Review of High Crimes Against the Crown

[Tara Beh]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

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“High Crimes Against the Crown" is set in 1982 following the story of Conor Caldemeyer, a former cop who leaves for Ireland for a much-needed break following a heroic event with his best friend Alec. What starts as a trip of leisure and self-discovery quickly turns into a nightmare of violence and drama as Conor gets involved with the Irish Resistance Movement known as "The Holylanders".

One of the book's strengths is the portrayal of Conor's character. The author, Patrick DeVaney, depicts his main character as smart and crafty. When he visits Ireland and becomes embroiled in a political standoff between the British and the Irish-Holylanders, you see his personality shine. There are also some great one-liners given by Conor or other characters that add a humorous element to the book.

Despite DeVaney's skilled character building, there are some aspects of the book which detracts from my rating. The plot was not as attention grabbing as you would expect for an action-packed political standoff. I continued to read, hoping that it would get better or provide some plot-twist in the next chapter. When I finished the book, I was disappointed that the story fell flat for me.

Additionally, the frequent one-sentence endings to chapters, while intended to set up the next scene and create intrigue and excitement, were repetitive and interruptive to the flow of the plot. Although the author was trying to build tension for the reader to continue reading, it felt oddly placed and left choppy breaks in the storyline between chapters.

The target audience for this novel are readers who enjoy a historical fiction mixed with politics, violence, and drama. Or this book is for readers who enjoy a predictable storyline. Unfortunately, the book was not for me. It’s also important to note that some parts of the book may be upsetting to readers, such as the offensive dialogue between characters or violent descriptions.

Overall, I would give "High Crimes Against the Crown" a rating of three out of five stars. While the author does a great job of bringing the characters to life, a star is taken away for the above mentioned aspects. An extra star is also removed for the multiple typing errors found throughout the book, as it would not be worthy of 4 out of 5 stars with the errors.

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High Crimes Against the Crown
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