Charlie isn’t like me with TV and movies and Charlie doesn’t watch tv for days at a time when I watch tv all day long and if I could I would go to the movies all day every day. Although there is a few shows Charlie will watch and actually look for them on TV. One of the shows is Monk. When we were at Walmart, we found the DVDs which I plan on purchasing for Charlie for Christmas.
Yesterday Debbie and I took the kids to the Richland Hills Library to sign up for the summer Reading program. I wasn’t sure I would get Charlie to join the event with us. While at the Library Charlie actually found two books, he wanted to read along with books on the TV series Monk. Charlie was so excited to share them with Debbie and I.
I ended up checking out Mr. Monk in Outer Space because Charlie loves everything about Outer Space and since David watches Monk with Charlie I thought David might read this novel as well and join us in the summer Reading program. Not, only that y sister signed up and were going to share this book and discuss it once we finish reading it. Would you like to join us in our Monk Reading Club?
Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse (2006) William Rabkin and I adapted this novel into the MONK episode “Mr. Monk Can’t See a Thing.”
Monk’s house is being fumigated, and he has nowhere to go. Fortunately, his assistant Natalie and her daughter are kind enough to welcome him into their home. Unfortunately, their home is not quite up to Monk’s standards of cleanliness and order.
But while Monk attempts to arrange his surroundings just so, something else needs to be put straight. The death of a dog at the local firehouse-on the same night as a fatal house fire-has led Monk into a puzzling mystery. And much to his horror, he’s going to have to dig through a lot of dirt to find the answer.
Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii (2006) See if you can find the Milk error in this book. A character in this novel also appears in my novel Diagnosis Murder: The Death Merchant.
Some people think Hawaii is paradise. But Monk knows that danger—like dirt—lurks everywhere. Look at Helen Gruber, the rich tourist who took a fatal blow from a coconut. The police say it fell from a tree, but Monk suspects otherwise. His assistant, Natalie, isn’t exactly thrilled about Monk’s latest investigation. It was bad enough that Monk followed her on vacation, and now it looks as though the vacation is over….
Smooth-talking TV psychic Dylan Swift is on the island and claims to have a message from beyond—from Helen Gruber. Monk has his doubts about Swift’s credibility. But finding the killer and proving Swift a fraud—all while coping with geckos and the horror of unsynchronized ceiling fans—may prove a tough coconut to crack….
Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu (2007) This book was loosely adapted into the MONK episode “Mr. Monk and the Badge.”
Based on the hit TV series!
Monk is horrified when he learns there’s going to be a blue flu in San Francisco. He doesn’t understand what the blue flu is, but it sounds terrible. Stottlemeyer explains that it’s not really a virus. The police force plans to call in “sick” until they get a better contract. The good news is the labor dispute will give Monk a chance to get back on the force. The bad news is it means he’ll be a “scab”—and he doesn’t like the sound of that either.
Before he knows it, Monk has his badge back, and his own squad to command. Unfortunately, some of the squad members make Monk look like a paragon of mental health. But despite the challenges, they’ll have to pull together to catch an astrologer’s killer, solve a series of mysterious fatal assaults, and most importantly, clean up their desks.
Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants (2007) If you’re a fan of the show you know Sharona left but came back one time on the show, but this book is unrelated to the MONK episode that brought back Sharona, and for those wondering the show came several years after Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants was published.
In a new mystery featuring the OCD-afflicted sleuth Adrian Monk, the detective copes with the conflict between two different female assistants–his former aide, Sharona, who returns after her ne’er-do-well husband is arrested for murder, and his new assistant, Natalie–and finds himself up against a clever killer who manages to remain one step ahead of the clever investigator.
Mr. Monk in Outer Space (2007) Some characters in this book might be familiar to readers of my novel Dead Space (aka Beyond the Beyond). Monk’s brother Ambrose also has a significant role in this novel.
Obsessive compulsive detective Adrian Monk returns to once again take on the crooked, in an all-new mystery, based on the popular television series, by the two-time Edgar nominee and author of Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants and Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse.
Mr. Monk Goes to Germany (2008) Several of the “assistants” that Natalie meets with in this book were originally introduced in Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu. Monk’s adversary Dale the Whale makes an appearance in this novel.
Mr. Monk is Miserable (2008) This book is a direct sequel to Germany and picks up right where the previous book left off.
Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop (2009) – There is a call-back in this novel to the MONK episode “Mr. Monk Meets The Godfather,” which I wrote with William Rabkin. There are also some in-joke references to the TV series Mannix and Murder She Wrote.
Mr. Monk in Trouble (2009) There are many, many in-joke references in this book to western authors, television series, and movies, and even radio shows. An excerpt from the book was published as The Case of the Piss-Poor Gold in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2009
Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out (2010) This book features a variation on the classic locked-room mystery.
Mr. Monk on the Road (2011) This is the first book set after the final episode of the TV series and features Monk’s brother Ambrose in a big way.. Excerpt: Mr. Monk and the Seventeen Steps, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2010.
Mr. Monk on the Couch (2011) An excerpt from the book was published as Mr. Monk and the Sunday Paper in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July 2011
Mr. Monk on Patrol (2012) An excerpt from the book was published as Mr. Monk and the Open House in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in December 2011. This book features the return of Sharona and Randy Disher.
Mr. Monk is a Mess (July 2012) An excerpt from the book was published as Mr. Monk and the Talking Car, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine May 2012. There is another call-back to the TV episode “Mr. Monk Meets The Godfather” in this novel.
Mr. Monk Gets Even (January 2013) An excerpt from the book was published as Mr. Monk Sees the Light in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2012. Dale the Whale and Monk’s brother Ambrose return in this book, which was my final novel in the series.
Mr. Monk Helps Himself (June 2013) This is the first book in the series written by Hy Conrad and picks up where my books left off.
Welcome to the series of original mysteries starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something’s out of place….
Natalie is taking a break from studying for her PI license—the last step to becoming Monk’s full partner. She sneaks off to Half Moon Bay for a retreat run by Miranda Bigley, leader of the Best Possible Me self-help program, but her plans for a relaxing weekend are disrupted when Monk tracks her down to rescue her from the “cult.” Their argument is cut short when Miranda, in full view of everyone, calmly walks to the edge of a cliff and jumps.
Even though Miranda’s death looks like suicide, Natalie is sure it’s murder. But Monk brushes her off to help the SFPD solve the murder of a clown, despite his coulrophobia, aka fear of clowns. As Monk and Natalie begin their independent investigations, they quickly learn that if they want to figure out whodunit, they will have to find a way to become true partners….
An all-new story starring Adrian Monk by Edgar® Award–nominated Monk screenwriter and coexecutive producer Hy Conrad. It’s compulsive, page-turning fun.
About the Author: Hy Conrad
HY CONRAD has made a career out of murder, earning the 2022 Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (“The Fixer’s Daughter” and 2022 NYC Big Book Awards for Best Mystery Series (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” “Sins of the Family”), a Scribe Award for Best Novel (“Mr. Monk Helps Himself”) and garnering three Edgar nominations from the Mystery Writers of America (for the “Monk” TV series).
Along the way, he developed a horde of popular games and interactive films, hundreds of short stories and a dozen books of solvable mysteries, published in over 15 languages. Hy is best known for his eight seasons as writer/co-executive producer for the ground-breaking TV series, “Monk.” Other shows include “White Collar” and “The Good Cop.”
As a novelist, Hy authored the final four books in the Monk series, the Amy Travel Mysteries (“Toured to Death,” “Dearly Departed” and “Death on the Patagonian Express”) and the Callie McFee Mysteries (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” a Barnes & Noble bestseller and “Sins of the Family”).
In the world of theatre, his produced works consist of “Home Exchange” (a mystery), “Ta-Dah!” (a musical), and “Quarantine for Two” (a socially distanced dark comedy about the pandemic).
When he looks up from his keyboard, Hy sees either the hills of Vermont or the palm trees of Key West, depending on the time of year. He also sees Jeff Johnson, his partner of 43 years, now his husband, plus Nelson and Stella, the latest in a dynasty of mini schnauzers.
Obsessive. Compulsive. Detective.
An all-new original mystery starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something’s out of place…
Of all the things that make Adrian Monk uneasy, change ranks high on the list. So when Natalie completes her P.I. license—and technically becomes Monk’s boss—it’s not easy for him to accept. Nor can he accept Natalie attending a business seminar at sea without him, even if it means spending a week with her on a cruise ship.
Between choppy waters and obnoxious kids, Monk finds himself in a perfect storm of anxiety. Luckily, Mariah, the cruise director, is always able to smooth things over…until someone pulls the man overboard alarm, the ship drops anchor—and the crew fishes Mariah’s dead body out of the water.
Finding alcohol in Mariah’s system, the ship’s doctor declares her death an accident, but Monk isn’t convinced. He knows that Mariah and the captain were having an affair. Could someone has pushed her overboard?
When the captain hires Monk and Natalie to look into a mysterious rash of vandalism onboard, Monk steers the investigation toward murder…
Welcome to the series of original mysteries starring Adrian Monk–based on the hit USA Network series Monk, starring Tony Shaloub–the brilliant investigator who always knows when something’s out of place….
Failing to win back his girlfriend in New Jersey, Monk returns to San Francisco where Natalie has set up an office for Monk and Teeger, Consulting Detectives. It’s time to stop bickering and get to work when Lieutenant Amy Devlin comes to them for help.
A disgruntled employee came into work and started shooting, killing three coworkers and leaving a female hostage severely wounded. After spotting the shooter through office windows, the police lost him—leaving Lieutenant Devlin with a real mess on her hands.
Visiting the bedridden survivor, Monk finds her to be helpful, cooperative…and quite charming as well. But the more he and Natalie try to track down the assailant, the more he seems to have disappeared from existence altogether….
My Monk and the New Lieutenant
Monk and Natalie have finally settled into a new office routine. Now they just need to work things out with their neighbors—a print shop run by hippies whose music leaks through the walls, driving Monk nuts. But the detectives soon have a more serious conflict to deal with: Captain Stottlemeyer’s new lieutenant, A.J. Thurman —a man of limited skills whom Monk finds insufferable.
Even the presence of Lieutenant Thurman won’t keep Monk and Natalie from attending the funeral of Judge Oberlin, and it’s a good thing. In typical fashion, Monk examines the body in the casket—and finds evidence of poison. The judge was murdered.
When Captain Stottlemeyer begins to show the same symptoms as the judge, Monk deduces that there’s a serial killer on the prowl, someone who wants the captain dead, too. Thinking the motive might be related to an old case, Monk and Natalie turn to their old friend Randy Disher for help, but even that might not be enough to save the captain’s life.
Failing to win back his girlfriend in New Jersey, Monk returns to San Francisco where Natalie has set up an office for Monk and Teeger, Consulting Detectives. It’s time to stop bickering and get to work when Lieutenant Amy Devlin comes to them for help.
A disgruntled employee came into work and started shooting, killing three coworkers and leaving a female hostage severely wounded. After spotting the shooter through office windows, the police lost him—leaving Lieutenant Devlin with a real mess on her hands.
Visiting the bedridden survivor, Monk finds her to be helpful, cooperative…and quite charming as well. But the more he and Natalie try to track down the assailant, the more he seems to have disappeared from existence altogether….
Of all the things that make Adrian Monk uneasy, change ranks high on the list. So when Natalie completes her P.I. license—and technically becomes Monk’s boss—it’s not easy for him to accept. Nor can he accept Natalie attending a business seminar at sea without him, even if it means spending a week with her on a cruise ship.
Between choppy waters and obnoxious kids, Monk finds himself in a perfect storm of anxiety. Luckily, Mariah, the cruise director, is always able to smooth things over…until the crew fishes her dead body out of the water.
Even after the ship’s doctor declares Mariah’s death an accident, Monk isn’t convinced. So when the captain hires Monk and Natalie to look into a mysterious rash of vandalism on board, Monk steers the investigation toward murder.…
Mr. Monk Helps Himself
Monk and Natalie are settling back in San Francisco, with one big change. Monk has agreed to make Natalie a full partner. That means Natalie has to pass the California P.I. exam and Monk has to start treating her as an equal.
The trouble starts when Miranda Bigley, a self-help guru, jumps to her death in full view of a hundred people. It’s obviously suicide. But Natalie was a fan of Miranda’s life-affirming teachings, and she thinks there must be something more. Maybe even murder.
Monk has handled dozen of impossible cases. But this one is really impossible, he says. If Natalie wants to look into it, she’s on her own.
Instead, Monk turns his attention to a clown, killed by poisoned money. It’s a case that could become one of the most important of his career. The only drawback? Monk is afraid of clowns (phobia #99), and Natalie refuses to help him if he doesn’t help her.
And so, they’re off on their own, with Natalie infiltrating the guru’s cliffside retreat, Monk trying to stay as far away from clowns as possible, and both of them trying to stay alive.
If there’s one case that can teach them the importance of an equal partnership, this is it
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Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
