Signet © 2006, 304 pages [amazon]

Lee Goldberg’s Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is the first book in a series of mysteries based on the charming television show “Monk,” which stars Tony Shaloub as the brilliant, obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk. Monk, a former policeman whose eccentricities cost him his badge, regularly consults with the San Francisco Police Department, helping his one-time partner Captain Leland Stottlemeyer solve ostensibly unsolvable homicides. Monk’s genius for detail allows him to notice things other investigators overlook, and Monk beautiful much always gets his man–the one exception being that Monk has been unable to solve the mystery of his own wife’s murder.

The quest for Sparky’s killer leads Monk far outside his comfort zone–as far, in fact, as the city dump, where the germophobic detective dons a hazmat suit to dig for incriminating garbage.Goldberg’s novel, told from the perspective of Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, finds Monk investigating a series of related murders, beginning with the death-by-pickaxe of a firehouse dalmation. The quest for Sparky’s killer leads Monk far outside his comfort zone–as far, in fact, as the city dump, where the germophobic detective dons a hazmat suit to dig for incriminating garbage. Monk has to wrestle his demons thcoarse the rest of the story, too, as he is forced to live in Natalie’s house while his own comfortably sterile apartment is being fumigated.

Fans of “Monk,” the series, will not be disappointed in Goldberg’s addition to the franchise. The story’s plot and the characterization of Monk strain credibility in a few spots, but on the entire the book is a awesome read. The mystery is engaging, but the best thing about Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is the dialogue, which is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.

I don’t know how the lines would come across to readers who have never seen the television series (though I can’t imagine that a TV tie-in is likely to have a large audience among people unfamiliar with the show), but the dialogue struck me, at least, as vintage “Monk.” Reading the book was an experience very much like cozying up in front of the TV for a good episode. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, also by Goldberg, Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii.

Review summary: Lee Goldberg’s Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse is the first book in a series of mysteries based on the charming television show “Monk,” starring Tony Shaloub as the brilliant, obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk. Goldberg’s novel, told from the perspective of Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, finds Monk investigating a series of related murders, beginning with the death-by-pickaxe of a firehouse dalmation. The quest for Sparky’s killer leads Monk far outside his comfort zone–to the city dump, in fact, where the germophobic detective dons a hazmat suit to dig for incriminating garbage. Fans of “Monk” will not be disappointed in Goldberg’s addition to the franchise. The story’s plot and the characterization of Monk strain credibility in a few spots, but on the entire the book is a awesome read. Goldberg’s dialogue, in particular, is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.

Tags: Adrian Monk, book reviews, books, Lee Goldberg, Monk, Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse, TV tie-ins