Mario Balzic Mysteries

An Edgar Award nominee's "best [mystery] yet-an understated small town tragedy handled in his level-dead-level-fashion" (Kirkus Reviews).   A young college student is found murdered in her dorm room, a blank sheet of typing paper on her stomach. The only thing chief of police Mario Balzic knows is that the girl was lonely, a nearly friendless orphan who was so quiet, so unassuming, that no one at school knew much about her. But everyone has secrets. And if anyone is going to find out hers, it's Balzic-Rocksburg, Pennsylvania's most discerning detective.   "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

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

Christmas is a crime for cop Mario Balzic, and this mystery set in a small rust-belt town is "steady entertainment for fans of down-and-dirty local color" (Kirkus Reviews).   Not everyone is in the holiday spirit in Rocksburg, PA. Especially the little old lady who just lost her life savings in a robbery-or so she says. Once the local paper begins a charity drive for the hapless victim, chief of police Mario Balzic begins to suspect the whole story is a cooked-up fraud. But figuring out how to gather enough evidence-and go against the tide of public opinion will not be easy. Especially when everyone wants to be saviors this Christmas. The only thing clear is that Balzic has his work cut out for him, as he hopes to stay on the right side of the law-and in the good graces of his family.   "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