Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse
By Lee Goldberg Thorndike Press Large Print (2007)
ISBN 10: 0-7862-9549-X
ISBN 13: 978-7862-9549-4
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by Angela Evans - July 9, 2007
Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is the newest installment in Lee Goldberg's delightful mystery series that is based upon the Monk TV series created by Andy Breckman. If you've never seen the TV series, suffice it to say that Adrian Monk is the epitome of the defective detective! He's obsessive-compulsive, has numerous phobias, including a morbid fear of germs, and he is eccentric to boot. Surprisingly, it is these very foibles that help to make him such a great detective, and such an interesting character.
In Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse Monk finds himself living with his assistant, Natalie Teeger, while his house is being fumigated. Natalie is the narrator of this story, and her dealings with Monk as are funny as the story itself. In the midst of driving Natalie and her daughter crazy with his incessant demands and nit-picking, Monk becomes involved in a deadly serious investigation - the murder of Sparky, the local firehouse's resident dalmatian. In short order what begins as a rather simple investigation, begun at the behest of Julie, Natalie's daughter, soon grows into something much bigger as a human bodies start to turn up. As expected, it falls upon Detective Monk, aided of course by his friends at the San Francisco Police Department, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer and Lt. Randy Disher, to get to the bottom of it all.
Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is a great, light read. Goldberg ably captures the essence of the TV series, while presenting a catching narrative that delivers a solid mystery infused with large doses of jocularity. Without doubt, this book is a must-read for not only fans of the TV series, but also for anyone looking for a delightful, quick read to relax with on a hot summer day, or a cold one for that matter.
Related Reviews:
Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii, by Lee Goldberg.
When the obsessive detective, Adrian Monk follows his assistant to Hawaii, he soon finds a case to test his investigating skills. A tourist has been killed by a falling coconut. The local cops have declared it an accident, and it falls to Monk to prove that it was really a case of murder. (Large Print)
Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu, by Lee Goldberg.
When the members of the San Francisco Police Department come down with a virulent case of the Blue Flu, Monk is called back into service and faced with solving several heinous crimes while trying to avoid germs, crooked podiums, and other annoyances. (Large Print)
