Dead Man's Bridge

A Jake Cantrell Mystery, Book 1

By: Robert J. Mrazek

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

For fans of Linwood Barclay, this exhilarating series debut by award-winning author Robert Mrazek features former army officer Jake Cantrell as he tries to solve a series of murders at a small college town in upstate New York.

Unfairly disgraced former army officer Jake Cantrell has only one friend left: Bug, a wolf-dog he saved while serving in Afghanistan. Together they try to put his bitter past behind him, and Jake settles for employment at the bottom rung of the campus security ladder of a small upstate New York college. But things only turn worse when the college's richest and most powerful alumnus is found hanging from a campus footbridge on the eve of homecoming weekend.

Jake is convinced the man was murdered, but with no credibility to his name, no one agrees - at least not until a second body is found hanging from the same bridge. But as a vicious hurricane sweeps up the Eastern Seaboard, the clock is ticking, and it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again.

Trusting his instincts, Jake puts his own life in peril as he attempts to uncover the buried secrets at the heart of the murders in acclaimed author Robert J. Mrazek's Dead Man's Bridge, the first in a new heart-pounding mystery series sure to keep listeners hooked until the very last minute.

©2017 Robert J. Mrazek (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Sometimes you just gotta browse...

This is one of those books I found by browsing suggested books and following from page to page until I finally landed here. Slight hesitation because of the length but I'm very glad I decided to get this one.
Jake Cantrell was wrongfully dishonorably discharged from the military. Unable to find a job he goes to the one person he who can help but the one person he doesn't want to go to. It's the man his fiancé left him for while deployed in Afghanistan. He gives him a job with the college police where he is the president. Of course he starts out at the bottom and because of his dishonorable discharge his superior does not trust him.
When a college alumni jumps from a bridge and hangs himself he calls it murder but his superior calls it suicide. Until a second man (best friend of the first) does the same thing.
At the same time the secretly cross dressing college president is being blackmailed after being video recorded with a call girl in a rent by the hour hotel room. Neither case is what it appears and either could cost Jake his life.
Christopher Lane does an excellent job narrating. His straight man delivery makes him perfect for the sarcasm used in this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Juggling dynamite, not just firecrackers!

exmilitary, suspense, murder-investigation, blackmail, friendship, pet

Juggling dynamite in lieu of firecrackers.
Dumped by his wife for his friend while he was deployed, now working security courtesy of same friend, drummed out of the army for political expediency, unable/unwilling to play the game with employers, pretty much living on alcohol and paying for chemo for his best buddy/dog, Jake is a mess.
Although he is looked down on and ridiculed by his chief of security as well as the local sheriff, he is the only one to get it right when the first body turns up. From then on he is hip deep in blackmail, murder, and attempts on his own life. A very active and well plotted tale complete with characters so realistic I'm sure that I worked alongside some of them. Red herrings and plot twists abound to make this a really compelling read.
After receiving a print copy from the publisher courtesy of a Goodreads Giveaway that I entered, I picked up an audio done by Blackstone Audio. Christopher Lane gave a fine audio interpretation!

Made ME want to jump off a bridge

I'm convinced the author really wanted to write an ode to his dying dog, but then figured he needed to throw in some mystery elements. Cookie-cutter, paint-by-numbers detective novel with lots of long passages discussing old dogs, whiskey, and coffee.

I want more Jake

I read this book (listened to it) more than a year ago and thoroughly, completely enjoyed the main character and his decisions, opinions, and escapades. Narrator was great too. I have been encouraging the author ever since to get moving on another book featuring Jake. I hope it comes out soon!

Awful

Awful, horrible, terrible, disgusting, stupid, crude, crass, ridiculous, unlikely, gross, waste, no, no, no, no.