Mr. Monk on Patrol, my 13th original Monk novel, is out today in bookstores everywhere…and it's very much a story about change.
Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive detective, and his assistant Natalie Teeger travel to New Jersey to help out former SFPD detective Randy Disher, who is now Chief of Police of Summit and living with Sharona Fleming, Monk's previous assistant. But the story is about much more than that…or the reunion with beloved characters…or the complex murders that Monk eventually solves.
I have always had a lot of fun writing the Monk books, but most of the time, I was constrained by having to stick to the continuity of the TV series (which I also occasionally wrote for). That changed with the finale of the TV show, which really shook things up and liberated me to let the characters evolve in new and exciting ways…and to even introduce a few new, regular characters. It also freed me to pay off some of the character arcs that began early the novel series, which started back in 2006 with Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse (which I adapted with William Rabkin into the episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing").
I believe that characters in a series become stale if they don’t grow and that readers, and the author, will become bored with them. At the same time, you want to remain true to what makes the characters, the relationships, and the "franchise" so special.
It's a delicate balance. And here's how I've tried to maintain it.
The Monk books are narrated by Natalie. I chose that approach because I think it humanizes Monk. It gives us a necessary distance. Natalie’s eyes become the replacement for the camera lens that gave us our point of view on the TV version of Adrian Monk. Also, a little Monk goes a long way. You can overdo the joke and all the obsessive/compulsive stuff. By telling the stories from Natalie’s point of view, we aren’t with him all the time. We get some space, a breather from his phobias and ticks, and I think that’s important.
But there's a side benefit. It’s allowed me to add an emotional resonance to the story-lines that goes beyond just Monk’s eccentricities and the solving of puzzling mysteries. The underlying theme of the books (and yes, there's always one) are often reflected in whatever is happening in Natalie’s life. Her personal story frames the way in which she perceives the mystery and reacts to Monk, so it’s all of a piece. It’s allowed me to make her a deeper, more interesting, and more realistic character. By doing that, I make Monk more dimensional as well, and I can ground the story in what I like to think of as “a necessary reality.”
Without that reality, Monk would just be a caricature and cartoon character. Natalie humanizes Monk and makes the world that the two of them live in believable to the reader. Through her, we are able to invest emotionally in the story. Without that crucial element, I believe the books would have failed.
I’m heading over to my brick and mortar bookstore this morning to pick-up the book (hope the line isn’t too long).
Disher is a police chief? Disher cannot tie his own shoes.
Well I’ll be *on patrol* for a copy of this book!
I wonder….does this mean that “Mr. Monk is a Mess” is the last book, or that the one after it will be the last one…
The one after it…”Mr. Monk Gets Even.” However, there’s a possibility the publisher may bring in another writer to continue the series.
Lee
Gross. I hope they don’t get a new writer. I like Mr. Goldberg’s style.
I have to admit that it was a frustrating ending. It was a great read but I hate having to wait impatiently for July 2012.
Fascinating insight. Thanks Lee.
I just went to Amazon.com and they have the Kindle version available for “pre-order” with a release date of… May 2012! Huh?! Also, when I searched for “lee goldberg monk,” I got in my results a couple of obviously unauthorized Monk books by a different writer. I can’t believe Amazon hasn’t taken this fan fic down yet (I saw the comments you’d left). Based on the Kindle ranking, people are buying them (and leaving one star reviews).
I just finished reading it. It was another very enjoyable few hours with Mr Monk and the gang. I liked seeing the change in all the characters, Sharona and Randy included. I think giving Ellen her interesting job was terrific, and watching Monk deal with that was great. I thought the actual mysteries were negligible, but I read the books more for how Monk interacts with Natalie, the other characters, and the asymmetric, non-hygenic, messy world he inhabits, trying to bring order out of chaos. And I have 2 more books to look forward to! Thanks!
Interesting to know you worked on the show a bit also… Will definitely check out this series. Your approach to characterization makes a lot of sense.
I got the book on Kindle and so far I love it.
The Kindle edition is out now. I don’t know about your searches, but I just did one and came up with the right one with no problem.
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Monk-on-Patrol-ebook/dp/B005Q7ZBX8/
Universal and Penguin are well aware of the unauthorized MONK books and are in the process now of getting them yanked.
Lee
Thank you, Ann!
Lee
Tim,
When is the next edition of your TV Encyclopedia coming out?
Lee
Hi Mr. Goldberg, I first want to say I love your series and what you have done with the characters from the show. I just wanted to put this out there to you and any of your readers: What is the possibility of a “Monk” TV movie in a few years (Just like all the other detective shows have done) and that said hypothetical special would stick with the continuity of the the book? Again, I don’t want to start any rumors, but since these books are done with Mr. Breckman’s involvement, it’s a thought…
Thanks!
Matt
hi from maine. 18 below zero! the Monk series warms my inners!!!!! please continue until i’m a ripe old age of 90. p.s. why is Mr. Monks shsirt showing an odd colored button???? Sincerely Mainiac
Hi from Maine. 18 below zero but the Monk series warms my inners. Please continue the series until I’m at least at the ripe old age of 90. p.s. Why or why on the cover of Mr. Monk on Patrol does Mr. Monk have an odd colored button on his shirt??? I salute you and your crew. God Bless!
mainiac 209@aol.com
I love Monk series and the last one is just great! I just finished it and can not wait for summer and the next one! Love it, love it, love it!!!! Kasia
I’ve read some of the earlier Monk books. I’ll have to keep my eye out for this one.
It was a great read..I hope they don’t get a new writer..