World, Chase Me Down

Written by Andrew Hilleman

Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781501938580

Reviews for World, Chase Me Down

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[muddyboy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fictionalized story of Tom Crowe an outlaw at the turn of the century in America. The story centers at the beginning in Omaha, Nebraska. where he works in a stockyard. He decides to go on his own and open a butcher shop. The stockyard owner (Cudahy) tries to close his business down as he "runs" the town. In revenge Crowe and an accomplice kidnap Mr. Cudahy's young son for ransom. This starts a thirty years run against the law that takes him all over the world but eventually back to Omaha. This is a well written epic tale chalk full of flashbacks. I really liked this one.

[ronrose1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.