I was really sad, 'cause the bad guy was cute, and he seemed so nice, except for the killing thing. ( )

This book takes place a few months after the final episode of the Monk TV series and is written from Natalie's perspective. Monk investigates a series of murders and meets a group of crime scene cleaners, who he views as kindred spirits, while Natalie feels compelled to learn more about the life and death of a man both Monk and Stottlemeyer say died of natural causes.

The used bookstore I bought this from had a bunch of Mr. Monk mysteries, and, if I remember right, I pretty much grabbed this one at random. I didn't realize it was the twelfth book in the series, and the second book set after the series finale. I'm extremely behind on the series - I can't remember exactly when I stopped watching, but I know I definitely haven't seen any of the episodes in the last two or three seasons.

Although I googled a few characters I was unfamiliar with (Monk's new psychiatrist, Lieutenant Devlin), I didn't feel like the gap in my Monk viewing hurt my reading experience much. I do think it helped that I started re-watching Season 4 of the TV series soon after starting the book. It got me in the right mood and gave me a reminder of what everyone looked like and how they tended to behave. I had somehow forgotten how self-centered and casually awful Monk could be. Yeesh. I'm glad the TV series reminded me of that before I got to the bit in the book where Monk crashed a group therapy session because he couldn't handle his brother suddenly having a sex life.

Parts of this book were perfect. The scene with Monk, Stottlemeyer, and the badly parked police cars was great, and I loved Monk's interactions with the crime scene cleaners. I'm actually kind of surprised that crime scene cleaning never came up in the show at all. Maybe too gross or gory to have on-screen?

Unfortunately, the book's various mysteries didn't intrigue me much. I figured out part of what was going on with Monk's murders well before it was revealed. The way Devlin and Natalie set their part up was interesting, at least, but I had a tough time believing that Monk would quietly allow himself to be involved, even if only a little.

Natalie's investigation into Jack Griffin's death bored me and, after a certain point, struck me as being a terrible idea. Although I appreciated her insights into the way Monk's way of doing things differed from regular detective work, it didn't make her painstaking efforts to track down where Jack Griffin's old photo might have been taken any less tedious. Ambrose and his new girlfriend/assistant Yuki got a few mentions, as they helped Natalie with her research, and Natalie spent some time evaluating her life and the sort of future she might have if she wasn't Monk's assistant. It wasn't necessarily bad, but I don't know that it was worth the amount of pages it took up.

I'm enjoying getting back into the TV series and will probably continue working my way through the seasons, assuming it stays on Amazon Prime long enough. I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to read more books from this series. It did feel, at times, like reading an episode of the show, so it had that going for it.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

A better written book than some of the others. Better plot and the addition of Ambrose's 'assistant' and the new character to replace Randy Disher was welcomed; because he was a goof and its one less voice in my head from the series. ( )

With help from Monk's agoraphobic brother, his loyal assistant Natalie tackles her own investigation while Adrian Monk tracks a second-hand couch that seems tied to a series of murders. Following a bloody trail, Natalie and Monk soon end up face-to-face with the most ruthless killer they've ever encountered.

It is good to see Natalie coming out from Monk's shadow and shining in her own right.
She has really grown over the course of the stories. ( )

While investigating a death in a cheap motel, our favorite obsessive-compulsive detective becomes enamored with the crime scene cleanup crew and volunteers to assist them on their next job. Monk does not need to wait long as a series of bizarre murders begins, seemingly centered around a thrift store couch.

Meanwhile, Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, decides to put her own investigative skills to the test as she delves into the identity and background of the John Doe from the motel, who died of natural causes but was in possession of fake ID and a photo of a woman and little girl. As if all of that isn’t enough, Monk decides to play matchmaker and setup a date between Natalie and Jerry Yermo, the team leader of the crime scene cleanup crew.

While investigating the serial killings, Monk concludes that it is not the couch, but items hidden within it that are the motive behind the murders. Those items lead Monk to a disappointing conclusion.

I enjoy all of Lee Goldberg’s MONK novels and this was no exception. However, I felt that Monk’s theory as to the identity of the murderers was arrived at by an astounding leap of logic that had only a modicum of supporting evidence. Nevertheless, Goldberg once again perfectly captures these characters and maintains a perfect pace. ( )