Mr. Monk in Outer Space

Mr. Monk is an obsessive-compulsive - and also a great detective who consults for the San Francisco Police Department. They only call him in for the really tough cases, like the murder of Conrad Lorber, CEO of fast-food giant Burgerville. And then the murder of Conrad Stipe, creator of the cult television hit Beyond Earth. But the corpses don't stop piling up there. Mr. Monk's incredible skill is needed! The story is told by Natalie, Adrian Monk's long suffering assistant. A single mother with a 12 year old daughter, Monk seems to be Natalie's second parental responsibility. Monk has enough quirks, neuroses and phobias to get his own chapter, if not volume, in the DSM. But his unique skills are needed to solve all these murders which have an oddness of their own. Lorber, for example . . . well, I don't want spoil it for you. So I won't tell you much about Conrad Stipe's murderer except that he has an odd nose and ears. Though Monk can't make it through a revolving door, won't go to odd-numbered floors, counts the parking meters on streets, is afraid of elevators and so much more, his powers of deduction are so great, that solving the most baffling of murders is child's play for him. But this time, he needs not only Natalie's help, but that of his brother as well. Ambrose Monk is an agoraphobic (panic disorder in today's lexicon) who hasn't left his house in years. But Ambrose is a successful writer of all manner of things like installation manuals. He is also the author of the authoritative history of Beyond Earth and understands Drach, the entirely made up language of one of Beyond Earth's characters. (If you get the impression that Beyond Earth is a send up of Star Trek, you're absolutely right - and it is very funny.) Adrian Monk, for once, has to acknowledge his brother's worth, which is mildly heartwarming. All in all, Mr. Monk solves a bunch of murders in his inimitable way and everyone lives neurotically forever after. Lee Goldberg has turned out another very humorous installment of the Mr. Monk saga. Jerry

Just like the other Monk books, this one had me laughing out loud and making everyone around me jealous.

Mr. Monk in Outer Space is another great mystery in the same tradition as the first books. All of the characters are there from the show. I enjoy these books and look forward to each one as it is released. Next? Mr. Monk goes to Germany!

A small carpet stain in his apartment drives Monk to seek refuge at his brother Ambrose's house. This reunion with his brother has a beneficial side-effect: when a murder connected with cult television show `Beyond Earth' is committed, Monk discovers that Ambrose is a renowned expert on the show. Having a sci-fi show as one of the backdrops to this novel gives the author plenty of scope for comedy. There's a wonderful scene at a `Beyond Earth' convention involving some priceless packets of thirty-year-old breakfast cereal. Monk also recoils at the sight of the attendees in their `Beyond Earth' regalia, particularly those dressed as Mr Snork, one of the show's lead characters complete with trunk-like snoot. As ever, Monk's assistant and friend Natalie Teeger chronicles this adventure; the events are told in the first person from her point of view in easy-going, humorous prose. We share her exasperation at Monk's obsessiveness while at the same time marveling at his uniqueness. One thing that has been missing from some of the previous novels in the series has been the lack of Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher in the stories. This is not the case with `Mr Monk in Outer Space', and, in my opinion, their presence in this story adds to the feeling that this could, and perhaps, should be turned into a television episode. Lee Goldberg has really done the business with this latest Monk novel. Funny, clever and thoroughly compelling, this is the best in the series so far. Mind you, I think I might have said that about all the Monk novels.

I don't care whether or not you ever saw the show--Lee Goldberg's murder mystery series based on Monk are simply great. I can only think of a handful of mystery writers who can blend wit with a decent mystery. But Lee Goldberg certainly can. This time, Monk is pulled in to investigate a murder at a "Beyond Earth" convention, a TV show that was lasted only a few seasons many decades ago. Mr. Monk is horrified by a bowl of mixed nuts, cars parked without any thought of equal spacing between, and the Beyond Earth groupies. Goldberg also draws smiles for his critique of current TV. A producer wants to remake the "Mr Monk" TV show into "something a lot better--a detective who is a sex addict... Monk's eyes widened in horror... "And his assistant is a stripper. We're going to Showtime with it...It fits right in with their shows about the dope-dealing mother, the Vancouver lesbians, the bigamist, and the cop who is a serial killer" (p 102). Really cute and fun.