9 member(s) found this review helpful.
I am a devoted fan of the Monk TV series; I've bought the whole-season DVDs and the family watches them frequently. The character and show are great fun.
So how good is a book going to be? I was skeptical at first. There are a couple of questions you might have in your mind. One would be: Is this a novelization of one of the TV episodes? Answer: No. It's an independent story that has not been on TV. Hmmm. Next question: How good can a novel about a TV character be? Answer: Quite good. Monk is a unique character and his foibles and brilliance come across in print nearly as well as they do on screen. I suppose you would have needed to see the show on TV before the books make a lot of sense to you, but if you like the TV show, you'll like the books.
One reason is that the author, Lee Goldberg, is an accomplished TV scriptwriter as well as a novelist. Lee has written a number of the TV scripts that have been produced. He knows the characters, and he knows how the stories are supposed to flow.
So this is book comes highly recommended by me and by my wife, who also read it right after I did. (It also reads very quickly.) It really helps to get a fresh dose of Mr. Monk in long dry spell between new episodes on TV.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
The second novel based on the tv series. I thought the first attempt was rather depressing, but this one captures the sadness of Monk's issues in a much more amusing way, allowing you to laugh with Natalie while feeling his pain. Also, the story is a bit more complex than the first book, and in that way, this is a much better read.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
great book better than the series so funny i laughed out loud. dont leave monk with a file of crimes he will solve them all. laughing all the way to hawaii and back

Laron C. (
icepigs) wrote on 12/13/2006...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Enjoyable read. Not as good as the TV show, but fun, none-the-less. Pretty easy reading, too.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was an enjoyable, quick read. Monk is one of my favorite shows and I was pleased that the book follows the television character very closely. If you like the show, you'll like the book.

Denise G. (
dotsrfun) wrote on 5/23/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A fan of the series, I could easily imagine his expressions and fell right into the story.
From the back cover:
Some people think Hawaii is paradise. But Monk knows that danger - like dirt - lurks everywhere. Look at Helen Gruber, the rich tourist who took a fatal blow from a coconut. The police say it fell from a tree, but Monk suspects otherwise. His assistant, Natalie, isn't exactly thrilled about Monk's latest investigation. It was bad enough that Monk followed her on vacation, and now it looks like the vacation is over.
Smooth talking TV psychic Dylan Swift is on the island and claims to have a message from beyond - from Helen Gruber. Monk has his doubts about Swift's credibility. But finding the killer and proving Swift a fraud - all while coping with geckos and the horror of unsynchronized ceiling fans - may prove a tough coconut to crack........

Mary L. (
MaryL) wrote on 2/25/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
If you love Monk, you will love this book. The characters are true to form.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Even though I figured it out by page 100, it was still a very enjoyable read. You can't go wrong with Monk!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
First monk book I read.It is charming and a clever story.

Virginia S. (
ckamomtx) wrote on 8/2/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fantastic! Just like the series on TV.