Customer Reviews

Good Behavior

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While working one night, John Dortmunder accidentally sets off a burglar alarm, an occupational hazard for a thief, and winds up hanging from the rafters of the local convent. Although the occupants are an order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, they manage to let John know that in return for not turning him into the police, they would make use of his specialist skills. They want him to rescue a young nun who was taken from the convent by her father and is held on the top floor of a 76-storey building.

Dortmunder's flair for getting himself into and out of impossible situations are highlighted again as he attempts to breach the defences of a building that seems as impenetrable as any well guarded fortress can be. The ever-changing motley crew that he works with is made to seem even more motley by the inclusion of the skirt chasing (but never catching) Wilbur Howey. Tiny Bulcher is again along for the ride in all his menacing glory as are two regulars Andy Kelp and Stan Murch.

It's the humorous ways in which Dortmunder deals with setbacks that gives the book it's charm. Interest is added by limiting the field of play to one building. How to get in, save the girl and then out again is the problem he faces.

This is yet another satisfyingly entertaining entry in the Dortmunder series that proves this time that he has a caring side, or maybe it's just his guilty, greedy side rearing it's head again. Whichever it is, it's a pleasure to see it.

John Dortmunder becomes St John when his latest caper drops him into a convent. The sisters see it as divine intervention so they ask him to rescue a kidnapped nun from her tyrannical father who is having the Catholicism deprogrammed out of her. Only Dortmunder could gather a group of thieves to rescue a nun and end up facing a mercenary army set for a Central American Revolution. Full of hilarious incident after hilarious incident, this is the Dormunder gang at its best.

Sister Mary Grace has two callings: one is to join a convent of cloistered nuns who have taken vows of silence, the other is from her father to take her rightful place among the heirs to his corporate empire. Enter burglar by trade and knight-in-not-so-shining armor John Dortmunder to rescue Sister Mary Grace who is being held captive by her father on the 76th floor of his office tower. Dortmunder's heroism is hilarious. Imagine his list of phobias when the Sister tells him to hide in a dishwasher. Then, imagine his description of his pretzel shape when he emerges. You will find yourself chuckling often as you read this book. Thank you, Donald Westlake.

Westlake is one of the funniest authors I've ever read and this is one of his best novels. Beware because it will make you bust out laughing in public places if you read it there (people on my bus think I'm crazy). Absolutely worth the high price you might pay for an out-of-print.

Good Behavior provides a reversal of fortune unlike any other that veteran burglar John Dortmunder has ever experienced.

His problems begin when his new partner, O'Hara, turns out to be incompetent at cutting off the burglar alarm. Dortmunder finds himself unexpectedly racing across rooftops while O'Hara is arrested at the bottom of the fire escape he has foolishly taken when the police arrive. After falling down one roof, he comes to a dormer and climbs in . . . only to find himself on a rafter over a roomful of nuns. Having been raised at an orphanage run by the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery, this depresses him . . . along with his sore ankle. The nuns rescue him with a tall ladder, and he finds himself speaking in pantomime . . . until they discover that he can read and begin writing notes. They have taken a vow of silence, and only speak for two hours on Thursdays.

Having noted his burglar's tools, they point out that perhaps the police should be called. But, they have a greater need for a burglar: to recover Sister Mary Grace who was abducted by her father to be reprogrammed into a corporate executive in the family firm.

Alone in the penthouse of a 76 story skyscraper, the sister has been fighting off the deprogramming and her father. By smuggling notes in and out with the cook, the sisters know where she is. Dortmunder agrees to spring her. Then, he becomes discouraged because no one will want to help him for no gain.

Just as he's about to tell the nuns that he cannot do it, they share the security codes for the building with him, which Sister Mary Grace has smuggled out. With that information, Dortmunder knows he can break into any part of the building, which is full of lovely jewelry and antique stores. With that kind of potential swag, his usual partners can be rounded up (Tiny Bulcher, Andy Kelp, and Stan Murch) plus a new alarm man, Wilbur Howey, who has just gotten out after 48 years (10 years for burglary and 38 years for continually escaping) who is very excited by seeing any woman. They also add an inside partner, J.C. Taylor, who sells off-color books and turns out to be critical to freeing Sister Mary Grace.

The burglary goes smoothly . . . but Dortmunder runs into unexpected (and potentially lethal) opposition as he nears the penthouse. Like all Dortmunder stories, the end is filled with fast and furious improvisation.

There's more than the usual humor in this story due to Mr. Westlake having the silent sisters as a running gag. But they communicate just fine, unlike the police whom Dortmunder is trying to outwit.

The plot develops slowly, which makes it more appealing, and the twists and turns keep my heart pumping rapidly. I don't remember a story about Dortmunder that is as engaging the positive human emotions. I think you'll like this one, if you have enjoyed any humorous stories about criminals.

After you finish this story, think about where you think that communication cannot be made. How might you overcome that limitation? Try imaging that you cannot speak, and see if that opens up any new ideas.

With an injured ankle, Dortmunder hides from the police inside what he soon discovers to his horror he is hanging from a beam of the roof of a monastery filled with nuns. Dortmunder has no idea what they are trying to communicate to him as they aren't talking, but he's pretty sure they will be contacting the nearby police and since he's on his last strike, it's off to prison for a long time for him. Dortmunder soon realises however that these nuns have taken the vow of silence and he's not too good at charades it's only when pen and paper are produced he realises why none of them are pointing the man hunt outside to his location. These nuns want a kidnapped nun back, who is locked in her father's high security including bodyguards flat, at the top of a massive high rise. They see Dortmunder with his thief skills, as the tool they have been praying for to make that happen. Dortmunder's happy to tell them what they want to hear knowing once the cops are gone he's away free with nothing making him do something that has no profit for the huge risk he'd have to take. However he didn't count on his girlfriend May's gratefulness to the nuns keeping him out of jail and insistence that he keeps his promise. Dortmunder's going to need help though, and the other crims aren't going to do this out of the goodness of their hearts so he's going to have to come up with a reason for them to be involved.

Good Behavior although not the very best of this great series, is an interesting assignment for career thief Dortmunder (also look under the title Good Behaviour where Behaviour is spelt with the U in Australian, UK markets etc to get the cheapest price). This sixth novel in the series is also historically important, in that it is the adventure where we the readers, as well as more importantly the character Tiny Bulcher, first meet J. C. Taylor. The book contains the classic line "Lie down with wolves, you get up with toothmarks," and we also find out a bit about Dortmunder's childhood and possible reason why he turned out to follow the career path which he has.

If you liked the nun angle of this Dortmunder adventure you will probably want to read what Westlake has done humour wise with Monks. Brothers Keepers is that Westlake comic caper.

VERY FUNNY BOOK. WESTLAKE GETS BETTER WITH EVERY BOOK. JOHN DORTMUNDER WILL ONE DAY WALK AWAY A WINNER.

This book, about career crook John Dortmunder and his attempt to rescue a nun of the silent sisterhood is one of the best Dortmunder novels Mr. Westlake has ever written. The atmosphere is tense, since the book is about rescuing somebody as well as getting off with a lot of money, and having to put up with the nun's fascist father. This book is an enjoyable reading for all.