On This Page
Description
When his girlfriend, Crystal Beth, is gunned down at a gay rights rally in Central Park, Burke, the underground man-for-hire and expert hunter of predators, vows vengeance.nbsp;nbsp;But someone beats him to the task: a shadowy killer who calls himself Homo Erectus and who seems determined to wipe gay bashers from the face of the earth.nbsp;nbsp;As the killer's body count rises, most citizens are horrified, but a few see him as a hero, and they hire Burke to track him down...and help him show more escape. In Choice of Evil, Burke is forced to confront his most harrowing mystery: the mind of an obsessive serial killer.nbsp;nbsp;And soon the emotionally void method behind the killer's madness becomes terrifyingly familiar, reminding Burke of his childhood partner, Wesley, the ice-man assassin who never missed, even when the target was himself.nbsp;nbsp;Has Wesley come back from the dead?nbsp;nbsp;The whisper-stream says so.nbsp;nbsp;And the truth may just challenge Burke's very sense of reality.nbsp;nbsp;Expertly plotted, addictive, enthralling, Choice of Evil is Andrew Vachss' most haunting tale to date. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Burke gets him with a one-two combo at the beginning of this 11th book in the series: his illegal apartment is raided by the cops (as his landlord thought Burke was responsible for his son's death) and then his newest girlfriend is killed -- collateral damage in a shooting spree at a gay rights rally. One of the memorable scenes from this one is Burke rescuing his Neopolitan mastiff from the dog pound along with the other captives. Then a punisher comes on the scene to stop the gay bashing: Homo Erectus, who starts killing the guilty. Of course the cops suspect Burke, especially since Crystal Beth was a victim. A group hires Burke to help Homo Erectus get safely away and the two play a cat and mouse game, centered on Burke's old pal, show more the assassin Wesley. Strega is consulted liberally in this one. show less
I like reading Vachss but I only rarely feel good about it. More often I feel I'm abusing a drug. Sometimes I feel like the drug was cut with animal tranquilizers. Still, I continue to risk it.
When his girlfriend, Crystal Beth is gunned down at a gay rights rally in Central Park, Burke, the underground man-for-hire and expert hunter of predators, vows vengeance. But someone beats him to the task: a shadowy killer who calls himself Homo Erectus and who seems determined to wipe gay bashers from the face of the earth. As the killer's body count rises, most citizens are horrified, but a few see him as a hero and they hire Burke to track him down ... and help him escape.
Classic Vachss. More wonderful crime brain candy w/ Burke and his family.
Okay. Time for me to lay off the Andrew Vachss novels for a while. Or at least those that focus on Burke.
#1309 in our old book database. Rated: Good.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
Hardboiled writer Andrew Henry Vachss was born on October 19, 1942 in New York City. He attended Case Western Reserve University and the New England School of Law. Vachss has worked in many government and law enforcement organizations, ranging from the U. S. Public Health Service to the New York City Juvenile Justice Planning Project. Vachss' work show more as a writer includes a series of books featuring an unlicensed private detective named Burke. Burke's appearances include Flood, Strega, Blue Belle, Hard Candy, Blossom and Sacrifice. Vachss has also written comic books and graphic novels. (Bowker Author Biography) Andrew Vachss was born on October 19, 1942 in New York, New York. He graduated magna cum laude from the New England School of Law in 1975 and received a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University in 1965. Some of Vachss' extensive experience include positions as an Attorney and Consultant, Adjunct Professor at the College of New Resources, New York, NY, Director of the Juvenile Justice Planning Project, New York, NY, Project Director of the Dept. of Youth Services, Boston, MA, and Unit Supervisor for the Dept. of Social Services, New York, NY. He is a member of the American Society of Criminology, National Association of Counsel for Children, American Professional Society of the Abuse of Children, and PEN American Center. Vachss' first novel, "Flood" (1985), began his series of detective stories that feature the unlicensed private detective known as Burke. Burke narrates the novels "Flood," "Strega," "Blue Belle," "Hard Candy," "Blossom," and "Sacrifice." His subject matter uses child-related sex crimes, which is something Vachss spent his entire career observing. His literary awards include the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere for "Strega" in 1988, The Falcon Award for "Strega" in 1988, and Deutschen Krimi Preis, Die Jury des Bochumer Krimi Archivs for "Flood" in 1989. Vachss has also written collected short stories: "Born Bad" (1994), and "Everybody Pays" (1999). He is also a contributing editor for Parade Magazine. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Andrew Vachss is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Some Editions
Series
Burke (11)
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Choice of Evil
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- Baby Boy Burke; Michelle; Mama; Max the Silent; Mole; Crystal Beth (show all 9); Wolfe; Homo Erectus; Pansy
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 337
- Popularity
- 93,219
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.75)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 4
