I read this book on the strength of my experience with "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" by Michael Dorris. There is no comparison between the two books.
"Crown of Columbus" is fundamentally a mystery (the crown) but makes an attempt at character development and at political correctness and throws in something related to university professors and poetry. None of it works together.
It was obvious, about two-thirds of the way through the book what the solution to the mystery was going to be. The characters were not real enough to keep my interest in whether they developed or did not.
The final burden that I was unable to bear was the several pages devoted to the male lead's reciting his poetry.
Not to my taste.

Anti-climactic is the best single phrase to describe this book. I guess it depends on what you want in a novel. It starts out with the air of mystery surrounding the "Crown of Columbus" and what it actually is; sort of a historical mystery, although fictional. The book then becomes a story about the two main characters and their on-again/off-again romance of opposites. Most of the book is about this romance and the action and resolution of the mystery don't really get going until the very end. By the time you find out what the "Crown" is, it is sort of "so what?" In other words, not very satisfying. I wouldn't recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Once I got past the misleading synopsis on back of the novel and accepted the novel for what it really was, I became intensely involved. Roger Williams and Vivian Twostar are stereotypes, which is the point. They are cariactures; Dorris and Erdrich having a little fun with the stereotypes people have placed on them. The depth of character found in Erdrich's other novels is clearing missing; however, _The Crown of Columbus_ is a different kind of novel. It is a modern romance, detective, adventure, and historical novel at the same time. I recommend this book to someone looking for an entertaining read; anyone seeking high literature should read Erdrich's _Tracks_