...and it looks like an awfully good one. While I'd grown
weary of the general sameness of the Burke novels and hadn't
bought a new Vachss novel for some time, this new stand-alone
trade-paperback homage to the hardboiled Gold Medal era
(complete with striking art with facsimile wear) entitled THE
GETAWAY MAN looks terrific. Can't comment on the actual
content -- just starting it tonight -- but it sure gives off
a great vibe:
--------------------- Kirkus Reviews Vachss abates the edge
he saves for his Burke series (Only Child, p. 1083, etc.) in
this retro noir. Sure, it starts off in his tougher-than-thou
mode, with the underage hero, Eddie, stealing cars so that he
can practice his driving and then having to prove to lawyers
and judges and fellow inmates that he's not "a stupid kid"
but "a real driver" who won't betray his feelings, ask for
money up front, or roll over on his pals. The foolish moves
of amateurs like Rodney and Luther pain Eddie, whose proudest
moment comes when bank-robbing brothers Tim and Virgil make
up for their faux pas in offering him a salary by calling him
family. In the meantime, Eddie's gotten old enough to drive
(though the law considers him too dangerous to license); to
quit making his toughness an issue; and to enjoy special
moments with Bonnie, not exactly a girlfriend, and Daphne, a
shoplifter as compulsively attached to the gewgaws she
purloins as he is to the '55 Thunderbird he's restoring.
Though Daphne turns him on to handcuffs and videos of movies
about driving, it's not till he hooks up with Vonda, the
scared, scarred mate of heist veteran J.C., that Eddie can
see all the cards falling his way: the foolproof armored-car
job, the well-earned double-cross, the ride into the sunset
with Vonda and the 'Bird. In your dreams, Eddie. Whoosh. As
slick and enjoyable as a vintage Jim Thompson paperback or a
Saturday afternoon at the bijou.
---------------------- Ron Clinton
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