>>I have a bone to pick with all the so called readers here. How come with all the authors' names bandied about, nobody told me about Andrew Vachss (pronounced Vax)? I just started "Mask Market", and it's terrific! This guy can write!
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>You should have asked me. I've followed Burke and Max the Silent and Pansy and Mama from the beginning. Start at the beginning. Mask Market is very late in the game. Start back with Flood, Strega, Blue Belle, Hard Candy and Blossom.

You mean stop in the middle of Mask? That would be a real hard thing to do. Although, with Pansy gone at this point, I probably should go back to meet her/him/it.

>"Burke would eat Spade and Marlowe for breakfast, not even spitting out the bones. [He] is one tough, mean, pray-God-you-don't-meet-him hombre."
>—Boston Herald

I'd have asked, but I never heard of him, so didn't know to ask. You should have done an open broadcast for anyone who didn't already know. The writing is amazing. His very first novel (A Bomb Built in Hell), a prequel to Burke and introducing the legendary Wesley is available as a download pdf on his web site - www.vachss.com. I see also that the final Burke novel is now out in Hardcover. I just get started and he ends the series, nice.

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>"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" - Burke.
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>( Two Trains Running not in Burke series but terrific. )
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>And make sure you don't miss my recommendation for Denise Mina.
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>And then there is Ken Bruen. ( and I think we've already shared appreciation of Bill James)

Nope, not me. Bill James, huh? Ok, I'll check him out. Denise Mina I know, and Ken Bruen I haven't read, but have at least heard of.

I brought this one up before, but I don't know if you saw it. I think you'd like the Kathy Mallory novels of Carol O'Connell, but you absolutely must start at the beginning. Knockout writing, and extremely different protagonist.