Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Monk Gets Downsized, July 7, 2009
The city of San Francisco is hosting a conference for cops all across the country. As part of that, Captain Stottlemeyer and Monk have been asked to speak about their unique working relationship. But the panel is moderated by Paul Banning, a dirty cop that Stottlemeyer had forced out of the SFPD years before.
By the time the panel is over, Stottlemeyer looks like an idiot who relies on Monk for everything. So Natalie assumes it is payback when Monk finds out the next day that his consulting services have been terminated even though the official explanation is budget cuts. Monk is determined to continue helping out the department whether he gets paid or not. Natalie, on the other hand, is concerned about money. Will someone else hire Monk? What about the string of murders occurring in San Francisco?
This is a bit of a different Monk novel. Yes, there are murders and a mystery or two, but they don't really get rolling until the second half. Instead, we get some very important set up and conflict in the first half. I was wondering where it was all leading but was absolutely entertained along the way. Once the mysteries really kick in, things get even better.
The characters are as strong as ever. Natalie gets her own character arc here, and I really like how it evolved. The rest of the TV cast is strong as usual. What really stood out to me were several new characters created for this book. I really liked them and would love to see at least one of them show up again in future books.
Fans of the character on the screen or the page need not fear. This is Monk at his obsessive best.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this. You'll thank me later., July 18, 2009
Once again, poor Mr. Monk is beset by people who don't care enough about balance and neatness, and poor Natalie is about to learn that her employer is perfectly willing to work for the city of San Francisco even though the city of San Francisco is not about to pay him anymore. With terrible repercussions for her bank balance. Not that Mr. Monk thinks that's a problem.
Goldberg's Mr. Monk is pitch perfect, and by the last half of the book Goldberg has Monk solve knotty problems so difficult it appears there is no solution. And all the while, he fusses and frets and drives everyone else around him up the wall with his irritating habits.
Goldberg's books about Monk are simply wonderful. Always entertaining, he puts Monk into situations that make you laugh out loud. I hope he plans to continue to write Monk novels even after the series comes to an end this year.
Please, Mr. Goldberg! Funny novels are few and far between and I would miss these books.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gets funnier with each book..., March 14, 2010
The San Francisco Police Department doesn't have the budget to keep hiring Monk so he must find another job in this story. Of course, he can't keep his nose out of their business and figures out who "dun" it and calls in tips to the hotline using the name Adrian Jones, Adrian Smith. (Like this would really fool them!)
He does find a new job with a hotshot company and starts solving old cases and clears out cases that have been sitting around for years unsolvable. Then Stottlemeyer gets arrested for killing a dirty cop, and Monk is on his case.
I love these books and I'm so glad they are still being released since we no longer have the show to watch. Natalie is hilarious as the storyteller in them. Can you imagine if Monk was the storyteller (they would be boring probably), so I'm glad the author chose Natalie to tell the story instead. She does something in this book that had me cracking up. She wanted to get rid of Monk for awhile so she dumps him off at Dr. Bell's office (Monk says he needs more therapy and even though he doesn't have an appointment, he goes in for 10 minutes at a time in between everyone elses.) Dr. Bell is not pleased of course. Meanwhile Natalie heads home, eats junk food and just relaxes on the couch. Kind of like a mother after she dumps her kiddies off at Granny's. The cases in these books are not the cases that were in the shows.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
