: Mr. Monk in Outer Space
Author: Lee Goldberg
Another excellent Monk book. In this one Monk has to find the killer of the creator of a 1970s sci-fi TV show with a cult following… basically a clone of Star Trek. Monk has a real hard time relating to these “freaks” who dress as aliens and have their ears surgically altered, but it gets worse when he discovers that his brother Ambrose — a shut-in who hasn’t left his house in 30 years — is a huge fan of the show and has written half-a-dozen books about it (including a language guide). To solve the mystery Adrian must use his brother’s expertise of the show. As usual, there is plenty of Monkism, and the TV show stuff is funny, but though extremely well-done, everything’s a bit milder than usual — I didn’t find myself laughing out loud the way I have with other Monk books. Perhaps I’m just getting used to the character or expecting too much? The murder mystery part of things is also well-done with clues and good Monk solutions, but it too felt a bit too basic. I also wasn’t crazy about the action-involved ending, which had Monk in jeopardy for his life as he insanely confronts a hit man. That doesn’t sound too Monkish to me — he’s terrified of pillows, so wouldn’t he call for backup? But still: this is classic Monk and it’s never bad and if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll want to read this.
Topic: [/book] |
