Mask Market: A Burke Novel

New York: Pantheon, 2006. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. A crisp clean hardcover,first edition (as stated) no markings throughout: Burke, the shadowy protector of victimized women and children, prowls New York's back alleys and off-the-book joints rebuilding the stake he lost when he was left for dead after avenging the loss of his one true love. Tonight, in a meet set up by a shadowy third party, he deals with a man who needs Burke to find his wife. But when he leaves Burke, he's capped in the street, prompting Burke to search out the killer. Just as Burke survives through an elaborate under-the-radar network, so does his prey. Everyone wears a mask in Burke's world, and it's only by exposing the realities hiding beneath the facades that he can find the killers and understand the limitations he's placed on his own life. Readers of the first few Burke novels--very dark noir tales of abuse, revenge, and retribution--will be surprised at the character's development. The best series characters are welcomed like old friends with each new appearance. Burke is nobody's ol' buddy, but he is a trusted guide to a world we sadly know exists but would be afraid to enter alone.