Book Review 4.5/5 Stars: Blake Crouch’s Good Behavior (now on TV!)

goodbehavior3 word review: Fierce, sharp fun. A 4.5/5

Warning: Whatever you do, do NOT expect Dark Matter. Nothing remotely like it.

Advice: Read the author notes throughout. 

Shortest summary: Professional thief and drug addict Letty Dobresh in 3 different stories. One she overhears a man making a deal with a contract killer. Two she’s pinned in a “Most Dangerous Game” situation with a disgraced millionaire, and three a massive robbery for the ages that doesn’t go quite as planned. 

What’s good under the hood: it’s a quick read – 3 previously published novellas, but what I found intriguing are Crouch’s notes on how the story was adapted for the TV show and what was edited or retained or rewritten and why and how he worked with another writer. It showed how much trust there must be to hand your brain baby over to someone else and say “I trust you with her life.” Yikes. Writers will appreciate. The main character is a perfect anti-hero, a high end thief with a penchant for meth who lost custody of her kid  – sounds like the most unlikable likable character, but that’s indeed what you get in Letty. Somehow despite all these horrible things about her, I found myself cheering for her in a “Yeah, screw the man!” sort of way. Not easy to pull off. adapt1

What was bad or made me mad: it starts off with a premise much like Absolute Power. Robber stuck in closet… hears something bad. But since that’s where the similarity ends, I can’t be too upset. 

Recommend to: those who would like to write for a tv show or do an adaptation, those who like their mysteries quick and sharp, quick reads fans, fierce female leads enthusiasts, those who want to or are watching the TV show starring Michelle Dockery (my how far Lady Mary has fallen!!).

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

2 comments

  1. ScrappyMags says:

    Absolutely! I like a “redemption” character as well, the imperfect ones because it reads real. Did you watch the TV series? I missed it but was curious if it did the book any justice.

  2. Dedicated servers says:

    As I’ve stated before, Letty does have some good intentions most of the time, especially where it concerns her son, and she really does want to change. Crouch did a fantastic job creating such a juxtaposed character with Letty, and I adore that despite her often terrible choices in life, he showcased her willingness to at least try to turn her life around.

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