Virtual Author Book Tours Book Review: Mr. Monk Helps Himself

Author: Hy Conrad
Title: Mr. Monk Helps Himself
Publisher: Obsidian
Publish Date: June 4, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Virtual Author Book Tours & the author
Book Blurb: An all-new original mystery starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something’s out of place....

Now that Monk and Natalie are both in San Francisco again, life is almost back to normal for the duo, with one exception: Natalie is studying for her PI license, the last step to becoming Monk’s full partner.

Before taking the plunge, Natalie sneaks off to Half Moon Bay for a retreat run by Miranda Bigley, charismatic leader of the Best Possible Me self-help program, whose philosophy has helped Natalie deal with her recent life changes. But her plans for a relaxing weekend away are disrupted when Monk tracks her down, determined t

Even though Miranda’s death looks like suicide—especially when it’s discovered that she was on the brink of financial disaster—Natalie is sure it is murder. But Monk brushes her off to help the SFPD solve the murder of a clown, despite his coulrophobia, or fear of clowns—number ninety-nine on his list of one hundred phobias.

As Natalie and Monk begin their separate investigations, they are quickly caught up in many precarious situations, but if they want to figure out whodunit, they will have to find a way to become true partners…

Review: There are some tv shows that you simply can't let go of once they end, Monk was one of those shows. Even if you didn't watch it every week, it was a show you could turn on and feel at home with. 

Which is why as I started reading the theme song played in my head..."Its a jungle out there....." This was a show that I sat down to on Friday nights for quite a long time. I cried at the finale, because I hated to see these characters go. I still watch the reruns when I find them on TV.

That's why I'm glad the books continue the Monk story.

Hy Conrad was one of the show's writers and having him do the books is a good thing, as you'll plainly see if you read Mr. Monk Helps Himself.

It reads like the tv show. You can see Monk and Natalie and all the other players in the cast, but better than that, it doesn't read like fanfiction as some TV-tie in books do.

What I really like about the way this book is written is that it takes you inside Natalie's head. It allows you to really see how she feels about her super crazy, OCD boss, Adrian Monk.

Oh and don't worry, Monk hasn't changed a bit. He's still scared of everything...and in this book clowns are on his list. (Not to worry, they are on mine too)

The story has continued on from the last episode so there will be things that might be foreign to anyone that hasn't picked up one of the books, but it doesn't take long to get into the thick of things. I love that Adrian has a love interest now and Natalie is trying to be more than just his assistant.

Unlike the show, there is more than one mystery to be solved...there's a clown that's killed with a motive that is bigger than anyone expected and there's the apparent suicide of the self help guru that Natalie is obsessing over.

Hy Conrad really does a splendid job of bringing Monk back into our lives.

Rating: 5 flowers