“Sometimes a hard line is a wrong line…”

“Two wrongs never make a right…”

Peter Henderson, aka the “Flat-Foot Hustler” is brutally assaulted after leaving a blues party in the early hours of Sunday morning. Robbed of his hustling money, face down, bleeding and motionless, the attack sends out shock-waves, affecting his nearest and dearest. No longer the confident, verbal swaggering youth, Peter’s a frightened, fragile young man, unable to leave the sanctuary of his bedroom. The assault also scuppers his plans to relocate with Faye before their baby is born. Faye seeks help from her friends, Lorraine, Vivene and her boyfriend Delroy (Peter’s cousin) and Lorraine’s boyfriend Errol to turn the situation around.

Peter’s side-kick Zigie is convinced he knows who attacked Peter but his accusations fall on deaf ears. He quickly realises Peter is protected by a wall of silence from his family and friends. After a slow recovery, and rejecting the temptation to pursue a 9 to 5 lifestyle; Peter and Zigie team up again. Zigie however, has one aim in mind, revenge; Peter’s attackers must pay a heavy price.

Revenge is a dish best served cold but the heated consequences of these actions may jeopardise the lives of Peter, his family and friends. Inner City Blues is based within the back-drop of inner-city Small Heath Birmingham during the mid-1970s, and is the long awaited sequel to Norman Samuda Smith’s ground breaking first novel Bad Friday.