The Bridge of Sighs: A Novel (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The greeting was in his desk, the center drawer: a piece of fish-stained cardboard with a clumsily drawn stick figure..." (more)
Key Phrases: security inspector, homicide inspector, Janos Crowder, Lena Crowder, Brano Sev (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 1948 in a small, unnamed Eastern European country devastated by WWII and still occupied by Russian troops, Steinhauer's promising debut introduces 22-year-old homicide inspector Emil Brod of the People's Militia. Brod's police academy training has prepared him for neither the rude reception he receives from his homicide comrades nor the difficult and risky assignment handed him as his initiation. The brutal murder of a moderately successful writer of patriotic songs enmeshes the bewildered Brod in an investigation hampered by his inexperience and lack of support from above as well as by other forces unknown but soon felt. Brod's trial by fire takes him through city and village, from small bars and tenements to streetwalkers and party officials. Steinhauer deftly presents minor characters, while he richly renders the country's travails as war is followed by occupation, suspicion, corruption and betrayal. The trail of murder, blackmail and wartime secrets even leads Brod to a divided Berlin, where he observes the non-stop activity at Tempelhof Airport during the Allied airlift. Perhaps the novel's weakest element is the amorphous Brod, though his appeal grows as the story progresses. One looks forward to Brod's developing into a fully realized character in future books in the series.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In 1948, in a small, unnamed Eastern European country, homicide detective Emil Brod has been assigned a case that no one wants him to solve. To make matters worse, he's only 22 years old, this is his first case in the People's Militia, and his colleagues think he's a spy. The victim, a state songwriter, appears to have been blackmailing a politicos, a man formerly known as Smerdyakov the Butcher who has connections to the highest levels of the state and a past that includes wartime atrocities for the Nazis and then the Russians. In his attempt to uncover the truth, Brod soon finds himself battling a host of obstacles (including the murder of his best witness). At the same time, he finds himself attracted to the songwriter's wife, who becomes his lover and a possible victim herself. This is an intelligent, finely polished debut, loaded with atmospheric detail that effortlessly re-creates the rubble-strewn streets of the postwar period in an Eastern state "liberated" from German occupation by the Russians. Highly recommended for mystery collections.
Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312326017
• ISBN-13: 978-0312326012
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Edgar nominee historical mystery, February 26, 2004

By	Larry Gandle (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

In Eastern Europe, 1948, twenty two year old detective Emil Brod is given his first murder case for the People's Militia. A famous patriotic songwriter is killed in his home. As Emil investigates the murder he realizes there may have been a political reason for the killing. While questioning the upper hierarchy of the party, he is suddenly suspected of being a spy. With death being the penalty for a convicted spy, Brod now finds his own life in danger. He can expect no help from his colleagues in the People's Militia. Emil, with so much at stake, cannot abandon his search for the truth.
THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS is a period piece historical novel with a major strength being the descriptions of the locale- the exact location of which is unknown. Characters almost play a supporting role to their surroundings. The author keeps things in proper perspective, however, as the plot moves quickly to its clever ending. With the strong reliance on the almost unbearable oppression of the people, one immediately recalls the historical dramas of J. Robert Janes and LIE IN THE DARK by Dan Fesperman. Very well done.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No sighs here, May 11, 2005

By	CEB (Texas) - See all my reviews

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

This novel takes place in 1948 in an unnamed Eastern European country. World War II has come to an end, the country has been liberated from the Germans, and Russian soldiers still occupy the war-ravaged city. Main character, Emil Brod, recent graduate of the police academy, now begins his career as a homicide detective with the People's Militia. Brod, for no reason he can fathom, is shunned by his fellow detectives. After several days of inactivity, Brod is finally given a case--his co-workers wait expectantly for him to fail. A patriotic songwriter for the state has been brutally murdered, and political ties are evident.

The Bridge of Sighs is wonderfully written, rich in vivid and detailed description. Characters are complex in their development, and the book has an overall sense of foreboding.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fans of LeCarre and Greene should take note, February 13, 2003

By A Customer

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

There's already a couple of plot summaries here, so I won't add to the pile, except to say that THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS succeeds brilliantly in presenting a fresh new take in a genre in which we thought we'd seen all it could offer.

Fans of the pinnacle works of John LeCarre and Graham Greene should take note of Steinhauer. THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS evokes a deep understanding of that cold, bitter world behind the iron curtain, but with a modern sensibility of encroaching history soon to pass. I found myself unable to put this book down.

With its taut, lean storytelling, complex characters and dark, foreboding atmosphere, the book begs to be made into a film - hopefully one that doesn't diminish the book's strengths, as this novel promises to be the first in a vital new series. I await the next instalment with great anticipation.
Jake Steele