With his debut novel, Worried Man Blues, Dominique Mills pens a modern inner city noir that anyone familiar with the heart of urban Milwaukee will recognize. Janssen Gee, the titular character follows a hardscrabble existence dictated by forces both within and beyond his control. His life of petty crime offers a shot at the brass ring when he stumbles upon the Holy Grail of funk music. Recorded decades ago by inmates at the Waupun penitentiary, the tape of the group Upheaval is “the bomb to end all bombs, worth millions in licensing,” With an asking price of $200,000, Gee finds himself in over his head which puts himself and his family in harm’s way.
Music fans will find many references dotted throughout, and readers will get a glimpse of rich tapestry most Milwaukeeans fail to see right under their nose.
