According to the website novel Suspects, the police procedural grew out of the growing interest in true crime that began in the 1940s and ’50s, with Lawrence Treat’s V is for Victim being acknowledged as the first to “bring realism to the mystery genre.” With Dick Wolf’s Law & Order TV empire offering an easy comparison, the hallmark of the police procedural remains: “No matter how outlandish the mystery itself may be, the investigation is always grounded in a realistic portrayal of police work.” For fans of this literary style, and especially those who identify as proud yinzers, Bill Gormley’s Too Many Bridges provides the comfort and curious excitement that comes from being able to visit the same Pittsburgh places that appear on the page.
For his first foray into the detective mystery, Gormley, a Pittsburgh native and professor emeritus at Georgetown University, shows he has its formula down pat: A crime that seems straightforward. A pair of cops, Branko Radic and Kathleen Mulroy, whose styles contrast ever so slightly. A bad guy who is easy to dislike but has a past that gives him some depth. Add in Harry Potter as a motivating factor in the crime and sprinkle in some iconic Pittsburgh locales like Kennywood, Primanti Bros., and The Squirrel Cage for good measure and watch it all rise to a climax that seems to land about right.
With a surprising reference to the music of Mac Miller, and an intriguing origin story for Radic’s interest in solving crimes, it’s plain that Gormley is both a fan and is having fun. It’s also easy to imagine Gormley creating a multiverse out of Pittsburgh locations where, as the protagonist explains, “The ride from Kennywood Park to Mercy Hospital was short but surreal. Glancing back at the amusement park, Radic saw magnificent roller coasters and other alluring rides, fronted by an assortment of police vehicles with flashing lights. The Old Mill was now a crime scene.” What’s next for Radic and Mulroy? Like a detective waiting for lab results of evidence at a crime scene, readers will have to hang tight to find out.
Fred Shaw is a Visiting Lecturer in Writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
