London Bridges — Jane Stevenson

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.