Book Review: The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

The Gist: In The Connellys of County Down, Tracey Lange skillfully delves into complex sibling dynamics and the aftermath of a criminal conviction, yet the novel falls short with its romantic subplot and fails to address critical systemic policing issues.

Series: Standalone

Release Date: August 1, 2023

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4-stars

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The Connellys of County Down solidifies author Tracey Lange as an accomplished writer of complex sibling dynamics. The story opens as the youngest sibling, Tara Connelly, is released from prison after serving 18 months on a drug charge. As she moves back in with her elder sister and brother, family tension causes long-buried secrets to erupt.

Family Drama

I selected this book for the Beat the Backlist prompt ‘Sibling Showdown.’ Most of the family drama I’ve read in the past typically explores the relationships between parents and their children, and any sibling tension is often a result of the siblings’ different relationships with their parents. However, what I enjoyed so much about The Connellys of County Down was the focus on the relationships between the siblings—how their childhood shaped them and led them to different coping mechanisms.

While the synopsis focuses on Tara’s release from prison as the story’s catalyst, the book is told from four perspectives: Tara, her elder sister and brother, and one of the cops who arrested her. Having The Connellys of County Down told through these four main characters allows the author to play with perspective, illustrating why they made their decisions and how each contributed to the crux we find our characters in presently. This book felt like a character study of how people cope with the fallout of a traumatic event and how their life circumstances during that event can lead them to make rash decisions.

Unconvincing Romance

I’ve always been a fan of romantic subplots in my non-romance books. But, in this one case, the romance was partly why I didn’t feel The Connellys of County Down was 5 stars. You can tell from their first interaction at the start of the book that the author is setting up a romance between Tara and the young cop, Brian, who originally arrested her. I was conflicted about this relationship because there was obviously an imbalance of power between them. Yet, they had chemistry, and Tara was happy (which was rare at that point), so I tried to lean into the romantic (and away from the critic) in me.

However, whenever the outside world popped their bubble (e.g., people asking how they met), it felt like their relationship wouldn’t last. Also, considering how short the book was (under 300 pages) and that the main focus was on the relationship between the siblings, there wasn’t enough time for the author to unpack and address the complexities within the romantic relationship. For instance, how scarring it was for Brian to arrest Tara in front of her young nephew and how disorienting it would be for a guy you just started seeing to know everything about you from a police file.

I also didn’t like how the policing reared its head in their relationship later in the novel. As a felon, Tara’s life is forever altered; she’ll have difficulty finding a job, getting a loan to buy a house, and will have her life monitored by the corrections institutions while on parole. While all of this is acknowledged by Brian, neither he nor Tara engaged with this reality meaningfully. In fact, their first fight erupted after Tara voiced frustrations about the hoops she had to jump through to visit her friend in jail. In response, Brian explained why the justice system would deny her visitor request in a way that stripped Tara of her humanity and put her crimes (without context) on centre stage. While the couple quickly reconciles, it never feels like these foundational issues – Tara at the mercy of an institution that doesn’t see felons as people and Brian upholding that institution – are resolved in their relationship.

Two-Dimensional Take on Policing

This brings me to my last point about why The Connellys of County Down wasn’t a 5-star read despite the author’s excellent writing and three-dimensional characters: while all the characters were fleshed out as complex individuals, the author failed to critically engage with the institution of policing (and its very controversial history in the USA).

There were many scenes when Tara is confronted with the policing surveillance that continues after being released from prison: the first parole visit that becomes immediately confrontational because of a misunderstanding, the police officer who, for lack of a better word, stalks her because he’s convinced she’s still wrapped up in the drug crimes that sent her to prison, the lack of consideration those police officers give her as a person as they storm her workplace, ensuring her bosses know that she’s a felon and still considered a person of interest. I could go on.

While the prison system’s philosophy suggests that people should get a clean slate after serving their time, that is obviously not the case. Instead, Tara’s criminal conviction will continue to reverberate throughout her life. Tara, Brian, and her family acknowledge this, but because of Brian’s continued involvement in her life (although now as a romantic interest), it doesn’t feel like Tara ever gets closure.

In Conclusion

I really enjoyed The Connellys of County Down. The intricate family dynamics were captivating; I finished the book in less than four hours! I love how the author showed us each of the siblings’ perspectives, and while I didn’t find Tara’s older sister particularly likable, she was at least understandable.

However, I wanted the ending to be more fleshed out. The main story was about the siblings, yet I felt the romantic subplot overtook the ending, which I found jarring. The lack of an on-page resolution between the siblings was frustrating and left me wanting more.

Overall, I recommend The Connellys of County Down if you’re looking for a family drama with fully realized characters that puts complicated sibling relationships centre stage!

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