A LONG WAY FROM CLARE by Robert W. Smith

This review originally appeared in the November 2023 edition of the Historical Novels Review.

Conor escapes hopeless childhood destitution in County Clare, Ireland, to Illinois with his big brother Kevin in the late 1800s. Years later, Conor travels from his law practice in Springfield, Illinois to check on his brother, who is now a policeman in Chicago, but Kevin has been found dead. Conor is not satisfied with the disposition of the case as a suicide and comes of age as he searches for the truth while finding his passion for protecting Chicago’s poor and downtrodden.

Turn-of-the-century Chicago comes alive in the graft of its ward politics, its seedy underbelly, as well as its progress, like the elevated train line and a new logistics tunnel under the city center. Conor uncovers an assassination plot with ties to his brother and the local Clan na Gael, a shadowy group that supports Irish Republicanism. He takes on the case of a young, abused Irish immigrant mother, and his handling of it attracts the interest of a powerful Irish-heritage politician.

The case and the investigation of his brother’s death become dual narratives where Conor explores the depravity, prejudices and oppression that are Chicago’s growing pains, as well as the complex nature of Irish social governance. He must decide how far he will go to seek justice, both for his client and his brother.

During this fairly short and fast-paced read, Conor connects with numerous memorable characters who collectively sketch an entertaining portrait of early Chicago. A Long Way From Clare is the author’s fifth novel, and readers will be hopeful that Conor and many of these characters return in another book, solving more mysteries as the city of broad shoulders grows up.