Book Review: Mr. Monk Goes To Hawaii

I always wanted to see a follow up story where private detective Adrian Monk takes the "cool pill" prescribed by Dr. Kroger in the televised episode "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine". I found it hilarious and at the same time, very poignant and touching to observe what happens when the pill's effects wear off and Monk returns to his life of OCD and social paranoia.  I was curious to see how differently Natalie would handle the situation as opposed to Sharona, Monk's former assistant/nurse.

I was not disappointed. Lee Goldberg, writer of several Monk TV episodes, crafts the story adeptly, putting Monk on the pill only at the beginning and end of the story and describing Monk's behavior in detail the first time while leaving it to the reader's imagination for his second dose.

In between, Monk finds himself in Hawaii, intruding on Natalie's vacation.  While there, he solves a myriad of crimes for the police including murder, a series of burglaries, and drug smuggling. Before and after the crimes, Monk also publicly reveals a lying bigamist (to Natalie's embarrassment) and a charlatan psychic (who also turns out to be a killer). 

This the second Monk novel I've read, the first being Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse, and I enjoyed them both.  Coincidentally, each book was completed while vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, DE.  Perhaps I'm starting a tradition. I am currently nearing the end of Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu which I started the day before my vacation concluded.  I'll post a review here shortly.