Crimes Against My Brother

by David Adams Richards

Howard, Evan and Ian are inseparable as boys--so much so that one night, abandoned in the forest by the careless adults around them, and raging against society and the uncaring gods others worship, they seal their undying brotherhood with a blood bond. But soon after, a horrific accident scars each of them in a different way, testing their bonds and leaving each with a debt to be paid. As adults, seeking to rise above debt and advance in life, each man decides upon a very different path--but over time, all three discover they are tied to each other in intricately tangled, sometimes violent, and surprising ways that none of them has been wise enough to foresee.  

In Crimes Against My Brother, literary legend David Adams Richards is at his finest, reprising some of his most complex and beloved characters (such as Sydney Henderson from Mercy Among the Children), introducing unforgettable new ones (such as the beautiful but fatally foolish Annette Brideau; and the wily, charming, money-hungry manipulator Lonnie Sullivan), and weaving a tale of such force, gravitas, complexity, universality, and compassionate understanding that he reaffirms his status as a master storyteller who has, book by book, used his rare genius to create an entire, teeming universe alongside a river in a small northern part of the world.

Genres: Canada, Fiction, Canadian Literature

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet.

Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.

Richards has received numerous awards including 2 Gemini Awards for scriptwriting for Small Gifts and "For Those Who Hunt The Wounded Down", the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Canadian Authors Association Award for his novel Evening Snow Will Bring Such Peace. Richards is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General's Award. He won the 1988 fiction award for Nights Below Station Street and the 1998 non-fiction award for Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the Miramichi. He was also a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for Mercy Among the Children.

In 1971, he married the former Peggy MacIntyre. They have two sons, John Thomas and Anton Richards, and currently reside in Toronto.

John Thomas was born in 1989 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick administers an annual David Adams Richards Award for Fiction.

Richards' papers are currently housed at the University of New Brunswick.

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
David Adams Richards has written some of my favourite books. The stories are set in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick. They are profoundly bleak, sad and disturbing. The characters are often beset by ill-health, alcohol, drugs and poverty; poverty not only in the economic sense, but of the soul, mind and spirit. The many characters in this book are complex and interconnected. If you wish to relax with a cheerful, light-hearted book, these gloomy events are not for you.
Sydney Henderson (from Mercy Among the Children) has a small part in this book, but his influence is all pervasive. He is a deeply religious pacifist holding rigid beliefs; righteous, stoic and stubborn. He believes that one must turn the other cheek; that trials and hardship are sent to make one stronger. If you are lied about, to never seek the truth, as those who spread falsehoods or hurt your family will eventually suffer.
The story centres on three young boys who are among those who torment Sydney. Having seen that his beliefs have led to sorrow and trouble for his family, they are determined to never be like him.
The boys are left stranded in the woods in bitter cold for three days. During this time they make a blood-brother pact to renounce religion, and always help and support each other in the future. Surely they will never turn out like the unfortunate Sydney.
Two of the boys are hoping to inherit the wealth of an elderly man. Two of them are dazzled by the same young girl. This will lead to betrayal and lies. There is a puppet master, a junk dealer, pulling the strings, influencing and exploiting these young people among others .He also covets the old man's wealth which he schemes to get for himself.
Running through Richard's novels is the theme of lies and rumours and their dreadful consequences. These lies are caused by greed, jealousy, ambition, bribery and also political and big-business exploitation .There is also the question is redemption ever possible.
I read with dread, as there is a relentless downward spiral for the characters, and for the economy of the town itself. When betrayal and lies occur and you think situations cannot get worse, they do. This leads to environmental degradation, serious crimes, injuries, loss of health, loss of money, death, family breakup and general misfortune for all involved. At the end we see a glimmer of hope and happiness for some of the downtrodden.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

I won a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I was thrilled as I am always looking for an opportunity to be introduced to a new (new to me) Canadian author.

I am at a loss to describe my feelings about this book. While very interesting it certainly was a depressing read. I would not recommend this story to those who are looking for an uplifting happy read as this book does not deliver this and should be targeted towards those who appreciate a subtly tragic story.

Centralizing around three "blood brothers" this story depicts the life of poverty and broken dreams in a dead end town. The reader experiences the downward spiral of all three boys as they become men and the ripple effect of their actions. I found myself identifying somewhat since I come from a small town and have seen much the same occur. Rumor become reality while the truth is never accepted.

There was a large cast of character throughout this story and almost all were unlikable with their personal agenda coming before all. No more did I dislike than Annette who I thought was garbage from the beginning. Yet she never really had a chance and that I think was the point to the whole story. Sometimes circumstance has the ability to determine ones future whether good or bad.

I will say that I am glad that I read this story and I enjoyed the message it conveyed but I do find myself a little depressed after reading it. I can not iterate enough that this story is not for those who want a happy or even somewhat happy story. This is for those who have the ability to think a little bit deeper than the words displayed on the page and the ability to see the message it conveys.

[Sarah Reicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book started off promising as far as D.A.R. books go, and by that I mean we see some genteel maritime folk who are intelligent but limited in life because of the crushing poverty they are born in to. (Not promising to everyone, but to me I'm like hell yeah, gimme dat crippling debt and subsequent inner turmoil).

Unlike his other books though, I found this one was more action based than character based. It seems less thought out than his other books. I think the same big themes were there: big ideas vs small town mentalities, big focus on religion and of course on man's hubris being his downfall. But then, it turns weirdly melodramatic, like everyone dates each other, they all get addicted to something, lots of murder, and all of this is happening within a group of 15 or so core characters so I'm just kind of thinking why the fuck does everyone in this friend group have such a shitty life?

Now, to me David Adams Richards is still one of the greatest humans who ever lived, so this book is still pretty dope, good writing and what have you. I just prefer his slower books that give better insights into his characters because we have more time to watch them grow.

For fans of Mercy Among the Children or Friends of Meager Fortune, the Jameson bros and Sydney Henderson get shout outs in this book.

[Ian M. Pyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful combination of deceit, conniving & cunning residents, thievery, low-life back stabbers, people with double standards; what's not to like?

I did not mind the story being told by the sociology professor to the reader (or his class).

I got a bit lost with some of the back and forth of the entire cast of characters from the past to the present and had to re-read those to get my mind back on track.

And, the overlapping of some characters, places and story-lines from his "Mercy" novel helped put this book in a little bit of perspective.

Recommended for anyone fans of DAR and fiction fans.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy sad books, sad music, sad movies -- a sad life, I suppose.

[S.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think of myself as a Canadian, but I live in a big city and know nothing about life in a small town in rural New Brunswick - this is a window into that world. The narrator is five years older than, and a cousin to, the three main characters. The narrator was kept apart from the three cousins when he was a boy, and then he is further set apart by obtaining a university education and moving away to a big city. We look at the actions of the novel as the narrator does, from a distance.

This novel is utterly heartbreaking, tragic, hopeful, and so perfectly, intricately plotted. Every event, and it seems, every object, has a place and is or will be part of the story in the past, present and future. Many in the town are poverty stricken, and money plays a great part in the story. Characters are so focused on getting, making, or keeping money that they lose sight of what should be more important to them - love of a friend, spouse or child. The beauty of their own landscape and the security of ongoing employment. Debt is an important theme - what people owe each other for good deeds and for bad. Story-telling - people in town gossiping or repeating a version of events that is not true, ruining the lives of others in the process is also something that runs through the novel. I am completely wrung out from reading this book. The character of Liam in particular broke my heart. Now that I have finished it, I want to go back and reread "Mercy Among the Children" as well as the author's other books.

I am grateful to have won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

[Melissa George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

I both liked and hated this book in equal measure, so I can't quite give it 4 stars. First, the good: this book is a sweeping and ambitious tale of 3 friends who are more like brothers, and the harm they do one another over the course of 3 decades. Ian Preston, Evan Young and Harold Dew are young boys who grow into men in the backwaters of New Brunswick. They are men of the earth, who come from generations of men of the earth and their sole ambition in life is to live better than those who came before them. One night, while clinging to the side of the mountain during a terrible snow storm, abandoned by their families, the young men make a blood pact with each other: they will trust only in each other, and never put their faith in a God who has done nothing for them. This is the start of their downfall.

The bad: the book is a damn slog. It's narrated by a professor of sociology who is from the same backwater that our three "protagonists" are from; the narration is often tiresome and difficult to get through, and I often found myself wondering whether I really cared about the story or not. But, oddly, I couldn't bring myself not to finish the book - I wanted to know what happened to Ian, Evan and Harold and the whole host of characters in their path.

Overall, I'm glad to have read the book, if only because I think it's important to read Canadian lit, and especially Canadian lit set in a place that is very unlike the place I call home.

[Ted Dettweiler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got a little long for me. I suppose life starts to feel long lived under the conditions described in the novel. I didn't like it as much as most of David Adams Richards books. What all of his books share in common is believable characters. Maybe what was lacking in this book was a hero, or lovable character. I kind of felt bad for all the characters in this book because of the visible effects of the crimes (sin) perpetuated against them.

If there is one thing that David Adams Richards excels at it is the skill of demonstrating that there is a societal sin that the whole community perpetuates against individuals. His books describe communities in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick, but there should be a David Adams Richards writing about my city as well, lest I think that societal sin is a phenomena of more rural communities. Lots of reality in these books - fiction that is distilled reality.

[Sherry Monger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crimes Against My Brother is a dark tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. It revolves around three blood brothers living in a poverty stricken New Brunswick region. Betrayal, deception, ridicule, and gossip dominate their lives with grim consequences, as the three ruin themselves in addition to the ones they love.
The novel is filled with keen insights into human behaviour - what happens when fragile self perceptions are subject to the vagaries of fate, hard times and the maliciousness of our baser nature.Not only are individuals subject to these forces, so too are the community, organizations, government and society.
I am a David Adams Richards fan and have read his other novels. This one is outstanding.

[kp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this novel, but not as much as I've liked some of his other books. Mercy Among the Children was a near-perfect tragedy. This one was harder to read, and the interplay between action and consequence, love and betrayal, that Adams Richards excels at sometimes seemed forced compared to some of his other work. That said, he always delivers a profoundly clear-sighted view of the ways in which we fool ourselves and each other, and after I put down this novel, I found that certain characters and scenes stayed with me as if they are a stain that has worked its way into the grain of my imagination. And I can't think of many writers who speak with such a moving combination of rage and tenderness about poverty and the fates of the poor.

[Ian Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, brilliant. I understand why people say his work is dark and depressing, but having grown up in a small town on the other side of the country, I simply find it to be true. People are like this. Gossip is a destroyer and miscommunication rips small towns apart. The facts stop mattering in DAR's books, only what people think, and that's what hits home for me. Still haven't read a book of his that I didn't love, and I kind of want to see the Miramichi because the picture he paints of the area is so real and full of authentic people.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by David Adams Richards and I have to say that I now understand what people are trying to communicate when they share their feelings and opinions on his writing. It was serious and dealt with very depressing and uncomfortable aspects/truths of human nature, but at the same time it was absolutely exquisite. I will definitely read more of his work.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a David Adams Richards fan...you must read. In his typical, unique, storytelling style, he tells a story you want to hear.

[Jack Beaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Adams Richards displays huge respect for the unfortunate, those on the wrong side of a society that is stacked against them. Crimes Against My Brother continues the story.

[Chris Cowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by a Canadian author that simply doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of three troubled blood brothers. Evan Young, Ian Preston, and Harold Dew are actually cousins; as reckless proud teenagers they make a blood pact in which they “challenged one another to be heroic and loyal” (16). Soon, however, they find they cannot remain loyal, and grievances deepen because each is manipulated into thinking one of the others has stolen either money or love from him and so destroyed his chance at a successful and happy future. “’It is awful to be betrayed, and it is just as bad to be accused of betraying friends when you did not’” (40). Over time, the three become bitter enemies, who “seared by betrayal, needed revenge” (156).

There is no doubt that the men are responsible for their difficult lives. They make poor decisions and act impulsively and betray those they love. The author even suggests that betrayal is inevitable because, “The destructive forces in any friendship always end in betrayal” (113). But there are external factors which contribute to their downfall. Chief amongst those is Lonnie Sullivan who reminds me very strongly of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. He is a greedy, duplicitous, cunning manipulator who constantly whispers innuendos in the ears of the gullible. Of course, his innuendos are always couched in phrases that make him look innocent with only the wellbeing of the listener as his primary concern. Lonnie’s manipulation of Annette Brideau illustrates the extent of his guile. At one point he tells her to marry Harold Dew: “He’s a good man – and smart’” (58); later, he tells her, “’Then use what a woman has to get [Ian]’” (112). He gives contradictory advice because circumstances change and he advocates for the man whom Lonnie thinks will eventually be able to enrich him.

Lonnie is aided in his machinations by gossip amongst the locals: “But there were rumours too, started at the tavern and other places where men while away time and charity” (163). Virtually everyone in the novel is harmed by the malevolence of gossip, “small-town betrayal and gossip [in which] nothing ever really had to be true” (177). Mean-spirited gossip certainly fuels the misunderstandings among the three men. Especially when a person’s life takes a downturn, people “drift away and [say] the same cruel things about [that person] that [he/she] had said about others” (343). For example, Sara, a doctor who returns to her home community after working with Doctors Without Borders with the poor in many places in Africa, is welcomed as a hero: “People could not help liking her and wanting to be seen with her – for she had met Desmond Tutu, she had met Nelson Mandela. So then, in this dreary backwater, she was a blessing” (309). Attitudes change when she expresses an opinion about abortion that does not match community values and people “did lessen her worth whenever they could” and turn her into an outcast (311). The corrosive effect of malicious and misinformed gossip is a major theme in the book.

The plot feels very contrived. Coincidences abound. People’s paths cross by chance and lives are changed. A man bent on murder sees a childhood friend, remembers a conversation he had with her, and “became ashamed, and turned and walked away with the shotgun well hidden” (168). One chance meeting even results in an accidental death (205). Objects, a wrench and fur hat in particular, pass from person to person as if divinely directed. The author seems aware of these coincidences since he even addresses the issue directly through his narrator who says, “Onlookers may think this a story where people are always thinking the same thing” (188).

Interestingly, the author also addresses his own reputation by referring to himself as “the author from their own town who . . . wrote troublesome things” (310). A young boy comes across some of his books, “books others in the town refused to read. He had heard so much of how terrible this writer was, how violent, that at first he himself wanted to throw them away. Yet he began to read this writer who people said they hated and . . . the world of his river open[ed] up like a terrible beautiful blossom that in its countless tragedy had hope of another bloom – and in this world of despair and darkness he saw much beauty . . . and the writer’s love for them” (333).

This novel will do little to change that reputation as it is full of countless tragedy, despair and darkness. The book includes infidelity, theft, beatings, murder, heartbreak, loneliness, family disintegration, suicide, chronic pain, government ineptitude, environmental degradation, and corporate swindling. The whole is unrelentingly grim. I am an admirer of David Adams Richards; in fact, I have argued that his Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul should be required reading for all Canadians. I was, however, disappointed with this novel; at times I found it outright tedious. The constant rumours and envious grudges and the never-ending suffering become repetitive. The characters can be admired for their perseverance, but there is little else to renew my faith in humankind. I found it difficult to see the beauty in this world or the “hope of another bloom.”

This is a complex novel and probably needs to be re-read in order to appreciate its layers; unfortunately, I cannot see myself re-reading it very soon. It is too depressing, and I need to find something more uplifting after this heartbreaking tale.

Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free copy of this book through a Goodreads' first reads giveaway.

I have given this book three stars because, while beautifully written, the story wore on me after a while. Set in a fictitious rural New Brunswick town, this novel focuses on three boys, bound together as blood brothers at a young age, and follows their lives (and the lives of those close to them) into their adulthood.

As their lives progress, the three main characters' stories drift apart and intertwine at varying points....sometimes when it seems they couldn't be further apart, they are linked in the most remote and tragic ways. It is this ongoing interconnected tragedy that eventually sucked me out of the narrative and prevented me from getting totally lost in this book.

The writing itself is wonderful .... the pace and the little descriptive comments at just the right moments kept me engaged. Some of the plots operating mainly in the background - such as the struggles of a small rural town fighting to keep its mill - added the right undertone to the story lines operating in the foreground.

Unfortunately, for all its positives, this novel devolved into what I described to a friend as unabashed "Giller bait." The author heaped misfortune upon misfortune to the point that these moments ceased to be tragic and instead became ridiculous. Only so many coincidences can align every awful thing in a small community before the whole pity-party butterfly effect wears a little thin.

While, in some respects, an excellent book, the sum of "Crimes Against My Brother"'s parts was too much for me. While it's interesting to explore the varying crosses each character comes to bear, I felt the book got a little carried away in developing all the pain and misfortune each character has to endure.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book through Goodreads First Read program, so I thought I would share my thoughts (which were not required as a condition of receiving the book). This book had the same warm feeling that I got from certain movies now and then, stand by me, etc. so once I started it was hard to put down. The narrator was very well written and discussed things with a childlike attitude and viewpoint. The book is all about three friends named Harold, Evan and Ian. One day when they get abandoned in the woods the boys become blood brothers and make a pact to always be there for each other. The book was told through two different time pieces one in present day and the other in the past. I wasn't a big fan of the jumping around but I loved how the author made each switch very noticeable and very simple on the reader. As the boys become grown men their lives all go on very different paths but this book shows the connection that they still have, and the stresses that their friendship causes as each boy is completely different. I feel that this book reminded me a little bit of the novel Huck Fin. Lots of attention to detail and such a good story all within a simple setting, which makes it hard to describe and still sound appealing. The main characters were super enjoyable and I loved the moral conflicts that you as a reader see them go through. While I sometimes found the story a bit hard to follow the writing was wonderful. Beautiful in an almost poetic sense of the word. What I didn't like about this book it no matter how hard I tried as I got near the end it became harder to finish. I had to truly focus all my energy on it instead of casually reading it like I do most novels, I think it was the million characters, made it very hard to keep track of. Overall because I really enjoyed this book in the beginning I will give it a 3 stars.

[Karen Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really. The characters and their intertwined lives was realistic and at times frustrating. I liked the way he portrayed the town and all the people in it. Very small town Canada.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Adams Richards is an accomplished author. He has won the Giller prize for a previous novel and been shortlisted numerous times for other prestigious awards. However, this story really drove me crazy about half way in. I did finish the book, but was quite agitated by the end.

The setting for this story is rural New Brunswick, Canada. The narrator is about 5 years older than, and a cousin to the 3 boys he is telling the story about. These 3 boys made a blood bond with each other at a young age to seal their undying brotherhood. But, from that moment on, they continued to mistrust each other, made false assumptions & accusations about each other and basically lived a selfish, crappy life with money being the ultimate goal to ensure happiness. Each of them wanted money and lots of it and threw each other "under the bus" to get it. The entire community lived in poverty, not only monetary poverty but poverty in the spirit, mind and heart. This is a bleak, sad and dark story with no redemption.

I think this author is an excellent writer, I just got tired and weary of the pitiful, ignorant actions of every character.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite. This book is going to stay with me for a long while I think. My love for David Adams Richards writing isn't a secret - I think he's amazing. This book though... his ability to get right to the root of what compels people to make the decisions they do in face of overwhelming reasons not to is so dead-on. I found myself nodding and shaking my head at the same time (that's hard to do!) - like yes, I totally understand why that character is acting and saying that but no! Stop it!! His characters are so fully recognized - they feel like real people you know, fully flushed out people with varying degrees of hopes and dreams and plans in a place where possibilities are scarce - this makes it so much more painful as you follow their journeys often filled with torment and loss and bad decisions. I'm feeling that sadness as I write this - remarkable.

It is beautifully written but oh, so so sad. My heart did shatter into a million pieces at certain points but what was left in the end was hope and that's really all any of us can rely on in the darkest of times. Read it, prepare to have your heart stomped on, but read it - exceptional.

[Tim Shortt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author certainly knows his world, and there is something very ambitious and admirable about that. But sometimes it is like someone telling you all at once about twenty different people he knows so well that he forgets you're still learning about them, foreshadowing the future, obsessing on the past, dropping the names of tangential characters as if they're people you've been following all along, tossing it all around with God and Fate and Coincidence. The lives are so raw here, but I struggle to place them in the real world. I get an image of how I imagine them living, and then the author adds some contradictory detail about their lives because he's looking to make a point. Often the characters seem the most desperate of the poor, people who have lived their lives without ever having been to a movie, then at other times they seem more ordinary everyday working class. I read a couple of the author's books before, and remember them being dense and serious, but also remember reaching having that same difficulty grasping aspects of the characters and the world in which they live.

[Cj · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow-paced story based around a community in times of struggle. It is told in such a way that you can almost imagine sitting in a rocker on someone's front porch listening to a local tell this story of struggle, heartache, loss, and redemption. Having said that, I expect there were many underlying things going on here that I just didn't pick up. (I never was good at analyzing stories in school.) I think this is a story where you need to be able to look deeper... Into the characters, the situations, the connections... to get the full value from it. To those who Can do that, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book. For those like me, who read to get lost in another happier world, perhaps a lighter book would be more up your alley.

I give it 3 stars because it has merit, it's just not my cup of tea.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sheer skill, power, and beauty of David Adams Richards' prose powers this to three stars...because it is very rare I both admire and despair of a novel so passionately. The characters in this novel...the situations they find themselves in...are the most depressing I have ever encountered...and in comparison to previous Richards novels, that is astonishing. I found nothing redeeming in these people, and their world viscerally ugly. On top of that, I found the underlying layer of academic smugness against those who never experienced such lives to be deeply unpalatable. Only the power of the writing kept me moving forward through this morass of dark inhumanity...a car crash so expertly described I simply couldn't turn my eyes away from the page. This is not a book that will deliver any happiness or redemption.

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

D. Adams Richard est un des rares auteurs dont je lis systématiquement l’œuvre. Ce dernier roman n'est certes pas ma meilleure lecture. Il a une complexité qui rend sa lecture des plus laborieuses. On y retrouve les personnages qui peuplent son œuvre, des "losers" de tout acabit dont on devine l'irrémédiable descente aux enfers. Que dis-je, ils meublent l'enfer toute leur vie. Toutefois, l'intrigue semble ne jamais se nouer. Les personnages n'évoluent pas, au contraire le récit déconstruit leur vie dans un va-et-vient constant entre le présent et le passé, par petites touches. Du coup, il n'y a pas non plus de dénouement. Adams Richard reste un fin peintre de la riche complexité psychosociale des déshérités de la Miramichi, un milieu qui ressemble tant au mien propre. Mais bon... ceci ne sera pas son chef d’œuvre.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you first start reading, you realize this is a book that will require your time and patience - each word, each sentence requires your complete attention and focus. Crimes Against My Brother is a tale, narrated by a person whom is never revealed to the reader,(did I miss that?) about 3 boys bonded together as blood brothers when they are very young but suffer from years of rumour and betrayal that destroy their friendship, their reputations, and their lives. For me - after 1/3 of the way through it became quite boring, repetitive and circular in that the same thing happened over and over again, and carried over into their next generation. Why is the narrator never revealed? Or was he and I just fell asleep during that part?

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favourites by this author but does paint a vivid picture of the damage done by gossip, human foolishness, and selfishness and the propensity of people to want to tear another person down to make themselves look better. I found of more interest the part of the story about the foreign corporation that comes to Canada, takes our government's (the people's) money in loans, never paid back; given to these corporations based on the promises made to provide jobs in provinces where jobs are few, only to rape the land of its resources, destroy everything and return to their countries when there is no money left to be made, leaving people jobless and worse off than before. Sound familiar Hamilton?

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free via a Goodreads giveaway.

Crimes Against My Brother was a tough book for me to get through. I found the sentence structure and overall writing style a bit offbeat to start with, then after about a half hour of reading I was into the flow of things. This book gave me a lot to think about, mainly with regards to adults and their relationships with children. The way Lonnie was seemingly able to orchestrate events through simple suggestions was quite alarming, as was the overall theme of greed, money and power. This was a very dark book for me to read, however I was glad to have had the chance to read a Canadian author.

[Bryony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I overall really enjoyed the book. I had a little trouble getting into it at first but I am grateful that I stuck it out because the story is very good. I found myself thinking about the charterers before bed at night. This book really got into my head and made me think. I enjoyed the challenge of the book and the themes of luck and religion really pushed my own thoughts. The only thing I struggled with was the language, I felt like with the language used was better suited for an earlier time period. I think that was what made it difficult to get into. I would and will recommend this to others.

[Laura Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As is the case for most of David Adams Richards' books, this book is not really a pick me up. It is a depressing story filled with depressing characters but oddly enough, I still loved it. I could picture each character and imagine them as real people. Although this is a fictional work, the author inserts himself into the story and parts of the story are real events in New Brunswick's history. I felt for these characters. I felt anger, sadness and sympathy for them. I knew nothing good was ever going to happen but I loved it anyway. Strange, I know. If you enjoy David Adams Richards' books, this one will not disappoint you.