, it's not so bad, really...
Review: Okay, so this isn't the *best* Burke novel, but some of the things I had read about it almost had me scared to read it. Luckily, it's not nearly as preachy or slow or off-track as they'd have you believe. I was expecting it to turn into a textbook or something, but nope, it's definitely a Burke novel, and still a good one, with some convoluted plot twists going on, especially at the end. You can't really fault Vachss for having an "agenda" with his novels, 'cuz, face it, that's what the man's about. His novels are all about promoting the things Vachss likes (from dogs to cool cars to Judy Hensky to loyalty as the cardinal virtue, etc.) and damning the things he hates (which should be obvious - the man's obsessed, but more power to 'im for that). But the bottom line is, Vachss would never steer you toward anything that wasn't good for you. He ain't preachin' - he's *testifyin'*. And ya gotta respect him for it. This is one guy I have heavy, heavy respect for, both as a fine writer and a heckuva stand-up, sincere human being, and I've been putting in work to promote this guy's work to any and everyone I can. This may not be the Burke novel you want to start with, but it shouldn't be too big a disappointment to those who've taken the ride a few times already. Even if it's the weakest of the series, the series is so incredibly strong that you can't go wrong, schoolboy... ;)

Rating:
Summary: Not the Vachss book to judge by.
Review: Sorry, but for a novel by Andrew Vachss about Burke -- this is just not the place to go. If you want the information that is usually provided at the end of most of his books, go ahead and slog thought this one. There is some great descriptions of cerebral functioning tests and what's up with that; but, hey, that was not why I picked up the latest Burke book. O.K.?

Rating:
Summary: Don't Bother Picking A Side...
Review: The debate over "false allegations" is examined in Andrew Vachss' latest novel of the same name. Burke, the mercenary lead character, is forced into employment by a wealthy attorney (known only as Kite) who specializes in uncovering false claims of past child abuse. Burke's task: to decide whether or not Kite's current client was an abused child. In Burke's search for the truth, Vachss wisely resists the temptation to merely pick a side, and instead describes the lengths and efforts used by Burke (including a visit to real-life Dr. Bruce Perry of CIVITAS at Baylor College) to arrive at his conclusion. Every angle and argument in the false allegations debate is given equal time; the jumble may be confusing, and it's meant to be; it IS a difficult thing to ferret out the truth. Never one for subtlety, Vachss' message here is quite clear: the "answer" to the false allegation question can only come from a careful, methodical examination of each individual case; there is no one answer for all of them. Vachss' fiction, as well as his other writings, has always focused on child abuse, and the uninitiated may be repelled by his graphic depictions of the violence directed at children. But he also makes a point of educating his audience on a horrible subject. What is truly repulsive about his stories is that, sadly, they are all too real

Rating:
Summary: Don't Bother Picking A Side...
Review: The debate over "false allegations" is examined in Andrew Vachss' latest novel of the same name. Burke, the mercenary lead character, is forced into employment by a wealthy attorney (known only as Kite) who specializes in uncovering false claims of past child abuse. Burke's task: to decide whether or not Kite's current client was an abused child. In Burke's search for the truth, Vachss wisely resists the temptation to merely pick a side, and instead describes the lengths and efforts used by Burke (including a visit to real-life Dr. Bruce Perry of CIVITAS at Baylor College) to arrive at his conclusion. Every angle and argument in the false allegations debate is given equal time; the jumble may be confusing, and it's meant to be; it IS a difficult thing to ferret out the truth. Never one for subtlety, Vachss' message here is quite clear: the "answer" to the false allegation question can only come from a careful, methodical examination of each individual case; there is no one answer for all of them. Vachss' fiction, as well as his other writings, has always focused on child abuse, and the uninitiated may be repelled by his graphic depictions of the violence directed at children. But he also makes a point of educating his audience on a horrible subject. What is truly repulsive about his stories is that, sadly, they are all too real

Rating:
Summary: So-so...weakest entry of the Burke stories
Review: The novel starts out promising: Burke uncovers a possible set-up when a ex-stripper asks Burke to burgularize the apt. of unknown man who subsidizes her. Then the paces slows down tremendously as Burke discovers this is only really a tie-in to a lawyer investigating a client's claim of sexual abuse. Very little happens (action-wise) after the first 1/3 of the book; returning characters like Max, Mama, the Prof, and Clarence out written out at this point, although the author gives some meaty details to the clinical study of how child abuse is diagnosed and treated. This novel is probably only useful of those who've read Vachss' other Burke novels, since it reintroduces such characters as Wolfe, the hard-edged bureau investigator. If you you're new to Vachss, try his other titles instead, ie. Flood, Sacrifice, Hard Candy, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to Vachhs' usual standards.
Review: This book is more like a watered down version of Burke than the real thing. Vachss must be hard up for material, writing books quickly to fill the market rather than create the literary challenge Burke usually provides. The other characters from the previous Burke novels are almost non-existant, eliminating many opporutinites to expand the story. In the future, if Vachss wants to include information about a "real" subject (the works of Dr. Perry), he should write an essay for the American Journal of Medicine. Let's get Burke back where he belongs, the mean streets

Rating:
Summary: A rare Vachss disappointment
Review: This is the weakest of the Burke novels; which is still pretty good but not at the same level as the others. Vachss seems to be more interested in the message than in the story. While I admire his strong stance against child abuse, I felt that the purpose of this book was to promote the work of CIVITAS rather than provide the reader with the usual, dark, underworldly excitement that we've come to expect from Burke and his supporting cast. I hope this is not the last time we see this bunch