Thursday, July 27, 2006

MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII by Lee Goldberg

In Lee Goldberg's second original novel based on USA's Monk, the detective's assistant Natalie is set to attend her best friend Candance's Hawaiian wedding. Unable to handle the news of her departure, Monk takes a drug that relaxes his inhibitions, and he shows up uninvited on her plane.

In hilarious fashion, Monk exposes the groom-to-be as a would-be-bigamist. A shocked but grateful Candace heads home, but invites Monk and Natalie to enjoy Hawaii for the week as planned. Monk promptly stumbles onto the police investigation of an elderly woman's death at their hotel. Television psychic Dylan Swift offers to help Monk, and Monk resolves not only to solve the case, but also to prove Swift is a fraud.

Mr, Monk Goes to Hawaii is an ideal summer read, a rambling tale to match an exotic setting. Several side mysteries show Monk's quirks as seen by the more practical Natalie, yet Goldberg keeps a confident hand on the story, eventually putting every strand in place just as Monk and his fans would have it.

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