King of the Corner

A novel of Detroit. Set in 1990, this is one of Estleman's better efforts, probably my favorite Detroit novel. The hero is Doc Miller, an ex-con ex-Detroit Tiger pitcher who is perfectly underwritten in that hard-boiled style, but simmering with a low-boiling tension and modern sensitivity that is rare in this style. Estleman keeps the action moving and the description to a minimum, and the use of continuing characters or relatives of said characters from the earlier Detroit novels keeps the book flowing and friendly like an old pair shorts. Not all of his books are classics, but Estleman has the ability to rise to it any time out. He did on this one.

Estleman's Kevin, "Doc" Miller, first an ex-big league pitcher, and then an ex-con on parole trys to earn an extra buck by moon-lighting as a cab drver in the Motor City. When he throws in with Maynard Ance, a disreputable bail bondsman and a defrocked lawyer, the fun begins. First, he is caught at the scene of a murder, a major parole violation. Next, Detective Charlie Battle tries to turn Doc into an informant by threatening him with a repeat stay at the State's "big hotel" in Jackson. Doc tries to please both sides, but isn't surprised when he finds out that Ance cozy with the mayor's spurious friends, drug dealers, African-American Activists and even a former madam that knows most of Detroit's depraved history. While all the clandestine action is going on, "Doc" is struggling to go straight, stay alive and teach his nephew Sean the fine art of major league pitching. After a masterful twist of suspense, all ends well. Estleman's writing and characters make the story undeniably Detroit in the early 1990s! The book is a great read; tough to put down.