"Sharona and I had this erotic tension between us," Disher said standing in the doorway. "A hot 'will they/won't they' thing."

"More like a 'will never happen' thing," Stottlemeyer said.

"It was palpable," Disher said.

An interesting sidenote: Ian Ludlow, a novelist, Monk's L.A. counterpart and Disher's idol (he refers to him as "the Tolstoy of the mean streets") was also Lee Goldberg's early pen name when he was writing classics like .357 Vigilante. I think knowing that gives the reader a greater insight... into what I'm not sure.

My favorite scene? Sharona and Natalie interrogating the woman with the, shall we say, unusual brooch. Hysterical.

It's a good thing it's in hardback. It will stand up better to all the re-reading.

The Monk books just keep getting better. Better than the TV series? I won’t fully commit to that, but the novels have what the show sometimes isn't even aiming for: well executed fair play whodunit mystery plots. The complex story, abundance of colorful characters and high body count in Blue Flu may demand a little more concentration than the show or even the previous two books. It’s too delightfully long and complex for an episode, but trimmed down it would make a great entry in the series, just as the first novel (Mr. Monk and the Firehouse) did when it was adapted for the fifth season episode “Mr. Monk Can’t See a Thing.”

“He’s afraid of milk,” Porter said to Sparrow.

“You are?” she said, momentarily showing interest in something besides looking uninterested. “Why?”

“It’s a bodily fluid in a glass that some twisted person intends to drink.” Monk cringed just thinking about it. “It’s unnatural.”

Monk himself is a little more chatty here and, I think, a little less self aware than the TV version. It may be mostly Natalie’s perspective that makes him seem a little more self-centered, demanding and stubborn. Those are all traits he has in the show, but they’re not softened as much without Tony Shalhoub’s performance and a third person perspective. On the other hand as Acting Captain we get to see a few new facets of the Monk character, some genuinely hilarious interactions with his new subordinates and a little more exploration of his friendship with Stottlemeyer.

Once again Disher gets short shrift, but that's the way it goes in the series as well, so no big surprise. He wriggles into a few scenes, but no major heroics or imaginary girlfriends or dental appointments. He isn’t actually there to hear it, but there is a very nice bit about him from Stottlemeyer: “The cases he solves aren’t unusual, high-profile, or particularly colorful. But, by God, he closes them.”

A cast of colorful guest characters, the reinstated detectives and their companions, fill out the rest of the book.

Det. Cindy Chow is a paranoid schizophrenic accompanied by her psychiatric nurse doing a doctoral thesis on the commonality of certain facets of complex, recurring conspiratorial delusions which form an almost Jungian shared unconscious.... you get the idea. He doesn’t seem to be helping her much:

“You can drop the charade,” Chow said. “I know you both work for them.”

“Them?” Monk said.

“The extraterrestrials occupying the shadow government,” she said.

“I was born to take scum off the street”

“So was I,” Monk said. “Which cleanser do you prefer?”

Wyatt opened his jacket to show Monk the gigantic gun in his gigantic holster. “Three fifty seven Magnum. You?”

“Simple Green,” Monk said.

Frank’s memory isn’t what it used to be.

“What day is it?” Porter asked.
“Sunday,” Sparrow said.
“That’s good to know,” Porter said. “What year?”
“2007,” Sparrow said.
“No really,” Porter said. “What year?”
“2007,” Sparrow said.
“That’s not possible," Porter said. “I’ll be dead by then and there will be Holiday Inns on the moon.”

Toss in a few murderers and half dozen or so murder victims for a super fun concoction.

In fact the whole book was cool, exciting, funny and the perfect remedy for the fan who has two more weeks before Monk episodes resume on USA.

Buy it at Amazon!

By Lee Goldberg
Penguin/Putnam/NAL
304 Pages
ISBN 0451220137
Price: $6.99
Release Date: Janurary 2nd, 2007

Sung to the tune of the theme from Hawaii Five-0 —
If you get in trouble, call the Monk, that's me.
If you find a dead body, I'm the guy to see-eee
Stop! In the name of the law.
Stop! Murder sticks in my craw.
I'll find the killer. Call the Monk that's me....

Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii is filled with inspired goofiness, rich characterizations, an intricate mystery and a lot of fun. You probably won't want to put it down until it's over and that's way too soon.

Unwilling to stay home alone, Monk tags along on Natalie's vacation, with a little help from Dr. Kroger's magic "Dioxynl" pills, which make the long flight tolerable for Monk and intolerable for Natalie.

I thought the flight would never end.

(Natalie doesn't realize how lucky she is that no one was actually murdered on the plane.)

Once the effects of the medication have worn off Monk discovers that Hawaii is not his idea of paradise and Natalie learns that a vacation with Monk is no vacation. Quicker than you can say Prince of Darkness, Monk spoils a wedding and a fellow hotel guest falls victim to the Monk curse. ("Stop calling me the Prince of Darkness. That's how rumors get started.") Even though the local police have concluded she was accidentally killed by a falling coconut, Monk knows she was murdered. All the clues and a TV psychic point to her philandering young husband, but Monk realizes there's more to it.

Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii is the second Monk novel by Lee Goldberg. This one is also told from the perspective of Monk's assistant Natalie Teeger. In fact the author has settled so comfortably into her voice you almost expect to see her name on the cover. This is the kinder, gentler Natalie she's grown to be on the show. This is the Natalie I'd like to spend more time with: funny, strong, loving and vulnerable.

In Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse having the story told from her viewpoint created a bit of a barrier between Monk and the reader, which required some adjustment from long time Monk fans. However, in this novel, by removing them from their natural habitat we get a deeper exploration of their relationship and a better understanding of Adrian Monk through Natalie's eyes.

The change of scenery also means that the novel is virtually SFPD free. On Kauai, the character of Lt. Ben Kealoha fills the gap left by Stottlemeyer and Disher. This isn't the first time Lt. Kealoha has dealt with a crazy haole [foreigner]. He was introduced in the Diagnosis Murder novel The Death Merchant by Lee Goldberg, where Dr. Mark Sloan takes a Hawaiian vacation with similarly predictable results.

"Almost too great," Monk said. "I never trust people with great alibis. Or people who drink soda directly from the can. Or people who pierce any part of their bodies."

"I have pierced ears," I said.

"So do I," Kealoha said. ""Nipples, too"

I'd definitely like to know more about Kealoha. Maybe he can visit Monk in San Francisco one day.

On my one and only visit to Hawaii the luau was the only disappointing part. It rained, so we had it indoors. On the other hand, Monk and Natalie's luau absolutely rocked, but I won't spoil it for you by describing the entree.

This book marks the first time that Summit NJ has been immortalized in literature. At least I'm betting it's the first time. The mention in the book is a nod to the Monk writing staff who toil in Summit rather than in Los Angeles where most television writers are found. Reportedly they have a lot more fun.

It's a solid mystery and I found the solution particularly satisfying. No doubt fans will catch a few errors, but I didn't notice any.... except that Monk and Natalie are flying out of LAX and Monk's still eating cereal (but I didn't notice any mention of milk: he could be eating it dry.) By and large though, it's very consistent with the series and yet charmingly enhanced by Natalie's voice.

Lee Goldberg once said,"I want to capture the feel of the series, but also I want these books to stand on their own. They’re original novels. They’re not based on episodes. So I want them to almost read as if they’re the books the TV series is based on." I think that's what he's achieved with Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii.

Each Monk season consists of only sixteen episodes a year, which allows the writers and cast to deliver consistent quality, but a loyal fan is left wanting more. A couple of Monk novels a year sure helps. I'm not sure how that equation will work if they keep making episodes based on the novels (as with the episode Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing based on Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse.) However, I'm pretty sure they can't afford to film in Hawaii.

The novel ends with an excerpt from Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu which will be released early next year. Looks like San Francisco has a new fictional Mayor in Blue Flu and he shares the last name of a favorite actor of mine, Smitrovich. Bill Smitrovich played Inspector Cramer in A&E's Nero Wolfe, for which Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin wrote. Coincidence? I'm thinking, not.

"Open your eyes, woman. There are lizards on the wall. This is a full-wipe situation." — Adrian Monk

By Lee Goldberg
Penguin/Putnam/NAL
294 Pages
ISBN 0451219007
Price: $6.99
Release Date: July 1, 2006

Monk Fun Page Review: Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse

Most insanely devoted Monk fans, and some of the more casual viewers, will approach Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse with a little trepidation. How can this new medium hope to capture the essence of Monk the series and Monk the character? The charm and success of both seem inextricably tied to the virtuoso (Emmy, SAG, Golden Globe winning) performance of the show's producer and star Tony Shalhoub. Author Lee Goldberg's answer to that is to dedicate the book To Tony Shalhoub, the one and only Monk and to take a step back from the title character. Instead he tells the story from the point of view of Adrian Monk's assistant, Natalie Teeger and it turns out Natalie's head is a nice place to be.

In this novel, the first of at least three, Monk's apartment is being fumigated so he moves in with Natalie and her 12-year-old daughter Julie for a few days. Julie's got a ready made mystery for their houseguest: Sparky the firehouse dog has been murdered. Monk agrees to take the case, but the Dalmatian's demise is just the tip of the garbage heap. The mysteries pile up quickly, but Monk eventually sorts them all out. The Natalie persona is a comfortable host in the tradition of Dr. Watson and Archie Goodwin. Like her literary predecessors, she's sufficiently mystified by the puzzles Monk solves; she tackles the romantic subplot with warmth and humor; and she does most of the heavy lifting. Her encounter with the mugger is inspirational. The humor throughout is very Monk, just a little off center and never too jokey: "He's a dog, she's a dog, I think that's all that really matters to dogs," I said. "That's why they call them dogs." The characterizations of Natalie, Captain Stottlemeyer and Julie are all spot on. Lt. Disher only shines briefly, but that's how it usually is for him on the series as well. All the new characters are very vivid. So much so that it's almost as easy to visualize them as the characters we already know. One of my favorites is the Fire Chief, Captain Mantooth. Unless I'm wrong, which I don't think I am, that's a nod to Firefighter/Paramedic Johnny Gage, played by Randy Mantooth on the classic TV series Emergency. I hope when and if the novel becomes an episode that Randy's available for the part. Pop culture references abound and that's part of what makes the book just plain fun to read. The plotting is well done, intricate and exciting, but the novel also has the one element that defines the series, heart. It's what makes the character of Adrian Monk admirable instead of laughable and what makes all the relationships ring true. Early on Natalie and Stottlemeyer have a brief conversation: "How are you holding up with Monk as a houseguest," Stottlemeyer asked me. "It's only been a few hours." "A few hours with Monk can seem like decades," he said. He took a pen from his pocket, scrawled something on the back of a business card and handed it to me. "This is my home number. If you need a break, give me a call. I can take him out to the car wash." "Thank you, Captain," I said. "That's very nice of you." "You and I are the only ones who take care of him. We have to back each other up." "We're sort of like partners." "Sort of," Stottlemeyer said. "He likes the car wash?" "Loves it," Stottlemeyer said. Perfect. From that point on I didn't put the book down. I cheered at the ending of the main mystery and loved the final chapter with the revelation of a secondary mystery. Monk fans will no doubt spot a few continuity errors. Most noticably, as revealed in the series, Monk doesn't drink milk and although he never actually gets around to it here, it's discussed as if he does. I was also suprised that Monk was allergic to cats. In "Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny" it was established that Disher was allergic to cats, but there was no indication that Monk was and in that particular episode he's exposed to the same cat that Disher is. As a result of a surprising development on the show, Natalie goes from saying she pushes a cart around Wal-Mart in the beginning of the novel to admitting she grew up with money and it feels like a bit of a u-turn even if it was unavoidable. Also at the beginning some readers may already identify more strongly with Monk than Natalie does, but the bond between the characters seems to get stronger as the plot progresses. We finally get a deeper look at Monk from Natalie's perspective when he confides in her about what drives him: "There's nothing magical or spiritual about it. I'm not skilled enough yet to figure out who murdered my wife. If I solve enough cases, maybe someday I will be." Even with a couple of minor flaws that won't get by most Monk fans, Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is just what Monk should be. Goldberg has a clever, breezy style that matches the tone of the series. Even the hard to please devoted fans of the TV series shouldn't be disappointed and with only sixteen episodes a year supplemental Monk is a blessing. Author Lee Goldberg is the mystery writing's answer to Pierce Brosnan. Brash, yet sensitive; jaded, yet optimistic, he's toiled in the Hollywood trenches for decades as a screenwriter and producer on such cultured fare as Diagnosis Murder, Nero Wolfe, Deadly Games, Flipper, Baywatch and, of course, not just one, but two episodes of Monk. He has a couple of Edgar Award Nominations and a notorious blog. He doesn't brag about it, but he writes like a girl: "My wife is amazed I was able to capture a woman's voice, too" admits Goldberg. "If I understand women so well, she says, why don't I understand her!" (Probably the same reason Adrian Monk can't solve his wife's murder: he's just too close to it.) Lee is also the man behind the woman for Natalie's blogs on the USA Network Monk Site. Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse. New York: Signet, 2006. 292 pages. $6.99

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