The Bridge of Sighs

I have a new detective to add to favorites--Harry Bosch, Kinsey Millhone, Guido Brunetti -- and he is Emil Brod, 23 year-old newly hired homicide investigator for the People's Militia. The story is set in 1948's post Russia's liberating Brod's small country from German occupation. His first case is of a state's songwriter. The young detective is not welcomed by his fellow homicide investigators, making Brod waffle on his career decision. Having never read any fiction (contemporary) about this time period the history of the political and social upheaval was enticing to me witnessing, not only the killings that continue, but the desperation of the economy and people. The author, Olen Steinhauser, draws in the reader through this desperation seen in all the characters, a desperation that doesn't stop life nor Detective Comrade Brod from doing his job. This is Steinhauser's first novel and I look forward to more.

This is an excellent adventure with strong characters struggling in an eastern european society. The mere lack of any American's in the book only adds to its sense of authenticity. The interactions of the group of miltiaman --crimes --and political intrigue --you could not ask for more!

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.

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

In 1948, the aftermath of WW II remains on every street in this tiny eastern bloc nation shrouded behind an Iron Curtain. Though Communist and Russian controlled, murder remains a crime so twenty-two years old Emil Brod is proud when the State selects him to become a rookie homicide inspector. However his comrades, his chief comrade, and the security inspector treat him like a pariah because he safely "hid" in Finland rather than fighting the Nazis.After a few days of the silent treatment with only filing for work, Emil's boss Chief Moska assigns him to investigate the murder of state songwriter Janos Crowder. Excited, Emil looks around the crime scene and interviews the apartment supervisor Tudor who found the body. Emil realizes the case has top-level connections so Moska assigned it to him to get rid of the newcomer. Later, Moska informs him that Tudor has also been killed. Now partnered with a veteran cop, who punched him in the testicles on his first day, Emil continues to make inquiries knowing that this could be his last investigation.THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS is a robust historical police procedural that vividly brings to life Eastern Europe in the early Soviet days. The story line contains a strong investigation that alone will hook the audience, but the ensemble cast especially the detectives turn this mystery into a triumph that fans will want to read. Readers will anticipate Olen Steinhauer's second novel in what appears will prove to be one of the better cop series of this decade.Harriet Klausner