Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55367 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Synopsis
This is the second in the original "Mystery Series" based on the hit TV show. Some people think Hawaii is paradise, but Monk knows that danger, like dirt, lurks everywhere. Look at Helen Gruber, the rich tourist who took a fatal blow from a coconut. The police say it fell from a tree, but Monk suspects otherwise. His assistant Natalie isn't exactly thrilled about Monk's latest investigation - it was bad enough, Monk following her on vacation, but now it looks as though the holiday is over. Smooth-talking TV psychic Dylan Swift is on the island and claims to have a message from beyond - from Helen Gruber to be precise. Monk, however, has doubts about Swift's credibility. But finding the killer and proving Swift a fraud - all the while coping with geckos and the horror of unsynchronised ceiling fans - may prove a tough nut to crack...

Customer Reviews

Mr. Monk and the Killer Coconut
Natalie is ready for a vacation. Fortunately, her best friend is getting married in Hawaii and is giving Natalie a paid week in Hawaii if she'll come to be maid of honor. The biggest problem is telling her boss, Adrian Monk.

When Natalie actually leaves for her trip, she is shocked to find her boss on the plane with her. Yep, he can't take the thought of a week without an assistant and is crashing her vacation.

Even worse, after the wedding, Monk stumbles on a crime scene. Helen Gruber, a fellow guest at the resort, was killed when a coconut fell from a palm tree onto her head. The police are ready to rule it an accident until Monk points out some flaws with the crime scene. Before Natalie knows it, her vacation is over as Monk assists the local police in their search for a killer.

After loving the first Monk novel, I was looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint in the least. I found myself chuckling, grinning, and laughing the entire way through the book. Once again, author Lee Goldberg has expertly captured the spirit of the TV show.

Since the bulk of the book takes place in Hawaii, series characters Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher are only in a couple scenes. This allows the book to focus more on Natalie and Monk's relationship. Even though Monk is Natalie's employer, she has grown to really care for him. There are several touching scenes that showcase how great their relationship truly is. Additionally, the story gives us a chance to get to know Natalie better with some time spent focused on her back story. Anyone who still hasn't warm up to the character on the TV show will have a different view of her after reading this book.

Having previous set one of his Diagnosis: Murder novels in Hawaii, Lee Goldberg decided to reuse some things. Specifically, Detective Kealoha and the resort that is the focus of the action previous had to deal with Dr. Mark Sloan.

Mr. Goldberg always creates a great mystery for his characters to solve, and this book is no exception. There are more distractions in the way of other, smaller cases then I would normally like, but this is a minor complaint since it rarely slows the main story down for long. Beside, the asides are just as entertaining as the main story. The ending caught me by surprise, always a plus in my book.

If you enjoy the TV show at all, don't pass these books up. You'll thank me later.

Here's the thing...
'Mr Monk Goes to Hawaii' is the second book in the series written by Lee Goldberg, based on the TV show Monk. It begins when Natalie is invited to her friend's wedding in Hawaii and as Monk cannot cope without her for a week, he takes some anti-OCD medication and gets himself on the plane to join her. On their second day there a body of a rich old lady is found in a hottub where it looks as if she had been hit on the head by a fatal blow from a coconut that had fell from a tree. Monk, of course, knows better and helps the local police investigate the murder, as well as some other unsolved and on-going crimes around the island. Also on the island is a TV psychic who claims he can receive messages from the dead, including from the woman who had just been murdered and from Natalie's husband Mitch.

This is the second book that I've read from the series and although I loved the first one, this one is just so much better. Goldberg seems to have the "Monk-isms" down to a tee in this book and has captured his and Natalie's releationship a lot more accurately to the show. The book is funny, emotional, a good mystery and with plenty of twists right up until the last page. Monk is as loveable yet irritating as ever with his million and one different phobias and obsessions, but will have you literally laughing out loud from the first page until the last. There's not much of Stottlemyer and Disher, as they are back in San Fransico, but when they are there they have their hilarious double-act too.

This is a truly excellent and easy read that fans of the show should love and is definitely the best in the series so far. I just can't see how the Monk books can get any better as this was absolutely brilliant. Highly recommended!

It's a blessing, and a curse!
If you are missing Monk, then look no further. This is a great addition to the show with a brand new story. It made me laugh quite a few times, so don't read it in public or you may get funny looks! The book has all Monk's obsessive quirks with an entertaining story. I really enjoyed it and if you are a fan of the tv show, then I would recommend it. It is a nice light read and you also get to see Monk from Natalie's perspective. I can't wait for the next installment while I wait for series 4 to come on tv!