Mask Market [Paperback]

Andrew Vachss has carved himself an Ellroy-sized section of the American Noir highway. His Burke novels have laid down the asphalt, and such standalones as Shella, The Getaway Man, and the GREAT Two Trains Running have marked the lanes. He is a major American writer. Just don't tell him, ok? Please, it's for the best. If you've ever attended one of his "readings," you know what I mean.

There are reasons for this. Primarily is that Vachss writes not to tell stories, per se, but to send messages to affect behavior. And it's working. He has mobilized a virtual army in the battle against child pornography, and the visible result is PROTECT, the only child-protection PAC in the nation. They've overturned the heinous incest exception in many states, and have more in their sights [...].

But I'm here to talk about Mask Market, which is the latest in the Burke series. The good news, and a point I can't stress too lightly, is this is a GREAT jumping-on point for those who have never read the series before. Vachss, we can only assume, has taken it upon himself to educate readers who were drawn to this book after reading Two Trains Running by hitting the key events of events past in the universe that is Burke's world. Those first-timers will quickly understand the Manhattan Burke operates in, along with his family, his history and, of course, his demons.

And for those long-timers, think about going to a concert by someone you've loved for years, and how, in the midst of something new, you hear hints of something you recognize, and a few bars later, the song appears in its full glory. Vachss does that here, and it's exciting to read. You know the beats, you know the characters, and yet, he brings them to life as if new. Heck, he even plays those damn trotters!! Now THAT'S kicking it old-school!!

[...] Vachss uses this plot point as a device to bring readers up to speed, in highly entertaining fashion, on the history of the characters, and in many respects, the world--according to Vachss.

The other things you love to read Vachss write about--cars, music, and girls--are all well-represented here, to the point that if I didn't know better, I'd think Vachss actually "had fun" writing about this time. There is, dare I say it, near-joy in his writing this time through, and for those of us that have been with the series since the beginning, it's pretty cool to read.

But a Vachss novel is only sizzle/prose without the meat/message. Those "Trojan horses" he loves to write about, designed to galvanize thought into action. Mask Market has "Trojan ponies" scattered throughout, mostly relating to what constitutes a mask these days. The Big Horse will hit you like buckshot. It's an inversion of something that Vachss readers are very familiar with. Of course, it's concealed in a major plot point, so I'll leave it there for you to find.

Just remember this...for years, "critics" have blasted Vachss for writing about things "too gruesome to be true," when in fact, a few years later, they have become major issues on our landscape. From child pornography/trafficking to kids blowing up kids in schools, to twisted reality programming, Vachss has warned us of the evil that's coming, and dared/inspired us to try and stop it. He just happens to do it in highly entertaining fashion, with the Burke series. Which, with Mask Market, reclaims its place among the Great Series in Crime Fiction.

Continuing characters are tricky things. Change too little, and the series grows stagnant. Change too much, and fans move on, looking elsewhere for comfort in another serving of "the familiar."

And then, there's Burke.

Vachss never sacrifices truth for expediency. Burke has evolved over the years, and yet never strayed from his core. He's loved, lost, grown and reverted, much like any other human on the planet. It's this realistic portrayal that elevates the Burke series over any other ongoing series currently on the shelves.

MASK MARKET continues the trend of honestly chronicling the life of Burke, faults and all. There's no KO punch here -no plot twist in the final paragraphs, or unexpected appearance to shock the reader- but a continual rain of punishing jabs, that in the end combine for a devestating decision. Vachss -and Burke- go the distance in this one, and at the final bell, both the character and the reader are left standing, bruised and bloody, but ready for the next fight.

You can read a synopsis by scrolling up. You can only experience the truth by spending some coin and sharing an evening with Burke. Trust me, it'll be worth your money and your time.

If you pick up this book hoping for a replay of the highly-conceived schemes and murders of the previous books, you might as well put it down. If you pick it up hoping for a replay of ANYTHING in the previous books, put it down. If you pick up ANY book just looking for a replay of the author's previous novel, seriously reconsider it.

We've all been trained since grade school that the way to read a book is primarily to Identify The Plot, but with well-written books, there's always so much more going on.

Besides, if you've read any of Vachss' work, you understand that he has no interest in reinventing his own wheel - he has an entire concept.

And in Mask Market? Part of the concept would definitely be the idea of deception - there are tons of masks in this book and the majority of them are less than effective, Burke's included.

The rest - and the best part - involves Burke's continuing evolution. Each book usually finds him in a different state of mind; this book finds him at a whole new stage in his life, not surprisingly. Risk has become a much heavier weight to carry and Burke is seriously hedging all his bets - the almost incidental mention of his now-regular prostate cancer screenings is like a frying pan to the face. His relationship with his family hasn't so much changed or even deepened as...I'm not sure. He openly admits that he loves them; he's always shown it, never said it. He spends the entire novel using a fake identity with his new lady friend, Loyal - not just a different name, but even financial and marital status. He never reveals himself. His behavior is that of a man with...something to lose?

And he's forced to face some very ugly truths about himself - one is that he's gotten away from his "code", as Wolfe identifies it, of saving kids. The other is that he may have unknowingly endangered a kid while following that code. Its a complicated juxtaposition: he was always driven to act when coming across children in danger, but he also usually managed to "find the money" while doing it.

Wolfe tells him "You can't be a mercenary and expect to be treated like a patriot." So which is he? There are a couple of very strong opinions by the end of the book.

Vachss explores all these things and even manages to include a startlingly accurate description of Paris Hilton in the process.

But no doubt, you'll see things that never even occured to me. So go ahead and satisfy your curiosity about the plot. Then, get to the heart of the book and read the rest.

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