Monk: The Official Episode Guide

Adrian Monk would be pleased with this book. Everything is indeed in its place. From insights into how the series was created and the character development, through episode summaries of the first four seasons, and guest star listings. The bonus: full page color pictures of the cast (Sharona on the left and Natalie on the right), Each episode ends with a box titled "The Quotable Monk", including a quote from the show, The Weirdest Clue, an Idiosyncrasy of the Week, and The Clue that Breaks the Case. Even Monk couldn't organize things any better! A required resource for the true Monk fan.

Dear Monk Fans: If your really into Monk every week, then this is the manual for you. Ordinarilly, I have to see the episode several times to catch everything. but with this you right on target. Have Fun Many Blessings, Christine Merlotti Coral Springs, Florida

Really enjoyed this - gave it as a gift to a diehard Monk fan and she loved it!

Monk is a great show on the USA Network. Over the course of four seasons, it has built a loyal audience of fans. Every week, we tune in to see how detective Adrian Monk will use his fears and obsessive compulsive disorder to solve a murder, and what fun he'll create for us along the way. This episode guide features all the episodes from the first four seasons of the show. The books starts out discussing the origins of the show and the four-year process it took to bring the show to TV. Then they discuss the characters and actors who bring them to life each week. Each season gets its own chapter and the chapter prolog discusses a little of what was happening behind the scenes that season, such as the move from Canada to Los Angeles for filming beginning in season 2. And, of course, there are the episodes. Each episode starts with a summary of the plot, so if you don't quite remember the details, you can catch up quickly. Then the author's go into behind the scenes stuff. They talk to the writers about what inspired the idea and the cast and crew to find out any unusual challenges that filming that episode created or some funny story that happened while they were filming it. At the end of each episode, they list a favorite quote, the most unusual clue, the clue that breaks the case, and Monk's idiosyncrasy of the week. Along the way, they feature sections on such crewmembers as the writers, costumer, and composer, for example. I love behind the scenes books, and this one is great. I sat down to read a few pages and read it in an afternoon. I learned trivia about the show and what makes this show unique from others currently on the air. Everyone is more then willing to admit when something is sub-par, and I was glad to see they agree with me on what some of the worst episodes of the show are. The issue that has created the most gossip surrounding the show was Bitty Schram's sudden departure in the middle of season three. While it is discussed, the writers do their best to gloss over any potentially inflammatory issues. While this is best, the gossip lover in me wanted more dirt. Still, her departure does create a hole in the book. The authors were given this assignment just as she was leaving the show, so they never had a chance to interview her for their book. This book is a fast, fun read focused on one of the best TV shows currently on TV. I hope the show and the book are successful enough to merit a volume two in a few years.

Terry Erdmann and Paula Block have written an episode guide that rises far above the usual flat writing or fannish drool that personifies this genre of book. MONK: THE OFFICIAL EPISODE GUIDE is detailed and informative and packed with behind-the-scenes anecdotes -- and yet still manages to be every bit as breezy and entertaining as the show it chronicles. I'm a biased reviewer -- I write the MONK books and episodes of the TV series -- but I still learned a lot about the show that I didn't know before. This is now my MONK bible...and it should be yours, too.