A Novel · Coming September 2026 · Heliotrope Books
Detroit Heroic
A first-year intern is swept into the 1967 Detroit uprising — and framed for murder.
Martha and the Vandellas sang, “Nowhere to Run to, Nowhere to Hide.” That Motown song could have been composed for the desperate Dr. Matt Drummond, who, in 1968, is running. He never thought it would come to this. He only wanted to learn to be a good doctor — and to work in an underserved area to keep himself out of the Vietnam War. His internship began in the inner city on July 24, day one of the 1967 Detroit riot. The Nam would have been a safer destination.
Praise
Praise for Detroit Heroic
“If you're going to buy one book in 2026, buy Detroit Heroic. It's fast moving and it captures the soul of Detroit at a pivotal point in history. If you like James Lee Burke and Elmore Leonard, you'll love this book by a writer who has all the makings to be the heir to these two masters.”
— Andrew Gulli, Owner and Editor, The Strand Magazine
“Olaf Kroneman takes us back to one of Detroit's most fascinating chapters, capturing the injustice, heartache, and yet unfailing hopefulness of the time. The colorful characters that typify our great city are peppered throughout, in the spirit of Leonard and Estleman. Detroit Heroic is a must-read.”
— Guy Gordon, Detroit radio and television personality and Detroit historian
“Detroit Heroic happened right in front of me — I could see it all from my bedroom window. Bullets flying down the street from the famous Lee Plaza Hotel on W. Grand Blvd and Lawton. I saw National Guardsmen firing into my high school, Northwestern High. I hid out in Reverend Franklin's church — Aretha's father. Dr. Kroneman got it right. The riots divided the city. Sports led our way back. We endured and prevailed.”
— Ali Haakim, professional boxer (ranked #8 in the world) and trainer at Detroit's Kronk Boxing Center
Newsletter
Dispatches from Detroit
Dr. Kroneman writes on Substack about medicine, Detroit, and the road to Detroit Heroic. New essays land in your inbox.
The Setting
The Detroit of Detroit Heroic
The city at the heart of the novel — its monuments, its streets, and the summer of 1967.
Olaf Kroneman is a Detroit physician who writes fiction of mystery and suspense drawn from a long career in medicine. His stories entertain while exposing a pernicious change in healthcare: the domination of the doctor–patient relationship by computers and bureaucrats. About the author →
Also Available
Two collections of medical stories, drawn from a life in Detroit medicine.
