Sign Wave (Aftershock/Dell) by Andrew Vachss

All fans of Vachss know that his books are less about the narrative and more about the messages and characters. This novel in the Dell/Aftershock series is no exception and I was eager to see the ex-mercenary return. Dell's history as a mercenary is very interesting as are his views on the world. His methods are very inventive and hardboiled.

Dell can be even more ruthless than Burke used to be, even though he has a wife. In fact, that relationship is the one who gets him involved with the bad guys most of the time. Here his wife, Dolly, gets a veiled threat that sends Dell after prominent local figure and his plans with the environment.

As always the prose style is very engaging and hardboiled, the story nice and dark. What I really enjoyed was the return of some characters from the second novel, like Mary Lou.

Aftershock (Dell) by Andrew Vachss

I was very sad to see the Burke series end, but was confident Andrew Vachss would still give me the best entertainment and food for thought in fiction with his new Cross series. That series doesn't beat this new series featuring ex-Legionnare Dell though. With this guy and his love, former Médecins Sans Frontières nurse Dolly Mr. Vachss has found the perfect guides into the world of sexual violence and the advocates for justice for the abused, just like Burke and his crew were.
When a teenage girl shoots a fellow student in the hallway people try to compare it to Columbine. The girl's not talking at first, but Dell sets out to investigate her reasons for shooting the student and discovers their hometown has a dark secret.
This story is a perfect combination of court room drama and vigilante justice as Dell enlists the aid of a lawyer and a really cool and original forensic psychologist to find out the truth.
Great, dark and chilling hardboiled prose, the best dialogue Vachss has written so far and a lot to think about.
A winner.