Mr. Monk on the Road

I started reading the series in the wrong order but the books are so great I hated the thought of waiting several months for the next one to come out. So, I bought this one to see if it wasn't too redundant in the basic concept of all that is Mr. Monk. It was not...I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't put it down! I laughed out loud at the two Monk brothers as they tried to cope with life in a RV while being such perfectionists. I also annoyed my family by insisting that they listen to some of the funniest parts. If you loved the show, you will love the books. If you haven't seen the show, you will love the books! I have already preordered the next book and have bought another "older" one to keep my Mr. Monk addiction going.

Mr. Monk on the Road, the 11th book in Lee Goldberg's series, takes place shortly after the events of the final episode of Monk the TV show. Big changes had occurred on the series, it turns out, while I wasn't watching, and Goldberg sums them up rather briskly in his first chapter (after a warning to readers about the upcoming spoilers): the biggest change--and I won't spoil anything here--is that Monk finally solved the mystery of his wife Trudy's murder, the one crime he had never been able to figure out. The solution hasn't cured Monk's laundry list of phobias, but it has made him feel better, as if the world is a little less out of balance than it was. So it is with a relatively jaunty step that he visits his agoraphobic brother Ambrose one morning, accompanied as ever by his assistant--and the narrator of the Monk books--Natalie Teeger. The visit prompts Monk to conjure up an unusual present for Ambrose's upcoming birthday, one that could either change Ambrose's life forever and for the better or land Monk in jail for kidnapping.

As the book's title suggests, much of the action of this one takes place on the road, as the Monks and Natalie explore the world south of San Francisco: Santa Cruz, Solvang, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon. Along the way, of course, they encounter numerous offenses against the natural order of things--such as decades' worth of chewing gum stuck to an alley wall in San Luis Obispo--as well as a string of corpses: it wouldn't be a holiday for Monk without a murder or two to solve.

The mysteries Monk solves on the road seemed a little far-fetched to me, so that was a negative. On the other hand, I liked very much how he went about solving them, his brain working on the problems in the background without his even realizing it. We're surprised then, along with Natalie, when Monk rolls his shoulders toward the end of the book in a signature move that indicates he's solved a murder. But Goldberg's books aren't only about the crimes. More important are the series's wonderful characters. The development of Monk and Natalie's relationship over the series makes for many sweet moments, but in this outing the focus is on Ambrose's interaction with Monk and Natalie and with the world at large. As usual in the series, there is some very funny dialogue. Usually this is centered on Monk's abhorrence of all things unsanitary, but Ambrose's social ineptitude also makes for some funny lines.

I really enjoyed this one and the series as a whole, and I'm hoping the books never stop coming.

-- Debra Hamel

Compared to many of the others in this wonderful series this novel was rather weak. Decent plot twist at the end but overall not an inspired Monk story.

Some humorous moments intermingled with some very touching moments, but not the best story of the series. Still worth a read nevertheless.

Was fun, but needed more action and plot. Seemed repetitive in story line, but still a lot of Monk fans type of fun.

This Mr. Monk book was great. I would recommend it to anyone who gets a kick out of Mr. Monk.
Keep the books coming. I can't get enough of them.

I'm addicted to Monk, felt deprived if I missed a show, but I'd not read the books, so I got a new high from the reading. I'm borderline OCD, so I identified with Monk; the shows held me from beginning to end. (I'm now watching re-runs when I can find them.) Therefore, having the books available, very well-written, is an additional pleasure for me.

spoiler: dont read if u dont know who killed trudy

natalie, monk, & ambrose hit the road in an RV to show ambrose highlights of southern CA, nevada, and arizona
i’ve read 3 of the monk books (the first 2 and this one), and this was the best. funny, combining the finest elements of the monk shows.

easy reading to unwind and relax

A1