High Crimes Against The Crown

by Patrick Devaney

Set in 1982, High Crimes Against the Crown chronicles the saga of Conor Caldemeyer. A former cop who left a small-town police force after a roadblock assignment gone awry. Conor heads to Ireland with his best friend, Alec, for a little R&R. There he meets Billi, a raven-haired Irish woman who reminds him of a love long gone but never forgotten.
Paying more attention to his heart than his head, Conor gets involved with a wing of the Irish Resistance Movement. It all seems a bit of a lark until his idyllic "trip of a lifetime" devolves into a nightmare of violence and intrigue destined to change his world forever.
Fleeing the wrath of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, Conor hides on the Camino de Santiago, the legendary pilgrimage of St. James. He encounters interesting characters, romance, and danger.
Patrick DeVaney , the author of "Two Million Steps" brings you his first novel entitled High Crimes Against the Crown; a fast-paced story mixing humor, adventure, and romance.

Genres: Fiction

382 pages, Paperback

Published December 10, 2021

About the author

Patrick DeVaney published his first book, Two Million Steps, in 2017, a recounting of the author’s challenges, achievements, and life-changing experience while walking the five-hundred-mile Camino de Santiago from southwest France to northwest Spain. His most recent achievement is his High Crimes Series, a foray into fiction entitled High Crimes Against the Crown, and Book II entitled The Flight Across Europe, draws loosely on his early career as a police officer and many of the destinations he has visited.

Born in Ticonderoga, NY, in the Adirondack Mountains, Pat has lived most of his life in the Albany area. His day job is in the residential real estate industry. He spends his leisure time writing, traveling, long-distance walking, reading, and enjoying his family and grand-dog, Lucky. He enjoys assisting other pilgrims with their forthcoming ventures along the Camino.

Pat’s future plans include the third and final installment of the series to be released in 2024. He will soon return to Europe for his eighth sojourn on the Camino de Santiago where he hopes to feed his imagination and to help bring more books to life.

Reviews

[Carla Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this Title in a Goodreads Giveaway. My honest opinion....It's good, It is not great. The idea of the plot was great in this Thriller, but the author did not follow through on the concept. It's one of those books that starts good then gets less exciting, non realistic concept, and starts to become really boring. I did enjoy half of the book. The main character Conor is a small town cop. He gets hurt really bad after a traffic stop gone wrong. He decides to go to Ireland with his friend Alec for a little R&R. While there he falls for a girl that reminds him of a past love that he has never gotten over. Alec returns to the States and Conor remains behind. Conor thinking with the wrong head, gets into some real trouble. The girl is one of the top officers in the Irish resistance against the British rule. After a propaganda stunt goes wrong and kills someone the Brits put the blame on Conor, even though he had no part in the death of a brit officer. Conor has to change his name to Ryan Murphy and flee Ireland and start trying to disappear off the face of the Earth. Is he successful in his escape? That's for you to find out.

[Sarah Aunchman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my kind of book! Great characters, A variety of locations, fast paced and short chapters. The characters were real enough that I felt I knew each one of them. Then I find out more about them and I am completely wrong. I took it to bed to read chapter 1 and finished it at 5 AM. The only problem with the book is that I have to wait for the sequel. I need to know what happens next!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off great, like amazing. Up until the 40% mark I was totally hooked. I was ready to give it five stars. And then it just got more unbelievable and less interesting, more cliché. I was glad to finish it and will not be continuing the series. Such a strange reading experience.

[Olivia Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel hits all the right thriller notes tight pacing, high stakes danger, and unpredictable twists. From the moment Conor lands in Ireland, the tension ramps up and doesn’t let go. The mix of espionage and survival gave me serious Jack Reacher vibes.

[Amy ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book but some of the events were just so far fetched it bordered on a bit ridiculous. The story line was good and the book would have been good if it was a bit more realistic.

[R J Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.

I enjoy series books where, as a reader, I get to know the characters a bit more. Unfortunately, I found the characters in this book a bit flat. It didn't have the spark of intregue I expected.

[whatkelseysreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up! I was gifted this book by the author, who happens to be the father of a friend, but the thoughts and opinions are my own!

Given I’m probably not the target audience for this book I was pleasantly surprised by it! It’s an action packed journey about a New York cop who gets accidentally caught up in the Irish Resistance Movement when he takes a long-earned vacation.

There were a ton of one-liners that made me laugh out loud and you can’t help but root for Conor every step of the way, even when he’s being oh so naive.

It was super fast paced + it’s the perfect read to pair with a Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day! 🍻

Now BRB as I go rewatch the Ireland season of Sons of Anarchy 😮‍💨