Part of Mario Balzic Detective Mystery, book 16
First published 2002
Detective Rugs Carlucci gets the call when James Deford Lyon falls to a sniper's bullet. Lyon ran one of Pittsburgh's major steel companies, making him both powerful and hated. Now reporters swarm the crime scene while Carlucci faces hundreds of potential suspects. Everyone wanted Lyon dead for different reasons. The media pressure mounts as Carlucci digs through the wreckage of Lyon's business dealings and personal vendettas. In industrial Pittsburgh, where steel built fortunes and destroyed lives, Carlucci must separate genuine threats from empty grudges. The investigation forces him to navigate corporate boardrooms and factory floors alike. Each lead reveals another enemy Lyon made during his rise to power. Carlucci knows the killer could be anyone touched by Lyon's ruthless business practices. The detective's methodical approach clashes with the urgent demands for quick answers from politicians and press alike.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, high-stakes, methodical-investigation
Setting: Pittsburgh
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
288 pages · Paperback · Mysterious Press