World, Chase Me Down by Andrew Hilleman
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.
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Author’s Bio
Andrew Hilleman was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English at Creighton University and his M.F.A. in Fiction from Northern Michigan University.
During his time in graduate school, he taught creative writing, composition, and technical writing. He has been published in Fiddlehead magazine and was a finalist for Glimmer Train’s short fiction award.
His debut novel, WORLD, CHASE ME DOWN will be published by Penguin on Jauary 24, 2017. He lives in Omaha with his wife and daughter. he enjoys back-and-white movies, jogging, cooking, single-malt scotch, college football, and 1980’s sitcoms.
My Review
5 stars
Pat Crowe was a notorious criminal during the 1900. He was known for bank and rain robberies, homicide attempts, and a visit to and escape from the Joilet prison. World, Chase Me Down is the story of Pat and his friend Billy Cavanaugh. Both had a little butcher shop that was run out of business by a meatpacking tycoon. To get their revenge, Pat kidnaps the tycoon’s son and holds him for a $25,000 ransom. But this leads to Pat being on the run robbing, stealing, and even making a visit and escaping from Joilet prison.
I had never heard of Pat Crowe before reading this book but I have to say that he was one heck of a man. This may be the fictionalized account of his life but you have to tip your hat to a man that is willing to step up and not be bullied by someone with money. The years following the kidnapping had him all over the country having all kinds of adventures with diamonds, robberies, and even becoming a soldier of fortune.
If you are looking for an adventure with a real life robber look no further. This is not your typical wild, west story. Pat is one heck of a man and this is a great ride following along with him. This may be outside your normal reads but you will not be disappointed.
I received World, Chase Me Down from Penguin Books for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
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