The Bridge: A Novel [Hardcover]

Solomon Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2003

Sometimes, Philadelphia Police Detective Kevin Lynch feels he has spent his whole life trying to put his past firmly behind him. But a frantic call for help from a childhood friend whose child has gone missing changes all that.

Now Lynch must summon the courage to return to his childhood home, the infamous projects known as The Bridge. As the case unfolds and the search for Kenya, the missing girl, intensifies, the secrets guarded by her family and friends begin to emerge. And the hidden truths are more sinister and malevolent than Lynch could ever imagine, and once again, The Bridge threatens to be his downfall.

Solomon Jones’s The Bridge is a gritty, suspenseful novel in which the root causes of crime share the stage with their tragic consequences, allowing an intimate window into ghetto life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jones returns to the oppressive, crack-addicted world of the Philadelphia underclass of his powerful debut, Pipe Dream (2001), with this ambitious story. In 1990, a nine year-old girl, Kenya Brown, disappears from a grim housing project known as "the Bridge," and two African-American detectives-Kevin Lynch, who grew up in the Bridge, and Roxanne Wilson, a single mother-lead the police search. Also hunting for Kenya are her irresponsible mother Daneen, a recovering crack addict and Lynch's childhood friend; Daneen's aunt Judy, a crack dealer with whom Kenya lived; and Daneen's feckless brother Darnell. The culprit seems to be Judy's lover and business partner, drug distributor Sonny Williams, a suspected child abuser. As the search for him overshadows that for the missing Kenya, Sonny improvises to avoid capture, causing havoc throughout the city, with political repercussions. The guilty party comes as a surprise, but the real villain in this complex tale is society. Each character's story reveals how the desperate poverty and hopelessness of ghetto life lead to drugs, teenage pregnancy and violent personal relationships. Jones also shows the superhuman task of the few people, usually women, who fight against the odds to ensure that their children escape from the Bridge. The plotting is well paced, with some shortcuts and one unpardonable deus ex machina. Jones, who grew up in the Philadelphia projects and knows his subject well, is a talent to watch.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The premise of Jones' second novel reads like the kind of front-page story a Hollywood executive might envision as an action movie with a Message. When nine-year-old Kenya Brown disappears from the squalid Philadelphia housing-project apartment she shares with her crack-dealing Aunt Judy, the cop called to save the day is Kevin Lynch, who grew up on the same mean streets. The Bridge is much more ambitious than its plot, however. Like a rock dropped in a pond, the crime has effects that ripple outward to encompass other building residents, then other Philly projects, then the whole city. Jones shows us just how much lies behind a shocking crime that surfaces suddenly in the headlines, and he is far more interested in who is hurt than whodunit. Although dialogue sometimes runs on too long, the voices ring true, especially those of the well-rendered women characters. Not the head-turning success of his debut, Pipe Dream (2001), Jones' latest nevertheless confirms his potential to become a major voice in crime fiction. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312306156
• ISBN-13: 978-0312306151
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,117,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author whose novels include The Last Confession, Pipe Dream, The Bridge, Ride Or Die, C.R.E.A.M., and Payback. Jones is the creator of a TV pilot that was optioned by NBC's Peacock Productions. A seasoned public speaker, Jones is an adjunct professor at Temple University and an award-winning columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Jones is also the creator of Words On The Street, a literacy program for at-risk youth. His next novel, The Gravedigger's Ball, will be released on Oct. 11, 2011. Jones lives in Philadelphia with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Secrets kill and sometimes the truth hurts as much., August 28, 2003

By 

Readers Paradise "Book Club" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Bridge: A Novel (Hardcover)

In his debut book Pipe Dream, we met several characters that believed their dream of change dissipated in a cloud of smoke, now Solomon Jones has done it again. The Bridge is filled with relationships, drugs and many clouds of secrets; that could certainly change lives once they are revealed.

Merriam-Webster defines a bridge as a time, place, or means of connection or transition. Mr. Jones definition of The Bridge is the dilapidated, drug-infested projects housed in Philly. In both instances, each defines a means of transition and hope of getting from point A to point B.

Nine year old Kenya Brown disappeared from the projects where she lived with her Aunt Judy and Sonny her Aunts boyfriend. Detective Lynch received a frantic call from Kenyas mom asking him to help her find her baby. Lynch has his own demons about going back to the Bridge. Faced with a promise to care for Kenya Lynch puts aside his personal feelings about The Bridge.

Every character in this book has a reason to want this child dead. As the list of suspects, continue to grow so does the suspense. The Bridge is an explosive tale of hope, tough love, abusive love and desperate love. Its about the relationships we want to believe do not exist or only exist in the ghetto. This avid reader and reviewer cannot praise this book enough. Excellent job Mr. Jones!

Missy

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solomon Has Done It Again!! Bravo From Philly!!!!, July 10, 2003

By 

Nakea S. Murray "Chick On Lit" (Philadelphia, pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bridge: A Novel (Hardcover)

The Bridge is like Pipe Dreams to the tenth power. Although it is a completely different story, Solomon has a way of grabbing you by the hand and walking you through a world unlike your own. Both books kept your attention with the right-in-your-face action which made the book a definite page turner. I immediately felt the pain of the characters, and what emotions they were going through without being side tracked from the story. The ending was a true shocker and it will have even the most avid reader stunned. Solomon Jones is bringing something to the table that the average reader isnt quite ready for. Writers beware; there is a new man on the block, and hes about to take us by storm. Bravo, Solomon! If you havent read a good book this year you will not be disappointed with The Bridge.

Reviewed By Anna Forrest of AsThePageTurns Book Club

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cross "THE BRIDGE" into the world of Solomon Jones, June 30, 2003

By 

Kenneth Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bridge: A Novel (Hardcover)

For anyone who has ever grown up in the inner city this is the book for you. Mr. Jones developes characters in the book that you want to connect with. Characters whose life story you want to believe. The story grabs you and pulls you to read on and on. You just do not get tired of this book.

The bridge for me was a story of hope. Mr. Jones makes you hope for the people in the book. He makes you believe that things can and will get better for the chacters. That the story of the Bridge and those stories of the chacrters individual lives will all end happily. He easily blends this theme of hope with the reality of life in a way that is just too real. The ending of the book is the completion of an emotional ride that leaves you tired.

Bravo Mr. Jones!!! I hope that you continue to write books as well and better then your first two projects.