Guest Post Review: Don't Call Me a Crook by Bob Moore

Book: Don't Call Me a Crook by Bob Moore

Genre: Memoir

Rating: A- (as per The Mr.)


This book came in the mail from Dissident Books awhile back, hoping to get read and reviewed. I accepted it thinking that it was something my husband might like and so I said to him, "Here, read this.... then when you're done YOU can write a review!" Still, I have plans to get to it myself one of these days, and then you can get my perspective too.

And so, I'd like to welcome to my blog, The Mr., and his wonderful review:



“Don't Call Me a Crook,” is a charming, yet eerily alarming, tale of Bob Moore, a young Glaswegian (a dude from Glasgow, Scotland... don't you just love that word?) who travels the world, steals from anyone and everyone, kills at least one person, and continually runs from his enemies. And yet at the end of the book I found myself genuinely liking the guy. The read was an exciting, brutal, fast paced adventure that extended from Scotland, to New York, to the lawless inner depths of the Yangtze river in China.

The book, written ostensibly as an autobiography of Bob Moore, is a chronological overview of the events of Mr. Moore's life. The book is divided up into short chapters many of which capture an entire little vignette. For light reading, I love this format because I always have a nice close stopping place. But, I found myself, each night, wanting to sneak in just one more, and then just one more..., chapter before turning off the bed table lamp.

The character of Bob Moore is one that would intrigue psychologists, mobsters, and law enforcement officers alike. I was not sure if he was totally delusional, in denial, or just stupid. He defends himself, “I am not a crook at all, because a crook is a man who steals things from people, but I have only swiped things when I needed them or when it would be wasteful to let slip an opportunity.” What?!?!?

The book is full of acts that would repel an average moral person, and yet, Mr. Moore performs them without remorse. His writing is candid, unfeeling, and complete enough that the reader knows what happened but is spared all the gory details. Most of his acts left me thinking, “Wow, this guy is crazy.” but there was one that I just could not believe. I will not bias you by describing it here. You should read it and see if you have the same reaction. It was related in Mr. Moore's typical unemotional way, as if it was of no significance, and yet it forever altered people's lives. After that, I was completely converted to the belief that Bob Moore was more than crazy.

If you are looking for a quick, intriguing read, give “Don't Call Me a Crook” a try. While I did feel pangs of jealousy for his fun and wild life, it also reminded me of why I put importance on responsibility and dedication to family and community.

What a great review, huh? He should start up his own book blog I'm thinking. Or at the very least, we'll just have to have him do this more often!

Other Reviews:

Dan's Journal
Gramma's Reads
Duffbert's Random Musings