Mr. Monk Helps Himself by Hy Conrad

Mr. Monk #16

by Hy Conrad

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Adult, Humor, Detective

Library Binding

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

HY CONRAD has made a career out of murder, earning the 2022 Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (“The Fixer’s Daughter”) and 2022 NYC Big Book Awards for Best Mystery Series (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” “Sins of the Family”), a Scribe Award for Best Novel (“Mr. Monk Helps Himself”) and garnering three Edgar nominations from the Mystery Writers of America (for the “Monk” TV series). Along the way, he developed a horde of popular games and interactive films, hundreds of short stories and a dozen books of solvable mysteries, published in over 15 languages. Hy is best known for his eight seasons as writer/co-executive producer for the ground-breaking TV series, “Monk.” Other shows include “White Collar” and “The Good Cop.”

As a novelist, Hy authored the final four books in the Monk series, the Amy Travel Mysteries (“Toured to Death,” “Dearly Departed” and “Death on the Patagonian Express”) and the Callie McFee Mysteries (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” a Barnes & Noble bestseller and “Sins of the Family”).

In the world of theatre, his produced works consist of “Home Exchange” (a mystery), “Ta-Dah!” (a musical), and “Quarantine for Two” (a socially distanced dark comedy about the pandemic).

When he looks up from his keyboard, Hy sees either the hills of Vermont or the palm trees of Key West, depending on the time of year. He also sees Jeff Johnson, his partner of 43 years, now his husband, plus Nelson and Stella, the latest in a dynasty of mini-schnauzers.

www.hyconrad.com
Facebook: hyconrad
Instagram: hyconrad1

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I read a book in this series and in that time, a new author has taken over. This entry is a solid one in the ongoing saga of Mr. Monk. The narrative continues to be from Natalie's point of view (personally I preferred her to Sharona in the series). The time frame is post-series. I do miss having Lee Goldberg as the writer, but I adjusted to the slightly different style and enjoyed the ride. Natalie is asserting herself and one baby step is to begin calling her former boss Adrian. There are changes afoot in their relationship. There are two mysteries in this episode: 1) A popular self-help guru takes a dive off a cliff right in front of our two detectives. 2) The murder of a clown is a tricky case. Mr. Monk has clowns in his top 100 phobias. His friends at the police department have to get creative to keep him engaged. What I love about this series is the opportunity to see the beloved Mr. Monk solve a new case or two since I have watched all the shows in the series at least once. I'll be back for more.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Monk by Hy Conrad (prev. L. Goldberg).
I don't know what it is like for other readers but I find it hard to separate the TV character images from the books.
Not sure Conrad has the character of Monk completely right. His OCD and quirky helplessness are what make him such a comical character. Although we didn't see a lot of him in this book, as the focus was on Natalie and her career, what we did see seemed harsh and selfish at times.
Monk is logical even when being completely illogical and not mean spirited or insulting. In this book he comes off that way in his interactions with the most important women in his life. He also encounters and agrees to situations he wouldn't normally be capable of. I think the author needs to take a closer look at what really makes Monk tick or not tick at all.
Other than that it was a pleasant and entertaining read. Monk is a character that amuse me to no end. It shouldn't but it does.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book, but contains a stupid political comment about how you can't make a presidential candidate reveal his/her tax returns. It's hard to feel good about a book that includes a cheap political shot like that. 1) Tax returns are supposed to be confidential for the protection of everyone who files tax returns, and 2) Romney did reveal his, and they showed he's a generous, honest man.
In light of recently-revealed information about how the IRS improperly used its power under the current administration to get information on political foes and target certain fiscally-conservative political organizations, I would hope the author rethinks throwing in comments like that. Simply running for office doesn't make it open season on that person by the IRS and any other government agency/employee with access to information about the candidate.
I initially gave the book four stars, but I'm downgrading it to three today because the comment stuck with me and I just read a news story that broke today about government officials having improperly accessed financial records of political candidates. Mr. Conrad, if you're OK with weakening legal protections against candidates for office that you don't like, I don't want to read anything else you write.

[Jimmy Mcphink · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rated this Monk book 7.04 out of 10. It is the 2nd worse Monk book I have ever read and I have read a bunch of them. It is the first one by Hy Conrad and that has me concerned. Every other Monk book I have read is written so Monk is the star and Natalie the side kick. This one is more the opposite. Plus Natalie's character is normally very nice and someone that would be a pleasure to be around. Hy Conrad has taken her in a different direction. She was always complaining, sometimes to herself -- sometimes to others, that they were not taking her seriously. At one point she even asked the Captain something like "If Monk had told you blah blah blah would you have doubted him?" She was upset that her theories were not taking as seriously as they would have been had Monk presented them. DUH! There is a reason for that! He is Monk with a track record of never being wrong. When that happens year after year we tend to believe anything they say. You have no such track record so quit your bitching until you do have. This book was about Natalie with a little bit of Monk thrown in to humor us.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Hy Conrad, who also wrote several episodes for the television series.

This book is different than those written by Lee Goldberg, as one should expect.

Natalie Teeger books a a weekend at a self help workshop, and the host seems to commit suicide right in front of everybody. Meanwhile, a party clown is murdered by poison money. Monk has to overcome his usual phobias, and a crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, while Teeger attempts to self actualize.

I don't think that's it's quite as good as some of Goldberg's work, but it's still pretty good.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest - I was a bit apprehensive going into this book.

Monk was one of my favorite TV shows, and finding out there was a book companion series was such a treat after the show was canceled. I highly enjoyed the first 15 books written by Lee Goldberg - it was like discovering a whole season of episodes I'd never seen! At the end of the 15th book, Mr. Goldberg announced that a new author would be taking over. I had mixed feelings about this - I certainly wasn't ready for the series to end, but I also wasn't sure how I felt about someone else writing them.

Well, I am very pleased to say that I shouldn't have worried at all!

Hy Conrad did a FANTASTIC job at keeping this series going. The characters all sounded like themselves, and he kept true to the world Mr. Goldberg had created. (Though it does follow the show, of course, the last several books take place after the show ended and went on a completely different path). I was smiling the entire time reading this, and it was just so nice to be back in Monk's world.

I can't wait for the next book, and I hope Mr. Conrad writes a bunch of these! They are just so much fun.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Writer. Still laugh out loud with a little mystery on the side. I miss the show but love how I can go visit every now and then.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Monk helps himself by Hy Conrad is the 16th book in the Mr. Monk mystery series and the first by this author. When Miranda Bigley, self-help guru, jumps off a cliff, Natalie, Mr. Monk's assistant, is convinced she was murdered while Mr. Monk investigates the murder of a clown killed by poisoned money. I love this series and especially how Mr. Monk manages to solve the impossible. Hy Conrad was a writer for the television series and the books tie in nicely, but should be read in order as characters that were not in the show have been introduced. This book takes place well after the television series ended. A fun and very entertaining book.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Monk Helps Himself was a okay read, with an enjoyable mystery. I laughed a few times because of how Monk acted. I thought it was great to find out who was sending him the packages in the mail (and that Natalie figured it out first!). I didn't guess what happened to Miranda and liked how it wasn't easy to figure out.

I will say, I am getting a little less enjoyment from these books because things didn't go this way in the Monk movie which just came out...so now there are two different storylines. Lol! I prefer the movie timeline better, too. 😉

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie Teeger is ready to take her Private Investigator exam and finally become a full partner with Mr. Adrian Monk. However, they have a couple of cases they must solve before that can happen.

Natalie goes on a retreat to Half Moon Bay where her idol Miranda Bigley is hosting a “Best Possible Me” self-help program. Natalie swears by Miranda’s philosophy but is stunned when Miranda commits suicide at the retreat in front of everyone. Natalie is convinced it wasn’t suicide, but she can’t get anyone to believe her. Not even Monk.

Monk has his own problems. The San Francisco police want him to investigate the death of a clown. The problem is – Monk is deathly afraid of anything to do with clowns. However, he has a contract with the SFPD and he must help solve this case, despite his phobia of clowns.

Monk and Natalie realize they must help each other solve these crimes. Once they do that, they could become full PI partners.

I never watched the TV show Monk (maybe an episode here and there), but I absolutely adored this book! What a pleasant surprise! It’s a light, fun, mystery with characters that I immediately fell in love with. I’m actually surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. It was a quick read for me – I couldn’t put it down! I loved every minute of this book!

I plan to not only read more of these books, but to watch the series on DVD, too. I can already tell these are beloved characters.

FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the tv series Monk and was so upset when they cancelled it. You can only imagine how happy I was to learn there was a Monk book series…even though the first book was in 2006, I just recently found out about the series.

Anyway, I didn’t know what to expect from the book. I figured it’d be really good since Hy Conrad also wrote for the tv series, but I was really surprised at how much I loved this book. There are so many LOL moments, and all the characters come across just like they did in the show.

The best part of the book is that there are two separate murders to investigate. In a twist that I really loved, Natalie saw things that Monk overlooked (obviously because he was in clown shock) in one of the cases, and since no one would take her serious, she decided to investigate that case by herself, and I loved that she wouldn’t back down until they would listen to her.

I loved how assertive Natalie was in this book, she gets her P.I. license so she can be a full partner with Monk and not just his assistant. She’s really becoming a vital part of the team.

Monk is his same old loveable OCD self, and my two favorite parts were his new toilet, and every place the clown was involved! Hilarious!!

I plan on reading the rest of this series, and hope they keep coming. I couldn’t have enjoyed this book more.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard that Lee Goldberg was not going to be writing the Monk books anymore. I was so disappointed. I had been watching Monk the tv series every since it first aired back in 2002 and never missed an episode the whole 8 years it was on. But when Lee announced, that Hy Conrad was going to be continuing with the series. I remembered seeing his name in the credits, so I had a good feeling the Monk books were going to be in good hands.

I am so glad that I was right. Hy Conrad did a wonderful job with his first Monk book. His writing style is a little different than Lee's, but after a few chapters, I started to see Tony Shalhoub and the rest of the cast in my head. I laughed out loud at a lot of places in the book and the mysteries in the story were really interesting. I can't wait until when the next book well be released.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Mr. Monk series written by Hy Conrad rather than Lee Goldberg. Overall I thought the did a good job and the story felt no different. My only complaint was that on several occasions the author glossed over the most exciting part of the action and jumped to the solution. It was not too distracting and I have confidence that the author will improve with time. This was still a fun story and I liked the changes in the partnership between Monk and Natalie.

[Svatia Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I need a break from these books, they start feeling pretty bland. It was alright, but nothing special.

One think that drives me crazy, because it's so poorly managed is the titles of each chapter. I know the author probably tries to make it all about Monk and make a pattern, but it's really annoying when a chapter is for instance called "Mr. Monk and the cliffhanger" and Mr. Monk is mentioned in that chapter zero times and has nothing to do with him.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this Mr Monk book...it was a bit on the boring side and wasn't funny at all. The Teeger character seemed a bit irritating for some reason. Normally there are laugh out loud moments in almost all of both author's Monk series but not this one. The suicide twist was interesting, however.

[Sarah Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot 4/5
Though I've seen all of the tv series, this is my first time reading one of the books. And overall it does a good job in terms of tone, captivating that familiar balance of comedy and drama that I recall enjoying when watching the show. I did enjoy the multiple different mystery cases in this one. Though it was a little difficult to keep all the facts separate from one another at times, especially when I'd find a place to stop and continue reading again the next day. But on the plus side, it kept things interesting and added a bit of conflict between Monk and Natalie. Each thinking their case to be the more important, even though everyone (reader included) knows in the end they're going to solve both. The only aspect in terms of storytelling I didn't really care for is the choice of writing in the second perspective (I think that's what you'd call it), where Natalie is talking to the reader directly, as though she's telling them a story. The only reason I could think of why someone would choose to write this way, is so that Natalie could narrate specific scenes in which she was not present. Though personally, I would've preferred just reading in third-person if this was the case. Because breaking the fourth wall in this way ruins the immersion, reminding the reader they're just reading a book and not sharing in the characters' adventures alongside them.

Characters 4/5
Monk is Monk. Brilliant, obsessive, and socially awkward. I love him just as much here as I did watching him on tv. The banter between him and Natalie is so entertaining. I love their relationship. Monk is obviously not an easy "boss" or "partner" to deal with, and I admire Natalie for her loyalty towards him. Even when they disagree on something, it's clear what close friends they are, and I find it heartwarming. However, by comparison the other characters felt flat and uninteresting. Outside of their physical descriptions and motives for murder for the story's antagonists at least, it felt like there wasn't much there. Even though Monk and Natalie hog the spotlight through most of the story, I would've liked to see a little more personality shining through the other characters as well. It almost feels like they were purposefully made dull just to make Monk seem more eccentric. In which case it works, but it just makes me not interested to read about them whenever they do walk onto the stage.

Setting 3/5
The setting in this book gets the job done, but it really doesn't add anything. I would've liked more attention to details and sensory descriptions. As is, most of the narration is focused on the characters themselves: What they're doing, what they're feeling, what they're experiencing, memories of the past, etc. To a point where the setting feels neglected and there's a severe lack of tangible descriptions. This in addition to the story being told in the second person makes it feel more like we're getting the story second-handed by someone instead of being immersed into the middle of action. Getting to share in the characters experiences while they are happening, instead of after the action has already taken place. It just kind of kills any hope of immersion.

Overall 4/5
I wasn't even aware there was a book series until I found it while browsing my local library, but I am quite glad that I found it and picked it up as I had grown quite fond of these characters and remember how sad I was when the show ended, because I wanted to see more. So I am pleased that there are still Monk adventures out there waiting for me to enjoy them. Should I be so lucky to find one again I will happily pick it up. I would recommend this book to not only fans of the show, but anyone who enjoys good, clever mystery with an interesting, quirky main character.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Monk Helps Himself is a more insightful title than most when one thinks about all the ways in which the “defective detective” (which Randy once called him on the television show) needs help. He needs help in relationships. He needs help with his phobias. He needs help driving. He needs help coping. His list of phobias is trimmed to an even 100, even if he has to combine entries or swap some out as not being as pressing (or depressing) as the others. In this novel, we are reminded of Monk’s phobia of clowns and fears of a clown mafia coming after him, but we are informed of his aardvark phobia (added way down the list, though you’d think his list would be alphabetical).

Actually, Monk faced two phobias (loosely speaking) in Mr. Monk Helps Himself: clowns and cults. Avid readers of the novels or viewers of the series will probably remember than Monk had gone undercover in a cult and, well, the regimented, ordered lifestyle may have worked too well. But that’s not this story and Monk isn’t the one who joins the “cult,” as he refers to a self-help retreat which Natalie attends. She is enamored with a self-help guru who has helped her become more decisive, but runs into two consecutive problems: a suicide which she can’t accept as a suicide and a partner in detecting who can’t accept her as a full partner.

Yet, the main attraction is the murder of a clown, found dead in his apartment lying on a nest of money. The problem becomes solving the case (which ends up having wider ramifications) without involving the jerks (which I will not name, but any regular readers or viewers would recognize) from the FBI. Naturally, it is very risky to dance on the edge of a metaphorical cliff, even as Natalie is still concerned about what happened on the edge of a literal cliff. To detail the agony Monk goes through in dealing with this clown case would spoil some of the fun—especially the great scene where the FBI use clown humor to try to get Monk to cross the line into their jurisdiction. Just trust me, it’s worth it.

I use these light, often comic, mysteries as bedtime reading. Unlike some thrillers, they don’t disturb my subconscious—just relax me. And, I have this sense that Monk stories are true comedies in the sense of the classic “U” shape where one goes from fine to bad to worse and then starts climbing back to fine or better than fine. While it isn’t quite a sense of one living happily ever after (Is that even a thing?), it does mean that these stories are as well-ordered as Monk’s house. Any messes will only last till he can clean them up.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

A great mystery with the same lovable and witty characters of Natalie, Monk, and the captain along with some fresh storylines as Natalie works to become a PI and equal partner in solving crime with Monk.

The Monk series has been my favorite TV show for years. I cannot believe that I just found out there was an entire book series and with new, varied cases than the show none the less!

Told from the point of view of Natalie Teeger, Monk’s assistant for almost 10 years, this book has a lot of the typical Monk moments where his phobias and personality shine through the book just as they did in the show. However, there all also some fresh and new aspects in his life that you would never expect from him as he was portrayed in the show, such as being in a relationship. I found these moments refreshing and a way to show the progress within his life after solving his wife’s murder in the final season of the show. The book has all the aspects of a difficult murder case with Adrian Monk using his special way of looking at things to decipher clues overlooked my the SFPD and his good friend, Captain Stottlemeyer. The added bonus, is a second case where Natalie investigates a suicide (without the police and Monk) of a well loved self help guru she witnessed walk off a cliff while attending her weekend seminar.

“Mr Monk Helps Himself” is the 16th book in the series and the first written by Hy Conrad. While I cannot speak of the previous books, this is the first I have read and found it to be easily read as a stand-alone. I suspect the others in the series could be as well since they center around a singular main case being presented and solved within the start and finish of each book.

[Emilou · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hope that when Conrad took over the series, he would not make the same mistakes as Goldberg. Unfortunately that isn't the case. Not only does the author strip Monk of all character growth and everything that isn't OCD for the sake of humor, but he has removed Monk from a majority of the story to focus on Natalie Teeger. Monk is in only a little bit of this book, and the author attempted to make what little he is in the story either brilliant (when he's doing his detective thing) or humorous (when he has problems with his OCD) but it just made him annoying most of the time. Conrad also fell into the usual pitfalls when writing a first person, detective narrative and that is telling the story from other POVs, which was annoying and, in my opinion, poor writing.

I did not like how Goldberg portrayed Natalie, and Conrad isn't any better. I feel that the Natalie in these books isn't the same character from the show, and not because of character growth, but more out of convenience to make her this way. There are also many contradictions about her character, and I also feel that a lot of her personality/decisions (as well as Ellen's personality and decisions) were cliché stereotypes of women.

All in all, this was the most boring of all the Monk books. I would have given it one star if not for the fact that Conrad had written my most favorite line in all the Monk books. I apologize that I must paraphrase because I can't find the exact words in the book:

"Please don't make me go into the clown lair."

[Keya Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read any of the other novelizations but was a huge fan of the tv series. I appreciate the foreword by the author (who also was a writer for the show for the duration of it’s run) explaining that his version of Monk differed from the series & the previous novels written by someone else. The warning was nice but didn’t help; his Monk was so much more selfish & unlikeable that he was a broadly painted caricature of himself. If this were my 1st time encountering the character, I wouldn’t have wanted to read any other stories nor see the show. It was an easy read w/out tension or anything to really get you invested in the characters, besides disliking Monk. I tried to distance him from the man Tony Shaloub so delicately crafted but it felt a bit like unrefined fam fiction.

I also thought it was odd that there was so much product placement. I kept seeing Peets Coffee mentioned at 1st so wondered if that was a clue of some sort but then I noticed multiple other popular brands mentioned by name but that weren’t relevant to the story. Did the USA Network have product placement deals set up for the books? It took me out of the story.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know that Hy Conrad was one of the writers from the Monk TV series, that he was with the series for all eight sessions and that he was the mystery guy not one of the comedy writers, however his Monk, Stottlemeyer and Natalie in this book are not the Monk, Stottlemeyer and Natalie I fell in love with on the show or other the books.

He has written all three characters as mean, selfish and down right horrible. Perhaps this was the version of the characters that Conrad wanted to portray on the TV series but the television executives said that if Monk, Stottlemeyer and Natalie were that mean, no one would watch the show.

I really wish Lee Goldberg had finished writing the series because he had Monk, Stottlemeyer and Natalie perfect in his books and they were funny unlike this garbage.

[Miki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because I love the T.V. series. I think those who have watched the series will appreciate the book more. If I wasn't familiar with the show I think this would have gotten a lower rating. The book follows Natalie more than it does Monk. The mystery kept me guessing until the end (actually two mysteries going on simultaneously), I couldn't figure it out but because it was told from Natalie's point of view it didn't focus on Monk's phobias as much as the show. I will be seeking out other Monk books just for the nostalgia and because I absolutely love the character. I recommend this to Monk fans but think if you're not familiar with the series you won't be too impressed with this one.

[Gail Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monk is my favorite TV show of all time and the book series perfectly captures Mr. Monk’s eccentricities (to put it mildly) and his genius. The story is told from Natalie’s POV with just enough humor to keep the tone light (despite all that murder and stuff!) The author was a writer on the show for its entire run, so it’s no surprise that this book is original, brilliantly plotted, and ties up every loose end to a Monk-approved level of perfection.

I love that in this one, Natalie is finally getting some more credit. She has evolved from Monk’s assistant to his partner and has instincts and skills of her own that are key to solving a murder. It’s about time!

I can’t recommend this series highly enough and this installment is no exception!

[Lollyletsgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment was okay, I read some of the other reviews and while Monk could be construed as being "mean" in this book, he's like that in the others as well. It's is "me-ness" and ego-centricity along with the inability to live without help (Natalie/Sharona) to combat his phobias which forces him to interact with others solve crimes- understanding how and why someone would do something- when he would be perfectly comfortable living in his own bubble safe and sound. (that's ironic comedy for you. ;])

[Cognatious Thunk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like popcorn, this book was incredibly easy to scarf down, but ultimately unfulfilling. Both lead characters in this book lost a little something through their transformations into novel form and that lack made them more selfish and self-centered than I remember them being in the television series. Perhaps I simply remember them as being better than they were, but like so many other books I've read recently, this isn't something I want to keep on my bookshelf so that I can reread it later. However, it was fun one time around and would make an excellent weekend/beach read.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

New author for the series, which initially looked promising as he appeared to be trying to undo some of the damage the previous author did to the characters -- and he at least succeeded in not continuing to write Mr. Monk as an annoying imbecile, but then it seems like he gave up about halfway through and decided it was easier to continue to let Natalie be a flawless Mary Sue. And to title a chapter "Mr. Monk and the Breakup" was just cruel to those of us who thought we were finally seeing the last of Ellen.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it took me longer than I wanted to get through this book, it all came together and was somewhat satisfying in the end. I feel I need to go back and read the Monk books in order though because it seems I missed some important details about the main characters from previous books. Guess they are not necessarily stand alone like I thought. Though it is Monk so reading them in order would make sense.

[Read1000books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the hit tv show "MONK", this is another in the series and, even though it is the first one written by Hy Conrad, the author change was pretty seamless and was quite an enjoyable mystery read. But take note: this is book 16 in the series. Mr. Monk would be pleased if you read them in order. And I agree. You'll thank me later

[Wanda Boyer M.C., Ph.D., RCC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Monk books. Hy Conrad beautifully conveys Natalie's strength and loving nature and willingness to change. "Mr. Monk helps himself" might have you considering how you can change your life "by changing one small thing." Thank you Hy.

[Coila]

Hy Conrad took over the series at this point, and continues the great story writing of Mr Monk. Natalie becomes a detective and they of course settle several cases. Always a fun read, if you like/love Mr Monk.