Good Behavior

Good Behavior is a collection of three separate novellas that feature Blake Crouch's all-time favorite character creation: Letty Dobesh. You may be familiar with this character from TNT's television series: Good Behavior. Each short-story can be read in any order as they all are separate open and closed stories. Each novella is listed below along with an individual rating/review. I highly recommend this collection for fans of character-driven thrillers. Check it out!The Pain of Others- 5 starsThe Pain of Others is the Letty Dobesh story that most closely follows the television show, specifically the season 1, episode 1. However, the endings are vastly different which makes the book worth the read. When I say vastly different? Yeah...it has been a long while since a twist like that made my jaw drop to the floor. This was a lovely introduction to Letty's character. A woman full of consistent bad choices finally finds the motivation to do the right thing. But... sometimes maybe we shouldn't intervene. OMG!Sunset Key- 5 starsSunset Key is a story that you haven't seen on the television show. This one was psychotic and I absolutely loved it! The main twist is revealed about half way through and it was jaw-dropping for me. Everything is running smoothly as planned and then bam! Oh, what a fun ride though! I was on the edge of my seat watching this play out. I don't know how they would ever be able to integrate this novella into the television series considering the direction they are driving the characters but I would love to see it. I'm a huge fan of all things resembling La Femme Nikita and this is a story that would fit in perfectly to a series like that. 5 stars!Grab- 4 starsPieces of Grab can be seen in Good Behavior's pilot episode but this particular Letty Dobesh story has yet to make it to TV/film. It's a shame too because Grab is one hell of a ride! The thriller/suspense element is off the charts! This one would have been an easy 5-star rating for me but the twist at the end was way too far-fetched for my personal taste and my imagination is pretty broad. But the bulk of this story was perfection in terms of Letty's character development and the planning, execution, and spontaneous problem solving of an epic casino heist. Whether you are familiar with Letty's character or not, any of the Letty Dobesh novellas are well-worth the read.Note: I read the Kindle in Motion edition of Good Behavior. It features photos, gifs, and written commentary specifically designed to enhance the novellas and Letty's character as they relate to their adaptation to television. This was my first Kindle in Motion experience and I enjoyed it overall.

I had no idea who Letty Dobesh was or even much about Blake Crouch. I not TV trendy enough to know that it is/was a TV series. But at Jordan Rosenfeld's recommendation in How To Write A Page Turner, I paused for a day and read Good Behavior looking for his examples of good story layout and tension. It's a quick 270 page read and easy to take in quickly and once into the story, if distracted, you tend to return to it as soon as you can to find out what will happen to poor Letty next. This really is a page-turner of a book with a baggage laden protagonist who is as faulty and danger-prone as any created by the late Steig Larsson. Though it doesn't feel like a novel that would become a screenplay, Crouch writes with a style that makes you see the action clearly as you read. I can't speak for Crouch's other books but you'll like this one.

Honestly, I'm conflicted about this book. The stories are entertaining but I like how Letty translated on TV better than how she did in the books. I felt like on the TV show she was her own person, driven by her own motives- when she was a mess she was a mess- when she was bad ass smart she was bad ass smart for her. I like strong female characters. It not that book Letty wasn't a lot if this things but in this story she's always being duped by some man who's seen fifty paces ahead of her. He's always right about her and she always aquieses that they knew better then her. It was a little eye roll inducing. Again, it may just be me but I thought stories about Letty would be a little better then just falling back on that same tired idea.

First, I'll mention this review has nothing to do with the TV series or any between stories motion provided in the Kindle book itself; only the book. As a matter of fact, I've never seen the show.Letty Dobesh, an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, is basically a train wreck. She's addicted to drugs and booze of which she fights her personal demons. When sober, she has a passion for grifting and is quite good at it. The woman is not exactly a role model for anyone, but there is something the reader will find likeable about her.In the novellas, she's partnered with various other scam artists, in very slick professional, high-stakes thievery. Interesting to note, the three novellas are loosely intertwined.The stories move rather quickly, hold your interest, and have more than their share of twists, especially at the end of the third story. The book does leave itself open to future development of more Ms. Dobesh stories.A number of low reviewers have compared the book to the TV show based on the book. I have taken the book on its own merit. Its worth a read. I enjoyed it.

This was a good book, Its a series of short stories depicting the experiences of Letty, a drug addict grifter. I like the fact that all the stories have a great deal of suspense and a major twist at the end. I have the audio book and the narrator is excellent. The author also contributes as he tells what inspired him to write the stories and how they have been made into a television series. I had lots of fun listening to this and would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense thrillers. I can hardly wait until Mr. Crouch writes the next set of Letty stories.

Totally the opposite to wayward pines and just as good. If not better. I liked all the characters. Excellent storylines.

This was one of the best book I read this year! I watched the tv show first and it was amazing to get to know its creation! Plus the Lefty’s novellas are incredible, the suspense and her personality will make you want more!

Three novellas, good character building and interesting stories. I haven't watched the show, but have seen enough adaptations where the differences between the two always leave you dissatisfied with one or the other. So I understand the criticism in many reviews that show is better, etc. In all, it is still a good book to read, you just have to keep in mind that the show and the book are*different* stories and the resemblance can wear quite thin at times. In all, a fun read.

Das Buch ist nicht schlecht geschrieben und auch die Geschichten sind recht spannend und gut konstruiert. Allerdings vermisse ich die vielgepriesene Dreidimensionalität der Charaktere. Es gehört meiner Meinung nach ein bisschen mehr dazu, als die Protagonistin ab und zu ihre Motive infrage stellen zu lassen.

Good Behavior by Blake Crouch is a wonderful series of three novellas featuring Letty Dobesh, a young women recently released out of prison. In the highly suspenseful situations Letty experiences in these stories, we get to know her character, motivation and struggles.Letty is a well-thought out character. She’s very real and accepting, although somewhat reluctantly, of who she is. She’s explored her feelings and views in counseling and seems to have a good understanding that to achieve what she wants most means living without what she enjoys most. Her goal of being a mother to her son is frequently short circuited by opportunities to score . . . namely, opportunities to experience the excitement of a heist or the need to blot out her unhappiness with crystal meth and alcohol.In the first story, The Pain of Others, we see Letty exercising her talents by stealing from guests’ rooms in a luxury hotel. It’s in this story that we learn that Letty does indeed have some standards of what’s right and wrong and a desire to do the right thing. At the close of this story Letty realises that her desire to help has clearly backfired, but that the result of her decision to help couldn’t possibly have been foreseen.In the second story, Sunset Key, Letty accepts a job to lift a valuable painting from a very wealthy man, John Fitch, who’s slated for prison. In this novella she also faces one of her biggest fears. This ending, too, is surprising for Letty, more so for John Fitch, but I think mostly for the reader.The final story, Grab, has Letty presented with a chance to score hugely by lending her skills in a heist more dangerous than any she’s participated in before . . . stealing from a casino. While this scenario seems highly unlikely to me, I still found it to be a great read.Each of these novellas puts Letty in a difficult situation where her chances of survival are questionable. Her need for the anticipation and excitement of danger and financial payoff always outweighs her need to reconnect with her son. Truly a fascinating read.