Ed Lacy (1911–1968)

The Big Fix is a great little pulp crime thriller about a washed up “pug” – or boxer – whose stumbles into what appears to be a lucky break, spearheaded by a couple of con artists looking to make a literal killing on Irish Tommy Cork’s waning career (no spoilers here, this is all set up in chapter one). While watching a long con slowly unfold doesn’t make for a quick action novel, Lacy engages the reader from multiple character POVs, and weaves some backstories and subplots that are just as engaging, if not more so, than the main event. The human drama drives the novel far more than the insurance scam setup, and even readers not into boxing will find themselves waiting for that final bell!… (more)