"Strong condemnation of a "compassionate" America written within a solid police procedural"
In a run down Philadelphia project THE BRIDGE, nine-year-
old Kenya Brown disappears. Assigned to the case is
African-American detectives Kevin Lynch and Roxanne
Wilson. Kevin comes from these projects and knows Kenya's
guardian is his childhood friend crack dealer Aunt Judy. The evidence points towards Judy's lover and business
partner Sonny Williams who is an alleged child abuser and
has conveniently vanished too. The cops feel if they find
Sonny, they will find Kenya, hopefully alive and not
violated. However, Sonny is a pro in evading the law
something he learned as a drug dealer. The two police
detectives know that each minute that passes most likely
means bad things have happened to Kenya. Though the investigation and subsequent police search is
fun, this tale has a deeper message about an abundant
society ignoring abject poverty and its consequences.
Readers will taste the despondency of the ghettos whose
basic outputs are violence and other undesirable behavior.
The heroes are those select few trying to make a better
life outside the hood for their children. This is a strong
condemnation of a "compassionate" America written within a
solid police procedural. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted May 17, 2003
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