Vachss writing is spare and brutally to the point, the man doesn't waste a word. The world he writes about is bleak, devastating and brutal. In Shella he delves into the world of a young boy abandoned, living with fear and the constant threat of abuse, who grew up to be a cold-hearted, brutal killer for hire known as Ghost. Only Shella, a street toughened dancer, ever saw beneath the hard shell. They are separated when Ghost is thrown in jail. When he's released his only goal is to find Shella.This is an interesting look into the life of a killer. How cold-heartedly it happens out of necessity and survival. The book is bleak and disturbing. This was a difficult to put down book but I don't think it's one I'd like to revisit again.
