jellybeyreads reviewed Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants by Lee Goldberg
Review of 'Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I quite like the tv show Monk. I like it because it's about MONK, who is funny and weird and looks/sounds like Tony Shalhoub. I always took this as a given. I mean, the show is called Monk.
Oddly, the book isn't about Monk at all: it's about Natalie and Sharona and their conflict as they attempt to stake their claim as Monk's assistant. The mystery is incidental, as is Monk himself, who is absent for the majority of the book. Straight up: Monk without Monk is a lot less entertaining than Monk with Monk. (also less entertaining than Garfield without Garfield, which is genius.) Natalie and Sharona are sidekicks through and through, and not interesting enough to carry a book on their own. the book is a lot more entertaining in the few scenes where Monk shows up -- the gas mask in L.A. is fantastic.
Stylistically, this reminds …
I quite like the tv show Monk. I like it because it's about MONK, who is funny and weird and looks/sounds like Tony Shalhoub. I always took this as a given. I mean, the show is called Monk.
Oddly, the book isn't about Monk at all: it's about Natalie and Sharona and their conflict as they attempt to stake their claim as Monk's assistant. The mystery is incidental, as is Monk himself, who is absent for the majority of the book. Straight up: Monk without Monk is a lot less entertaining than Monk with Monk. (also less entertaining than Garfield without Garfield, which is genius.) Natalie and Sharona are sidekicks through and through, and not interesting enough to carry a book on their own. the book is a lot more entertaining in the few scenes where Monk shows up -- the gas mask in L.A. is fantastic.
Stylistically, this reminds me a little of the Stephanie Plum books (which I enjoy) -- hapless narrator blessed with more luck than sense, sexy boyfriend with a manly "protect and serve" type job, light/comic style-- but without the abundant charm or cast of goofy characters. Apparently Janet Evanovitch and Lee Goldberg are writing a series together. Their styles will mesh well. Character- and plot-wise, I'm hoping it's more Evanovitch, less Goldberg.
One advantage of a mystery that doesn't spend much time focusing on the mystery or on the character I like is that I slept through about 1/3 of the book and missed absolutely nothing of importance and still knew who the killer was after the character's first introduction, so trying to figure out the clue that would tip Monk off kept me occupied when I was awake and the story lagged.
This book isn't terrible by any means, it's just forgettable. A good choice for anyone who is looking for an audiobook as background noise that they don't have to focus on. Otherwise, go with Stephanie Plum instead. And if you're looking for a Monk fix, watch the TV show.