A Fix Like This

From an Edgar Award–nominated author, a small-town chief of police is pushed to his limits while going up against a local crime syndicate.
 
The near-fatal stabbing of Armand “Fat Manny” Manditti, a numbers runner working for the local mob boss, has chief of police Mario Balzic in a bind. Neither Fat Manny nor his brother Tullio are talking, probably because they are putting together a revenge plan that will soon turn the small rust-belt town of Rocksburg into a morgue. Unless Balzic can come up with the perp before they do. It’s the kind of fix that can get even the most conscientious cop in trouble. . . .
 
“Constantine is a marvelous writer. May Mario Balzic thrive.” —The New York Times
 
“K.C. Constantine is one of the most talked about mystery writers on the American scene. Constantine has a smooth style, and his plots are loaded with unexpected twists and turns.” ―Boston Globe
 
“Constantine writes a terrific mystery.” ―Providence Journal
 

Carl Constantine Kosak (1934–2023), better known as acclaimed mystery writer K.C. Constantine, is famed for his mysteries featuring Mario Balzic. Constantine showed much more interest in the characters in his novels than the actual mystery, and his later novels became ever more philosophical, threatening to leave the mystery genre behind completely. In 1989, Constantine was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel for Joey's Case. Despite his success, he managed to keep his literary identity completely hidden until 2011 when he appeared in person for the first time at the annual Festival of Mystery hosted by Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont.