Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Good Behavior, by Blake Crouch {ends 11/8}

She sipped her drink and stared at the napkin the barkeep had left on the table. Four handwritten four-digit numbers. Took her thirty seconds to memorize them, and a quick look around confirmed what she had hoped—the window washers and the hotel guests remained locked and absorbed in their own worlds. She lifted the napkin and slid the keycard out from underneath it, across the glass tabletop and into her grasp. Then shredded the napkin, sprinkling the pieces into the hissing water.

I was interested to read this book, which ended up being a collection of 3 short stories, because TNT is premiering a TV show of the same name this month. I had heard about the TV show at BlogHer this year, as well, since they had a booth there. The stories ended up being pretty interesting, and the show should be good too.

Official synopsis:

The bestselling author of Dark Matter and Wayward Pines, Blake Crouch’s Good Behavior centers on Letty Dobesh, his favorite character creation of all time, and will be available in print and eBook from Thomas & Mercer on November 15th. TNT’s new television series (of the same name) starring Michelle Dockery also launches November 15th at 9pm ET/PT.

Featuring a special introduction and “behind-the-story” commentaries on the adaptation from Crouch, as well as a look at his earliest inklings of Letty in journal entries from 2009, both book formats will include photos from the set, and the eBook will feature video scenes from the new TNT series. Readers will transition seamlessly between Letty’s adventures on the page and Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery in live action as she brings the character to life on screen.

Fresh out of prison and fighting to keep afloat, Letty Dobesh returns to her old tricks burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel. While on the job, she overhears a man hiring a hit man to kill his wife. Letty may not be winning any morality awards, but even she has limits. Unable to go to the police, Letty sets out to derail the job, putting herself on a collision course with the killer that entangles the two of them in a dangerous, seductive relationship.

Good Behavior comprises three interlinked novellas, The Pain of Others, Sunset Key, and Grab, which together form a novel-length portrait of Letty Dobesh.

TNT actually already has the pilot episode of Good Behavior up on its app, and I believe Comcast/XFINITY may have it on on-demand, as well, so I've already watched it. It was very good and mostly took its source material from the first novella here, The Pain of Others, so it was fun to watch it while that was so fresh in my mind still.

Letty Dobesh is not your typical "heroine," as she's a thief and a former drug addict. In the first novella, she overhears plans for a murder that will be taking place the next day—a husband is taking a hit out on his wife—and she feels guilty about not doing anything with that information, so she goes to their house and tries to warn the wife. In the next two novellas, she gets back into the "game" (that of stealing) and the novellas detail what ensues in those situations.

I liked all three novellas and I hope that they somehow get incorporated into the show. What's nice about this version of the book, too, is that the author has notes about the TV show between each novella, and you can learn a bit more about the main character, Letty, as well as the show.

4 stars out of 5.

Good Behavior will be available in stores and online on November 15th - click here to pre-order.

GIVEAWAY:

Three of my lucky readers will win a paperback copy of Good Behavior!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Tuesday, November 8th, at 11:59pm EST, and winners will be notified via email the next day, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner(s) will be chosen.

U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.

Good luck!

Good Behavior