Rating: 
Summary: Pressing forward.....
Review: "The Bridge" is the name of one of Philadelphia's
harshest ghettos and the primary setting for the
story. In "The Bridge," people face a hard life:
teen pregnancy, drug pushers and users, and worse of
all, hopelessness. The plot centers on the
disappearance of Kenya, a loving, innocent, and lonely
little girl.
Before her disappearance, Kenya takes the reader into
the heart of the projects. Kenya lives with her drug
pushing great-aunt, Lily, who not only sells drugs
from the apartment but, Lily allows her "customers" to
make dope money selling illicit sex from Kenya's
mattress. Kenya's mother, Daneen, lost custody of
Kenya because she abused crack and Kenya.
"The Bridge" is a mystery that hides the culprit until
the end. However, the story line meanders and loses
focus in some areas. It is almost as though Mr.
Jones tried too hard to keep the culprit hidden until
the end. Likewise, some parts of the story line were
not fully developed with pat conclusions while others
were over done with too much detail. Moreover, the
novel could be shorter, once again; I was tempted to
skip to the end because I believed that not much would
be lost in doing so. The idea behind the story was
fine and murder-mystery fans may be able to deal with
the detours in the plot.
Leanna
R.E.A.L. Reviewers
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading....with a twist to the ending
Review: Compared to some of the other "johnny come lately" books about drug dealers and users, The Bridge does not glorify the life of the dealer while condemning those dependant on him....it shows how ruthless people can be, yet still shows that somehow through the ruthlessness, they still have feelings like the next person....Solomon Jones portrays his characters feelings and emotions realistically to the point where I found myself feeling sorry for the characters I disliked. In terms of writing style, Jones has a way of making the story continue without making it seem like it is being dragged out...hopefully there is another book about Kevin Lynch....his story is not finished yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping Realities of Street Life
Review: Detective Kevin Lynch is an up-and-coming star in the Philadelphia police department whose success has him headed toward a life of affluence. But a call from a friend whose child is missing brings Lynch back to "The Bridge," the rough and tumble housing project where he grew up. There, Lynch is forced not only to search for Kenya, the missing child. He has to deal with childhood memories, his own identity, and an old flame that threatens to destroy his already shaky marriage. "The Bridge," a fast-paced mystery filled with non-stop action, heart-stopping chases, and even a few hot love scenes, is a complex exploration of a society that many of us never see. In "The Bridge," Jones gives us black women who are determined, proud, and strong. And along the way, he also manages to convey the humanity of murderers, drug addicts, and crack dealers. With vivid prose that captures the complex atmosphere of the projects, Jones outlines the hopes and dreams of a cast you won't soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Life in the Ghetto
Review: Fans of Solomon Jones' Pipe Dreams will not be disappointed with his sophomore novel, THE BRIDGE. Police Detective Kevin Lynch has left his troubled past in the projects known as THE BRIDGE, and has moved on with his life. But one phone call draws him back into the past he has tried to forget.Daneen feels as if she has nowhere to turn. Her daughter, Kenya, is missing and she is determined to find her to make right all the wrongs that she has put her through. Daneen is a recovering crack addict, who frequently abused Kenya, and finally left her to live with her Aunt Judy in a crackhouse. She calls on Detective Lynch, a childhood friend, to help aid in the search for her missing child. Judy, Kenya's aunt and guardian, lives only to make money off of her thriving crack business and to love her business partner/lover, Sonny. Although she is saddened by her niece's disappearance, she puts her allegiance to Sonny first, despite the fact that he is the primary suspect. Daneen's brother, Darnell, also joins in the search for Kenya. He is also addicted to crack, but tries to put his problems aside to help search for his niece. As time goes on, you wonder if Darnell has ulterior motives in helping with the search, and Darnell has several skeletons in his closet that further hinder the investigation. These characters all come together in a deadly game of cat and mouse that will expose secrets and change lives. Filled with suspense, twists and turns, THE BRIDGE is a fast-paced novel that will leave you breathless. Solomon Jones does an excellent job portraying the desperate, deviant lives of addicts, and of those living in the ghetto. Yet he intertwines characters with good morals and high values, which are able to overcome the many obstacles that life in the projects presents. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it. I cannot wait to see what Solomon Jones comes up with next. Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Rating:
Summary: Cross "THE BRIDGE" into the world of Solomon Jones
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Solomon Jones has done it again
Review: I had the privilege to meet Solomon at a book signing and chat with him. I told him how I enjoy his weekly column and his style of writing; got my book signed and went back to work. That's when it all began. I actually started reading the book while still at work. I read it on the way home. I read it once I got home. I read it before I went to sleep. I literally could not put this book down until I figured out what happened to Kenya. This novel is a page turner that grips you from beginning to the end. If you've ever been to the hood in Philadelphia, you knew exactly where Solomon was taking you. If you've never been to the hood in Philadelphia, the detailed descriptions he offers allow you to "see" the projects where Kenya lived for yourself.This book is about secrets. No matter how long a secret is buried, there will always be someone to dig it up.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery Pageturner
Review: I just finished reading The Bridge by Solomon Jones. I must say this book grabbed me from the very beginning. It is focused on the search of a nine year old girl named Kenya. She stays in the projects(the Bridge) with her aunt Judy. The lead officer is a childhood friend of Kenya's mom. Everyone in the story has issues. But the issues are believable. Everyone might know someone who has went through one of these issues or another. The aunt sells crack out of her house. The uncle is a crack addict. The mother is a recovering crack addict. The girl is only nine years old and she probably has been through more than the average adult. If you like african american mysteries, then you definitely need to read this book. Keep up the good work, Mr. Jones.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery Pageturner
Review: I just finished reading The Bridge by Solomon Jones. I must say this book grabbed me from the very beginning. It is focused on the search of a nine year old girl named Kenya. She stays in the projects(the Bridge) with her aunt Judy. The lead officer is a childhood friend of Kenya's mom. Everyone in the story has issues. But the issues are believable. Everyone might know someone who has went through one of these issues or another. The aunt sells crack out of her house. The uncle is a crack addict. The mother is a recovering crack addict. The girl is only nine years old and she probably has been through more than the average adult. If you like african american mysteries, then you definitely need to read this book. Keep up the good work, Mr. Jones.
Rating:
Summary: THE BRIDGE
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The story contained not only action but there was a who-dun-it plot as well. I found myself glued to the pages in a search of the answer as to who was the culprit. If this second addition to the novel industry is any indication of what we can expect in the future from Solomon then we can only look forward to it getting better. Thanks Solomon, I love it when a book has me so intrigued that I can't put it down no matter how much my eyes burn for sleep. I'll be looking forward to your next publication.
Rating:
Summary: POPS
Review: I think the book was excellent, Mr. Jones did not just write the book and the reader read the book, but you actually got to live within the confines of the East Bridge Housing Project. Each character's lifestyle was identified so that you just didn't read about them but you were apart of them (for a while). I as a reader got to really know them and sometime more than I would want to admit felt sorry for them. This made me want to run on and see what the end was going to be. Hats off to Solomon again for another GREAT work !!!!
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