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World, Chase Me Down
A rousing, suspenseful debut novel True Grit meets Catch Me If You Can based on the forgotten true story of a Robin Hood of the American frontier who pulls off the first successful kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history.
Once the most wanted man in America, Pat Crowe is a forgotten folk hero who captivated the nation as an outlaw for economic justice. World, Chase Me Down resurrects him, telling the electrifying story of the first great crime of the last century: how in 1900 the out-of-work former butcher kidnapped the teenage son of Omaha's wealthiest meatpacking tycoon for a ransom of $25,000 in gold, and then burgled, safe-cracked, and bond-jumped his way across the country and beyond, inciting a manhunt that was dubbed the thrill of the nation and a showdown in the court of public opinion between the haves and have-nots all the while plotting a return to the woman he never stopped loving.
As if channeling Mark Twain and Charles Portis, Andrew Hilleman has given us a character who is bawdy and soulful, grizzled, salty, and hard-drinking, and with a voice as unforgettable as that of Lucy Marsden in Alan Gurganus's Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All an anti-hero you can't help rooting for.
Once the most wanted man in America, Pat Crowe is a forgotten folk hero who captivated the nation as an outlaw for economic justice. World, Chase Me Down resurrects him, telling the electrifying story of the first great crime of the last century: how in 1900 the out-of-work former butcher kidnapped the teenage son of Omaha's wealthiest meatpacking tycoon for a ransom of $25,000 in gold, and then burgled, safe-cracked, and bond-jumped his way across the country and beyond, inciting a manhunt that was dubbed the thrill of the nation and a showdown in the court of public opinion between the haves and have-nots all the while plotting a return to the woman he never stopped loving.
As if channeling Mark Twain and Charles Portis, Andrew Hilleman has given us a character who is bawdy and soulful, grizzled, salty, and hard-drinking, and with a voice as unforgettable as that of Lucy Marsden in Alan Gurganus's Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All an anti-hero you can't help rooting for.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 21, 2021
This very enjoyable book is a fictionalized account of the life of Pat Crowe who was the most wanted man in America in the early 1900s. I had never heard of Crowe and have no idea how much of this story is true, but it pulls you in like a tall tale told around a campfire. Crowe tells his tale in a wistful, resigned manner with beautiful language that felt perfectly appropriate for the period. I give a lot of credit to this new author for keeping the tone so consistent.
In 1900, Crowe and his friend Billy Cavanaugh were partners in a small butcher shop when they were put out of business by a couple of corrupt businessmen. The partners decided to kidnap the 16 year old son of one of the businessmen and hold him for $25,000 ransom. What followed was years of trying to escape capture, culminating in a trial for kidnapping. The legal machinations in the trial were interesting, with the outcome ultimately hinging on class differences and the perceived privileges of the wealthy.
During his years on the run Crowe eluded capture many times, became a diamond prospector and soldier of fortune, escaped several fires, was taken in by an Indian tribe and became something of a legend. Crowe was no Robin Hood seeking to help the common people. All of his actions were entirely self serving, but he was a nuanced and likable character despite his violent actions.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
In 1900, Crowe and his friend Billy Cavanaugh were partners in a small butcher shop when they were put out of business by a couple of corrupt businessmen. The partners decided to kidnap the 16 year old son of one of the businessmen and hold him for $25,000 ransom. What followed was years of trying to escape capture, culminating in a trial for kidnapping. The legal machinations in the trial were interesting, with the outcome ultimately hinging on class differences and the perceived privileges of the wealthy.
During his years on the run Crowe eluded capture many times, became a diamond prospector and soldier of fortune, escaped several fires, was taken in by an Indian tribe and became something of a legend. Crowe was no Robin Hood seeking to help the common people. All of his actions were entirely self serving, but he was a nuanced and likable character despite his violent actions.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 31, 2017
"I walked the city all morning just as I had all night before, ruled by a hate so compound that the word itself - hate - was as insufficient a vessel for encompassing the emotion as cup assigned to contain the sky. But there was no other word for it. No other. Hate, I am not a phoenix rising. Hate, there is only this pile of ashes. Hate, I used to be something else, but I have not transformed. Do not look upon me anew. You have seen me before. I am that hated thing, and I wear no mask. I am not standing up to the wicked. I am the wicked. And I have never been anything else but this all along."
"I sincerely doubt you've forgotten one thing about me."
"Well, you can't make people good by enforcing laws or we Americans would have all been saints long years ago."
"Everyone in the city knew everything about the abduction, even the things that weren't true. And still they gasped at the knowledge, much like people will laugh again at a joke they've heard before."
"World, Chase Me Down" by Andrew Hilleman is a (mostly) true story about a kidnapping and manhunt from the early 1900's in Omaha, Nebraska. Hilleman plays with the timeline giving the reader taking us before, during, and after the kidnapping. We know at the very beginning that Pat Crowe "gets away with it" but upon completion of the book, I doubt that he would agree.
The prose was beautiful and the characters rich and compelling. Hilleman really did his homework on this one. I look forward to reading his next book.
"I sincerely doubt you've forgotten one thing about me."
"Well, you can't make people good by enforcing laws or we Americans would have all been saints long years ago."
"Everyone in the city knew everything about the abduction, even the things that weren't true. And still they gasped at the knowledge, much like people will laugh again at a joke they've heard before."
"World, Chase Me Down" by Andrew Hilleman is a (mostly) true story about a kidnapping and manhunt from the early 1900's in Omaha, Nebraska. Hilleman plays with the timeline giving the reader taking us before, during, and after the kidnapping. We know at the very beginning that Pat Crowe "gets away with it" but upon completion of the book, I doubt that he would agree.
The prose was beautiful and the characters rich and compelling. Hilleman really did his homework on this one. I look forward to reading his next book.
December 30, 2016
Very interesting story about Pat Crowe, the first man to kidnap a child for ransom. It does jump around to different parts of his life when a new chapter starts, which is SO confusing and hard to follow. I wish it had just gone in chronological order or made an indication at the beginning of the chapters. The writing is good but the set-up is horrible. I'm so glad I didn't listen to this as an audiobook or I would have stopped after one CD.
I received the book through the Penguin Random House First to Read Program.
I received the book through the Penguin Random House First to Read Program.
September 12, 2018
This was so well executed. This is told all from the point of view of Pat Crowe. This fictional account is based on the real Pat Crowe and his mark on society. What a fun read and never have I pulled for the "bad guy" like I did in this book. Excellent, entertaining, quick read. I highly recommend you get a copy of this one.
October 20, 2016
This is not the typical story genre that I read. I'm more of a sci fi space opera kind of girl. However, this book changed my mind. I have to say that this story is fuh-rea-king good. Once you start reading you won't be able to stop. As I read this story I couldn't stop hearing Bon Jovi's song Blaze of Glory playing in my mind. It still is! The writing is brilliant! It's a must read. There is nothing more awesome than reading about a vigilante badass cowboy.
March 8, 2017
This book took so long to get through, but not for a lack of interest. I really did want to keep reading because the story is so beautifully written, and there's so much action!
January 28, 2019
This is a debut novel from Hilleman that recounts the true story of Pat Crowe as a fictionalised version. Crowe was an American pioneer who rose to prominence in the 1900s after he pulled off a plot to kidnap the son of a wealthy family and demanded $25,000 for his safe return. It was the first recorded kidnapping and ransom in US history.
The plot is fresh and compelling, and the writing well-ordered without being of the southern gothic style. The fact that the bulk of the story is based on truth is appealing. It may claim to be ‘gritty Wild West’ but rarely does that tag justice. It’s a prefectly appealing read, but lacks the edge that the best books in the genre have.
The plot is fresh and compelling, and the writing well-ordered without being of the southern gothic style. The fact that the bulk of the story is based on truth is appealing. It may claim to be ‘gritty Wild West’ but rarely does that tag justice. It’s a prefectly appealing read, but lacks the edge that the best books in the genre have.
December 28, 2022
The publishing/marketing person who wrote “Catch Me If You Can meets True Grit” has got it right.
It is an action-packed western (sort of set later than a traditional western) combined with an engaging character portrait.
Pat Crowe, the protagonist/ anti hero was a real person who kidnapped and held a minor for ransome. I wasn’t familiar with his story so I can’t say how much of this was true. It doesn’t matter much to me; it’s such a good story no matter what really happened and what was made up.
Crowe gives his own first-person narration in a language that seems too poetic for who he is but it’s so well done that I overlooked that. It’s sort of like watching Deadwood. Makes no sense that people are talking the way they are but it sounds cool, so viewers roll with it.
I’m not sure why Hilleman tells the story out of order. Maybe it adds some suspense that telling it from A-Z would not. It’s nothing that bothers me; great novels are often done this way.
One of my favorite reads of 2022.
It is an action-packed western (sort of set later than a traditional western) combined with an engaging character portrait.
Pat Crowe, the protagonist/ anti hero was a real person who kidnapped and held a minor for ransome. I wasn’t familiar with his story so I can’t say how much of this was true. It doesn’t matter much to me; it’s such a good story no matter what really happened and what was made up.
Crowe gives his own first-person narration in a language that seems too poetic for who he is but it’s so well done that I overlooked that. It’s sort of like watching Deadwood. Makes no sense that people are talking the way they are but it sounds cool, so viewers roll with it.
I’m not sure why Hilleman tells the story out of order. Maybe it adds some suspense that telling it from A-Z would not. It’s nothing that bothers me; great novels are often done this way.
One of my favorite reads of 2022.
August 12, 2016
This book didn't seem like my cup of tea to begin with and the cover made me think of a western movie poster. Ugh. I'm tired of that. I had my hesitations from the start. But, by three pages in, I was convinced: this book is amazing! I've never read writing like this. Some of the phrases and images blew me out of my chair. It was like reading Mark Twain or Charles Frazier for the first time. How can there be someone this talented out there in the universe? I could not put this book down. It's about a kidnapping in 1900, but it's so much more. It flashes back and forth in time between the kidnapping, what led up to it, a five-year long manhunt afterwards, and, finally, a huge federal trial. There is actual revenge much more than a man out of for justice. There is friendship where it's least expected. A romance that feels real. Romance without all the sentimental sugar. This book has it all! If I say anything else, I feel like I will spoil the story. I read it in three days, which is very fast for me, and called into work sick to finish it! This is a masterpiece. I want to grab everyone I see on the street and scream "Read this! Read this!". It's that good. If they don't make this into a movie they're stupid. It's cinematic and spine-tingling. I would give it ten stars out of five if I could. Hands down the best book I've read all year. Thankful I got my hands on an advanced copy!
April 8, 2017
Not the best, not the worst. Felt like there are 3 ideas for a novel jammed into this, none executed at a high level. The various Omaha locales noted were a fun touch.
September 4, 2021
There's an intoxicating allure to historical fiction books, and that's the fact that somewhere -- either etched in the pages or floating around the story itself -- lies actuality. General fiction is just that, but historical fiction has that essence of being as real as fiction can be. Hilleman masterfully crafts his novel, World, Chase Me Down, with such poetic perfection that it sometimes seems the line that divides fiction from fact isn't even there.
Based on the true story of Pat Crowe's notorious and applauded kidnapping of Edward Cudahy Jr., World, Chase Me Down is flawlessly written with Western elegance and dialogue that makes it difficult to believe Hilleman didn't reign from 19th century Omaha. Crowe's thoughts, demeanors, and convictions are shown as loud as a gunshot and as colorful as a Montana sunset. It's a shame that the Pat Crowe protagonist here seems to be the complete opposite of the sober, polite, actual Pat Crowe (at least from Crowe's wikipedia page), but Hilleman's thorough research and fantastic prose made this story a wonderful infusion of fascinating truth and delicious fiction. I felt as if the real-life Pat Crowe who became a writer late in life had recollected this story himself and disguised it as yet another tale to be passed on to generations after.
Based on the true story of Pat Crowe's notorious and applauded kidnapping of Edward Cudahy Jr., World, Chase Me Down is flawlessly written with Western elegance and dialogue that makes it difficult to believe Hilleman didn't reign from 19th century Omaha. Crowe's thoughts, demeanors, and convictions are shown as loud as a gunshot and as colorful as a Montana sunset. It's a shame that the Pat Crowe protagonist here seems to be the complete opposite of the sober, polite, actual Pat Crowe (at least from Crowe's wikipedia page), but Hilleman's thorough research and fantastic prose made this story a wonderful infusion of fascinating truth and delicious fiction. I felt as if the real-life Pat Crowe who became a writer late in life had recollected this story himself and disguised it as yet another tale to be passed on to generations after.
October 9, 2017
This book divided me, on one hand it was really interesting but on the other hand it flipped around so much it confused me. I'm leaning on a 3.5 with this one and I think if they novel included dates somewhere below the chapter numbers this might elevate my score to 4. The interesting part of the story is in the highwayman sections, this is where the story comes to life. I never knew of the Pat Crowe legacy but that's because of the Linbergh kidnapping that is now infamous. The characters are quite similar with only Pat's distinct difference with constant humour. The book starts strong but falls away with the court case. I'm not to sure what the author was attempting here but the time jumping, interesting at first grows annoying towards the backend of the novel. The final confrontation between Hattie and Pat is really strong and this loneliness is what should drive the second half of the book. It just felt lacking and tried to bring it full circle with the conclusion, this review feels scattered but if you know the book you'll probably understand why.
February 13, 2017
Based on historical fact, this is a fictional version of this first successful USA kidnapper, Pat Crowe. He just wanted a good life; a business of his own and a family. But this was not to be because of the cabal behind the meat packing industry. To get his revenge, he takes the teenage son of his former boss. He travels all over the place trying to escape the Pinks, police and everyone looking to get the reward for his capture. After a few years he gives himself up and returns for trial. This ends up being a sensational event where both side were typified the differences between the haves and the have nots. Very interesting look into the life of a unknown criminal of the early 20th century.
June 2, 2017
Andrew Hilleman does a fantastic job writing in the first person point of view of the not-so-fictional Pat Crowe. You can't help but feel as if you're in the early 20th century with Crowe as he plans and carries through a kidnapping and his escapades years after.
Part of you cheers for Pat Crowe as he carries out his dastardly plans because who doesn't want to see the poor man make it against capitalism, but at the same time, you can't help but have your skin crawl at just how terrible Pat Crowe can actually be. I do believe the author did a great job questioning your own morals for the kidnapping of a sixteen-year-old boy.
I have to say however that this is definitely not my kind of book. I've never been a big fan of early 20th century American tales because as a very squeamish individual, some of the descriptions made me sick to my stomach. That could say just how great a job the author did, though. I did learn I'd rather not get in the head of an early 20th century man any longer than I need to.
Overally, a very fair book and interesting novel on Pat Crowe--someone I wouldn't mind doing more research on.
Part of you cheers for Pat Crowe as he carries out his dastardly plans because who doesn't want to see the poor man make it against capitalism, but at the same time, you can't help but have your skin crawl at just how terrible Pat Crowe can actually be. I do believe the author did a great job questioning your own morals for the kidnapping of a sixteen-year-old boy.
I have to say however that this is definitely not my kind of book. I've never been a big fan of early 20th century American tales because as a very squeamish individual, some of the descriptions made me sick to my stomach. That could say just how great a job the author did, though. I did learn I'd rather not get in the head of an early 20th century man any longer than I need to.
Overally, a very fair book and interesting novel on Pat Crowe--someone I wouldn't mind doing more research on.
April 21, 2020
Fascinating stuff based on a real case that is likely mostly forgotten. Excellent!
April 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. It's one of those which, for me, was better than the sum of it's parts. The writing is great, the tone is spot on, and the story, based on a real one, was enthralling. I just recently was thinking, after reading Pompeii , that historical fiction didn't really work for me. But in this case, I loved it.
Though the writing quality was excellent, and the narrative compelling, I'm not sure entirely why I liked it so much, but I did.
Though the writing quality was excellent, and the narrative compelling, I'm not sure entirely why I liked it so much, but I did.
June 5, 2017
Great book! I really enjoyed it
April 2, 2017
Beautiful read. Wonder story construction and the gritty world of 1900 was palpable! Absolutely amazing.
July 8, 2017
Excellent fictionalized story with an original voice. Beautiful wordsmith.
March 21, 2017
This was a very interesting book, based on the life of Pat Crowe, a kidnapper, robber and murderer. Mr Crowe had an exceptional vocabulary, although he had little formal education. This is the story of the kidnapping of a robber baron's son, the years of wandering after this "crime" and the resulting trial.
I received this book from Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book from Goodreads giveaway.
February 14, 2017
It's been said, the best part of history is story. That being true, Andrew Hilleman has crafted an entertaining piece of fiction based on a real crime.
On the evening of Dec. 18, 1900, Patrick Crowe, a disgruntled former employee of the Cudahy Meatpacking Company of Omaha, Nebraska, kidnapped the owner's 16-year-old son. Edward Cudahy Sr. paid the ransom and his namesake was freed, setting the stage for a bizarre series of events Hilleman has depicted in his rousing picaresque tale.
Hilleman tells the tale from the perspective of an aging, lonely man. "Despite the fact that I'm so close to the end, my thoughts are not of the darkness near to come but of the advent of darkness long ago."
In chapters flashing back and forth in time, Crowe tells his life story, what led him to the crime and the events following in its wake. He's not an admirable character but his adventures are rich with a mixture of humor and pathos evoking sympathy if not understanding. His recounting of the years on the run and what must have been one of the most unusual courtroom dramas of all time are hilarious.
If you're looking for can't put it down historical fiction. this is on the mark.
On the evening of Dec. 18, 1900, Patrick Crowe, a disgruntled former employee of the Cudahy Meatpacking Company of Omaha, Nebraska, kidnapped the owner's 16-year-old son. Edward Cudahy Sr. paid the ransom and his namesake was freed, setting the stage for a bizarre series of events Hilleman has depicted in his rousing picaresque tale.
Hilleman tells the tale from the perspective of an aging, lonely man. "Despite the fact that I'm so close to the end, my thoughts are not of the darkness near to come but of the advent of darkness long ago."
In chapters flashing back and forth in time, Crowe tells his life story, what led him to the crime and the events following in its wake. He's not an admirable character but his adventures are rich with a mixture of humor and pathos evoking sympathy if not understanding. His recounting of the years on the run and what must have been one of the most unusual courtroom dramas of all time are hilarious.
If you're looking for can't put it down historical fiction. this is on the mark.
January 6, 2017
World, Chase Me Down Andrew Hilleman
A debut novel puts much pressure on the reader and author, certainly more for the author. A reader is the passive analyst/reviewer of the author and his or her editor.
Andrew Hilleman surprised me, in a good way. The story of Pat Crowe’s 1900 kidnapping of 16 year-old Edward Cudahy Jr., the son of Omaha’s largest meatpacking owner, is documented. Print media covered the disappearance. Crowe is quickly named the principal suspect, along with his partner Billy Cavanaugh. Police agencies, private detectives, the victim’s family and friends engage in the world-wide search for the suspects. The trial is covered in the media. Thus, Hilleman’s sources of research are readily available.
World, Chase Me Down starts out deliberate, feels intentional almost forced. I wonder if Hillleman and his editor had a difficult time deciding how to start this work. I stuck it out and by fifty pages was rewarded with a rollicking tale. A blurb on the back cover tells us that World is suspenseful in a True Grit meets Catch Me If You Can manner with a Robin Hood understory. I agree. Early 20th Century Capitalists/Robber Barons don't fare well here and after reading World, Chase Me Down you will see why. In the free-wheeling unregulated world that muckrakers like Sinclair Lewis wanted us to be cautious of, early industrialists are greedy, power hungry creatures looking to crush even the smallest of competitors.
Pat Crowe had “beef” with the likes of Cudahy senior and he acted brashly in revenge. Was his act a kidnapping? Was it robbery? Statutes in Nebraska at the time were unclear as the related to this case and Crowe’s defense lawyer, Alexander Samuel Ritchie, leaves no stone unturned as he answers the charges against Crowe in court. The trial occupies the last third of the book. You’ll feel for Crowe, admire Ritchie and have no problems finding scorn worthy characters.
Readers are rewarded. Hilleman immerses us in turn of the 20th century mid-west United States. While fleeing, Crowe sets sail for Asia, gets embroiled in the South African Boer War and after returning the America is chased west again. I found Hilleman’s prose compelling. I hope you will also. A solid four-star recommendation.
A debut novel puts much pressure on the reader and author, certainly more for the author. A reader is the passive analyst/reviewer of the author and his or her editor.
Andrew Hilleman surprised me, in a good way. The story of Pat Crowe’s 1900 kidnapping of 16 year-old Edward Cudahy Jr., the son of Omaha’s largest meatpacking owner, is documented. Print media covered the disappearance. Crowe is quickly named the principal suspect, along with his partner Billy Cavanaugh. Police agencies, private detectives, the victim’s family and friends engage in the world-wide search for the suspects. The trial is covered in the media. Thus, Hilleman’s sources of research are readily available.
World, Chase Me Down starts out deliberate, feels intentional almost forced. I wonder if Hillleman and his editor had a difficult time deciding how to start this work. I stuck it out and by fifty pages was rewarded with a rollicking tale. A blurb on the back cover tells us that World is suspenseful in a True Grit meets Catch Me If You Can manner with a Robin Hood understory. I agree. Early 20th Century Capitalists/Robber Barons don't fare well here and after reading World, Chase Me Down you will see why. In the free-wheeling unregulated world that muckrakers like Sinclair Lewis wanted us to be cautious of, early industrialists are greedy, power hungry creatures looking to crush even the smallest of competitors.
Pat Crowe had “beef” with the likes of Cudahy senior and he acted brashly in revenge. Was his act a kidnapping? Was it robbery? Statutes in Nebraska at the time were unclear as the related to this case and Crowe’s defense lawyer, Alexander Samuel Ritchie, leaves no stone unturned as he answers the charges against Crowe in court. The trial occupies the last third of the book. You’ll feel for Crowe, admire Ritchie and have no problems finding scorn worthy characters.
Readers are rewarded. Hilleman immerses us in turn of the 20th century mid-west United States. While fleeing, Crowe sets sail for Asia, gets embroiled in the South African Boer War and after returning the America is chased west again. I found Hilleman’s prose compelling. I hope you will also. A solid four-star recommendation.
December 30, 2016
I was sent a copy of the book by the publisher for an honest review.
From the bookcover-
..based on the forgotten true story of a Robin Hood of the American Frontier who pulls off the first successful kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history, inciting a manhunt that was dubbed "the thrill of the nation" and a showdown in the court of public opinion between haves and have-nots.
This is the fictionalized true story of Pat Crowe and how he got away with the "Crime of the Century."
I am not much of "gun-slinger, western style" novels and that's exactly what I thought this genre was; mostly due to the cover. I was way off. This is the story of Pat Crowe who had a dream of owning his own butcher shop. He borrows the funds to fulfill his dream and soon he and Billy Cavanaugh are butchers in their own shop. In the interum his loan is sold to Mr. Cudahy, a wealthy meat packer who then calls in the loan. Pat doesn't have the funds and he loses the butcher shop. And his wife. And his daughter.
In the early 1900's, whether is was retaliation or simply the need for money, Pat and Billy Cavanaugh, plot and kidnap Mr. Cudahy's sixteen year old son, Edward Jr. and hold him for ransom . They are asking for $25,000 in exchange for Edward Jr.'s life. Over the next five years Pat eludes the officials.
Andrew Hilleman has done a phenomenal job recreating this long forgotten story. His talent shows in the beautiful writing. He has managed to unearth Pat's raw feelings and shows us a man that is rough around the edges,vulgar, and bawdy. Someone who is incapable of making sound judgements yet capable of undying love. I found Pat very likable and in fact I rooted for his freedom. Yes, he broke the law and not just once but there is something about this man that makes him likable to all.
I rated this book 4.5 stars. Highly recommend it.
From the bookcover-
..based on the forgotten true story of a Robin Hood of the American Frontier who pulls off the first successful kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history, inciting a manhunt that was dubbed "the thrill of the nation" and a showdown in the court of public opinion between haves and have-nots.
This is the fictionalized true story of Pat Crowe and how he got away with the "Crime of the Century."
I am not much of "gun-slinger, western style" novels and that's exactly what I thought this genre was; mostly due to the cover. I was way off. This is the story of Pat Crowe who had a dream of owning his own butcher shop. He borrows the funds to fulfill his dream and soon he and Billy Cavanaugh are butchers in their own shop. In the interum his loan is sold to Mr. Cudahy, a wealthy meat packer who then calls in the loan. Pat doesn't have the funds and he loses the butcher shop. And his wife. And his daughter.
In the early 1900's, whether is was retaliation or simply the need for money, Pat and Billy Cavanaugh, plot and kidnap Mr. Cudahy's sixteen year old son, Edward Jr. and hold him for ransom . They are asking for $25,000 in exchange for Edward Jr.'s life. Over the next five years Pat eludes the officials.
Andrew Hilleman has done a phenomenal job recreating this long forgotten story. His talent shows in the beautiful writing. He has managed to unearth Pat's raw feelings and shows us a man that is rough around the edges,vulgar, and bawdy. Someone who is incapable of making sound judgements yet capable of undying love. I found Pat very likable and in fact I rooted for his freedom. Yes, he broke the law and not just once but there is something about this man that makes him likable to all.
I rated this book 4.5 stars. Highly recommend it.
February 16, 2017
Hilleman wove a good tale with this one. Based on the real life story of Pat Crowe, Hilleman takes us into Crowe's life, including when Crowe kidnapped the son of an Omaha meatpacking giant. The plot moved along at a good pace and despite the shifts in the narrative timeline, the format worked well as far as getting the backstory told. Crowe's character shone in the 1st person narration and Hilleman has some amazing prose within the novel. For a first time novel, this turned out to be a solidly good read.
December 1, 2016
I didn’t much care for Pat Crowe, the “folk hero” of Andrew Hilleman’s “World, Chase Me Down.” He is portrayed as a kidnapper, murderer, con man, and fugitive with an acidic mouth and violent temperament. The author’s portrait of Crowe is so realistic that I found nothing endearing about him.
After thrashing around as a drunken loser, Crowe, along with an equally dislikeable fellow, Billy Cavanaugh, decide to kidnap the son of a wealthy Omaha meat packer. Although the alleged “Crime of the Century” was supposedly a showdown between the wealthy and the needy, it was really nothing but the lure of easy money that prompted the act. Although the boy was treated better than expected by the miscreants, and money was exchanged, killings and subterfuge followed that affected many people. The courtroom scenes are well presented, although I found Crowe’s attitude to be pugnacious and indefensible, and the court officials to be less than professional.
A series of flashbacks into Crowe’s life are included to fill out his mindset. He was in love with his wife, Hattie, but lost her with his deficient behavior. Her memory haunts him throughout the story.
What I liked about the book was the actual writing skill displayed by Hilleman. The dialogue was crisp, the scenic panorama of the Omaha location was artfully presented, and the story traveled along at a good pace. I was entertained despite my misgivings about the depth of the main characters. Pat Crowe would not be my first choice as a subject to be examined, but I neither picked the topic nor wrote the book. That’s on Hilleman, and he did a fine job with his chosen story. It’s a Western of the early twentieth century that will be appreciated by readers of that genre.
December 15, 2016
Patrick Crowe was a very complicated man. He was raised right as a child to be hard working, straight forward, and honest. He was also raised to stand up for himself and what he believed. He labored hard in the stockyards and slaughter houses of Omaha trying to earn a decent living and got not much more than a sore back. Pat saved a down trodden, alcoholic co-worker, Billy, from a bad beating by some of the bullies at the slaughter house. Good intentions, bad idea. Pat took his butchering skills and tried to start a butcher shop. with Billy. In order to raise start up money, he asked the local political boss for a loan. Good intentions, bad idea. He gave credit to hard working but poor families, who needed food but earned a starving wage from, Mr. Cudahy the local owner of the slaughter house. Good intentions, bad idea. Pat was smitten by a lady with golden hair and a preference for big spenders. He promised himself to make her his wife. Good intentions, bad idea. Cudahy bought out Pat’s loan from the political boss and promptly called in the loan. Pat told him he had no intention of giving up his dream to some swindler. Good intention, bad idea. The clash would result in Pat loosing his business, his wife, his child, and his temper. Pat Crowe would pull off the successful kidnapping of Cudahy’s son, that would net him and his partner, Billy, $25,000 dollars in gold and a life on the run. Bad intentions, bad idea. The author is a true wordsmith. He can conjure up some of the most descriptive, colorful passages that you can imagine. A first rate story from a first rate writer. Book provided for review by Amazon Vine.
February 13, 2017
Received free from Penguin First to Read, but my thoughts are my own.
Pat Crowe kidnapped the teenage son of a wealthy meatpacking tycoon Ed Cudahy--who coincidentally had put him out of business at his butcher shop, and whose brother had married Crowe's ex-wife--took the ransom, and ran. Then one day, he stopped running, turned himself in, and began a sensational trial that was more about Cudahy's price fixing than Crowe's guilt.
The story begins with Crowe as an old man, and jumps around a great deal, focusing on the point when his life fell apart, which led to the kidnapping, and then the trial. It skips back and forth more than could keep my attention, and I had to go back and re-read a few sections I skimmed, because I already knew what what going to happen, having read something set in the future just a little while ago. For me, few of the characters were likable--lots of lies and political dealing, and few of the powerful people were what they seemed. The blurb mentions Robin Hood, but though Crowe is held up as a hero, he really only seems in it for himself. At the end of his rope, his life in ruins, with nothing left to lose but his life, he strikes back at one of the men who hurt him--and then has to go on the run, because a powerful enemy willing to put a large price on your head doesn't make for easy sleeping.
The world might be chasing him, but you know from the first pages that it doesn't catch him. The unwinding of the story is interesting in parts, and the level of political intrigue is impressive, but I would have liked the book more if it was more to the point.
Pat Crowe kidnapped the teenage son of a wealthy meatpacking tycoon Ed Cudahy--who coincidentally had put him out of business at his butcher shop, and whose brother had married Crowe's ex-wife--took the ransom, and ran. Then one day, he stopped running, turned himself in, and began a sensational trial that was more about Cudahy's price fixing than Crowe's guilt.
The story begins with Crowe as an old man, and jumps around a great deal, focusing on the point when his life fell apart, which led to the kidnapping, and then the trial. It skips back and forth more than could keep my attention, and I had to go back and re-read a few sections I skimmed, because I already knew what what going to happen, having read something set in the future just a little while ago. For me, few of the characters were likable--lots of lies and political dealing, and few of the powerful people were what they seemed. The blurb mentions Robin Hood, but though Crowe is held up as a hero, he really only seems in it for himself. At the end of his rope, his life in ruins, with nothing left to lose but his life, he strikes back at one of the men who hurt him--and then has to go on the run, because a powerful enemy willing to put a large price on your head doesn't make for easy sleeping.
The world might be chasing him, but you know from the first pages that it doesn't catch him. The unwinding of the story is interesting in parts, and the level of political intrigue is impressive, but I would have liked the book more if it was more to the point.
February 8, 2017
Meet Pat Crowe. Pat cuts meat. Pat falls for Hattie. Pat's world falls apart. World attempts to chase Pat down.
Pat Crowe, the anti-hero narrator, is as deep in metaphor as he is both love and trouble but doesn't read as over-indulgent. Crowe trades Marlowe-esque cynicism for a more elegiac and nostalgic approach. An admitted poetry afficianado, Crowe's propensity for vivid elocution isn't meant to manipulate but rather express himself in his cunning yet casual manner.
Love, more than greed or vengeance or other ill will, steers Crowe's criminality. His circumstances arise from such a pure place that his kidnapping of a former employer's teenage son feels vindicated. But Crowe isn't making excuses nor is he asking for readers' forgiveness. As a reliable storyteller, he simply rolls up his sleeves and lays the cards on the table.
Based on actual people and events, "World, Chase Me Down" reads as fiction even during a courtroom closing statement that is transcribed nearly verbatim. Though it is falsely packaged as a western, Andrew Hilleman's debut is more "Gangs of New York" than "The Wild Bunch" in terms of a period piece. Even so, it is a genre-defying work of art, spanning from turn-of-the-20th-century Omaha to the Boer War in South Africa and back to Crowe's kidnapping trial after years on the lam.
As the final sentence is savored, that last morsel of such a hearty undertaking, it is disappointing that Pat Crowe's existing story might have been all but consumed, much as the world's attempt on the protagonist. But Hilleman gave us a stellar treat to remember, whether Pat Crowe cared or was indifferent the idea.
Pat Crowe, the anti-hero narrator, is as deep in metaphor as he is both love and trouble but doesn't read as over-indulgent. Crowe trades Marlowe-esque cynicism for a more elegiac and nostalgic approach. An admitted poetry afficianado, Crowe's propensity for vivid elocution isn't meant to manipulate but rather express himself in his cunning yet casual manner.
Love, more than greed or vengeance or other ill will, steers Crowe's criminality. His circumstances arise from such a pure place that his kidnapping of a former employer's teenage son feels vindicated. But Crowe isn't making excuses nor is he asking for readers' forgiveness. As a reliable storyteller, he simply rolls up his sleeves and lays the cards on the table.
Based on actual people and events, "World, Chase Me Down" reads as fiction even during a courtroom closing statement that is transcribed nearly verbatim. Though it is falsely packaged as a western, Andrew Hilleman's debut is more "Gangs of New York" than "The Wild Bunch" in terms of a period piece. Even so, it is a genre-defying work of art, spanning from turn-of-the-20th-century Omaha to the Boer War in South Africa and back to Crowe's kidnapping trial after years on the lam.
As the final sentence is savored, that last morsel of such a hearty undertaking, it is disappointing that Pat Crowe's existing story might have been all but consumed, much as the world's attempt on the protagonist. But Hilleman gave us a stellar treat to remember, whether Pat Crowe cared or was indifferent the idea.
February 17, 2017
Not the thrill ride I thought it was going to be, but I quite admire the main character.
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