Review of High Crimes Against the Crown

[Fiona Kemm]

[Following is a volunteer review of "High Crimes Against the Crown" by Patrick DeVaney.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Set in 1982, High Crimes Against the Crown, written by Patrick DeVaney, was a truly captivating story that I took great pleasure in diving into. I would describe this as the woeful tale of a police officer turned resistance fighter turned pilgrim with a penchant for stupid decisions.
 
When an American police officer, Connor Caldemeyer, suffers a career-halting injury that leads him to take a life-altering holiday to the Republic of Ireland. The beauty of the land and a certain lovely lady enthral him, capturing his heart. With seemingly no reason to leave and all the more reason to stay, Connor follows his heart and remains longer than he intended. His new lady love smuggles him into Northern Ireland and introduces him to a small group of rebels fighting for the reunification of Northern Ireland with the Republic. Connor and his new friends promptly find themselves in deep trouble, resulting in Connor becoming a fugitive from the British. With his only choice being to go on the run (or walk, in this case), Connor’s life depends on his ability to hide on the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage.

This was a brilliantly constructed tale of a man who should have known better. The writing flowed beautifully from chapter to chapter, drawing you in further with every step Connor took. Patrick DeVaney’s use of some mad spelling truly conveys an Irish accent in a way many should consider true genius. The reader is constantly wondering, "What did Connor do?" with every reference to advice Connor should have followed. Finally, Patrick DeVaney’s writing style makes the reader believe the story to be a true recounting, almost as if Connor himself was the author. This style makes the reader feel all the more attached to Connor, making his tale even more tragic.
 
I was unable to find anything negative about High Crimes Against the Crown. Although the build-up to the main part of the story was much longer than initially expected, by the end of the story I felt this level of detail to be completely necessary. Patrick DeVaney’s writing was impeccable, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

Overall, I would give High Crimes Against the Crown 5 out of 5 stars; I couldn’t fault it enough to justify removing a star. The writing was incredibly well done, and I failed to find anything to criticise about the book. The characters were thoroughly developed and had a huge depth of emotion, especially Connor.

I would recommend this book to adults only due to the troubling nature and sexual aspects of some parts of the story. This book would be well received by anyone who has a passing knowledge of what the Irish Troubles were but who struggles to understand the raw depth of emotion felt by the people involved. This book would also suit someone looking for a different kind of read from their normal genres.

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High Crimes Against the Crown
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