What do you think?
Rate this book
The Big Fix
On the night Irish Tommy Cork's murder was planned, nothing very much out of the ordinary happened. Tommy was in the ring, taking a pasting — as usual. Back to the ropes, almost sitting on the second strand, Tommy crouched, gloved hands up in front of his face like a leather fence.
He was fighting a strong youngster who was now whaling away with both hands in a moment of wild enthusiasm. Most of his blows were blocked, or ducked by Tommy's weaving head, but those few that didn't miss landed with loud thud sounds on the kidneys, head, or in the stomach, visibly shaking up the pale "old man."
There were only two hundred and thirty-one fans in the fight arena, not counting the TV crew, and although the ring seemed to be a crowded oasis amid the sections of empty seats, Arno and Jake sat back in the shadows of the overhanging balcony —quite alone. Arno was popping tiny hunks of spicy fried coconut into his big mouth. Jake sat there looking almost bored, his sullen face blank.
Well, what do you think of our pigeon?" Arno asked. "I been casing him for the last three weeks. A washed-up rumdum, hungry most of the time. But a real name—years ago. Fits in fine for us. Lost five of the seven bouts he's had this year. He's our new bankroll."
Jake said, "If the ref don't stop it, the kid is liable to beat us to it—make Cork a stiff before we can get to him. Look at that dumb kid, wide open and swinging like a rusty gate. Wonder why Cork don't belt him? You sure he was good—once?"
"Yeah.""The way that kid swings is a crime. If I was in there with him, one punch would end the fight."Yeah, it sure would, kid," Arno said, chewing on the coconut bits which he had purchased in a very fancy grocery, "either way. Jake, tomorrow you start."
"Nuts, I'm in shape now, for a wreck like him. I could...""Shut up," Arno said calmly but with a hint of whip-like menace under his voice. "We got too good a thing to be queered because you're a lazy bastard. You got to look the part, be on your toes. Tomorrow you start heavy training, Arno added as Tommy took a hard right on his quivering stomach, fell into a frantic clinch; his body deathly pale as he grabbed the muscular kid punching him.The referee sort of snarled, "Come on, break clean, boys. Come on, Cork, you're holding. Break when I tell you!"Jake shook his head, mumbled, "What a ref, ought to give him a soapbox for his speeches."
He was fighting a strong youngster who was now whaling away with both hands in a moment of wild enthusiasm. Most of his blows were blocked, or ducked by Tommy's weaving head, but those few that didn't miss landed with loud thud sounds on the kidneys, head, or in the stomach, visibly shaking up the pale "old man."
There were only two hundred and thirty-one fans in the fight arena, not counting the TV crew, and although the ring seemed to be a crowded oasis amid the sections of empty seats, Arno and Jake sat back in the shadows of the overhanging balcony —quite alone. Arno was popping tiny hunks of spicy fried coconut into his big mouth. Jake sat there looking almost bored, his sullen face blank.
Well, what do you think of our pigeon?" Arno asked. "I been casing him for the last three weeks. A washed-up rumdum, hungry most of the time. But a real name—years ago. Fits in fine for us. Lost five of the seven bouts he's had this year. He's our new bankroll."
Jake said, "If the ref don't stop it, the kid is liable to beat us to it—make Cork a stiff before we can get to him. Look at that dumb kid, wide open and swinging like a rusty gate. Wonder why Cork don't belt him? You sure he was good—once?"
"Yeah.""The way that kid swings is a crime. If I was in there with him, one punch would end the fight."Yeah, it sure would, kid," Arno said, chewing on the coconut bits which he had purchased in a very fancy grocery, "either way. Jake, tomorrow you start."
"Nuts, I'm in shape now, for a wreck like him. I could...""Shut up," Arno said calmly but with a hint of whip-like menace under his voice. "We got too good a thing to be queered because you're a lazy bastard. You got to look the part, be on your toes. Tomorrow you start heavy training, Arno added as Tommy took a hard right on his quivering stomach, fell into a frantic clinch; his body deathly pale as he grabbed the muscular kid punching him.The referee sort of snarled, "Come on, break clean, boys. Come on, Cork, you're holding. Break when I tell you!"Jake shook his head, mumbled, "What a ref, ought to give him a soapbox for his speeches."
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
8 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Ed Lacy
102 books10 followersEd Lacy was the pseudonymn of Leonard (Len) S Zinberg, who was born in New York City on 25 August 1925. After his mother and father had divorced and his mother remarried, he spent his early years living in relative affluence in the outskirts of Harlem.
During the late 1920s, he attended the College of the City of New York and then, in the 1930s he travelled throughout the United States where he had a variety of odd jobs, including working as a butcher, to support himself. In the early 1940s, he returned to New York, where he married and resided for the rest of his life.
Back in New York, he was a freelance writer and some of his early published work emerged in literary journals, such as a short story titled 'A Leaner' in 'Story Magazine' in November 1936. He was also a member of the League of American Writers, on whose committee, 'Keep America Out of War Committee', he served in January 1940 during the period of the Hitler-Stalin pact.
During World War II he was Private First Class Len Zinberg, serving with the Allies’ 1943 push into Fascist Italy. As PFC Zinberg he had a story titled 'Timing' in the men’s magazine, 'Sir!' in October 1942 and his early detective story 'Pay Telephone' appeared with James M. Cain in 'Popular Detective' in October 1943.
In addition, in the 25 October 1943 issue of 'The New Republic', he won a Soldiers' Prose competition and published a war sketch. His war sketches also appeared in 'Yank', whose motto was 'written by the men ... for men in the service'.
He was later promoted to Sergeant and as such he wrote the scathing satire 'Welcome Home' about a GI returning to his childhood home and a second 'Yank' article recorded the reception in Rome on VJ-Day where 'most people were merely smiling quietly.'
And it was probably the contributions he made to such as 'Yank' and 'The New Republic' that paved the way for his 18 New Yorker pieces, published between 1945 and 1947, which in turn were instrumental in promoting his professional writing career.
As a marketing ploy he adopted Steve April as a pseudonym and he was able to
sell more stories to markets such as 'Esquire' and 'Colliers'. As Steve April he also wrote text for comic strips such as Ranger Comics (1946) and Fight Comics (1951) and a novel, Exit 13 (1954).
The Ed Lacy pseudonymn came about when the original paperback (rather than historic reprints) boom hit America and this presented him with a more lucrative writing opportunity as he turned dedicatedly to detective fiction.
His first published crime and detective novel, 'The Woman Aroused', followed in 1951 and this began an output that totalled 28 novels as well as many short stories, his 'New York Times' obituary suggested 'many hundreds', until his early death in 1968. He also wrote on boxing, both in his novels and historically.
His early books often had lurid titles and he was known to remark, 'Yes, the title made me grit my teeth, too' and the often sexy cover art perhaps did not do these books the justice they deserved as professionally they were regarded as being well written and solidly plotted.
By the mid-1950s, however, he realised he had established a strong presence in the paperback original market so in 1955 he was able to sign with the more prestigious Harper to bring out his works in hardcover and 'The Best That Ever Did It' (1955) gave him his first solid recognition as the book went into a second printing.
Included in his novel output were three separate series of detective novels featuring Dave Wintino, Toussaint Moore and Lee Hayes. A white American himself, Lacy is credited with creating 'the first credible African-American PI' in American fiction, Toussaint "Touie" Marcus Moore. His first novel featuring Moore, 'Room to Swing' (1957) won the 1958 Edgar Award for Best Novel and this clearly marked the high point of his writing career.
His short stories continued to be reprinted in Ellery Queen's Magazine and in var
During the late 1920s, he attended the College of the City of New York and then, in the 1930s he travelled throughout the United States where he had a variety of odd jobs, including working as a butcher, to support himself. In the early 1940s, he returned to New York, where he married and resided for the rest of his life.
Back in New York, he was a freelance writer and some of his early published work emerged in literary journals, such as a short story titled 'A Leaner' in 'Story Magazine' in November 1936. He was also a member of the League of American Writers, on whose committee, 'Keep America Out of War Committee', he served in January 1940 during the period of the Hitler-Stalin pact.
During World War II he was Private First Class Len Zinberg, serving with the Allies’ 1943 push into Fascist Italy. As PFC Zinberg he had a story titled 'Timing' in the men’s magazine, 'Sir!' in October 1942 and his early detective story 'Pay Telephone' appeared with James M. Cain in 'Popular Detective' in October 1943.
In addition, in the 25 October 1943 issue of 'The New Republic', he won a Soldiers' Prose competition and published a war sketch. His war sketches also appeared in 'Yank', whose motto was 'written by the men ... for men in the service'.
He was later promoted to Sergeant and as such he wrote the scathing satire 'Welcome Home' about a GI returning to his childhood home and a second 'Yank' article recorded the reception in Rome on VJ-Day where 'most people were merely smiling quietly.'
And it was probably the contributions he made to such as 'Yank' and 'The New Republic' that paved the way for his 18 New Yorker pieces, published between 1945 and 1947, which in turn were instrumental in promoting his professional writing career.
As a marketing ploy he adopted Steve April as a pseudonym and he was able to
sell more stories to markets such as 'Esquire' and 'Colliers'. As Steve April he also wrote text for comic strips such as Ranger Comics (1946) and Fight Comics (1951) and a novel, Exit 13 (1954).
The Ed Lacy pseudonymn came about when the original paperback (rather than historic reprints) boom hit America and this presented him with a more lucrative writing opportunity as he turned dedicatedly to detective fiction.
His first published crime and detective novel, 'The Woman Aroused', followed in 1951 and this began an output that totalled 28 novels as well as many short stories, his 'New York Times' obituary suggested 'many hundreds', until his early death in 1968. He also wrote on boxing, both in his novels and historically.
His early books often had lurid titles and he was known to remark, 'Yes, the title made me grit my teeth, too' and the often sexy cover art perhaps did not do these books the justice they deserved as professionally they were regarded as being well written and solidly plotted.
By the mid-1950s, however, he realised he had established a strong presence in the paperback original market so in 1955 he was able to sign with the more prestigious Harper to bring out his works in hardcover and 'The Best That Ever Did It' (1955) gave him his first solid recognition as the book went into a second printing.
Included in his novel output were three separate series of detective novels featuring Dave Wintino, Toussaint Moore and Lee Hayes. A white American himself, Lacy is credited with creating 'the first credible African-American PI' in American fiction, Toussaint "Touie" Marcus Moore. His first novel featuring Moore, 'Room to Swing' (1957) won the 1958 Edgar Award for Best Novel and this clearly marked the high point of his writing career.
His short stories continued to be reprinted in Ellery Queen's Magazine and in var
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 28, 2021
Ed Lacy's 1960 novel, "The Big Fix," feels as if it were written a couple of decades earlier when jobs were scarce and times were tough all over. Tommy and May have been sweet on each other forever, but the world hasn't been sweet on them. Indeed, boxing stories were incredibly popular in the 20's and 30's with Robert E. Howard's Sailor Steve Costigan among the most popular. Lacy never tells the reader exactly when his novel is set, but it has that depression-era feel.
Tommy is the last of the Irish pugs, a big red headed masher whose time in the ring has pretty much come and gone. His face has been battered so many times he's barely recognizable and he can't stay on his feet in the ring. Even the payoff is lousy cause he owes so much. May works in a diner slinging hash and life's been so rough she looks more 44 than 28 and she wasn't much to start with. The only thing that lights her up is when Tommy comes by. Her dream is to get enough cabbage so they can get an apartment together. Two desperate people drowning in city life with no way out. And it's their desperation that is nearly their downfall, two wide-eyed innocents getting chewed up and spit out by the world.
It's a boxing story primarily and Tommy is offered a deal he couldn't imagine turning down, something too good to be true. Who in their right mind would stake a lousy old pug like him? It's a bad setup but what choice does he have? Boxers have often played a role in Lacy's novels including in the Men From the Boys where he filled his agency with ex-pugs working security. Here, it's the primary focus of the novel and Lacy does an excellent job of making the sport come alive.
While Tommy is the very idea of a best up old fighter with not much left in the tank but a bit of swagger, Lacy fills out the story with a host of well-developed side characters like Walter and Ruth, an ex-boxing police detective and his wife the editor and literary critique.
Tommy is the last of the Irish pugs, a big red headed masher whose time in the ring has pretty much come and gone. His face has been battered so many times he's barely recognizable and he can't stay on his feet in the ring. Even the payoff is lousy cause he owes so much. May works in a diner slinging hash and life's been so rough she looks more 44 than 28 and she wasn't much to start with. The only thing that lights her up is when Tommy comes by. Her dream is to get enough cabbage so they can get an apartment together. Two desperate people drowning in city life with no way out. And it's their desperation that is nearly their downfall, two wide-eyed innocents getting chewed up and spit out by the world.
It's a boxing story primarily and Tommy is offered a deal he couldn't imagine turning down, something too good to be true. Who in their right mind would stake a lousy old pug like him? It's a bad setup but what choice does he have? Boxers have often played a role in Lacy's novels including in the Men From the Boys where he filled his agency with ex-pugs working security. Here, it's the primary focus of the novel and Lacy does an excellent job of making the sport come alive.
While Tommy is the very idea of a best up old fighter with not much left in the tank but a bit of swagger, Lacy fills out the story with a host of well-developed side characters like Walter and Ruth, an ex-boxing police detective and his wife the editor and literary critique.
March 4, 2017
I am not a fan of boxing, but I guess I find reading about it fine (much like murder). From 1960, this is well-written and surprisingly non-pulpy (there are two female characters, and neither are hot or evil). Mature and non-formulaic. But it felt very long, and so made me impatient.
July 7, 2013
One of his best boxing novels, with an odd segue on woman writers.
ebook.= munseys have some awesome FREE pulp ebooks
http://www.munseys.com/book/30629/Big...
ebook.= munseys have some awesome FREE pulp ebooks
http://www.munseys.com/book/30629/Big...
January 22, 2018
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!
January 29, 2023
You don't have to like boxing to like this
The story is about Tommy, a down and out washed up boxer that just needs one more good fight to change his life. But the con men get involved and a police detective befriends Tommy. Together they suspect a "fixed fight" is being planned and Tommy worries that he might not survive. It's a quick read and the writing draws you in. I started rooting for Tommy and I'm not a boxing fan!
The story is about Tommy, a down and out washed up boxer that just needs one more good fight to change his life. But the con men get involved and a police detective befriends Tommy. Together they suspect a "fixed fight" is being planned and Tommy worries that he might not survive. It's a quick read and the writing draws you in. I started rooting for Tommy and I'm not a boxing fan!
January 14, 2022
Continuing on my "trashy" crime novel binge -- this one was actually better than the usual. There was some good character development and the dialogue was pretty well written. The plot was of a washed up boxer who was trying to make a comeback and fell with the wrong crowd. Definitely a good read and one of the better books in this genre.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews