The Fix
Finalist in the International Book Awards (General Fiction category)
“Blazes like a 4.2 forty with the intrigue of a Sports Illustrated cover piece.”
-Andrew Gross, NY Times Bestselling Author
Star college quarterback, Colt Walker, has it all… good looks, brains, one of the best arms in the game, not to mention potential for the Heisman and a first round NFL draft pick… until he puts it all on the line as he slides into the ugly world of sports gambling. College football referee, Frank Gastner, is a man stewing in his own misery… consumed by a drinking problem, heavy gambling debt and heading into a nasty divorce… Two emotionally wrought characters, their lives spinning completely out of control… alcohol, lies, bookies and mobsters pushing them deeper into despair… …until they are brought together on the football field, each hoping to resolve his own dilemma… …but will they succeed?
Mike Dishmon –
Engaging characters, true to life situations, and a story that will make you rethink the headlines regarding college sports.
John Feinstein, Sportswriter, Columnist, Author, Broadcaster, Sports Commentator –
One thing I love is a good mystery. More than that I love a good sports mystery. And most of all I love a good sports mystery that feels real. ‘The Fix,’ is all of the above.
Douglas Gottlieb, Host of The Doug Gottlieb Show on CBS Radio –
As a former college athlete and now a member of the national media I couldn’t take my eyes off The Fix. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat as a sports fan. It’s a must read!
Tonja Walker, Actress, Producer –
Continuing to write first-rate suspense- exploring the deepest conflicts in human nature. Exquisitely crafted with an utterly surprising climax, this story will satisfy all. Balkind takes you away for a spellbinding, all-consuming afternoon.
Damon Hack, Senior Writer – Sports Illustrated, NY Times, Newsday, The Golf Channel –
As a former newspaper and mag scribe, I am always looking for the story within the story and The Fix makes you wonder could this really happen today? Like every good book I have ever read the Fix made me think and that is a good thing. A must read!
Brian A. Crowell, PGA Professional, TV Broadcaster, author of Slice Free Golf –
Sports, suspense and a compelling look at the temptations and tragedies of gambling…’The Fix’ is a sure thing!
Claude Bouchard, bestselling author of the VIGILANTE series –
Being a sports thriller, I’d say “The Fix” is a home-run, a hole in one and a touchdown. Balkind and Burr had me snookered!
Joe Wallace, author of Diamond Ruby and Invasive Species –
Fast, lively, and morally complex, ‘The Fix’ starts with a bang and hurtles along to a surprising, satisfying conclusion. Balkind has produced another vivid thriller set in the intersection where modern-day sports, big business, and crime collide.
Tony –
Once I started to reading this book I was hooked. I well written story that keep me interested from start to finish.