Mr. Monk on the Road

Mr. Monk on the Road

by Lee Goldberg

After finally achieving a relaxed clarity he hasn't known since the death of his wife, Mr. Monk decides it is time for his brother to address his agoraphobia. After putting sleeping pills in his birthday cake, Mr. Monk and his assistant, Natalie, move Ambrose into an RV and set out on a tour of California. Of course, it wouldn't be a vacation if Mr. Monk doesn't assist in a few homicides along the way. But will his brother appreciate his efforts or is it too much for him to handle?

Having been raised by someone who owns more Lysol wipes than Mr. Monk, I have always been a fan of the television show and was thrilled to learn about this book series. The first chapter of this book is mostly background information, which I didn't mind too much because it reminded me of all the major characters, since I haven't seen the show in over a decade. (Actually, it made me question whether I even watched the final season. I may need to go binge-watch the entire series now.)

While I enjoyed the story, I was a little disappointed in the actual mystery in this book. I liked watching Monk solve the little murders he encountered, but there wasn't much room for me to guess the whodunit. That said, I did have a few suspicions and, while my suspect was ultimately innocent, I was pleased to see I was on the right track.

I liked that the author was one of the writers on the show (along with several other shows I love), so he was familiar with the characters. The story felt like I was watching an episode of the show. I look forward to reading more in this series. Overall, I would rate this story four quills and place it on my middle shelf.