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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Monk Goes Underground, December 2, 2008
This review is from: Mr. Monk is Miserable (Hardcover)
Following on immediately from where the previous `Monk' novel ( Mr. Monk Goes to Germany (Mr. Monk)) left off, we join ace detective Adrian Monk and his assistant (and chronicler of their escapades), Natalie Teeger on another corpse-laden yarn. Natalie has insisted that following their hair-raising experiences in Germany, a short vacation in Paris is called for. But, as all `Monk' fans know, wherever the obsessive compulsive detective goes, murder is sure to follow.
The title of this novel is a little misleading; Monk is not much more miserable here than he is in his usual San Franciscan habitat. In fact, at times, he is quite happy as he fits his detective work in between bouts of cleaning the Parisian streets thanks to a sanitation worker "generously" presenting him with the keys to a motorized sidewalk sweeper.
In an unusual development for this series, there are some light political overtones implied when Monk comes into contact with a group of people calling themselves Freegans: people who shun the consumer-driven lifestyle, preferring instead to live a kind of hand-to-mouth existence on scavenged food or second hand goods. Monk is, naturally, appalled at such debased thinking.
As with the `Germany' novel, the police chief in Paris bears some resemblance to Stottlemeyer, and he has his own bungling version of Disher in tow. Two books in a row? This is a joke that's wearing a little thin, I thought. But then there's a great punchline courtesy of The Randy Disher Experience . . .
I suppose it would be a little too predictable to have called this novel `Mr. Monk Goes to France' given the title that precedes this one. Of the seven `Monk' novels so far published, three of them take him out of his usual stomping ground (the other being Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii (Mr. Monk)) and, in my view, this is too many trips in too short a time. The novels set nearer to home-base work the best. Having said that, this novel is still well worth a read if you're a fan of the television show or the previous novels. If you haven't yet read any of the novels, I'd recommend reading them in order because events from each novel are frequently referred to in subsequent stories. Additionally, many of the television episodes are mentioned. More importantly, all the novels are fun reads with some neat comedy moments to complement the clever clue solving.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Monk Visits France, December 2, 2008
This review is from: Mr. Monk is Miserable (Hardcover)
Natalie is ready for a vacation. Since she and Monk are already in Germany, she blackmails Monk into paying for them to visit Paris. She is looking for a few days of relaxation, which means she wants no murder investigation.
When they arrive, Monk surprises her by asking to tour the sewer system. Later that day, she insists they head to the catacombs. That was her mistake. See, in the middle of a pile of bones, Monk spots a skull that is only a few months old. Worse yet, the person was murdered. Despite Natalie's insistence that they are on vacation, Monk begins to work on the case. Who was the victim? Why was he buried in the catacombs? And will Natalie ever get a real vacation?
This book picks up moments after the last novel in the series ended. That means two things. One, it helps to have read that book first. Secondly, for those keeping track of TV chronology, this book is set before the end of the sixth season.
With that warning out of the way, we've got another fun case for Monk to solve. The mystery started slowly, with parts of the first half seeming a bit like a travel guide. But once Monk finds the skull, things begin to pick up. Since I hadn't read the jacket flap, there were several nice twists to the story I hadn't expected. The characters from the series are spot on as always, and the new characters are equally real and charming. Natalie is an interesting case here. I was at once frustrated and sympathetic to her at the same time.
And I can't leave out the humor. This book had me rolling multiple times as I read it. There are some great bits in the first quarter. A sub plot introduced in the second half was wonderful. Fans of the TV series will especially love the tie in there.
These series of novels continue to be a great companion to the TV series. If you haven't read one, pick up one today. You'll thank me later.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
it's a Monk book, June 24, 2009
While not a big fan of books that go on about French places I have never been, the Monk books are more about characters. Let's face it, no better character than Monk. Well, Micheal Wesson of Burn Notice and Gus of Psych are up there. The book is true to the characters and even in France, the captain and randy Disher make an appearance. I am just a little annoyed that the written has clones copies of Stottlemyer and Disher in every police department in the world. Wouldn't it make sense to introduce different characters to see how Monk interacts? All in all a good read.
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