Detroit Is Our Beat: Tales of the Four Horsemen

by Loren D. Estleman

The place: Detroit. The time: World War II.

While most of the police department is fighting overseas, the four men of the Racket Squad struggle to keep a lid on a powderkeg stuffed with draft-dodging troublemakers, Black Market gangsters, enemy saboteurs, and a mixed bag of racial and ethnic groups working uneasily side by side in defense plants run by the automobile industry.

With blackjacks, brass knuckles, tommy guns, and their bare fists, Lieutenant Max Zagreb, Sergeant Starvo Canal, and detectives McReary and Burke--known collectively as the "Four Horsemen"--battle their way through ten gritty stories in the hardest-boiled town during the twentieth century's hardest-boiled decade.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Noir

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[DP Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the 1940s. It’s Detroit. WWII is raging and most able-bodied men are serving in Europe, or the Pacific. Except for the criminals that stalk Detroit’s mean streets and those involved in “essential” services—such as law enforcement. And when these two groups clash it’s often hard to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys straight. Loren Estleman is a master of noir crime fiction and Detroit Is Our Beat is one of his best.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series

[Carolyn Di Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I have heard of this author many times, but never picked up one of his books. I saw this collection of pulp stories and thought, "Well, that's not much of a commitment!" I'm so glad I did. I will be reading much more of Loren D. Estleman from now on!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Library Journal May 1, 2015

The "Four Horsemen" is the ambiguous moniker of the Detroit Racket Squad during World War II. First introduced in -Estleman's novel Jitterbug, the four cops represent an era in the Motor City gripped by severe police shortages, gangsters, booze, racial tensions, and the ever snappy one-liner. The author begins this collection of eight previously published short stories and one original tale, "Kill Fee," with a stirring preface that chronicles 1940s Detroit and expertly sets the mood for the stories that follow. Readers will inevitably cheer on the Four Horsemen (while not the most charming group of fellows) as they face down everything from a suicide attempt to espionage. Standout selections include "Big Band," "The Elevator Man," and "Sitting Ducks." VERDICT: An engaging look at World War II Detroit and the men who were left to safeguard it while others fought overseas. Estleman's marvelous collection showcases his knowledge of this gutsy city, both past and present, that is guaranteed to please crime noir fans as well as history buffs. The "Recommended Sources" section at the end is a bonus that is worth a read and clearly demonstrates the author's dedication to his subject.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Four Horsemen are the detectives responsible for policing the gangs/rackets/mob during WWII. Because of the war, the police department is very short handed. They try to just deal with the most destructive crimes. These stories by Loren D. Estleman reflect the true grittiness of wartime Detroit. It's hard for us that are too young to have been there to understand the situation at the time.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These would make a great series.

[Jocelyn Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of hardboiled crime fiction for a long time, but I somehow never picked up a Loren D Estleman book. So *Detroit is Our Beat* was my introduction to the Four Horsemen, and a pretty dang good intro it is. The Horsemen, for anyone who doesn’t know, are four cops (The Detroit Racket Squad), who are unusual in being healthy men who are NOT in the military fighting the Axis in some way. Instead, they toil away on the homefront, overworked and under-appreciated as they try to keep the city of Detroit reasonably safe until the boys come home.

The stories are all short, and they aren’t *mysteries* exactly, in the sense that there’s not a lot of puzzles to undo. It’s mostly “Thing happens. The Horsemen figure out who’s responsible. Thing is mostly resolved in some way.” But that’s not really a problem, because these stories are all about setting and atmosphere. Estleman clearly did/does a ton of research to make his Detroit of the WWII era feel authentic and alive. Clothing and cars are described with loving, vivid, punchy detail. A lot of period slang gets thrown around, to the point that I had to keep checking the pub date to remind myself that Estleman wasn’t a contemporary of either Hammett or Spillane. And the less feel-good aspects of the time (racism, sexism) aren’t swept under the rug, though Estleman is careful not to make his protagonists anachronistic in their opinions. They are definitely men of their time — just slightly better men than others regarding their mutual commitment to doing the Right Thing.

As well-done as the setting is, the best part of the stories is their tone. The Horsemen are snarky, slangy dudes who use dark humor to deal with the crap they face every day. So many of the lines are pure deadpan glory. You really don’t want to see these guys get shipped off to die overseas, and that makes you root for them when their draft exemptions are constantly threatened by personal and political enemies.

All in all, a very fast, fun read that sucks you into a time and place unlike any other. Any fan of crime fiction should check it out.

Full Discosure: I got a hardcover copy of this book for free, when the guy in charge of Tyus Books lost his mind on Twitter one day as was all, “Hey, if you ask for a book, I’ll mail it to you for free.” Which is bonkers, right? But lo, he DID. And I read it and liked it and reviewed it. So it’s a win-win.

[Joelendil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of ten short stories was an interesting blend of historical fiction and noir-ish tough-guy cop stories. The author has clearly done his research on his setting (Detroit during World War II), and deftly weaves it into the stories...though he occasionally spouts off historical information that has nothing to do with the plot and looks like he is just showing off.

The main characters are four famous/infamous plainclothes cops on the racket squad who have been given exemption from military service due to "essential service." They reminded me a bit of Chester Himes' characters (in The Real Cool Killers, etc.) with the racial slurs and simmering rage toned down several notches.

Because these were anthologized from other sources, you read the characters' descriptions over and over, which is understandable but a little bit annoying. Most of the stories are not very complex and feel more like a "slice of life" vignette than a more traditional "tough cops solve a baffling case" story. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it.

The pages that reeked of cigarette smoke added to the "smoke filled room" setting, but I'm pretty sure that feature was due to the previous library patron, not the publisher :)

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of stories about a fictional band of four Detroit police department detectives in the 40s on an organized crime task force. The time is at the beginning of the war, where the department is undermanned due to people signing up to the military and organized crime after prohibition has turned to the black market.

The Four Horsemen aren't exactly good cops, but they are good at their job and are interesting and entertaining to read about. Estleman has done a good job making problematic and thuggish figures likable and interesting despite their (many) flaws. And the stories are great noir/gumshoe detective short stories about a time period not often covered in detective novels.

The rationing, music, culture, events, celebrities (Sinatra even makes an appearance), and times are well depicted in a way that makes it feel like you're in the times, pulled around you like an overcoat steeped in cigarette smoke, whiskey, and cheap perfume. The stories are tight and interesting short story mysteries -- none of them particularly challenging or complicated, but well told and never cliche or boring.

I recommend this to anyone that likes a good detective novel, particularly fans of the time period.

[Jack Goodstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done short tales in the hard boiled detective tradition.

[Geoff. Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb noir!

[J.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 10 stories in this collection are crime stories, not mysteries. That doesn't mean they aren't fun to read, though.
The stories take place in Detroit during World War II as the draft-exempt squad known as the Four Horsemen battle black marketers, Nazi sympathizers and an assortment of just-bad characters.
Estleman did a thorough job of researching, lending an authentic tone to the place and time. Add in the old-school policing, period dialogue and interesting plots and you've got an entertaining read.
One of my favorites in the collection is "Get Sinatra," when they protect the popular crooner from an extortionist.
Thanks to my son for bringing the collection to my attention.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading anything set in Michigan and ran across this title a few months ago. It is written in the style of old noir detective paperbacks. All of the short stories are about the 'Four Horsemen", a group of Detroit detectives and is set in the 1940's. It was fun to read, but it seemed to be missing something. Perhaps this is due to the noir style with its' straightforwardness that I am not used too. Overall, enjoyable.

[L. Gefrerer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old Detroit


The Four Horsemen keep things Interesting I remember when the Bulls drove the streets in Bucks .Big bad 4 doors and they were pretty much the Bulls of the streets. If they stopped you then better be able to get your manners on.

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estgleman's WWII coverage of a beleaguered Detroit police department when most men had been drafted.

Great style.

Awful city!

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

"short stories, not really good"

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detroit Is Our Beat is a terrific period piece taking the reader back to World War II era Detroit where the factories are converted to making tanks and any able bodied young man who hasn't been drafted better have a good excuse. The Four Horsemen are the four tough Hardboiled policemen in the Rackets Squad. They have been excused from military service because of their essential service and nobody bangs heads and asks questions later better than these guys. What Estleman does great here is being you back authentically to a time and place that no longer exists from the clothes to the cars to the Chesterfields. It's a time when a young Frank Sinatra isn't well known and a time where ethnic Germans are suspected of spying. It is however ten short stories rather than a full length novel and, after a while, the stories kind of run together. Great job overall, though.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am abashed to admit that I believe this is the first Loren Estleman book that I've read, and I, a daughter of Detroit, though long relocated to the evil East. I really enjoyed this series of short stories about local crime fighting in 1943 or thereabouts, with the fictitious Four Horsemen of the Detroit Police Department meting out their own brand of justice to murderers, black market privateers, and crooks of all stripes. Not many of their methods would past constitutional muster today, but that was then, in spades.

Mr. Estleman infuses his stories with lots of Detroit and '40s detail, not to mention slang. The quipping wise was a lot of fun. Ronsons, Wittenaurs, Walter Winchell, Tommy guns, pocket flasks and ration cards, Roma's, the Book-Cadillac, and always 1300 Beaubien, the headquarters of the Detroit Police Department. The stories' topics range from an ongoing effort to nail Frankie Orr, former bootlegger and current kingpin of the black market, to body-guarding young crooner Frank Sinatra at the Fisher, to foiling a desperate mope's suicide attempt off a ledge on the 46th floor of the Penobscot Building with The Detroit News's autogyro.

Mr. Estleman's bibliography of sources is a good suggested reading list for D-philes, too. I'll be heading for the Estlemans (and I'll make a stab at Elmore "Dutch" Leonard again at Estleman's strong recommendation) at my local library soon.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like Detroit is Our Beat, but there was just something that was a little bit off. The dialogue was good, it was funny, it felt real, but something was missing. I like my short stories to have a twist, something to grab you, and little bit of point. These stories don't seem to have that. They have great dialogue, authentic sounding descriptions of Detroit, and they really put across the feel of Detroit during World War II, but most of them have very weak plots. They are more just little snapshots of the antics of the "Four Horsemen", without the solid storyline that I expect in my short story collections. They are somewhat interesting as peeks into a long-lost era, but not what I was looking for.

I give Detroit is Our Beat 3 Stars out of 5. If you like your short story collections to be more character driven glimpses into recent history, instead of tightly written plot devices, then this will work much better for you than it did for me.

I received a Digital Review Copy from the publisher.

[Graham Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

DETROIT IS OUR BEAT is a collection of short stories featuring the Four Horsement, four detectives from the Rackets Squad who serve and protect the city while most of the able-bodies men are off fighting the Axis in WWII. First introduced in the novel JITTERBUG, these four roughnecks with badges are not afraid to use their fists, their guns, and if those don't work, their brains.

In addition to the mystery and action, there's plenty of humor here, mostly in the banter between the men: Lt. Zagreb, the boss; Sergeant Canal, big as a bull and twice as tough; Officer Burke, who looks big standing next to anyone but Canal; and McReary, the youngest and baldest member of the team.

Author Estleman is a past master at retro stylings, and these stories would have been right at home in the pages of Black Mask or Dime Detective. Highly recommended if you like that sort of thing.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to a quieter, more gentle time...Not! Detroit Is Our Beat is rather a look at Detroit when the police were as brutal and prejudiced as the crooks (or society, for that matter) and crime was solved by brains (sometimes) or brute force (often). Loren Estleman has collected his tales of the Four Horseman (AKA The Racket Squad - or is that the other way around) and added a brand new tale. Reading these tales are like watching some of the old noir crime/private eye shows where the police would sweat the truth out of the suspects, visit crime bosses at their residences, and provide a tour of the bars and gin joints of the city. Mind you there some fun scenes in the tales, especially "Tin Cop", and other scenes that would make a "modern" cop wince. But Estleman with this book has me looking at other books he has written. Do enjoy reading this if noir is your thing.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a series of short stories about a group of detectives who worked during WWII. These men didn't go in the army because they were considered needed in the city of Detroit. They were called the four Horsemen that rarely had the support of the Commissioner or the Press. Some of the stories are confusing. The egotism of the four detectives is over top at times. The book deos give the reader some insight into Detroit during WWII. There were lots of graft, black market sales and criminals for the four detectives to confront. The thing that bothers me about this book is that it doesn't feel like Detroit to me. Just adding a list of Detroit buildings and things doesn't make it Detroit.

[Mark Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology collects the exploits of "the Four Horseman" a quartet of no-holds-barred cops during WWII whose service was considered too essential to the Home Front. Lieutenant Zagreb, Sergeant Canal, and Detectives Burke and McReary form the Racket Squad of the Detroit Police Department. Their targets are black market dealers, Nazi sympathizers, and the minions of Frankie Orr, the underworld boss bent on making a killing while patriots fight overseas. The author's prose is of the era and he's a master of descriptive narrative. Any reader who discovers Estleman through this collection has a wealth of noir and historical fiction to enjoy. The author is a living example of the way they used to write 'em. Enjoy!

[Dak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not necessarily a genre of books that I normally read, but as someone who lives in the suburbs of Detroit I thought I'd give it a shot.
It is a good book, don't let the 3 star rating throw you, it's just not a genre I'm hugely into, and because I'm not overly familiar with the time period, a lot of the pop cultural references and lingo of the day went over my head.
This book is a collection of stories about a group of Detroit police detectives set in the 1940's, who must hold down the law while most of the population is away fighting in WWII.
I particularly enjoyed the stories, Get Sinatra, Big Band, The Elevator Man, Sitting Ducks, and Tin Cop.

[Michael Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were very dark. Lots of period racism and bigotry. Detroit during the war was already a dying city. The main characters are four dirty cops. Not necessarily corrupt but racist and sure of their own legal right to do anything that they wanted. It is hard to really like the stories when the lead characters are so unlikable and after a few the endings just kind of happen. There is some attempt to give a logical conclusion but in the end they all boil down to luck and cquestionable data.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loren Estleman is one of my favorite authors and this collection of short stories about 4 Detroit detectives during WWII is great.
You really get to know each one of them - their likes, dislikes, hopes. They really have well developed personalities.
These 10 stories are set in my home town - just 4 - 6 years before I was born. It was like a history lesson. I wish I would have asked my parents more about what it was like too live in Detroit during those years.
I have one complaint - I wish he had written 20 stories not just ten.

[Paul Hasbrouck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The legend of the Homefront is of faithful girlfriends, swing music, rationing, but there is the dark side of race riots, black markets and the corrupt power of urban poliical machines. In this collection of short stories., the reader, will follow the advantures of Four Horsemen, officers of the understaffed Detroit force. They are not knights, but tough, violent, as they fight to keep a lid on this industial cauldron. In the stories there is murder, blackmail, protecting Frank Sinatra, swining blackjacks, and roaring guns.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of Estleman before seeing this title on my library's weekly new books email. I am fascinated by the abandoned buildings in Detroit and thought this collection of short stories would be a good introduction to the author's work. I enjoyed most of them, especially the one set in a massage parlour and the last one about vampires in the Old West. It didn't make me want to put this author on my "To Read Next" list though.

[Sally]

The prologue about Detroit was amazing. I enjoyed the stories, but they were not gripping enough to make me return it late. I would recommend it to someone who wants to read about the time period of WWII in Detroit.

[Al Stoess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Estleman novels. Sort of humorous and not very serious. Stories of the Four Horsemen in WW11.

[Jami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never a fan of short stories, these noir-ish stories were, at times, too short or unbelievable to really be enjoyed.