Elmore Leonard's City Primeval is a gritty crime thriller set in Detroit. The story follows a psychopathic killer known as the "Oklahoma Wildman" who commits thrill killings. A dedicated city cop is determined to take down the Wildman. The novel is praised for its fast-paced action and gritty portrayal of urban crime. It highlights Leonard's skill at dark crime tales involving heists, hijacks, and murder, showing him to be equal to great crime fiction authors like John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, and Robert Parker.