Blog Tour: Mr. Monk Helps Himself

 Thank you to Teddy for organizing this blog tour!

Mr Monk Helps Himself by Hy Conrad
4/5 stars
NAL Hardcover, 2013
286 pages
Adult Mystery Series

Source: Received a copy for this tour in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of the TV show "Monk" and enjoyed reading every single book from Lee Goldberg that continued the story of Monk. Thus I was sad to read that he was stepping down from the series as I was unsure if that meant it would be continuing. Luckily Hy Conrad was there to step in and as a writer for the series, I felt confident he would remain true to the spirit of Monk and provide another enjoyable outing.

I was thrilled by the development at the end of the previous book of Natalie deciding to go for her PI license that would enable her to partner with Monk instead of merely serving as his assistant. Of course, Monk is one of the people most resistant to change so there are going to be some issues! Her first challenge is when she believes there is a case worth pursuing (the apparent suicide of her self-help mentor Miranda Bigley) but Monk does not, preferring to aid the San Francisco Police Department in their case involving a clown, despite coulrophobia's ranking in his list of 100 phobias. I loved seeing Natalie start calling him Adrian as a step toward demonstrating their new relationship and his reaction to that change. She puts up with a lot but she also seems to have a handle on how to get what she wants from Monk.

With a new author, there is always the chance of it being rocky. I personally couldn't see much of a difference in their writing styles other than a renewed emphasis on Monk's binder of phobias. I thought the two mysteries were not always well-balanced and I have mixed feelings about the portrayal of Monk's girlfriend, Ellen Morse, owner of Poop, that have been lingering ever since she was introduced. I adore how her relationship with Natalie has developed but sometimes Monk is just so disrespectful to her. I have trouble understanding why she stays.

Since my parents and sister also eagerly consumed this book, I asked them to contribute a few thoughts.
Mom (Reader1809): Natalie comes across like a real person who I'd want to be friends with-I like her flaws and how she puts up with Monk.
Dad: Needed more murders
Sister: It was fine, whatever, leave me alone (she's a teenager so yeah...)

Overall: Continues the series in fine style; I am eager to see what other stories Conrad has prepared for us.

Mr Monk in Trouble

Mr Monk in Trouble by Lee Goldberg

Summary: The little town of Trouble just can't stay out of it-first it was part of the Gold Rush, then there was the still unsolved 1962 train robbery, and now a watchman, formerly of the SFPD, at the museum was killed. So Monk and his assistant Natalie are sent to investigate. While there they discover a family connection for Monk.

My family and I love the Monk books. While I stopped watching the show (except to catch the finale because he HAD to solve Trudy's murder-and he does), I still enjoy the book. It's fun because all four of us read. Usually I get to go first since I'm the fastest reader (Boo-yah!) but it was a birthday present for my mom so she went first and I got it second. I wonder if they would be as enjoyable if one was not familiar with the TV show but I doubt anyone would pick the books up without being familiar so I can't answer that.

My favorite part is that Natalie (who narrates the books) finds an ancestor of Monk's who had an assistant who wrote down how Artemis Monk solved the crimes. These stories go back to the Gold Rush era and deal with crimes committed there. The language is almost exactly the same as the modern-era so it is easy to read if not historically accurate.

I did not exactly figure out the mysteries (there end up being three that are tangled together). But I somewhat fingered the mastermind, as there aren't all that many suspects in the little town of Trouble.

Overall: 4.5/5 one of the better entries in the series and a good story on its own merits.