Rating: 
Summary: Cross.
Review: This collection is as good as, if not better than, his first collection-BORN BAD. But to fully understand this collection, read the first. They have the same themes, the same prose, and the same settings. The Underground series focuses on tribalism of the human species in a not too distant future. Sci-fi isn't really Mr. Vachss strong suit. But dialogue and description are. Everything contained herein is shredded down to it's bare meaning. Other authors write dialogue. Mr. Vachss transcribes it. He's heard it, he's said it. Some of it's even been cursed at him. The absolute jewel in this book, however, is the CROSS novella. Having difficulty in publishing a CROSS novel on it's own, this is the perfect setting to unveil exactly what these characters are about. Enough teasers in the lean, stabbing prose of the short stories lead into the novella. Which finally gives enough room for Cross and his crew to breathe and infiltrate into you. I had to read it twice in the same sitting, just because I wanted to read more of Cross. A character you shouldn't even like to read ABOUT much less like. I'm now eagerly awaiting the full novel about CROSS and crew in their own series (or mini-series of books).
Rating: 
Summary: EVERYBODY PAYS Proves Vachss' Storytelling Powers
Review: This new short story collection offers a wonderful counterpoint to Vachss' novels, which chronicle the life of his on-the-edge PI character, Burke. With EVERYBODY PAYS, Vachss shows that he is a master of the short narrative, able to create and present any number of wonderfully-realized characters and the separate realities they inhabit. The stories range in length from a few pages to a novella-length piece, and in tone from the horrifying to the hilarious. The one thing all have in common is their truthfulness: not a single phrase rings hollow in any respect. This collection is as solid as a rock; any reader who picks it up will find true gold here.
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