Name: Good Behavior
ISBN: 9781503940499

Blake Crouch

Three interlocking novellas details the escapades of ex-thief Letty Dobesh as she uses her skills to stop other crimes from taking place.

Good Behavior

azliana aziz

going in i feared that i would be spoiling myself with how the story (show) will turn out and i am glad that it's just a compilation of three novellas. i adore sunset key so much and can't wait to watch how grab turn out in the show later. 
the love that blake crouch have for his character, letty dobesh is admiring and i love that little insights from the note section of what and why some things differ from the novellas to the tv show.
like blake crouch, i have high expectations for the TV show and with only 3 eps that i've watched so far i want more asap and agreed to his gushing of how perfectly casted is michelle dockery as letty.

Jeff James

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from Net Galley, but I listened to the audiobook version.

Good Behavior is simultaneously the definitive collection of Letty Dobesh stories by Blake Crouch and no longer the definitive story of Letty herself.

These stories were originally published as three separate novellas over the course of a few years. As of 2016, they are also the basis for a TNT series starring Michelle Dockery in her first post-Downton role in an ongoing series. This volume collects the stories along with author commentary.

However, unlike other book adaptations, I think I might recommend watching the show before reading Good Behavior. These stories read a hell of a lot like the rough draft of the show, and might best be appreciated with that in mind.

Crouch’s commentaries reinforce this impression. He discusses how he and the show’s co-creator adapted and cannibalized each story for the show, and it’s obvious that he thinks the adaptation is an improvement.

He points out more than once how the stories as written didn’t match the tone of the show or how tweaking events and characters for the adaptation opened things up in new and exciting ways.

As I listened to the audiobook, I oftentimes found myself thinking “Letty wouldn’t do that” or “this isn’t a Letty story”. Michelle Dockery’s portrayal is so compelling that I couldn’t picture the character any other way.

That said, I did enjoy reading Good Behavior. That’s especially surprising after I gave up on Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy after two books. I just couldn’t work up the energy to care about the finale, and I barely enjoyed the second book.

It helps that Letty is a much more interesting and likable protagonist than the main character in Wayward Pines, who spends most of his time hitting his head and blacking out. Also, it felt like Crouch had a better handle on style and language in these stories. He pulls off a few clever turns of phrase here and there that add a nice noir flavor.

Ultimately, I do recommend picking up Good Behavior, but only as supplemental material for the show and not a true standalone work. In fact, this collection is entertaining enough that I’m willing to give Crouch another chance, especially since he had a hand in writing the show.

Originally published at Full of Words

Steph L 

This was the first real thriller I read because I love the TV show. The characters are really vivid, and I really liked them.

Lauren Attaway

Once I got into these three stories, I really got into them. I couldn't stop reading. In line, in the bathroom, in bed, wherever it took to finish this collection. I watched the first episode of the tv adaptation of Good Behavior and as always I was drawn in by the female protagonist and the portrayal of addiction. These three short stories did an excellent job of showcasing the line Letty walks between her two vices-stealing and substance abuse-and left me wanting more. I'm going to give the tv show another try as a result. I need more of this character. 

As for this edition from NetGalley (thanks!) , I enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of the television show Good Behavior that accompanied this version of the book. I don't always enjoy reading writers talking about writing, but Blake Crouch gave me just enough information that I didn't feel like I was sitting in a lecture hall.

Melissa Deitrick

Super fast read, wasn’t exactly what I was expecting - think more along the lines of three short stories compiled into the books with the authors note to reference the show. I’ve never seen the show so it made no difference to me what the changes were.