The Bridge of Sighs

Unabridged
Author: Olen Steinhauer
Narrator: Ned Schmidtke
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Date: February 2003
Length: 8 hours
Ratings:
Formats:
  • CD
  • WMA

Overview

In the volatile and shifting political atmosphere of Eastern Europe after World War II, an inexperienced homicide detective fresh out of the academy is assigned a homicide that no one wants to solve. Set in a bombed-out city in an unnamed country formerly occupied by the Germans and now by the Russians, the story follows Emil Brod as he unravels the threads of the cover-up of a brutal murder, while supporting his grandparents, his only family, in the equally brutal city.

"Steinhauer makes you smell the murky sewers and feel the damp chill of the dark alleys as Emil works to solve the case. This is a finely-formed novel that evokes all of the desperation, intrigue, and bloody-mindedness that was post-war Europe, but it also brings to life the spirit of those people, who not only survived those horrible years but went on to build new lives."—John Blazina, FennFocus Reps Picks

Reviews (1)

Solid Listen

Written by EDS on June 10th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I enjoyed this book, nor only for the story but also for the depiction of life in post war Europe. For me the book is almost fully contained. We start as Emil starts, and grow to learn, with him, of the story's intriques and also the especially powerfull setting in which Emil finds himself operating. The conclusion was low key but satisfying on all levels. Steinhauer does an excellent job of conveying the actions and shortcutting of principles that people were driven to take in what must have been a pretty desparate environment. I would recommend this book over 36 Yalta Blvd as a first Steinhauer read. It is the full package, and it is a bit easier to follow.