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Small Town D.A.
Book by Voelker, John
- GenresMemoir
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Robert Traver
60 books43 followersRobert Traver is the pseudonym of John Donaldson Voelker who served as the Prosecuting Attorney of Marquette County, Michigan and later as the 74th Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He wrote many books reflecting his two passions, the law and flyfishing, Troubleshooters, Danny and the Boys and Small Town D.A.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 18, 2019
Robert Traver was the pen name of John Voelker, a lawyer from the upper peninsula of Michigan who served several terms as a real-life "small town D.A." and later became a state supreme court justice. As "Robert Traver" he wrote a number of popular books, including fiction like Anatomy of a Murder, which was made into a classic movie, and nonfiction memoirs about trout fishing. Many of his books have an autobiographical element, and all have a very strong sense of place, frequently referring to locations, people, and customs of Voelker's beloved upper peninsula, some of them thinly disguised with pseudonyms.
Small Town D.A. is one of his earlier books, preceding the mass popularity of Anatomy of a Murder. Hardcover first editions are pretty pricy but fortunately it has been reprinted in less expensive paperback a few times. (The edition I read was printed in 1992 by Altwerger & Mandel, headquartered in West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with Voelker's name, rather than Travers, on the cover.)
It's a delightful autobiographical read, telling in easygoing, self-deprecating style about the trials and tribulations of Voelker's life as an elected county prosecutor in a wild-and-woolly rural district full of eccentric, cantankerous, and less-than-perfectly law-abiding residents. Some of the tales he tells about prostitutes and sexual offenses might raise some eyebrows with today's #MeToo movement -- not because he doesn't want to do the right thing, but because he very pragmatically acknowledges the difficulty of prosecuting such cases given the attitudes and presumptions of the people likely to be on the jury (and voting in the next election).
If you enjoyed Anatomy of a Murder or other tales of courtroom intrigue, or if you enjoy relaxed humorous tales of small-town life "with the bark on", you'll enjoy Small Town D.A.
Small Town D.A. is one of his earlier books, preceding the mass popularity of Anatomy of a Murder. Hardcover first editions are pretty pricy but fortunately it has been reprinted in less expensive paperback a few times. (The edition I read was printed in 1992 by Altwerger & Mandel, headquartered in West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with Voelker's name, rather than Travers, on the cover.)
It's a delightful autobiographical read, telling in easygoing, self-deprecating style about the trials and tribulations of Voelker's life as an elected county prosecutor in a wild-and-woolly rural district full of eccentric, cantankerous, and less-than-perfectly law-abiding residents. Some of the tales he tells about prostitutes and sexual offenses might raise some eyebrows with today's #MeToo movement -- not because he doesn't want to do the right thing, but because he very pragmatically acknowledges the difficulty of prosecuting such cases given the attitudes and presumptions of the people likely to be on the jury (and voting in the next election).
If you enjoyed Anatomy of a Murder or other tales of courtroom intrigue, or if you enjoy relaxed humorous tales of small-town life "with the bark on", you'll enjoy Small Town D.A.
November 23, 2021
True tales from a rural prosecutor in the 1950's, and a stark reminder of just how far the legal profession has fallen in only a few generations.
June 11, 2025
Pretty sure I picked this up at a bookstore in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places I've ever been. The edition I got looked like pulp novel, proudly announcing that it was written by the author of Anatomy of a Murder. Like catnip to me.
Robert Traver, alias of John Donaldson Voelker, spent fifteen years as the DA of a small rural county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His career was not particularly exciting or flashy, but his long tenure meant that he got to see a bit of everything. The memoir takes the form of quick snapshots of a variety of the cases he tried, from capital offenses to utter shams, never in great detail but with the polish of something with a knack for storytelling. I imagine he'd have polished up these anecdotes up over decades of dinner parties and campaign events until they were perfect for a general audience.
Voelker does not write with the bluntness of a hardboiled detective author, but he is unfailingly candid about his recollections, and his prose thus feels very frank and personal. There's a humility to what he says, always willing to acknowledge his own shortcomings and qualify his successes, which is welcome considering the self-aggrandizing act of writing about yourself. What really drew me into the book, however, was his sense of humor, dry and sarcastic and barbed and pitying. He's a funny guy, and it makes for an incredibly entertaining read.
It also serves as a fascinating window into another time, through the eyes of an interesting person. Voelker was a Democrat, and he seems to have been of the New Deal variety. He is surprisingly progressive on many social issues, showing a lot of empathy to many disparate people, even going so far as to criticize the criminal justice system and point out inherent flaws. His old stomping grounds are similarly novel, as at the time of his tenure the UP was largely rural, with many first-generation European immigrants. It feels like a whole other world as he describes it, using completely alien cultural reference points and touchstones. This is a large part of why I'm attracted to older literature over contemporary stuff, it feels like I'm getting insight into a time long since past.
Which does have its downsides. As progressive as he may have been, Voelker was a man of time, and that time was incredibly conservative even compared to today. Sometimes the left flank of mainstream America through the 30s and 40s reveals itself to be pretty noxiously conservative itself, which can be hard to sit with. This is most egregious in the final chapter, where Voelker discusses a case that as he saw it did not constitute rape. Sure, he means it in a strictly legal sense, but he also talks about how important it is not to besmirch the name of the man he would be prosecuting, and laments how he is seen for not prosecuting. If one wanted to be charitable, they could maybe argue that this is one of the reasons he grew disillusioned with his job, but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth right at the end.
Even so, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a book I enjoyed reading more than any I can recall this past year, maybe even longer than that. Even the ugly parts like this end up just further contextualizing the setting and the man. There's not too many of these moments, and none as unpleasant as that last chapter, and I could understand someone just not able to get past them. For those who can, this is an incredibly engaging, entertaining, and engrossing book.
Robert Traver, alias of John Donaldson Voelker, spent fifteen years as the DA of a small rural county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His career was not particularly exciting or flashy, but his long tenure meant that he got to see a bit of everything. The memoir takes the form of quick snapshots of a variety of the cases he tried, from capital offenses to utter shams, never in great detail but with the polish of something with a knack for storytelling. I imagine he'd have polished up these anecdotes up over decades of dinner parties and campaign events until they were perfect for a general audience.
Voelker does not write with the bluntness of a hardboiled detective author, but he is unfailingly candid about his recollections, and his prose thus feels very frank and personal. There's a humility to what he says, always willing to acknowledge his own shortcomings and qualify his successes, which is welcome considering the self-aggrandizing act of writing about yourself. What really drew me into the book, however, was his sense of humor, dry and sarcastic and barbed and pitying. He's a funny guy, and it makes for an incredibly entertaining read.
It also serves as a fascinating window into another time, through the eyes of an interesting person. Voelker was a Democrat, and he seems to have been of the New Deal variety. He is surprisingly progressive on many social issues, showing a lot of empathy to many disparate people, even going so far as to criticize the criminal justice system and point out inherent flaws. His old stomping grounds are similarly novel, as at the time of his tenure the UP was largely rural, with many first-generation European immigrants. It feels like a whole other world as he describes it, using completely alien cultural reference points and touchstones. This is a large part of why I'm attracted to older literature over contemporary stuff, it feels like I'm getting insight into a time long since past.
Which does have its downsides. As progressive as he may have been, Voelker was a man of time, and that time was incredibly conservative even compared to today. Sometimes the left flank of mainstream America through the 30s and 40s reveals itself to be pretty noxiously conservative itself, which can be hard to sit with. This is most egregious in the final chapter, where Voelker discusses a case that as he saw it did not constitute rape. Sure, he means it in a strictly legal sense, but he also talks about how important it is not to besmirch the name of the man he would be prosecuting, and laments how he is seen for not prosecuting. If one wanted to be charitable, they could maybe argue that this is one of the reasons he grew disillusioned with his job, but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth right at the end.
Even so, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a book I enjoyed reading more than any I can recall this past year, maybe even longer than that. Even the ugly parts like this end up just further contextualizing the setting and the man. There's not too many of these moments, and none as unpleasant as that last chapter, and I could understand someone just not able to get past them. For those who can, this is an incredibly engaging, entertaining, and engrossing book.
December 26, 2017
Am currently reading but have to return to the library today. It is a"Mel" book and I have used up my 2 allowed renewals. (I am guilty of taking out too many books at one time.)
This book is so well written, is factual ,has lots of dry humor and many insights into human behavior.
I am a Michigander as is the author. Does anyone know which Govener got into a tussle with a prison inmate in his story, "beautiful st. Andrews by the Sea" ?
This book is so well written, is factual ,has lots of dry humor and many insights into human behavior.
I am a Michigander as is the author. Does anyone know which Govener got into a tussle with a prison inmate in his story, "beautiful st. Andrews by the Sea" ?
April 14, 2025
Another library book sale treasure. Well-written, with plenty of humor, this book gives a great view of the U.P. and Yoopers of the 1940s and 50s.
May 31, 2014
I will have to set aside this book for now - even though I hate not finishing a book. Part of the reason is it's over 50 years old and is falling apart - pages dropping out, etc. Other than that, I did enjoy the author's (true) tales of being a DA in the "backwoods" of Michigan in the 50s and earlier. I bought the book for $1.00 at our local $5.00 or Less Bookstore. The cover art on mine is vintage "pulp fiction," better than the one shown above. The author also wrote "Anatomy of a Murder."
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews