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A review by kandicez
Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg
3.0
Let me start by saying I find Goldberg's Monk books to be a little like updated Agatha Christie's. They are quick, fun mysteries that are almost always readable in a day. They sweep you along, and while not too deep, they give you the clues you need to solve right along with Monk, Marple, Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, etc.
This was no exception to the fun, but I found it familiar. While I'd like to feel good about solving the main mystery very early, I think it may have actually been a television episode. I am going to have to do a little research and be sure before I feel too accomplished regarding my "detective" skills.
I like that Goldberg uses Natalie Teeger as his narrator. She's very realistic as far as Monk and his "idiosyncracies" go, but at the same time, fiercely protective of him. As much as she tries to explain this protectiveness as "what she's being paid for", it's obvious she (and Julie) genuinely care for Monk. Because they've sufferred such similar loss they understand each other. It's sweet, but not in a sacharine way.
One complaint I have with these books is the editing. I realize these are not high-brow literature, but Signet prints them as hardbacks, as opposed to paperback, so they cost a pretty penny. If they are going to charge us that much for a glorified episode, they could pay just a bit more attention to the editing process. By page 150 I had counted 23 typos or grammatical errors. I stopped actually counting out of frustration, but they became more and more obvious. Having made that small complaint, I for one, really hope Goldberg continues to write these books for us Monk fans even though the series is over. I will really miss my favorite defective detective.
This was no exception to the fun, but I found it familiar. While I'd like to feel good about solving the main mystery very early, I think it may have actually been a television episode. I am going to have to do a little research and be sure before I feel too accomplished regarding my "detective" skills.
I like that Goldberg uses Natalie Teeger as his narrator. She's very realistic as far as Monk and his "idiosyncracies" go, but at the same time, fiercely protective of him. As much as she tries to explain this protectiveness as "what she's being paid for", it's obvious she (and Julie) genuinely care for Monk. Because they've sufferred such similar loss they understand each other. It's sweet, but not in a sacharine way.
One complaint I have with these books is the editing. I realize these are not high-brow literature, but Signet prints them as hardbacks, as opposed to paperback, so they cost a pretty penny. If they are going to charge us that much for a glorified episode, they could pay just a bit more attention to the editing process. By page 150 I had counted 23 typos or grammatical errors. I stopped actually counting out of frustration, but they became more and more obvious. Having made that small complaint, I for one, really hope Goldberg continues to write these books for us Monk fans even though the series is over. I will really miss my favorite defective detective.