Mr. Monk Goes to Germany

Adrian Monk is solving murder cases at record speed in San Francisco but all of that is threatened when his psychiatrist announces a trip to Germany and thus the cancellation of their visits for a week. Monk starts to unravel at this news, but what alternate does he have -- to travel to Germany himself?? One thing is certain: No matter where Monk goes, a case is sure to follow.

This book was the weakest in the series based on the TV show so far. Like others in the series, it plops us right into the world of the show but gives some background details to keep readers up to speed. (I guess this is helpful for the casual mystery reader who might pick it up, but I'm assuming most readers have already seen the show.) I've gotten used to the show more first-person POV being Natalie's, which I still find a bit of an odd choice but it works well enough as a stand-in for the viewer. The dialogue matches the show perfectly and I can hear the voices of the actors, down to the intonations and mannerisms, which makes it easy for the author to not have to waste time on overly detailed descriptions for these. In this title, we only get Captain Stottlemeyer via a few phone calls and no Lt. Disher, but we instead find one-to-one counterparts in the German police force, which was a fun little diversion.

On the flip side, it took almost a third of the book to get to the actual mystery that is the crux of the story. (Before that we get two mini-cases, one of which Monk solves at the crime scene and one of which he solves after a single interview.) The rest is a mix of interpersonal issues and then descriptions of the small town in Germany where they are staying, including a fair amount about the fairy tale "Snow White." When the big mystery finally arrives, I wasn't even sure if it was just going to be another mini-mystery or not. While I do like seeing a lot of the interactions between Monk and Natalie (or Monk and other people), I feel like those could have been padded out more around the central mystery instead of taking so long to get to the mystery. Frankly, the two mini-mysteries at the top of the book (especially the first one) really added nothing to it. As I already mentioned, I think most readers probably already know the show so we don't need to have examples of how Monk is a great detective in order for us to understand that he's good at detecting.

There's also a whole subplot about Trudy's murder with a potential suspect being spotted, which goes deeper into the show's lore than the other books in this series have (to the best of my recollection). This calls back to the "Dale the Whale" character, which unfortunately means a lot of fatphobia creeps into the dialogue and narrative. In similar cringe-worthiness, there's a visit to a community for people born with genetic abnormalities that is not treated kindly -- predictably not by straight-laced Monk who wants order in everything but also by Natalie. It's disappointing and leaves a sour taste behind after a just-okay mystery.

I'll continue on with the series for now, but it looks like I keep rating each subsequent title a little lower than the previous one so I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep up if the law of diminishing returns persists. show less

When Monk's therapist goes to a psychiatric conference in a Medieval German village, thereby cancelling Monk's thrice weekly appointments, Monk can't cope. So he demands that he and personal assistant Natalie will follow Dr. Kroger to Germany and demand his appointments be kept, something that Natalie realizes is intrusive, but how many chances will she have to go to Germany?
While stalking the doctor, Monk spots a man he's been looking for for many years, and he also manages to solve a couple of German murders while trying to convince the local police to help him with his own suspect.
This was written by one of writers of the tv show, and his neurotic, demanding Monk is spot on, which means that if you like the show, you'll likely show more enjoy this, and if you don't like the show you should skip this. I liked both. 4 .2 stars show less

Thanks to Doctor Kroger, Adrian Monk realizes he’s making some small steps of progress. But when the doctor’s attendance at a conference in Germany interrupts his thrice-weekly sessions, Adrian suffers a setback. He can’t tie his shoes, he forgets how to swallow, he loses track of the number of his eye blinks. Desperate, he and his assistant, Natalie Teeger, follow the doctor to Germany where Adrian encounters the man with six fingers, the man responsible for Trudy’s death.

Or is it all a figment of Monk’s tortured imagination?

Sixth in the series of books based on the hit television show, this laugh-out-loud narrative keeps readers in stitches as Monk’s phobias run amok and the author details his many foibles for readers. show more All the expected characters are in place as the story unfolds, predictable only inasmuch as there will be murders for Adrian to solve. Plot twists and quirky events keep the pages turning; readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page.

Recommended. show less

Lee Goldberg so completely captures the flavour of the television shows and uses the novel form to explore aspects that are not possible in a one-hour show. A highlight of this addition to the canon is the contrast between Monk flying one way in his ususal OCD state and the other on a personality-changing drug. Goldberg has even managed to do something credible with the search for the six-fingered man.

Duffy thought this was his least favorite of the Monk books so far. I think it is my favorite. I suppose for Duffy the reason could be that the books are, really, very formulaic. And that's true. I found this one moved along quickly and I suppose it's been so long since we've been able to see a new episode of Monk that we are all missing him and what is going on in the show. This novel wasn't really all that different from any of the others, except for the travel to Europe, which of course, I found interesting.

Another wonderfully funny book from Lee Goldberg. Monk is at his best, and Natalie at her most patient, with this novel. The interesting part for me was the description of a lot of things in Germany. I visited there many times and it was fun to retrace my memories through this writing. Each of Monk's adventures are delightful, and he is always right on in his solving of a murder; more fun is the way he sees each detail. A true Obsessive Compulsive, difficult to live around but hilarious to read about.

Mr. Monk's psychologist, Dr. Kroger, goes on a working vacation to Germany. Monk, naturally, is compelled to follow him. While there, he encounters another psychologist, a man with six fingers on one hand, which fits the description of the man who murdered Monk's wife, Trudy. As Monk investigates him, he becomes convinced that he is responsible for more than one murder, and must deal with the unknown elements of a foreign land and a conference of people with body deformities (Monk is particularly grating here) as he attempts to prove Dr. Rahner's guilt.