FLOOD by Andrew Vachss - First Edition Hardcover w/DJ - Donald I. Fine 1985

Description

FLOOD by Andrew Vachss - First Edition Hardcover w/DJ - Donald I. Fine 1985. Besides being equally writerly (one about California and one Manhattan), both authors show richly convincing familiarity with the detective's trade. Credit cards?. Along the way, Burke and Flood fall briefly in love and have a variety of workouts on the mat. Flood by Andrew Vachss Donald I. Fine, Inc First Edition - 1985 Number Line = 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Near Fine- Book Very Good+ Condition Dustjacket A nice, solid First Edition copy of Flood , the first novel from noted attorney/author, the late Andrew Vachss, whose legal practice was dedicated exclusively to the protection of children and youth. The book is in NEAR FINE- condition, showing general, but light, evidence of any use/handling. Light soiling to the outside page edges and remainder spray to the top edge. The (Brodart protected) dustjacket is in VERY GOOD+ condition, showing light wear at the corners, edges, and at the top and bottom of the backstrip. The edges of the flaps are very lightly tanned (the rear flap features a photo of Mr. Vachss without his well-known eyepatch). A nice, solid First Edition copy of the debut novel of Andrew Vachss. PLEASE NOTE: I use the following terms to describe book conditions ... AS NEW: The book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. This could be the description for a book that has been lost in a warehouse for years, never shelved, thumbed or even opened yet may still be some years old. FINE (F or FN): A Fine book approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. The book may have been opened and read, but there are no defects to the book, jacket or pages. NEAR FINE (NF): May have 1 or 2 very minor defects. VERY GOOD (VG): Used condition, same as above only it may have two or three more minor defects such as small tears, scratches, small stains to covers, or minor tears and creases to inside pages. GOOD (G): As above only it may have a split hinge, larger tears to covers, soiling or staining of covers, whatever the defect it should be described in detail. FAIR (FR): As above with folds and tears throughout, markings to content. POOR (PR): As above with loose bindings, missing and torn pages throughout. High bidder to make payment via Paypal. Domestic Media Mail shipping with tracking is free. Priority Mail and/or Insurance will be arranged upon request and at additional charge to the high bidder. International bidders may use eBay's International Shipping service for shipping arrangements and payment. Also, international bidders should make allowance for any shipping delay which may result from customs inspections and please note that import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. Thank you for your interest and Good Luck! From: Kirkus First novel about a New York private eye and scam artist called Burke, which clearly has a strong future and whose only contender for real class this season is T. Jefferson Parker's debut thriller Laguna Heat (p. 666). Besides being equally writerly (one about California and one Manhattan), both authors show richly convincing familiarity with the detective's trade. Vachss is setting Burke in place for a series, establishing all the landmarks by which we will instantly be at home with Burke on his next appearance. These include a gigantic 140-pound mastiff, Pansy, the vicious but lovable guard dog who lives in Burke's seedy office and uses the now fragrant roof for a toilet; Burke's mute Chinese helper Max the Silent, also known as Silent Dragon, the world's greatest karate killer; Burke's male transvestite/working-prostitute friend Michelle, who doubles as Burke's female secretary when needed; Burke's $40,000 1970 Plymouth, a bulletproof lethal fantasy on wheels, so silent it moves like smoke through fog; Burke's automobile junkyard parts dealer, an engineering genius called The Mole, who lives in a spotless apartment under a pile of dead cars; Maurice, Burke's omniscient bookie; and Burke's varied scams, including his bootleg phone jacked into the line of the stoned hippies who live below him, the money he rakes in from a mail service for hopeful mercenaries, and his dealings in new license plates, passports, discharge papers from the army, draft cards, social-security cards, firearm permits, marriage licenses, drivers' licenses and, well, what do you need? Credit cards? Burke, under one of his other names, now owes American Express over $3,500 on his gold card, and the company is threatening to wreck his credit rating, whoever he is today. Burke's first case in print finds him helping the sexy, tiny but utterly deadly karate expert called Flood (female). An orphan like Burke, Flood has a best friend whose small daughter has been raped and strangled by a crazed Vietnam vet called Cobra, all of whose victims are children. Burke's hunt takes us through a variety of Manhattan's sleaze parlors before he discovers that he's looking for Goldor, a tremendously successful pornographer/psychopath/murderer who sells snuff films in which he tortures, violates and kills women and children. Along the way, Burke and Flood fall briefly in love and have a variety of workouts on the mat. For all the excitement, fun and variety Vachss offers, his sharply knowing but hyper oddball characters are almost necessarily two-dimensional, while the blistering karate fights have an unavoidable comic-strip tang--and silliness. Out in California, Parker is using three-dimensional characters and plotting that carries tragic weight, which shows that a really adult thriller is possible. After a wonderfully impressive start, it's reasonable to expect that Vachss' full powers still lie ahead as he comes to grips with the deeper possibilities of the genre.