Adult Fiction

Good Behavior by Blake Crouch

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Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Short Story, Mystery
Pages: 288 pages
Published Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer 
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 out of 5 
Age: 17+ 

DISCLAIMER:  I received an advance copy of Good Behavior from the publisher through NetGalley for the purposes of writing an honest review.

“Good Behavior” by Blake Crouch is a collection of three novellas that revolve around the character of Letty Dobesh, a con artist and thief who is trying to get her life back on track. The book is a fast-paced thriller with a strong character at its center.

The first novella, “The Pain of Others,” finds Letty working as a maid in a hotel where she discovers a wealthy guest who is engaged in a gruesome hobby. Letty must use all her skills to outwit the man and escape with her life. The second novella, “Sunset Key,” takes place on a tropical island where Letty is trying to start over after leaving jail. However, her past catches up with her when she is approached by a dangerous man who offers her a job she cannot refuse. In the final novella, “Grab,” Letty is hired by a man to steal a package from a high-security prison, but the job turns out to be much more dangerous than she anticipated.

Blake Crouch’s writing is crisp and engaging, and he manages to keep the tension high throughout the book. Letty is a compelling character, and the reader can’t help but root for her even though she is a criminal. Her inner struggles and motivations are well-developed, and the reader can understand why she makes the choices she does.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is its focus on the psychological toll that a life of crime takes on Letty. She is haunted by her past and struggles to find a way out of the cycle of violence and deception that has defined her life. Crouch handles this theme with sensitivity and insight, and it adds depth to the book beyond its fast-paced action scenes.

Overall, “Good Behavior” is an entertaining and thought-provoking read. The book’s focus on a complex and flawed character makes it stand out in the crowded field of thrillers. If you enjoy page-turning suspense with a strong character at its center, this book is definitely worth a read.

#GoodBehavior #NetGalley

The Apartment by K.L. Slater

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the-apartment

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 266 pages
Published Date: April 28, 2020
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer 
Series: None
Rating: 3 out of 5

** spoiler alert ** Freya has been bounced around the foster care system her whole life. This has caused some major trust issues that she is trying to deal with. When her husband leaves her for one of her friends, Freya and her daughter, Skye, must sell their house and move to a more affordable place.

While looking for apartments on an ad board in her local coffee shop, she starts talking with a man, Dr. Marsden, who has an apartment that sounds perfect for her and Skye. Maybe too perfect. She cannot afford it, but Dr. Marsden tells her that she shouldn’t worry about the price, as they are looking for a tenant who is “just right”, not the money.

After Freya and Skye look at the apartment, they decided that this would be their new home. But after they move in strange things start to Freya. She hears cries coming from her daughter’s room when her daughter is at school; she hears sounds coming from the apartment next to her’s, but no one lives there. The other tenants seem a little off, as do Dr. Marsden and Audrey Marsden – the managers of the apartment complex. Is Freya going crazy or is something evil happening?

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Lethal Agent by Kyle Mills

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Genre: Adult Fiction 
Pages: 370 pages
Published Date: September 24, 2019
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
Series: Mitch Rapp
Rating: 4 out of 5 

 

Mitch Rapp is back to take down one of America’s greatest terrorist – Sayid Halabi and hopefully stop a bioterrorist attack on America. He must do this while navigating a Mexican cartel, an anthrax scare, a toxic presidential election, and the candidate that may one day hold him and Irene Kennedy accountable for what she sees as the current administration’s biggest failure. 

Sayid Halabi, the antagonist of this story, isn’t that much different than any of the other Middle Eastern Isis terrorists that Mills (and Flynn) created in previous books. All he wants in life is to do Allah’s will and take down the evil West – and Mitch Rapp.  

The only problem I have with Lethal Agent is that Kyle Mills seems to have lost his way with Rapp in this book. Mills falls on the stereotypical spy/agent storyline that we all know too well. A top agent, who has been doing everything for America, loses their way, goes bankrupt, is now running from the law, and wants to work for an illegal, corrupt organization that he plans on taking down. Or, in the case of Lethal Agent, Rapp joins an illegal, corrupt Mexican drug cartel to find its link to Sayid Halabi, hopefully, so he can kill him. And surprise, Carlos Esparza, the leader of the Mexican cartel Rapp wants to join, has only a little (very little) doubt that Rapp may be deceiving him. Esparza will, of course, look the other way, because what does he have to lose? Oh, and Esparza knows who Rapp is and what he does and how many people he has killed. Mills even touched on the unbelievableness of this storyline when a character stated, “It’s really incredible. This is dangerous to the point of being insane. I mean, we’re talking about a ninety-nine percent chance the cartel just tortures him to death for stealing their product.” But with Rapp, he makes it by in that one percent.

Another stereotype of this storyline is Esparza’s second in command, Vicente Rossi, who doesn’t trust Rapp but can’t do anything because he is not in charge, and he doesn’t want to upset his boss.

Now with that said, I do like the character of Christine Barnett – the Senator who is the frontrunner of her party and who will probably become the next president. Mills created in her a style that you loathe right from the beginning, but how could you not when she is planning on taking Rapp and Kennedy down.   

I am giving Lethal Agent 4/5 stars and not lower, because of the story itself. Mills can spin a narrative very well. He knows how to bring in many significant characters as well as the kitchen sink and not lose his way in telling the story. I enjoyed this Rapp novel and cannot wait until his next one comes out.