Monk Books

Mr. Monk and the Blog Review

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I got a very nice review for MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE from blogger D.T. Holt, who wrote, in part:

"I don’t know whether Lee Goldberg wrote this book before he began writing for the series or vice versa but he has captured the tone of the show beautifully. It is written from the perspective of Natalie Teager, Monk’s long suffering assistant and de facto
baby sitter, and he writes in her voice perfectly. The story if full of
neurotic asides that give the reader an insight into Natalie’s thinking in an endearing way. Her character is likable from the first page of the book, which is crucial because Monk, in all of his mentally damaged glory, isn’t always the most likable character."

Thanks D.T.!

Mr. Monk on Planet Peschel

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Book critic Bill Peschel gives MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE a great review. He says, in part:

While this is a light-hearted puzzle mystery, shadows are allowed to
creep in. Goldberg knows what deserves prodding with a sharp stick,
such as fans who take TV shows way too seriously, and what should be
played straight, such as Monk’s inability to empathize with people
around him, even those he loves.

Thanks, Bill!

Mr. Monk and Surviving the Strike

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Jan252008_975_lg
The MR. MONK IN
OUTER SPACE is among half-a-dozen TV tie-ins (the others are C.S.I.,
HEROES, BONES, GOSSIP GIRL, etc.) featured in this week’s Entertainment
Weekly cover story "67 Tips to Survive the Entertainment Dry Spell."  Check it out!

Two Assistants is “mind-blowing”

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Blogger Gerald So has reviewed MR. MONK AND THE TWO ASSISTANTS and I am pleased to say that he liked it. Among his comments:

Indeed this is Goldberg’s most novel-suited premise yet. He adds just
enough spice to bring out the assistants’ differences for tension and
character study. In the mind-blowing final third of the novel, Sharona
and Natalie are accused of separate murders, and Monk seems even more
aloof in their time of need. Readers know, of course, neither of them
is a murderer. The fun is in seeing how, or in this case if, Monk proves it.

Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants Returns…

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Monkandtwoassist
The paperback edition of MR. MONK AND THE TWO ASSISTANTS comes out in bookstores nationwide today.  The book got some very good reviews, like this one from the Weekly Journal in Angleton, Texas:

"Even if you aren’t familiar with the TV series "Monk", this book is too funny to not be read. Goldberg’s comic genius
is channeled by Monk throughout and the truth of the crime is always
worth waiting for. Reading this book is like reading a script of the
weekly show, making this read a delightful treat for any fan."


But I think my favorite comments came from readers on Amazon, especially this one from  reader in Australia (his name is Lee, but it’s not me!):

To me Sharona and Natalie were interchangeable.
Then I read this book.
It goes as far as acknowledging that Natalie’s character began as a
Sharona clone, yet explains how she’s evolved into something more. In
fact, there are lots of jokes in Natalie’s narrative that tap on – if
they don’t actually break – the fourth wall, and it has the effect that
postmodernism should: By acknowledging its own artifice, addressing the
audience directly, it paradoxically becomes more a part of the real
world to deliver everything that’s real about the personalities and
truths about human nature within the fiction. In doing so, this book
made me care for the first time about Natalie AND Sharona.

I hope you enjoy the book, too.

Mr. Monk and the Bookgasm

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The fine folks at Bookgasm enjoyed MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE. The reviewer, Ed Gorman, says:

You know you’ve landed in an alternate universe when you meet “Mr.
Snork, security chief of the starship Discovery,” one of the many fans
also dressed up like people on the show – the ones who wear elephant
trunks being my favorite.

The only thing goofier than the fans is when Monk looks at them and
says, “I don’t associate with freaks like that,” and then proceeds to
do some riffing on the ’60s to “prove” that they’re all “high on LSD.”
A great scene.

This is probably my favorite MONK book…

Mr. Monk in Outer Space landing in Bookstores Everywhere

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Monk_outer_space_2
Today is the official publication date for MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE, my fifth MONK novel. You should be able to find it at bookstores nationwide and, of course, at your favorite internet retailer. The book was more than a little inspired by my own experiences as a writer for Starlog magazine, a supervising producer on SEAQUEST  and my, um, "debates" with fanficcers here (you might also notice a nod to my comic novel BEYOND THE BEYOND). I hope you enjoy it!

Mr. Monk and the Finished Manuscript

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It’s 10:07 pm here in Los Angeles and I just finished writing my sixth MONK novel, MR. MONK GOES TO GERMANY. This means I will be delivering my book to my publisher two weeks early, which will buy me a little time to relax before plunging into the outline for my seventh MONK novel.

MR. MONK GOES TO GERMANY will be out in hardcover in June to coincide with the summer season premiere of the TV series. 

My fifth MONK novel, MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE, comes out in hardcover later this week…which is a bit of an experiment, since this will be the first MONK book release that doesn’t coincide with a MONK season premiere. It will be interesting to see how the book fares without the benefit of the promotion that accompanies the TV show (but my fourth MONK novel, MR. MONK AND THE TWO ASSISTANTS, comes out in paperback in January, when the new episodes of MONK return).