It’s no secret that I’m a huge Blake Crouch fan. He’s great at writing high-concept sci-fi and creepy horror thrillers, but he’s equally adept at creating character-driven stories. Naturally, I was psyched when NetGalley sent me a copy of Blake’s latest book, Good Behavior, to tie in with the TV show premiering tonight on TNT.
Good Behavior is actually a collection of three separate novellas that Blake previously published over a course of several years, beginning with “The Pain of Others” in Ellery Queen. Together the stories form a novel-length portrait of Letty Dobesh, a character Crouch has proclaimed one of his favorites. She’s an addict, an ex-con, and a thief, but even she draws the line from time to time…such as when she overhears a man hiring a hit man to kill his wife. Unable to go to the police, Letty decides to take matters into her own hands, putting her on a collision course with a cast of characters as complex as herself.
Letty is one of those shades-of-grey characters that I immediately loved. She’s a complex woman, equal parts virtue and vice (though some days, mostly vice). There’s something incredibly raw and real about her struggles to navigate her world while also trying to get clean so she can someday return to her son. And I loved, loved, loved the plot twists! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this book, because I just couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened next.
One of the fun things about this book is that it also includes set photos from the TV show and Blake’s notes on taking Letty’s story from the page to the screen. It’s rare for authors to be so closely involved in the screen adaptations of their works so it’s a real treat to know that Crouch is so closely involved with the TNT production of Good Behavior. I really enjoyed reading about Letty and I’m excited to watch Michelle Dockery portray her on the screen!
11 Comments
Anne C
Great review! I have not read any of his books yet but I’m going to check all his books. Interested with the horror ones and this collection of novellas. Thanks for sharing him. :D
Martha
I hope you like his books! I’ve been hooked ever since Abandon. He really has a way of sucking you into a story so you can barely put it down!
KATE SARSFIELD
You’ve certainly mentioned Crouch before and that’s how I got interested in his work. I like novellas; all the plot & character development crammed into so few pages makes it intense reading.
Martha
I do really love seeing what an author can do with the shorter format. And it’s a nice break sometimes from the longer, very drawn-out novels or series. Sometimes I want something that isn’t so time-consuming, especially this time of the year, when I’m so busy!
mary
Sounds like another good one!! I will look forward to it :) !!
Martha
It was nice to have something shorter to read, as a break from some of the 600-page novels I’ve been working on!
Teresa
I hope you like his books!
Mary Maria
It looks amazing!!
Martha
I really enjoyed it!
shannon fowler
I haven’t heard of this author before, but this looks fabulous! I love reading, and Im always looking for new books to read.
Martha
I hope you like him!