Blogger's Blag; Bridges often play a central role in Crime fiction, whether it's iconic bridges like the Golden gate bridge or the more prosaic but equally symbolic Forth Road Bridge

Recently I've come across a few books featuring Bridges and it got me thinking about the function of the Bridge in crime fiction; from the suicide/ murder/ torture hanging stance to the Bridge as a symbolic link between Past and Present, Good and Evil , Hope and Despair, or as the focus for the high octane adrenalin rush of an explosive car chase or stunt.  Here, I've focused on a few pieces of crime fiction where the bridge's stoic structure plays a significant role in the story

1/ My first choice is the beautifully crafted Stonemouth

by lain Banks.  

In this poignant drama about rival gangs, love, deceit and murder in a small sea port community the Bridge is symbolic.  I read the book when it first came out in 2012 and was enthralled by the BBC adaptation.  In true Bank's style recurring references to the Bridge emphasises it's symbolism.  Protruding from the life blood of the sea side community it symbolises the essence of the economy, but more than that it is the divide between the small community ruled by rival gangs and the rest of Scotland, giving Stonemouth a claustrophobic feel further emphasised by Stewart Gilmour's return from London.  The Bridge signifies the distance between Gilmour's past and present.  For him it is a huge symbolic hurdle that symbolises the strength of the Murstons clan that ostracised him from his community.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stonemouth-Iain-Banks/dp/0349000204/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443967597&sr=1-1&keywords=stonemouth

2/ Coincidentally, continuing with the Scottish theme, I recently read The Jump by Doug Johstone.  In The Jump the Forth Road bridge becomes almost a central character in the unfolding story.  The Forth Road Bridge, where her son jumped from becomes Ellie's confidante in her grief.  She haunts the area surrounding the bridge and swims in the waters beneath it, constantly seeking to understand her son's actions.  The Bridge is a wound for Ellie; like a scab that she compulsively picks, douses with cleansing dettol, savouring the raw sting and then starts the whole process again.  Then, she rescues another boy from suicide on the bridge and it now becomes symbolic of her redemption.  The constant presence of the bridge makes it complicit in her subsequent actions as she tries desperately to grasp her second chance by saving Sam McKenna from his troubled life.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jump-Doug-Johnstone/dp/0571321577/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443967484&sr=1-1&keywords=the+jump+doug+johnstone

3/... and to finish off the Scottish bridge theme I can't avoid

another reference to The Forth Road Bridge.  This time through the eyes of Ian Rankin's irascible detective John Rebus. With Rebus working in Edinburgh but being a Fifer by birth, the Forth Road Bridge crops up in many Rebus books.  As well as the car chases and murder suicides, the Forth Road Bridge provides a contemplative stretch for Rebus.  It spans between his past and present as he

journeys from Edinburgh to Fife.  The Bridge provides the backdrop for much of Rebus's back story and allows him the time to reflect on his life.  It is the link between his two lives and symbolically serves as a barrier between the two which allows the reader insight into past girlfriends, his family (his dad, his brother and his aunt in particular and his pre army and police life... a Rebus without cares and worries perhaps?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ian-Rankin/e/B000AQ6XQE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1443967669&sr=1-2-ent

4/ The Kasim Gulek Bridge in Turkey,  used in the James Bond film Skyfall is haunting, beautiful, a testament to human ingenuity and foreboding. The panoramic shots of the bridge emphasise the isolated terrain and it is symbolic of the darkness of Skyfall, which in my humble opinion is one of the best Bond movies to date.  This opening scene encapsulates the rawness that is Daniel Craig's James Bond.

Of course James Bond bridge references wouldn't be complete without a car bridge jump as in this clip of Roger Moore in The Man With The Golden Gun.