Mr. Monk is Miserable
by Lee Goldberg
Published by Obsidian
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Reviewed by Sharon Broom
The Monk mystery series is based on the popular USA Network television series created by Andy Breckman. Lee Goldberg is a novelist who also writes and produces for television. Besides writing for the “Monk” television series, he has also written for “Diagnosis Murder.”
Adrian Monk hates germs, traveling and just about everything else. Following the murder of his wife and in conjunction with his obsessive compulsive behaviors, Monk left the San Francisco Police Department and currently contracts with them to solve murders. And no one solves murders like Adrian Monk.
Monk decides to accompany his assistant Natalie (much to her surprise) to France. He will do his best not to ruin this trip (since he’s ruined so many with his obsessive ways and constant involvement in murders). While in France, Monk decides he’s going to visit the Paris sewers. His interest is primarily because the sewer system in Paris is built in a way that allows the city to be quite sanitary. And Monk likes that aspect of the sewers. He also can wear a haz-maz suit and will avoid germs.
The trip to the sewers is not what Monk or Natalie thought it would be. It’s like another world there and in that world are bones and old skulls. But one skull is not all that old. It seems Monk has stumbled on another murder. Enter Chief Inspector Le Roux who provides an interesting character. Of course his old friend Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher come to Paris to help him. The murder suspects are interesting and the path to solving the murder will definitely keep Monk busy, be dangerous and of course he will be miserable. Oh, and lest you think Monk avoids his psychiatrist, Dr. Kroger in this book, think again.
I don’t usually enjoy television or movie tie-in books. But Goldberg’s Monk is a fun and at times funny romp into the strange world of an obsessive compulsive police consultant. If you can’t get enough of the television series (the number of episodes each year is not many) then you might want to augment your fix and read the novels.
Armchair Interviews says: A fun read.
Author’s Web site: http://www.LeeGoldberg.com