Andrew Vachss was the author of 33 novels and three collections of
short stories, as well as poetry, plays, song
lyrics, and
graphic novels. As a novelist, he was perhaps best known for his Burke series of hardboiled mysteries;
Another Life constituted the finale to the series. After completing the Burke novels, Vachss began two new series. Vachss released the first novel in the Dell & Dolly trilogy, entitled
Aftershock, in 2013. The second novel,
Shockwave, was released in 2014, and
Signwave, the final book, was published in June 2015. Departing from Vachss' familiar urban settings, the trilogy focuses on Dell, a former soldier and assassin, and Dolly, a former nurse with
Doctors Without Borders and the love of Dell's life. While living in the
Pacific Northwest, Dell and Dolly use their war-honed skills to maintain a "heads on stakes" barrier against the predators who use their everyday positions in the community as camouflage to attack the vulnerable. The Cross series uses distinctive supernatural aspects to further explore Vachss' argument that society's failure to protect its children is the greatest threat to the human species. In 2012, Vachss' published
Blackjack: A Cross Novel, featuring the mercenary Cross Crew, introduced in earlier Vachss short stories as Chicago's most-feared criminal gang.
Urban Renewal, the second novel in the Cross series, came out in 2014. The third in the series,
Drawing Dead, was released in 2016. In addition to the
Aftershock,
Burke, and
Cross series, Vachss wrote several stand-alone works. The first novel he published outside the Burke series was
Shella. Released in 1993,
Shella was the most polarizing of his works in terms of critical response. Vachss often referred to
Shella as his "beloved orphan" until the 2004 release of
The Getaway Man, a tribute to the Gold Medal paperback originals of the 1960s. In 2005, Vachss released the epic
Two Trains Running, a novel which takes place entirely during a two-week span in 1959, a critical period in American history. In form,
Two Trains Running presents as a work composed entirely of transcribed surveillance tapes, akin to a
collage film constructed only of footage from a single source. His 2009 novel,
Haiku, focuses on the troubled lives of a band of homeless men in New York City, struggling to connect with and protect each other. In 2010, Vachss published two books: his novel
The Weight, is a
noir romance involving a professional thief and a young widow in hiding.
Heart Transplant, an illustrated novel in an experimental design, tells the story of an abused and bullied young boy who finds his inner strength with the help of an unexpected mentor. ''That's How I Roll'', released in 2012, chronicles the death-row narrative of a hired killer as he reveals the secrets of his past, both horrifying and tender. Vachss collaborated on works with authors Jim Colbert (
Cross, 1995) and
Joe R. Lansdale (''
Veil's Visit, 1999). He also created illustrated works with artists Frank Caruso (Heart Transplant
, 2010) and Geof Darrow (Another Chance to Get It Right
, 1993; The Shaolin Cowboy Adventure Magazine'', 2014). Vachss' graphic novel,
Underground, was released in November 2014. Vachss also wrote non-fiction, including numerous articles and essays on child protection and a book on juvenile criminology. His books have been translated into 20 languages, and his shorter works have appeared in many publications, including
Parade,
Antaeus,
Esquire,
Playboy, and
The New York Times. Vachss' literary awards include the
Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for
Strega [as
La Sorcière de Brooklyn]; the
Falcon Award, Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, for
Strega; the
Deutscher Krimi Preis for
Flood [as
Kata]; and the
Raymond Chandler Award for his body of work. Andrew Vachss was a member of
PEN and the
Writers Guild of America. His autobiographical essay was added by invitation to
Contemporary Authors in 2003.
Child protection Many of Vachss' novels feature the shadowy, unlicensed
investigator Burke, an
ex-con,
career criminal, and deeply conflicted character. About his
protagonist, Vachss said: Vachss coined the phrase "
Children of the Secret", which refers to abused children, of whatever age, who were victimized without ever experiencing justice, much less love and protection. In the Burke novels, some of these Children of the Secret have banded together as adults into what Vachss called a "family of choice". Their connection is not biological, and they form very loyal bonds. Most are career criminals; none allows the law to come before the duty to family. Vachss originated the term "
Circle of Trust." which has since entered general circulation. Vachss coined the term to combat the mistaken over-emphasis on "stranger danger," a bias that prevents society from focusing on the most common way children are accessed for victimization: Another term Vachss originated is "
Transcenders."
Dogs Another important theme that pervades Vachss' work is his love of dogs, particularly breeds considered "dangerous," such as
Doberman pinschers,
rottweilers, and especially
pit bulls. Throughout his writings, Vachss asserted that with dogs, just as with humans, "you get what you raise." He was a passionate advocate against
animal abuse such as
dog-fighting, and against
breed-specific legislative bans. With fellow crime writer James Colbert, Vachss trained dogs to serve as
therapy dogs for abused children. The dogs have a calming effect on traumatized children. Vachss noted that using these particular breeds further increases the victims' feelings of security; their "dangerous" appearance, in combination with the extensive therapy training, makes them excellent protection against human threats. During her time as chief prosecutor, Alice Vachss regularly brought one such trained dog, Sheba, to work with abused children being interviewed at the Special Victims Bureau. ==Personal life==