Born Bad — Andrew H. Vachss

From a writer whose novels have been acclaimed for their unflinching exploration of evil comes a brilliant collection of short stories -- some never before published -- that distill dread back down to its essence -- and inject it straight into the reader's back brain. Andrew Vachss might have scissored his characters from today's headlines: a stalker prowling around an anonymous high-rise; a serial killer whose transgressions reflect a childhood of hideous abuse; an inner-city gunman who is willing to take out a blockful of victims in order to win a moment of acceptance.

Tautly written and endowed with murderous ironic spin, Born Bad plunges us into the hell that lies just outside our bedroom windows.