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.