Synopses & Reviews
A superbly entertaining, high-spirited novel, London Bridges gives a very contemporary spin to the classic English detective thriller. Set in 1990s London, the plot centers on a treasure lost in the Blitz and newly discovered by an unscrupulous lawyer, who is tempted by greed into a series of crimes leading to murder. "The true treasure here is Stevenson's motley chorus of characters" (The New Yorker); the main character is London itself, lovingly depicted in all its rich variousness. With elegant wit, keen social observation, and dazzling intelligence, Stevenson explores the ways that people's lives intertwine in a great city, often with startling results.
Review
"'an unusual mixture of genres: part thriller, part social comedy and part, as the cunningly punning title suggests, a study of how a variety of different people make unexpected connections in a great city.' written with such tenderness, wit and brio, and deep affection for London and its people, that it is irresistible." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The plot, in the style of the classic British mysteries of Dorothy Sayers, manages to pay homage and play postmodern riffs on the traditional puzzle in the form of elegantly modulated cross-purposes and ever-varying candidates for central character. A challenging and rewarding tour." Connie Fletcher
Review
"With this revamping of the traditional English crime novel, Jane Stevenson shows how the city, history, and art are a maze of accidental connections. She pulls it off delightfully." Independent on Sunday
Review
"Urbanely witty and evocative of place... confirms Stevenson as an intelligent and accomplished writer" Sunday Telegraph
Review
"Jane Stevenson's is a wholly original voice... This is a very classy book; funny, realistic about love and sex, observant, sad, and painlessly informative, and thoroughly satisfying... exceptionally fine." Hampstead and Highgate Express
About the Author
Jane Stevenson teaches comparative literature at the University of Aberdeen. She is at work on a historical trilogy, to be published by Houghton Mifflin beginning in 2002. Born and bred in London, she now lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.