Customer Reviews

The Bridge: A Novel

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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

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.

Life has always been rough for nine-year-old Kenya. She was born to a teenage mother; the product of a rape; later removed from this crack addicted mother who repeatedly abused and neglected her resulting in her being placed by DCH with her crack-dealing aunt. Even with all this negativity in her life, Kenya was the most loveable and sweetest child in the Public Housing Unit known as the Bridge. One Friday night, Kenya did not return home and the search for this young child begins in this suspense/thriller novel The Bridge by Solomon Jones.

Detective Kevin Lynch is contacted by Daneen, Kenya`s mother. She beseeches him to help her locate her child. Detective Lynch feels an obligation to the child and his childhood friend, the alleged father of Kenya, so he immediately begins to investigate her disappearance. The prime suspect is Sonny and he is on the run, motivated by greed and his desire to escape the Bridge. In the midst of searching for these two, people die, cars crash and tempers flare. Detective Lynch is suspended when one police chase causes the death of a popular judge. He becomes the fall guy for the police department. Unofficially he continues the search for Kenya looking for answers at the Bridge.

This book is filled with twists that will lead you in one direction then another angle is revealed that turns you in the opposite way. There are flashbacks into the past of the characters which help you understand what motivates them. Combine this with exciting police chases and graphic murder scenes and you have a good police drama read. If you like the suspense/ thriller novels of authors such as Gary Hardwick, you will enjoy this one.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

Kudos goes to Solomon Jones who has penned in compelling novel! THE BRIDGE grabs the readers attention and holds it capitive from beginning to end. Based in the inner city of Philadelphia, this novel is based on people's lives whose only luck is bad luck or no luck at all. They have fallen into an abyss of drugs, sex and immortality in general. Often times, the innocent ones are caught up in the cycle and this was the case with nine year old Kenya. Born to a young mother, Kenya's life was never a smooth one - enduring years of abuse and neglect, she never enjoyed the true meaning of childhood. Kevin Lynch is a product of the same neighborhood as Kenya, yet now as a Detective, Kevin seems to have successfully seen his way out of the oppressive projects. Yet, when an old friend calls him for help, Kevin is drawn back into the mix.

THE BRIDGE is a novel that will have you mad if you're interrupted while reading it because it is so good that you cannot put it down. The character development, imagery and attention to details was very well done, thus creating very believable characters. This is my first book my Mr. Jones and I'm looking forward to many more from this author.

Nine year-old, Kenya Brown, disappears from "The Bridge" a depressing housing project she lives in with her crack serving Aunt Judy, Judy's man Sonny, Kenya's uncle Darnell, and the pipers who come in and out of their place.

Kevin Lynch, a detective who grew up in "The Bridge", is called in to help Daneen, his childhood friend/first love, an a recovering crack addict search for her daughter.

As Kevin is forced to face his own childhood demons along with his current marital problems he can't help but wonder how his life would've been had it not been for his Grandmother and her very degrading tactics.

Kenya's disappearance leads to Sonny Williams. While he`s out scoring another package his greed gets the best of him as he prepares to leave "The Bridge" another story of his penchant for young girls has Sonny being sought for questioning. As he avoids being caught, he causes destruction throughout the busy streets of Philly. The concentrated search for him surpasses that for Kenya.

As you're reading you're growing anxious as all of the Brown family secrets are revealed. With each page you turn you're preparing to finally know what happened only to still be caught in the melee from page 1 all the way to page 294.

"Sometimes a lie is easier to tell than the truth."

The story line is well paced in this effortful reality! Each character reveals how desperation and the poverty of "The Bridge" lead to drugs, teenage pregnancy and violent personal relationships.

This is my first read by Solomon Jones it took me longer than normal, because when it comes to children its wears on my heart (I know some of you think I don't have one). I had a feeling about who the actual perpetrator was, but it was nice that the twist and turns kept you guessing to the very end.

"The key to life is the company you keep."

This book was better than Pipe Dream, which I thought was an excellent book. He makes sure to capture his characters in great detail, and the story will keep you guessing until the climax. In some sort of sick way, you actually catch yourself feeling bad for the perpretrators in this book and not just the victims. It's worth the $26 and change I paid for it. Solomon Jones has a fan for life with me.

The Bridge started off slow, but quickly picked up after couple of chapters. I won't give away too much of the story, but it focused on a nine year old girl that came up missing after her crack-selling aunt sent her to the store at ten o'clock at night. Solomon Jones kept me guessing to the very end. He gives you a cast of colorful characters to choose from: Aunt Judy that sells her crack out of her house, her boyfriend Sonny that has been rumored to molest young girls, Daneen, the missing girl's(Kenya) mother that ended up getting her daughter taking away from her, Lily, Kenya's best friend mom and Darnell, Kenya's uncle and Kevin Lynch that guy that was asked to help find Kenya.

Pick this one and enjoy it today! The ending will knock your socks off! Five stars NO DOUBT!

The Bridge was an awesome story. I felt like I was living there and reading the local newspaper. I hope Solomon Jones has as much success as Walter Mosley because he is a good storyteller. Waiting patiently for the next book and if you didn't read Pipe Dream, I recommend that also.

I thought the book was well written. I was definitely impressed by the writer's skill set. However I was unmoved and disconnected to the real tradgedy of the story. The emotion of the story was over-powered by the mystery of who-dunnit rather than the fact that another child was lost to the cycle of deprivation and devastation in 'the hood.'