Once a Crooked Man: A Novel
Written by David McCallum
Narrated by David McCallum
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
A deliciously quirky crime novel from David McCallum, the beloved actor know for his portrayal of Illya Kuryakin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard on NCIS.
Crime pays. And pays well.
Sal, Max and Enzo Bruschetti have proved this over a lifetime of nefarious activity that they have kept hidden from law enforcement. Nowhere in any file, on any computer is there a record of anything illegal from which they have profited. But Max has a problem. His body is getting old and his doctor has told him to take it easy. Max has decided that the time has come for the family to retire.
But when young actor Harry Murphy overhears the Bruschetti brothers planning changes to their organization, including the murder of a man in London who knows t0o much, the Bruschetti's plans begin to unravel.
After Harry makes the well-intentioned if egregious mistake of trying to warn the Bruchetti's intended victim he finds himself alone in a foreign country, on the wrong side of the law, with a suitcase full of cash and a dangerous man on his trail. And while his good looks, charm and cheerful persistence may prove assets in the turbulent events that follow, none of Harry's past roles have prepared him for what happens next.
A turns tense and funny, Once a Crooked Man is infused with the infectious charm that has made David McCallum one of television's longest running, most-beloved stars.
David McCallum
David McCallum is a Scottish actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian secret agent, in the television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-68) and for his current role as NCIS medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the American television series NCIS.
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Reviews for Once a Crooked Man
31 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Actor Harry Murphy overhears the Bruschetti brothers scheming their nefarious conspiracies and, in a naïve but hilarious plot, jets across the Atlantic with a vague plan of warning their intended victim. What follows is quirky, funny, and slightly reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.”Harry manages to survive most of his various escapades virtually unscathed, leaving the Bruschetti brothers struggling as one by one their plans go haywire. They scramble to address ensuing complications as Harry’s original altruistic action creates a series of unintended events that resemble a row of tumbling dominoes. The twisting plot will keep readers engaged and the comedic elements are delightful. However, an unfortunate subplot with Detective Sergeant Elizabeth Carswell near the end of the book mars the narrative and is likely to be problematic for many readers.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The plot is wildly implausible, but the characters are engaging (for the most part - I was deeply, deeply disappointed by the handling of the female lead in the last third of the book). The best parts are the descriptions of people setting out to enact their improbable schemes. Trigger warning: rape-to-romance
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Not bad -- a different kind of mystery/crime story in which the bad guys are necessarily the bad guys and the good guys don't win in the usual way. Yet there's still satisfaction in the ending. It's a bit meandering and perhaps convoluted, and definitely there's gratuitous sex, but it's not a bad "beach" read. David McCallum is easy to listen to, too.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As a writer, McCallum makes a good actor. The plot, reminiscent of Donald E. Westlake but without his wit and style, is "movie-tv" in conception; however, it is in the upper end of the genre, and the twist at the end is wry. The dialogue is entertaining enough, and the characters are interesting; McCallum draws on his own experience to make the hero (an actor) more than just cardboard. Rated Z for unnecessary foul language and obligatory graphic sex scenes. Also the BDSM elements, although restrained (ahem), are a bit much for youth readers.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've known David McCallum was a good actor (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; NCIS) but had no idea about his ability as an author. Wow! Once A Crooked Man had everything I look for in a good novel -- mystery, intrigue, murder, romance, it was all there. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries.