The Blank Page

Mario Balzic Detective Mystery #3

by K.C. Constantine

As the novel opens, it is a record-hot Memorial Day when Miss Cynthia Summer calls Police Chief Mario Balzic to say that she hadn't seen one of her student roomers. Balzic discovers Janet Pisula's body on the floor of her room, a blank sheet of typing paper on her stomach.....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Carl Constantine Kosak is an American mystery author known for his work as K.C. Constantine. Little is known about Kosak, as he prefers anonymity and has given only a few interviews. He was born in 1934 and served in the Marines in the early 1950s. He lives in Greensburg PA with wife Linda.



http://www.badattitudes.com/KCCintvw....

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Balzic book I've read, so it took some time to get to know the characters and absorb the style. I was enjoying it but about halfway through the investigation,the main character takes a little side trip to a bar, talks philosophy with two different characters, gets in a bad mood and then figures out the answer

[Kathy KS · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get in to this volume in the Mario Balzic series. In the past, I've found Mario's attitude and group of friends and colleagues rathering interesting. But this whole book just was depressing. When a young girl is murdered in her boarding house, a sheet of blank paper is found on her body. What is the significance? Is there any significance? Frankly, I gradually got to the point I didn't care.

Written in the 1970s, the view of 1970s academia was hard to read. I attended college during this same time, and, although I did have a few professors that might have fit in with those portrayed here, thank goodness there weren't that many.

To further the depressing aspects of this book, the murdered college student had been very smart as a child, then was in an automobile accident that killed her parents. Now still suffering from the aftereffects of both trauma and traumatic brain injury, her thought processes no longer function with agility and others find her "slow". But the fact that no one in the boarding house seemed to talk to her or know anything about her was tragic.

I will try the next volume in the series, since I've liked the other volumes more. This one might appeal to others liking a more psychological twist to their mysteries. The strongest "message" I found here was about expectations of others and trying to live up to them.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book in the series. I did not realize it was book three when I got it. However, it works as a standalone book. It is vey character-driven, and it its with certain aspects of Western and Central PA today, though much has also changed since the 1970s in which this book is set. The murder victim has a tragic story and it has led to isolation from most people, so her death makes her circumstances become more tragic. While this content was interesting, especially being from Philly and having gone to graduate school at Penn State, it felt like the victim got lost in the story at points, as she became the jumping off point for a philosophical and social commentary on some aspects of academia and society at the time. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it well enough that I would read the next book in the series at some point to see how I feel about that story. I am not in a rush to read the next book, but I likely will at some point in the future.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found some used copies of this guy's books, after learning that Stephen King was apparently inspired by his Pennsylvania police procedurals in writing "From a Buick 8." I am reading them chronologically. Of the three, this was the best so far. A lot of the references and attitudes from the 60s and 70s are dated -- sexism, racism, casual police brutality, substance abuse etc. It makes the characters realistic and true to the time, but I'm not sure how much awareness K.C. had of that when he was writing. It rings true, but it's disturbing. There is often not much of a mystery about who the perps are.. It's all about Balzic's personality and how he works the town and the imperfect people in it.

[Pauline Midwinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this after reading that Stephen King recommended this book, and it's easy to see why, but getting hold of it took months. For some reason there are lots of copies of this on ebay for extortionate prices, it took me ages to track down one at a reasonable cost.
It was worth every penny. Balzic is a fantastic detective character and the murders he solves are puzzling but utterly believable. I really enjoyed reading it and had to slow myself down to savour the story.

[Linda Fuchs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much everything and nothing. Good people? Bad people? Lost people?

Too much disturbed uncertain unclear.
Some story some people icing struggling. Not much else
Touch of poetry words and literature lost in yhe story...

[John Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

One minor character is described as "getting more ass than a toilet seat." Not to be missed.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a genuine pleasure to be back in Rocksburg!

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 2.75

[Kurt Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to just about strangle Keenan and Segalovich. Especially Keenan.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character and ethical code of Mario Balzic becomes more complex with each book in the series. The third outing includes a new facet to the community with the inclusion of students and teachers from the local college. The series continues to be a fascinating, unromantic love letter to Western Pennsylvania.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rocksburg series - As the novel opens, it is a record-hot Memorial Day when Miss Cynthia Summer calls Police Chief Mario Balzic to say that she hadn't seen one of her student roomers. Balzic discovers Janet Pisula's body on the floor of her room, a blank sheet of typing paper on her stomach

[LDuchess · Rating 3 out of 5]

another Mario B--feels like home (Western PA)

[Pamela Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read a book which was contemporary in its time and realizing the changes that have been made.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Cynthia Summer calls Police Chief Mario Balzic to say that she hasn't seen one of her roomers. Soon her body is discovered.