this book was noticeable different to the others and clearly written by someone else. 

and for someone who worked directly in and either through show from start to finished… the author didn’t do a good job with having the characters be actually in character. or for in with the overall plot the book series itself has build so far. 

it wasn’t necessarily a bad book, it just wasn’t good either. 

the mysteries were okay but felt to easy and there was too many moments directly pointing out things to the reader (for example a moment where at the end of a chapter early in the book there would be a sentence like “looking back i could point to this moment and knew something wasn’t right”) in a way that felt almost childish and purposely easy for the readers -as if the reader is supposed to solve it all before even Monk gets to the right solution so that the reader can have the whole “i know how it happened” moments before Monk. 

but that’s not the purpose of this series or how it’s been done so far. 
it’s not targeted towards making the reader feel like they are the great detective but it’s a series about following along with a detective that despite or because of his overly obvious flaws is the best and nobody can top him. 
a bit strange then when it’s all laid out to make the reader be “smarter” than Monk. 


also the whole Monk being interested in a relationship soon after ending another one after the entire tv series and book series were basically all about Monk not being able to move on (and not feeling the desire or need to do so either because why would he if he felt like Trudy was the one and he’s happy with his life as it is. not everyone needs a partner! and especially someone like monk would have an incredibly hard time really letting anyone into his space in any realistic and or romantic way!) so have this entire side thing here about him looking for a rebound and being not fully focused on the cases because of it? eh that felt weak and unfitting. 

also there are why to many mistakes about Monks OCD behavior in this -how could a person that professionally worked on the tv show make SO MANY mistakes about the biggest characteristics of the main character?! 
just to name a few things: Monk not minding uneven things -placements, people in groups or gatherings, not straightening up things in rooms he comes in to simply because he can’t help himself…. -  to him walking around a field without complains?! 



as i said it’s not a bad book and it’s not a bad mystery read either but it’s not really fitting to this particular series or the complete out of character behavior. 

so for what this book was supposed to be? i am disappointed. 
i will read the last one too but if this book is any indication? this series should have been finished off by Goldberg and left at that!