Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii

When Natalie receives an all expense paid trip to Hawaii to take part in her friend's wedding, she anticipates a real vacation. However, Mr. Monk takes his medicine and follows her onto the plane. Naturally the bad guys crawl out of the walls and the neighbors begin to be murdered. Even so Natalie finds time to sit in the sun in her bikini. As is typical of Monk on TV, there are comedic and tragic moments both. A really funny scene happens in a tiny restaurant which boasts local cooking that the town's homicide detective takes Monk and Natalie to. Adrian is so creeped out by the local flora and fauna he can barely sit at the table. One of the best story lines is that of a psychic who films his TV shows in the beautiful surroundings at their hotel and Monk's reaction of horror to him. Of course Adrian eventually exposes him as a fraud but you will have to read the book to find out how. A very moving moment occurs when Adrian, realizing that their rooms are bugged, tells Natalie a moving Trudy story. I choked up a little as he opened his heart in this tender moment. A book lends itself to more story lines and subplots than a one hour TV show can. It is very enjoyable to be able to spend a couple of hours with Monk and Natalie. Lee Goldberg has done a fantastic job of nailing down the characters and the books are a wonderful read.

I am really enjoying reading these books about Monk. I've read several other books by Lee Goldberg, including the Diagnosis Murder book where the Doc & his son go to Hawaii. I found it hilarious that they also met the same character that Monk & Natalie meet in Hawaii. (talk about recycling a character - LOL!) Lee Goldberg writes clearly and easily understood stories that completely fit the characters from the TV Shows. It's easier to carry the books with me on the bus to work than carrying the TV with me in order to get my "Monk Fix". I can't wait to buy the next Monk book.

If you enjoy watching the MONK television series on the USA Network, then you owe it to yourself to pick up one or more of these MONK paperbacks by Lee Goldberg! They are excellent! This one, involving Monk and Natalee in Hawaii is exceptionally good, as it's also a very enjoyable visit to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. After reading this one I decided I want to live there. Or at the very least maybe vacation there someday!

Natalie is ready for a vacation. Fortunately, her best friend is getting married in Hawaii and is giving Natalie a paid week in Hawaii if she'll come to be maid of honor. The biggest problem is telling her boss, Adrian Monk. When Natalie actually leaves for her trip, she is shocked to find her boss on the plane with her. Yep, he can't take the thought of a week without an assistant and is crashing her vacation. Even worse, after the wedding, Monk stumbles on a crime scene. Helen Gruber, a fellow guest at the resort, was killed when a coconut fell from a palm tree onto her head. The police are ready to rule it an accident until Monk points out some flaws with the crime scene. Before Natalie knows it, her vacation is over as Monk assists the local police in their search for a killer. After loving the first Monk novel, I was looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint in the least. I found myself chuckling, grinning, and laughing the entire way through the book. Once again, author Lee Goldberg has expertly captured the spirit of the TV show. Since the bulk of the book takes place in Hawaii, series characters Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher are only in a couple scenes. This allows the book to focus more on Natalie and Monk's relationship. Even though Monk is Natalie's employer, she has grown to really care for him. There are several touching scenes that showcase how great their relationship truly is. Additionally, the story gives us a chance to get to know Natalie better with some time spent focused on her back story. Anyone who still hasn't warm up to the character on the TV show will have a different view of her after reading this book. Having previous set one of his Diagnosis: Murder novels in Hawaii, Lee Goldberg decided to reuse some things. Specifically, Detective Kealoha and the resort that is the focus of the action previous had to deal with Dr. Mark Sloan. Mr. Goldberg always creates a great mystery for his characters to solve, and this book is no exception. There are more distractions in the way of other, smaller cases then I would normally like, but this is a minor complaint since it rarely slows the main story down for long. Beside, the asides are just as entertaining as the main story. The ending caught me by surprise, always a plus in my book. If you enjoy the TV show at all, don't pass these books up. You'll thank me later.

The television series character MONK continues with his quirks and crime solving in book form with MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII. Mr. Monk afraid to be alone, when Natalie, his assistant goes to Hawaii to be in her best friend's wedding follows her there. In order to fly he takes drugs that had been prescribed some time back that changes his personality from stiff and Obsessive Compulsive to a wild and crazy guy. A side effect of the medication is that it takes away his powers of deduction, but while on it, he's a regular human being. Of course it wears off, and he is appalled at his own behavior. Swimming in a pool and with other people? Shaking hands with no wipes. Mr. Monk needs hand wipes after shaking hands, must have everything even (number of cans, chairs, room numbers), separates his food, etc. He is germaphobic. He is also a brilliant detective. After the medication wears off, Monk is Monk, seeing clues, liars, and cheaters. As sharp as ever, he sees a crime when the local police write a woman's death off as an accident by falling coconut. Monk is sure she was murdered. A television psychic is filming his show at the same hotel but who is this psychic Dylan Swift? And why does Monk dislike him? Is Mitch (Natalie's deceased husband) giving Dylan messages from the other side for Natalie? Does Trudy (Monk's deceased wife) have a message for Monk? You don't have to be a fan of MONK or to have ever watched an episode on television to enjoy this fast paced, witty, quirky, yet charming suspense. Mr. Goldberg has once again captured the nuances and idiosyncrasies of Mr. Monk and of OC (obsessive compulsive) sufferers. Mr. Goldberg makes us laugh as he takes us on Monk's wild Hawaiian ride solving numerous crimes. Only Monk could find a paradise like Hawaii to be a health risk, and barbaric -- roasting a pig in the ground? Mr. Goldberg gives us just enough clues to let us be MONK if we dare....I read this book in one sitting and loved every moment of it. I felt the tug of heart strings with Mitch and Trudy. I laughed, I was sad, I plotted who done it, but mostly, I loved it! An excellent escape, a great read.