Shella
by Andrew Vachss 
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Description
From the author of the acclaimed Burke private-eye series comes an ambitious and chilling novel that shows us not only what evil is, but where it comes from. For Shella is nothing less than a tour of evil's spawning ground, conducted by one of its natural predators. He is called "Ghost" because he is so nondescript as to be invisible and because he slays with such reflexive ease that he might be one of the dead. Once he traveled with a woman who was called "Shella" -- because those who had show more treated her as a horrendously ill-used child had tried to make her come out of her shell. Now Shella has vanished in a wilderness of strip clubs and peep shows, and Ghost is looking for her, guided by a killer's instinct and the recognition that can only exist between two people who have been damaged past the point of no return. The result is Andrew Vachss's most compelling work to date, the thriller reimagined as a bleak romance of the damned. show lessTags
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andomck Hell on Earth, both metaphoric and real
Member Reviews
Review: Shella by Andrew Vachss.
Shella was the third novel I have read by Andrew Vachss. In this book the author writes with clarity, intensity, and brutally to the point. The world he writes about is bleak, tough and ugly. He dares you to turn the pages on to the horrors of life, descending deeper past the place where nightmares arise beyond belief.
In his characters Ghost and Shella, we see the victims of an evil polite society many times refuse to believe exists violently transformed into a shadow of the evil which created them. Ghost’s search for his old partner seems only a damaged attempt to re-establish the only impression of a family he ever had and he goes about it the only way he knows how.
This is an interesting look into show more the life of a killer and how ruthlessly it happens out of necessity and survival. This book was hard to put down, keeping me reading the story in one setting. I strongly recommend Shella to anyone interested in crime fiction, mystery novels, or horror, as it has the elements of each, with that said, Enjoy….The ending awaits you….… show less
Shella was the third novel I have read by Andrew Vachss. In this book the author writes with clarity, intensity, and brutally to the point. The world he writes about is bleak, tough and ugly. He dares you to turn the pages on to the horrors of life, descending deeper past the place where nightmares arise beyond belief.
In his characters Ghost and Shella, we see the victims of an evil polite society many times refuse to believe exists violently transformed into a shadow of the evil which created them. Ghost’s search for his old partner seems only a damaged attempt to re-establish the only impression of a family he ever had and he goes about it the only way he knows how.
This is an interesting look into show more the life of a killer and how ruthlessly it happens out of necessity and survival. This book was hard to put down, keeping me reading the story in one setting. I strongly recommend Shella to anyone interested in crime fiction, mystery novels, or horror, as it has the elements of each, with that said, Enjoy….The ending awaits you….… show less
A true hardboiled gem. The first Vachss book I read and still my favorite. The language is taut and heartbreaking, and the story kicked me between the eyes.
#742 in our old book database. Not rated.
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Dark Books for Winter Reading
71 works; 11 members
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16 works; 2 members
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.
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Awards and Honors
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Shella
- Original publication date
- 1993
- People/Characters
- Ghost
- Dedication
- for:
Doc Pomus
and
Iceberg Slim
truth, still shining
down - First words
- The first time I killed someone, I was scared.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When I got to the highway, I headed east.
Going to pick up my jacket. - Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 417
- Popularity
- 73,776
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.96)
- Languages
- 5 — Danish, English, Finnish, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 17
- ASINs
- 4
