Crossing Woodward

A young rising star lawyer must choose between his career ambitions and his conscience in this sweeping historical novel set amid unresolved racial tensions in WWII era Detroit.

Crossing Woodward is a historical fiction novel set in the WWII era in Detroit. Dubbed the "Arsenal of Democracy" by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Detroit is a bustling epicenter of U.S. manufacturing during World War II. But below the surface of collective wartime efforts lies old tensions arising from the Great Migration, erupting in a race riot on the evening of June 20, 1943. The story is told through the eyes of Scott "Mac" MacDonnell. A young attorney, Mac works under the tutelage of a savvy and attractive female senior partner, and after being introduced to the firm's most important client, Jake Peterson, a wealthy and arrogant real estate developer with a larger-than-life personality, Mac is beguiled and eager to make a good impression. But when Jake becomes obsessed with acquiring a large tract of land at any cost for a new residential community out from under the owner, Duke Larson, Mac begins to question his purpose. And when Jake's wife tragically dies in a boating accident, Mac is on edge, as an old school detective with ulterior motives starts poking around. And when his high school sweetheart, now a newspaper reporter, comes back into his life, Mac is elated, but after they rekindle their love affair, they find the pressures of their professional lives pulling them in opposite directions. And when Duke Larson winds up dead, Mac finds himself at the center of events as his client, Jake Peterson, becomes the prime suspect. While the courtroom drama unfolds and justice hangs in the balance, truths come to light that force Mac to question his allegiances as he learns shocking new details about people he once trusted and thought he knew well.

Resonating with fans of historical and crime fiction, David Simon's gripping debut novel explores the zeitgeist of WWII era America while exposing the moral dilemma of conflicting emotions and loyalties.