Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant

Mr. Monk #19

by Hy Conrad

An all-new story starring Adrian Monk by Edgar® Award–nominated Monk screenwriter and coexecutive producer Hy Conrad.

It’s compulsive, page-turning fun.

Monk and Natalie have finally settled into a new office routine. Now they just need to work things out with their neighbors—a print shop run by hippies whose music leaks through the walls, driving Monk nuts. But the detectives soon have a more serious conflict to deal Captain Stottlemeyer’s new lieutenant, A.J. Cartledge—a man of limited skills whom Monk finds insufferable.
 
Even the presence of Lieutenant Cartledge won’t keep Monk and Natalie from attending the funeral of Judge Oberlin, and it’s a good thing. In typical fashion, Monk examines the body in the casket—and finds evidence of poison. The judge was murdered.

While there are no traces of the poison at the judge’s house, Monk detects that there had been an intruder. The next rainy day, when Captain Stottlemeyer begins to show the same symptoms, Monk deduces that there’s a diabolical killer at work, someone who wanted both the judge and the captain dead.  Monk and Natalie turn to the captain’s ex-lieutenant in Summit, New Jersey for help, but even that might not be enough to solve this crime. With his friend in danger and an enemy close, Monk will have to put his reservations aside to crack the case in time.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2015

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

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always look forward to a new Monk story. Its always fun to spend a few days of the week reading a new story about Monk. I enjoyed this story more than I did the last book in the series. This was a classic Monk story, the mystery plus all the other side mysteries was fantastic. Monk was Monk in this story, he wasn't hunting for a girlfriend or doing things that was un-Monk like behavior. Randy Disher's return was great, his appearance in the story brought some of the funny moments in the story.

I really wish I could say, can't wait until the next story in the series but, unfortunately, if the opening note is to be correct, this will be the last book in the series. The author, Hy Conrad, did a fantastic job with the four books he wrote for the series and helped keep the character Monk alive for me during those stories.

I really hope, there will be a new author to continue with the series in the future. Hy Conrad left the book in a good area to continue with the characters into more stories.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have watched the television show, this was my first Monk book. It was really quite good. That has everything to do with the fact that the author, Hy Conrad, was also a writer on the show for it entire eight season run.

I have to say, I loved that each chapter has a title. So few books do that these days. I’ve always enjoyed it. The story is told from the point of view of Natalie Teeger, Adrian Monk’s former assistant, now his partner in Monk & Teeger, Consulting Detectives.

Reading MR. MONK AND THE NEW LIEUTENTANT was just like watching an episode of the show. All the same fun, drama, and intrigue, but with no commercials!

For those who have followed this book series, if the other books were have as good as this on, you’re going to love it! If you’re like me, familiar with the show but you haven’t read the books, give this one a try. I think you’ll be pleased.

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Monk And The New Lieutenant is the fourth book Monk series by HyConrad.

This series' books are quick reads.

The book consisted, of what seemed to me, short stories of three or 4 quick cases for Monk and Natalie to resolve and one major case. That case centers around the recent death of Judge Oberlin and the attempts on the life of Captain Stottlemeyer. As the title suggests, Lt. Amy Devlin is on a leave of absence and she has been replaced by Lt. A. J. Thurman. Thurman is the most competent policeman on the force and certainly lack the social skills that Monk would expect. Monk and Natalie are paying their respect at funeral of Oberlin, when Monk states that the Oberlin was poisoned and not by a disease he picked up on a visit to Thailand. Soon Capt. Stottlemeyer begins to have similar symptoms that Oberlin had. Since the doctors knew what to look for, they were able to treat him get him on the road to recovery. But then there are a couple more attempts on the Captain's life. A note is soon found that alleges that the death and death threats are the tied to case that was tried before Olerlin and was investigated by Stottlemeyer. Monk and Natalie need to find the murderer before another murder if committed.

Conrad states in the authors notes at the beginning of the book that he will no longer be writing any more books in this series, but stopped short of saying that the series is over.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monk discovers that a recently deceased judge was actually poisoned. And then Captain Stottlemeyer starts shows the same symptoms. Who is out to kill the captain?

The plot in this one was a little simpler than it might have been, but the characters make it plenty of fun. Yes, there are even some more great laughs along the way.

Sadly, this is looking like it will be the final book in the Monk novels. It’s been a wonderful franchise, and I am going to really miss these characters.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick cozy. Several shorter mysteries as well as the feature. Nice writing.

[Linda Brue · Rating 4 out of 5]

First the television series came to an end and Mr. Monk was gone. Then Lee Goldberg began writing the Monk books and I loved them. Eventually, Mr. Goldberg moved on to other things and Mr. Monk was once again gone. But Hy Conrad took over writing the Monk books, and life was good again. Both men had worked on the television series, and had Monk well in hand. Each of their versions of Monk were slightly different, but both worked for me. (I did think Mr. Goldberg's Monk was funnier than Mr. Conrad's.) And now? This is the last Monk book, unless another author steps up to continue the series. Life looks bleak again. Mr. Conrad has, in a way, tidied up all the characters lives in such a way to allow us to see where they are headed, but also leaves room for another author to put his or her mark on the characters and take them on a different path. I hope someone does decide to continue the series. I'll miss them if they are gone.

Oh yeah--the book was good. Synopsis? Captain Sottlemeyer has a new partner, the son of a very old friend. Problem is, he's not only a bad cop, but he's a jerk, besides.

[Philena Garey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying visit with the master detective and old friends.

With all the impossible-to-solve mysteries that seem to follow Natalie and Mr. Monk, this book brings Disher back to help solve things. Even Julie gets into the act. Stottlemeyer can't seem to stay out of the hospital and Mr. Monk once again plays his saxophone. Altogether a satisfying read with a happy ending.

[Josiah Canto · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better reads for the monk books. I loved how open ended it was with a very strong subtleness that Randy is going to come back, for me, it was always the whole cast that really made it such a great series and that ending with Sharona and Randy forgetting his phone was perfect.

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

Hy Conrad, I just want to thank you for the great plot lines, Natalie's strong female voice, and your willingness to carry on the monk legacy.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother and I both enjoyed Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant but to different degrees and with different experiences. Though we both thought Hy Conrad presented a solid and enjoyable story, my sibling felt that it wasn’t at the level of Lee Goldberg’s novels about the same character. I enjoyed it as much or more. Mein Bruder was confident of the perpetrator from the middle of the book forward, and he felt adequate clues were planted. I didn’t figure it out till at least three-fourths of the way through the story (and, even then, I wasn’t positive until the penultimate revelation). I knew it wasn’t the “red herring” character(s), but I kept casting my net further and further off the beaten path.

Both of us agreed that we “heard” Tony Shalhoub throwing off those absurd lines as Monk as we read it through. To me, the most humorous scene with Monk-like behavior was in the chapter entitled, “Mr. Monk and Chicken Potpie Night.” I chuckled and shook my head during the inventory of the peas and the comments on the “Princess and the Pea” fairy tale. There was also a scene that was almost as uncomfortable for me as I read it as it was for Mr. Monk. Apparently, a suspect was well aware of Monk’s OCD feelings about hygiene, so the suspect made the most about making Monk physically sick with some very gross behavior.

Just to be honest, I haven’t read all of these novels in sequence, but Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant takes place after a novel I read where Natalie and Monk where helping out Randy Disher in his role as police chief in Summit, New Jersey. For those who love the Monk continuity, he’s married to Sharona. Indeed, a lot of the ancillary plot deals with the insecure Monk trying to entice Randy back to San Francisco to his old job (something of a demotion considering he was “chief” back in New Jersey).

In Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant, a judge’s assassination leads the captain to believe that he might be next. Indeed, there is at least one assassin after the captain. Monk and Valerie think the assassin’s grudge may reflect two cases where the defendants were just eligible for parole, cases that occurred when they were experiencing Mr. Monk Goes to Germany. So, they were off the hook as potential victims, but Leland is not.

This novel is the type of fun a Monk book needs to be. Better yet, even the mystery was enough to throw me off (which doesn’t happen that often). And, for just a moment, it seemed like I was eavesdropping on Natalie, Randy, and Adrian complete with their voices in my head. That was satisfying entertainment. And, for the record, I may have been fooled with the main plot, but I was quite correct about the sideshow…er…supplemental plot.

[Colleen Sehy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, published in 2015, was the last entry in the long-running series based on the Monk TV show. That’s a shame because this snappy read shows there’s still a lot of life left in the characters.

As the story opens, Adrian Monk and Natalie Teeger have settled into their new life as partners in the Monk & Teeger detective agency. Business certainly isn’t booming, but they’ve been keeping their heads above water thanks to their consulting work with the San Francisco PD. Unfortunately, that income is suddenly in jeopardy when Captain Stottlemeyer’s obnoxious new partner (the new lieutenant of the title) decides to pay them a fraction of their standard rate because Monk solves his cases so quickly.

However, when Monk discovers a local judge was poisoned, he realizes the murderer's next victim will be Captain Stottlemeyer and it's a mystery even he can’t solve in an hour. It’s all hands on deck as Monk, Natalie, and Stottlemeyer’s old partner, Randy Disher, band together to keep the captain safe until they can catch the killer. Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant was an enjoyable visit with old friends, and I wish there were more books in the series. Still, readers were probably fortunate to have six more years with Monk and friends after the TV show ended in 2009.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was disappointed when Lee Goldberg turned over the reins of this series to Hy Conrad. It turns out that Mr. Conrad handles the team of wild horses that constitutes the Monk world quite well. The book follows the familiar pattern of Monk being irritated by things (providing comic relief) and then noticing things that lead to sleuthing. Writing from the viewpoint of Natalie Teeger keeps the reader feeling the frustration with Monk as well as her own independent thinking.

The book has several major mysteries and a number of minor episodes. Those who viewed the old television show will feel like they are watching an episode of Monk that provides popup spoilers to let us know what Natalie is thinking. In addition, Conrad finds a mechanism to let Randy guest-star in this episode, making us feel like the Monk entourage really is a family of sorts. The conclusion is sort of a cliffhanger and promise of things to come in the Monk universe.

Comical.. puzzling.. clever.....

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

MR. Monk and the New Lieutenant
by
Hy Conrad
I have enjoyed all of the Monk books, of the four written by Hy Conrad I feel that this one is hi best.
The story begins with Monk and Natalie attending Judge Oberlin's funeral. While viewing the Judge's corpse Mr. Monk suddenly announces that the Judge did not die of natural causes instead he tells everyone that the Judge was poisoned. So begins the final Monk story, unless another author takes up his pen and brings Mr. Monk back to the written pages for us all to enjoy. I feel it is sad the series had to end with only books. We all know Mr. Monk was a lover of even numbers.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this one is probably a four-star book, but I'm giving it five because I gave earlier books in the series two stars when they should have only been given one. It's fine. These ratings don't matter to anyone but me.

This is the last in the series, but only the fourth written by Hy Conrad. The first 15 were written by Lee Goldberg, who is credited with writing three episodes of the TV series, but evidently with co-screenwriters because he never, in any of the books, had a grasp on the Monk character, whom he portrayed as almost completely detached from reality in the most irritating, quirk-infested way possible. Conrad, who worked on the show for its entire eight-year run, doesn't have that problem; his Monk is the one we know from the show, brilliant but traumatized, careful and sad, often maddening, and always right.

Although Conrad leaves it somewhat open-ended, this is a fitting finale. And even if a couple of the earlier books were out-and-out bad, overall, the book series was a fun ride and ended on a high note.

[Jimmy Mcphink · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worse Monk book ever. I did not laugh until I was 16% through the book. That should tell you all you need to know. I think I only laughed 3 or 4 times the entire book. I will not give a spoiler but one part was so stupid and so against what 99.99% of anyone in the world would do I just shook my head with disbelief. That part was just dumb. When compared to other Monk books I'd rate it 1 out of 10 but if I rate it as a standalone book then my rating was:

5.52 out of 10. I gave it
Interesting 7 -- Captivating 6.33 -- Plot 7 -- Characters 6.75 (horribly low for a Monk book) -- Humorous 4.5 (Horribly low for a Monk book) -- 1st 20% 5.55 -- Last 5% 2 -- Readability 5.

[Tiffany Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quintessentially Monk, except this is just a little morbid and depressing for me. And yes that is speaking as a huge Monk fan.
.
At the funeral of Judge Oberlin, of course Monk pronounces that he's been poisoned. I like that in this instance he whispers it, almost as if he is respectful of the sombre event. More likely he feels the tragedy of being blessed & cursed by his gift, whereby he cannot escape simply being who he is.
.
I do love reading about how he deduce cases, however, that never gets tiring. The red herrings are really well done, all the cases in each book usually adhere to the same theme. In this case, families and wayward sons.
.
I won't spoil it for you, I'm pretty sure I've read this particular book at least 3 times. Monk books are like Big Macs for me. You can inhale them quickly, they're like comfort food, never fail to cheer me up.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guess that's the end of an era again, well unless another author picks up this series. Another checkbox on my long reading list.
This book is better than the previous and it feels ok to let the story end here.

The 'old crew' got back together and did some old fashioned crime solving

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the best Monk story, but it’s not bad. Randy Disher shows up and even Sharona makes an appearance. I identified the baddie early on, although the motive was a surprise. Based on the authors opening note, this may be the last book in the series.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fully expected to see all of my favorite Monk characters as I know them from the show. It was distracting to me that none of them came to life in the book as they are in the show. Having said that, the story was good and I did finish the book. I won't read another one though.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m loving the Monk series! I’ve found the characters to be written much like the show so it’s fun to follow a Monk story for more than 45 minutes :) This story is written after the show’s finale and finds Monk and Natalie partners in their own private detective office.

[Lyle Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent re-creation of what I like to call "the adventures of Monk and Natalie". The author has captured the nuances of characters and their idiosyncrasies in a thoroughly entertaining manner.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book, but you should really read "Mr Monk Goes To Germany" first if you haven't done so already. That book gets alluded to a lot in this book.

[Al Menaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, last of this series. Another novel of Mr. Monk. Interesting, involving, amusing.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing amazing, but read more or less like an episode of Monk and made for an easy beach read :)

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good show and very good books hard to put down

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were several mysteries in this single book, so it made for enjoyable food for the mind.

[Victor · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read, with lots of named characters and an average amount of Monk.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another silly story but that doesn’t stop me from reading them.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read if you are a fan of the tv show.

[Jennifer Lucey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+