Novels offer a great escape, but sometimes we want our fiction to hit closer to home. These recent books are set in Milwaukee, but do they paint a recognizable portrait of our beloved city?

MYSTERY | PENGUIN BOOKS, 2022 | $18 

Sneha, a queer South Asian college grad moves to Milwaukee in 2013 for a job. She explores identity, romance and friendship, along with our city’s socialist history and alcohol culture.  

Is Milwaukee a “character?”  

Most definitely. The people whom Sneha meets ring true to our region, including “tony Brookfield,” Bay View and beyond.

 Does it feel like Milwaukee?  

Certainly. Sprinkled throughout are local history lessons and discussions of our prodigious alcohol consumption, not to mention a little day-drinking on Brady Street.  

Name-drops:

Bay View Massacre, North Division and Rufus King high schools.

COMING OF AGE | POLIS BOOKS, 2021 | $19 

Ukraine-born Masha must return from a new life in Israel to her childhood home in Milwaukee, where her sister has mysteriously gone missing. 

Is Milwaukee a “character?” 

Mostly. Masha’s father lives in the “semi-dangerous neighborhood of Riverwest.” Despite frequent allusions to Masha’s youth in Ukraine, Milwaukee’s cafes and clubs provide the main setting for Masha’s adventures. 

Does it feel like Milwaukee?  

Indeed. Slor has clearly done her Riverwest research: Masha spends plenty of time sipping at Fuel Cafe (RIP) and checking out music at Bremen Cafe.  

Name-drops:

Foundation, Uptowner

POSTMODERN | PENGUIN PRESS, 2025 | $30 

In speakeasy Depression-era Milwaukee, a softening former cop deals with organized and not-so-organized crime as he follows the trail of a wayward cheese heiress.  

Is Milwaukee a “character?” 

Yes, early on. It’s left behind as a concrete setting for the second half of the book, but Cream City remains the spiritual home for our main character.

Does it feel like Milwaukee?  

The details are rich and almost always amusing. Characters gab around bubblers, drink old fashioneds, play sheepshead and talk more cheese than you can believe.

Name-drops:

Paramount Records (a defunct blues label in Grafton), Holton Street Bridge, Oriental Drugs

SUSPENSE | THREE TOWERS PRESS, 2019 | $27 

Mitch is a firefighter looking to escape a tragedy in rural Wisconsin. He relocates to Milwaukee to join a busy firehouse, leading to many adventures.  

Is Milwaukee a “character?” 

As a former pro, Renz knows his firefighting, and he knows Milwaukee well enough to strike a clear contrast between the quiet, manure-air of Mitch’s farm home and the frenetic energy of the North Side. 

Does it feel like Milwaukee?  

The neighborhoods are richly drawn, and Renz includes the violence, conflict and racial tensions all too familiar in our unequal city.  

Name-drops:

Teutonia Avenue, a character called the “Jawbreaker of South Milwaukee”

THRILLER | BALLANTINE BOOKS, 2021 | $19 

Following a traumatic episode in Chile, Emily tries to recover with a new job in Milwaukee. A friend from the past arrives, and their violent history comes slowly to the surface.  

Is Milwaukee a “character?” 

Not really. Local author Bartz places the main characters here, but the setting isn’t the biggest factor in their character development.

Does it feel like Milwaukee?  

The plot mostly shines on the internal life of Emily, but there’s local insight: She’s “over Milwaukee – her hometown – with its smallish size and polarized communities.” 

Name-drops:

Brady Street and the “slightly creepy Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit at the public museum” 

Lawmakers from both parties have condemned the attack on Ilhan Omar after the Minnesota congresswoman was sprayed with an unknown substance during her town hall on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, responded to comments from Donald Trump who quipped that “she probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

Jeffries countered: “That’s a disgusting comment and the president’s lies and misinformation continue to fan the flames of these types of violent incidents.

“Ilhan Omar, of course, is a strong, courageous, hardworking public servant. This should have never happened,” he continued.

Trump has long targeted Omar, who arrived in the US as a refugee as a child and has been a citizen for more than 25 years. His xenophobic attacks on her have ramped up in recent weeks as he has targeted Minnesota’s Somali community. He recently called for her to be “sent back to Somalia” in a post on Truth Social.

After the attack, lawmakers have directly blamed Trump’s rhetoric.

Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic representative from Texas, said in a social media post that she was “disgusted” and “outraged”. “Let’s be clear: nonstop hate and dangerous rhetoric from Trump and his allies has fueled this type of violence.”

The Minnesota representative Angie Craig said she was “relieved that my colleague Ilhan is safe”.

“The rise in political violence in our state must stop,” she posted on X. “We are better than this Minnesota.”

Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic senator of Maryland, said he was “relieved” that Omar was not injured. “But Trump’s response was shameful – & Republicans should say so. His baseless & racist attacks against her have no doubt endangered her. His inability to condemn the attack is appalling,” he wrote on X.

Greg Landsman, a Democratic representative from Ohio, said “the rhetoric against a sitting member of Congress is un-American” and leads to more violence. “Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should approach this moment with humility and grace. That’s how we break this cycle of division and hate.”

Republicans have also spoken out against the apparent act of political violence. The South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace wrote that she was “deeply disturbed” to learn that Omar was attacked at the town hall.

“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are.”

Don Bacon, a representative of Nebraska, said on social media: “Political violence is always wrong. We always have the right to free speech and to petition the government, but political violence must be dealt with sternly.”

He added that the attacker “needs to spend sometime [sic] behind bars”.

Omar is the second lawmaker of color to be physically attacked in the last week. The Florida representative Maxwell Frost said he was punched in the face on Friday at the Sundance film festival in Utah by a man who said Trump would deport him.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — David Reick, president of Crown Hill Cemetery and the Crown Hill Foundation, joined News 8 on Daybreak to discuss an event that’s taking place Thursday at Crown Hill Cemetery.

The event “Do Not Omit the Obit” focuses on the history of obituaries in Indianapolis as part of a speaker series. A discussion will be lead on the significance of obituaries as cultural artifacts, reflecting societal norms and changes more than 150 years.

The event will take place in the Gothic Chapel at 6 p.m., with fewer than ten tickets remaining for attendees interested in exploring how obituaries have evolved over the years, including their impact from technology and social media.

Reick noted that attendees will see examples of 150- to 200-year-old obituaries, which were once purely informational, now reflecting deeper societal changes. The discussion will dive into how memorialization has shifted from printed newspapers to lasting online tributes, particularly through platforms like Facebook, where obituaries are treated as living memorials.

Future topics in the speaker series include the role of ceremonial funeral teams, featuring discussions on funerals for notable figures such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and former President Jimmy Carter. Additionally, Reick mentioned upcoming talks on Civil War POW camps in Indianapolis and the conservation of Indiana’s landscape, emphasizing the diverse cultural and historical influences of the area. This is the second of five talks in the series.

Attendees interested in the event can still purchase tickets, which are selling for $10.

Remaining speaker series events are planned throughout the coming months, each exploring unique aspects of cultural history and memorialization.