Brushback

K.C. Constantine is a pseudonym for a reclusive Pennsylvania writer named Carl Kosak (1934-), and his fourteenth book Brushback is a supremely enjoyable crime novel about the murder of a former professional baseball player. The police investigation (led by Detective Sergeant Rugs Carlucci) is a bit perfunctory, but Constantine writes witty dialogue and interesting characters — all set in the down-and-out rust belt town of Rocksburg, PA. Constantine received some minor critical acclaim early in his career but today appears to be mostly forgotten. That’s too bad because Brushback is an intelligent and charming small town crime novel.