Nine stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Edward Izzi for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
I am always excited when Edward Izzi reaches out with another of his novels, guaranteed that I will find something well worth my time. Izzi impresses once more, but moves away from his Catholic-heavy themes in Chicago for a novel set on the dangerous streets of 1960s Detroit. Tackling the racial violence and targeting done by the police, Izzi shines a light on the goings-on and how a few small voices sought to make a difference. Izzi impresses and dazzles throughout this piece, yet again showing his strong writing abilities.
There is no doubt that Detroit in 1964 was vastly different from today. In the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, Detroit was not only divided by race, but its police force actively sought to target and maliciously attack Black residents. The Thirteenth Precinct had a dedicated Tac Squad who perused the streets, looking for Blacks to attack or kill with little care. At the core of this, the “Big Four” a group of four police officers who were known to be the most brutal of all DPD cops during that time.
Fresh from law school at the time, Anthony ‘Tony’ Fiorello and Wesley Norri noticed the horrors on the streets of their city. Demanding change, Fiorello—an Italian who barely scraped by law school—and Norris—a brilliant student of African American descent—would not stand for the injustice and fight it from their respective workplaces. Norris fought to keep Detroit clean from his perch in the DA’s office and was helped by a roving reporter from the Detroit Free Press. Fiorello used his connections at a powerful law firm to shed light on what was going on. This inseparable pair sought to push change in a city that had blood literally flowing through the streets.
When Norris was arrested on a trumped up charge in November 1968, he ended up dead in police custody, later called suicide. However, Tony Fiorelli knew better and fought to uncover the horrid treatment the Big Four were putting on Black citizens. In an era of race riots and significant division, people were not yet ready to believe it was happening or that the Big Four were not entirely out of line. This did not stop Tony or those close to him, hoping to bring the Big Four to its knees and avenge Wesley Norris’ murder at their hands. A gripping story by Edward Izzi that explores many issues that have resurfaced once more in an America that is as fragile as it is resilient.
While I have always enjoyed Edward Izzi’s writing about the law and Catholic Church, I have come to really enjoy his branching out. His stories are always impactful and pull me in with their strong narrative basis and great momentum. The issues emerge on every page and Izzi does not shy away at any time, letting the reader feel the full impact. Adding key characters help shape the larger story and keeps things from getting too repetitive.
Based on historical facts, Izzi is able to fictionalise some of it with strong plot points that take the story in numerous directions. The twists that emerge are paced and keep the reader wondering how things will inch towards justice, or whether it is a lost cause in the 1960s. I could not put the book down and had to finish it to see how Izzi ended things, though the fact that the same themes are present once more is not last on me. Brilliant writing for anyone looking to read a great book that does not take the easy or comfortable approach.
Kudos, Mr. Izzi, for keeping things on edge throughout.
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