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Suspension
In the tense aftermath of the Civil War, the construction of the East River bridge becomes a target for a group of Southern partisans, led by a fanatical captain, as Detective Tom Braddock's investigation into a murder uncovers hints of the conspiracy and puts his own life in jeopardy. A first novel. 15,000 first printing.
436 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 4, 2016
A great mystery/thriller dealing with a conspiracy by a group of ex-Confederate Army veterans to destroy New York's Brooklyn Bridge. Mr Crabbe steeps the reader in the atmosphere of 1880's America as a police detective, Tom Braddock, tries to foil the plot, following the death of one of the bridge building crew who knew too much. Along the way we are introduced to a wealth of colourful characters, including a small group of Confederate Army veterans hell bent on blowing up the bridge, and the handful of New York police officers trying to stop them. Most of the latter are mixed in with corrupt policeman, gathering kickbacks from various parts of the city, with even the "hero" is guilty of this crime. Braddock and his partners work amidst the seamier side of late 19th Century New York. We also meet the Roebling family - Washington Roebling, the civil engineer (whose father, John designed the bridge) and his amazing wife Emily Warren Roebling who made a significant contribution to the completion of the bridge after her husband fell ill. (Emily's name, along with those of her husband and father-in-law is inscribed on a plaque on the Brooklyn Bridge). Mr Crabbe has written a great historical fact/fiction thriller which will delight a wide selection of readers. Recommended.
January 26, 2009
The book is set around the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was an interesting insight into a time period and event that I was not very familiar with.
However, I found the plot and writing in general to plod along. The author kept forshadowing events such that you either knew exactly what was going to happen, or were left wondering if the suggestion would ever come to make any sense. He also put the intentions of characters into doubt such often and in contradicting ways that even at the end I'm not sure of the real nature of some of the characters, which undermined my ability to relate to the characters or see their development through the events of the story.
Not a top pick for me, unless you are interested in late 1800s New York.
However, I found the plot and writing in general to plod along. The author kept forshadowing events such that you either knew exactly what was going to happen, or were left wondering if the suggestion would ever come to make any sense. He also put the intentions of characters into doubt such often and in contradicting ways that even at the end I'm not sure of the real nature of some of the characters, which undermined my ability to relate to the characters or see their development through the events of the story.
Not a top pick for me, unless you are interested in late 1800s New York.
May 12, 2008
Suspension, Richard Crabbe
1883
New York
This book is about a detective named Tom Braddok. in the story he investegates a very fishy murder wich leads him to ultimately finding out that a group of confederate war vets who have all made an oath to avenge there friends deaths from the civil war by blowing up the brooklen bridge. along the way tom becomes good friends with a boy whos father was misteriously murdered and falls in love with a friend named marry, meets a new partner who he really likes and pays off his dues to a corrupted precinct officer and fights his way through many hairy situations nearly dieing more than once. this is a trilling and suspensful book with lots of action and charecter. the book is very diverse and along the way you get to see how charecters changed through the tough expirences they face.
1883
New York
This book is about a detective named Tom Braddok. in the story he investegates a very fishy murder wich leads him to ultimately finding out that a group of confederate war vets who have all made an oath to avenge there friends deaths from the civil war by blowing up the brooklen bridge. along the way tom becomes good friends with a boy whos father was misteriously murdered and falls in love with a friend named marry, meets a new partner who he really likes and pays off his dues to a corrupted precinct officer and fights his way through many hairy situations nearly dieing more than once. this is a trilling and suspensful book with lots of action and charecter. the book is very diverse and along the way you get to see how charecters changed through the tough expirences they face.
November 19, 2013
A great historical fiction/mystery/suspense story. Set at the end of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the main focus is a group of ex-confederate soldiers planning to destroy the bridge. There is historical detail in the writing without seeming like a history book. The characters are well drawn and memorable, and their conflicting emotions regarding what they are doing are expressed well. There are some sub-plots which serve to define the characters and their behavior, particularly those dealing with police corruption at the time. I found these particularly compelling, especially towards the beginning of the book when the main plot was still being developed.
Recommended for those that like hard-boiled detective stories, those that like historical fiction at the time of late 1800's, and those that like engineering and bridges.
Recommended for those that like hard-boiled detective stories, those that like historical fiction at the time of late 1800's, and those that like engineering and bridges.
October 22, 2014
I really wanted to like this. (Has any good review ever started with "I really wanted to like this"?) The location and time period are a favorite of mine, but the writing and story were so plodding. The author would have benefited from stronger editing, partly to eliminate the excess and partly to fix errors. At one point the main character has been beaten/stabbed and is woozy and nauseated, yet he proceeds to "bound up the stairs." Woozy injured people don't bound.
February 3, 2024
This is a fascinating book about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and a conspiracy to bring it down by Confederate sympathizers complete with a manifesto against what happened to the south. the insight into late 1800's society, especially the upper echelon NYCP. is also captivating.
September 9, 2008
This is quite an interesting story set in the post Civil War era in New York during construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. The basic tale is a plot by a group of disgruntled former Confederate soldiers to destroy the bridge and the efforts of a policeman (who is also battling corruption both within himself and within the police force) to ferret out and thwart the plot.
The characters are quite well developed and complex (with the good not entirely good and the bad not entirely evil) and there is a nice depiction of both life in New York during this period and in the construction of the bridge. Though I knew quite a lot about the bridge (the problem of caisson disease, etc.), I learned some new things as well.
Though some aspects of the plot are a bit fanciful, this is a good read. It comes close to a 4.5.
The characters are quite well developed and complex (with the good not entirely good and the bad not entirely evil) and there is a nice depiction of both life in New York during this period and in the construction of the bridge. Though I knew quite a lot about the bridge (the problem of caisson disease, etc.), I learned some new things as well.
Though some aspects of the plot are a bit fanciful, this is a good read. It comes close to a 4.5.
February 8, 2012
I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers. Suspension is centered around the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and follows the life of police detective Tom Braddock. Braddock finds a bridge worker murdered in an alley, and as he begins to investigate the murder, it unfolds into a deeper conspiracy. Soon, he realizes that thousands of people's lives are in danger as a group of angry ex-confederate soldiers plot to destroy the bridge. This novel was very interesting to read; both plot and characters were fully developed. Suspension is both realistic and thrilling, and will keep readers desperate to find out what happens next.
October 21, 2012
Mostly enjoyed this, thought there are elements that feel more like a high quality self-published book than something from a press house that puts a lot of time (like, line editing and possibly elements that struck me as being conspicuously modern/not period, which I meant to look up but forgot) into producing the highest quality books possible. I dunno. It was a fun enough read. But had far too many (numerically speaking) minor errors. They stood out.
March 11, 2008
The blurbs on the back compare this novel to Caleb Carr's The Alienist, and while this book is not as dark, it is equally atmospheric. Crabbe makes good use of his post-Civil War setting, and successfully creates full and sympathetic characters. Though the outcome is fairly certain from the start, the suspense along the way is still compelling.
August 11, 2013
A fine historical thriller that is the first of a series focussing on Tom Braddock. The main plot is about the Brooklyn bridge that had been recently built & is also the focus of a confederate attack.
A fine thriller that does a great job of showing life in the USA after the confederate war. Highly recommend if you like thrillers with deeply nuanced plot as well as good characterization.
A fine thriller that does a great job of showing life in the USA after the confederate war. Highly recommend if you like thrillers with deeply nuanced plot as well as good characterization.
November 26, 2014
1880's NYC. Who would imagine the civil war would still have a huge impact there? This creative and deftly written novel displays the continuing fracture between north and south and how a brilliant detective, using only the limited tools of the time and his insight, saves NYC from a catastrophe beyond reason. Somewhat reminiscent of Caleb Carr.
May 9, 2009
Good suspense novel about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.
May 20, 2009
Great book, makes me want to learn more about the Brooklyn Bridge and if there really were sabotage attempts on it.
January 21, 2013
Good solid novel on the Gilded Age and a plan by revanchist Confederates to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge.
May 24, 2013
I suspect that the writers of the TV show, Copper, may have read this book.
October 29, 2013
The architecture and building of the bridge is interesting, as I had not much knowledge of it prior. However he failed to captivate me in the murder mystery.
January 11, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It's a detective novel based around a bridge. It was a little slow at parts, but otherwise a decent read.
December 23, 2018
excellent
June 18, 2026
An excellent story!!
April 10, 2015
This historical thriller has a terrific setup: One of the young Union heroes of Gettysburg, Washington Roebling, took over for his father in completing construction of the Brooklyn Bridge twenty years later. So what if a cabal of embittered Southerners plotted to blow up the Bridge for revenge?
I wanted to like this book more than I did, primarily because as others have noted, it's plodding, overly telegraphed, and could have easily been 100 pages shorter without losing anything.
I wanted to like this book more than I did, primarily because as others have noted, it's plodding, overly telegraphed, and could have easily been 100 pages shorter without losing anything.
January 5, 2009
Holy cow! "Suspension" is like a guide of how not to write a quality novel. Laughably cliched characters, dimwitted plot twists, holes in said plot big enough to drive a Buick through, and abundant historical inaccuracies are the main flaws that hamstring a thoroughly inventive premise. Kudos to Crabbe for the idea, jeers and hisses for the execution.
July 30, 2011
Great! Brooklyn bridge, detective, plot to blow up bridge by disgruntled southerners upset about losing civil war.
Lots of interesting information about the building of the bridge. Criminal stays one step ahead of detective.
Lots of interesting information about the building of the bridge. Criminal stays one step ahead of detective.
August 18, 2012
I liked this book because of the setting but I wish the characters had been further developed. Overall I enjoyed it but this is really my favorite genre, along the lines of Caleb Carr but without the same level of writing talent.
March 12, 2016
one of the best books I've rfead in a long time, someone is trying to destroy the newly built Brooklyn Bridge, and the perpertrators are always one step ahead of the law.
This book has a great title as not only is it to do with the bridge but also the story.
This book has a great title as not only is it to do with the bridge but also the story.
November 13, 2016
Actually more like 3-1/2 because I thought the writing wasn't quite as good as it might be. But on the whole I enjoyed it and it was a great source of research for New York in 1883, which is why I read it!
January 14, 2009
The best historical novel I've ever read, a real page burner, could not put it down.
July 17, 2009
I really wanted to like this book but just couldn't get into it.
May 21, 2012
Truly captivating. I read the whole 434 pages in one day. It was everything you'd hope an airport read would be.
March 3, 2013
What an excellent read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews