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Mr. Monk #6
Г-н Монк отива в Германия
Могат ли книгите да бъдат по-добро забавление от телевизията? Обзаложете се, че може - когато са написани от Лий Голдбърг.
Лий Чайлд
Тази книга е твърде смешна, за да остане непрочетена.
Ед Горман
Напоследък Ейдриън Монк се справя добре. Разкрива убийства още в момента, в който се случват, и натрапчивите му разстройства са видимо по-незабележими - вече не брои късчетата от зърнената си закуска, докато се озоват в купата. Напредъкът си е напредък и Монк знае, че го дължи изцяло на терапевта си д-р Крогър.
Но когато д-р Крогър заминава на конференция в Германия, Монк изпада в шок. Не може да си завърже обувките, забравя как да преглъща, губи бройката на миганията си... Обзет от отчаяна нужда да си върне равновесието, Монк решава да последва терапевта си в Германия.
И именно там на един градски площад Монк вижда онзи мъж. Мъжа, когото никога не е спирал да търси.
Мъжа с шестте пръста.
Мъжа, отговорен за смъртта на съпругата му.
Дали Монк само си е въобразил, че пътищата им са се пресекли?
Лий Чайлд
Тази книга е твърде смешна, за да остане непрочетена.
Ед Горман
Напоследък Ейдриън Монк се справя добре. Разкрива убийства още в момента, в който се случват, и натрапчивите му разстройства са видимо по-незабележими - вече не брои късчетата от зърнената си закуска, докато се озоват в купата. Напредъкът си е напредък и Монк знае, че го дължи изцяло на терапевта си д-р Крогър.
Но когато д-р Крогър заминава на конференция в Германия, Монк изпада в шок. Не може да си завърже обувките, забравя как да преглъща, губи бройката на миганията си... Обзет от отчаяна нужда да си върне равновесието, Монк решава да последва терапевта си в Германия.
И именно там на един градски площад Монк вижда онзи мъж. Мъжа, когото никога не е спирал да търси.
Мъжа с шестте пръста.
Мъжа, отговорен за смъртта на съпругата му.
Дали Монк само си е въобразил, че пътищата им са се пресекли?
328 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
54 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Lee Goldberg
158 books2,109 followersLee Goldberg is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over forty novels, including Malibu Burning, Calico, Lost Hills (the first novel in his acclaimed "Eve Ronin" series), 15 "Monk" mysteries, five "Fox & O'Hare" adventures (co-written with Janet Evanovich), and the new thriller Ashes Never Lie, the second in his "Sharpe & Walker" series.. He's written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk and he co-created the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
December 9, 2019
Some one killed Mr Monks's wife Trudy.
He has a tenuous clue to the killer's identity.
Mr Monk needs order and everything solved if he is survive in this disordered world
Can Mr Monk see everyone's point of view?
“You can’t accept anyone who isn’t just like you. You have no tolerance for diversity. It’s the differences between people that make us special.”
“Diversity is great,” Monk said. “As long as it’s clean, even, and symmetrical.”
Pure Monk - no one understands him, but he does get results
They were experiencing pure, unadulterated Monk for the first time. They had no idea how his mind worked. I’m not saying that I did either, but at least I was used to the backwards, sideways, and often inexplicable way he put things together. I had the benefit of knowing it would fit in the end and that it was best just to go with the flow rather than question it.
“It’s obvious what happened here,” Monk said. “It’s right up there on the wall.”
Monk pointed to the bleached patch of wallpaper above the couch. Stoffmacher, Geshir, and I looked at the wall.
“There’s nothing there,” Geshir said.
“There was, but now it’s over there.” Monk gestured to the painting of the fruit on the opposite wall. “That painting used to be on this wall. It matches the bleached outline on the wallpaper.”
“So?” Geshir asked.
“Someone moved it.” Monk went over and lifted the painting off the other wall, revealing a hole.
You are paranoid and they are out to get you
“I agree with you that something very strange is going on here, Mr. Monk, but you can’t let paranoia cloud your judgment.”
"I have to clear my mind and concentrate only on the facts.”
“Now you’re talking,” I said.
“Because if I give in to paranoia, they win.”
“They?” I asked.
“Everyone who is out to get me,” he said.
Mr Monk in Germany takes him far, far out of his comfort zone, but not so far that he can't solve a triple murder.
Enjoy!
He has a tenuous clue to the killer's identity.
Mr Monk needs order and everything solved if he is survive in this disordered world
Can Mr Monk see everyone's point of view?
“You can’t accept anyone who isn’t just like you. You have no tolerance for diversity. It’s the differences between people that make us special.”
“Diversity is great,” Monk said. “As long as it’s clean, even, and symmetrical.”
Pure Monk - no one understands him, but he does get results
They were experiencing pure, unadulterated Monk for the first time. They had no idea how his mind worked. I’m not saying that I did either, but at least I was used to the backwards, sideways, and often inexplicable way he put things together. I had the benefit of knowing it would fit in the end and that it was best just to go with the flow rather than question it.
“It’s obvious what happened here,” Monk said. “It’s right up there on the wall.”
Monk pointed to the bleached patch of wallpaper above the couch. Stoffmacher, Geshir, and I looked at the wall.
“There’s nothing there,” Geshir said.
“There was, but now it’s over there.” Monk gestured to the painting of the fruit on the opposite wall. “That painting used to be on this wall. It matches the bleached outline on the wallpaper.”
“So?” Geshir asked.
“Someone moved it.” Monk went over and lifted the painting off the other wall, revealing a hole.
You are paranoid and they are out to get you
“I agree with you that something very strange is going on here, Mr. Monk, but you can’t let paranoia cloud your judgment.”
"I have to clear my mind and concentrate only on the facts.”
“Now you’re talking,” I said.
“Because if I give in to paranoia, they win.”
“They?” I asked.
“Everyone who is out to get me,” he said.
Mr Monk in Germany takes him far, far out of his comfort zone, but not so far that he can't solve a triple murder.
Enjoy!
September 22, 2019
I loved this! I was not sure at first that it would be the series for me. I was put off by the lead voice not being Monk, but being Natalie. But I was wrong. It’s delightfully told by her. And Monk is hilarious! I can picture Tony Shaloub playing the Monk in this book. The voices are brilliant, the murder is great and if you loved the tv series, you’ll love this as well.
July 25, 2023
Mr. Monk Goes to Germany was a fun read. I haven't seen the show in so long, but I've been loving reading these books. I felt like the characters acted true to the show and I found myself chuckling a lot. It was interesting to see how Monk reacted to traveling and Germany. ;)
May 15, 2013
Some of Monk's behaviors really irritated me in this especially his refusal to accept the differences between Lohr and San Francisco as well as his treatment towards people with physical anomalies. In addition, him stalking Dr. Kroger to Germany was a little far-fetched even for Monk. He followed Natalie was understandable because she was his assistant and she did not do a good job in breaking the news to him but I remember an episode in the show where Dr. Kroger went on vacation and Monk did quite well without him.
Mr. Monk in the book series seemed less human and more like an OCD walking machine to me while Natalie was edgier. Tony Shalhoub and Traylor Howard definitely put a lot of hearts into their characters since I loved the duo in the show. Nevertheless, the mysteries were quite good and the description of sights by Natalie made me feel like I was there with them. The author did a good job in describing the places without getting winded up so that definitely went to my good book.
Mr. Monk in the book series seemed less human and more like an OCD walking machine to me while Natalie was edgier. Tony Shalhoub and Traylor Howard definitely put a lot of hearts into their characters since I loved the duo in the show. Nevertheless, the mysteries were quite good and the description of sights by Natalie made me feel like I was there with them. The author did a good job in describing the places without getting winded up so that definitely went to my good book.
April 30, 2013
Fans of the TV series will enjoy all the Monk books. The characters take on a slightly different personality in the books than they do in the show, however. Mr. Monk seems a little less human and Natalie seems a little more edgy. The books also have more objectionable elements than the shows do, which was disappointing to me, especially since they rarely have any bearing on the story. At times I find the characters acting in ways that do not seem in harmony with the personalities we have come to know and love on the screen. Read them for what they are--an engaging story, a quirky mystery, and an unlikely detective, but don't expect them to mirror the show.
January 9, 2009
My GoodReads friend Donna was reading this book and I'm so glad I saw the update--I'd had no idea that the Monk book series existed! As a major Monk fan, I had to give it a try, and I was not disappointed.
Monk's voice and actions are spot-on and hilarious and I thought the narration by Natalie was pretty entertaining too. Five stars because this book succeeded perfectly in its purpose--it kept me entertained and made me laugh...a lot! I will definitely be reading more in the Monk series.
Monk's voice and actions are spot-on and hilarious and I thought the narration by Natalie was pretty entertaining too. Five stars because this book succeeded perfectly in its purpose--it kept me entertained and made me laugh...a lot! I will definitely be reading more in the Monk series.
March 14, 2012
I loved the Monk TV series and I generally like mystery novels, but this book is an insult to both.
It's safe to say it never would have been published, and certainly wouldn't have the rating it does on this site, if it wasn't riding on the coat tails of the TV series' popularity. The writing style is artless and extremely simplistic. The story is poorly crafted and contrived.
The main story doesn't start till around halfway through the book and much of it feels like a regurgitation of the author's visit to German tourist traps which has been awkwardly injected into a Monk novel to bloat it to a marketable size. For instance, Mr. Monk miraculously overcomes his fear of flying to trek to Berlin so he can have a 2 minute conversation with someone he could have easily called on the phone. This person miraculously (again) works next to the Berlin Wall which leads to a large section about the history and significance of the wall.
Goldberg's characters are soulless and stripped of the redeeming qualities that made them so beloved in the television series. In the TV series, Monk was brilliant though painfully hampered by fears and self doubt, but under Monk's fear was a brave and loyal heart which earned him the admiration and friendship of his assistant Natalie and the police Captain Stottlemeyer. Goldberg's version of Monk is an idiot who seems to enjoy arguing about everything and has no redeeming heart or self doubt whatsoever. Goldberg writes Natalie and Monk more like the clichéd set of bickering, curmudgeonly Jewish parents that would be more at home on Seinfeld, Friends or Everybody Loves Raymond. For example, Natalie encourages Monk to go to Germany against his best interest because she wants a vacation at Monk's expense. There's nothing likable about Goldberg's characters.
Bottom line- only a child or simplistic adult would like this book, and only if they were projecting characteristics from the TV series onto it. It doesn't come close to deserving it's rating (higher than works by Shakespeare and time honored best sellers). There are far better things to spend your time reading.
It's safe to say it never would have been published, and certainly wouldn't have the rating it does on this site, if it wasn't riding on the coat tails of the TV series' popularity. The writing style is artless and extremely simplistic. The story is poorly crafted and contrived.
The main story doesn't start till around halfway through the book and much of it feels like a regurgitation of the author's visit to German tourist traps which has been awkwardly injected into a Monk novel to bloat it to a marketable size. For instance, Mr. Monk miraculously overcomes his fear of flying to trek to Berlin so he can have a 2 minute conversation with someone he could have easily called on the phone. This person miraculously (again) works next to the Berlin Wall which leads to a large section about the history and significance of the wall.
Goldberg's characters are soulless and stripped of the redeeming qualities that made them so beloved in the television series. In the TV series, Monk was brilliant though painfully hampered by fears and self doubt, but under Monk's fear was a brave and loyal heart which earned him the admiration and friendship of his assistant Natalie and the police Captain Stottlemeyer. Goldberg's version of Monk is an idiot who seems to enjoy arguing about everything and has no redeeming heart or self doubt whatsoever. Goldberg writes Natalie and Monk more like the clichéd set of bickering, curmudgeonly Jewish parents that would be more at home on Seinfeld, Friends or Everybody Loves Raymond. For example, Natalie encourages Monk to go to Germany against his best interest because she wants a vacation at Monk's expense. There's nothing likable about Goldberg's characters.
Bottom line- only a child or simplistic adult would like this book, and only if they were projecting characteristics from the TV series onto it. It doesn't come close to deserving it's rating (higher than works by Shakespeare and time honored best sellers). There are far better things to spend your time reading.
February 17, 2017
This is the fourth Monk book I've read this year and either I'm beginning to burn out on the series or the tales are becoming repetitious. The premise of Germany is a good one, but it is flawed. Monk flies to Germany with Natalie to chase down his therapist and while there finds what he thinks is evidence in the slaying of his wife. Fans of the show know Monk lost his job as a San Francisco detective because he was grieving her loss.
So the premise is intriguing. Instead, we get unlikeable characteristics of Monk that veer from what those who watch the television show know of him. He takes medicine to combat his fear of flying and becomes the "Monkster," completely forgoing his OCD ways. It becomes ridiculous; on the flight, he is singing while wearing lederhosen and eating junk food. It supposed to be funny, showing the exact contrast of what Monk really is, but to me it's forced and painful. It ain't funny.
He is also insulting to everyone. At times, it seems Lee Goldberg is setting up situations just for Monk to show how much an ass he is. It is like watching an amateur comedian prepping for the punch lines by offering cliched, simplistic set ups. I don't remember that in the previous three books I've read. I get that Monk doesn't like odd numbers and things out of balance frighten him. But it's overboard in this tale. For being such a genius detective, he sure is stupid at times as well. He wants to put back the Berlin Wall after seeing tiny pieces of it for sale at shops. He assumes the "11-fingered man" is his wife's killer, ala the Fugitive, without thinking much.
This one was a bit of a disappointment. I don't think it will deter me from reading others, but if the next few are like this, I may slow the pace down in my goal of plowing through all the Monk books the local library has.
So the premise is intriguing. Instead, we get unlikeable characteristics of Monk that veer from what those who watch the television show know of him. He takes medicine to combat his fear of flying and becomes the "Monkster," completely forgoing his OCD ways. It becomes ridiculous; on the flight, he is singing while wearing lederhosen and eating junk food. It supposed to be funny, showing the exact contrast of what Monk really is, but to me it's forced and painful. It ain't funny.
He is also insulting to everyone. At times, it seems Lee Goldberg is setting up situations just for Monk to show how much an ass he is. It is like watching an amateur comedian prepping for the punch lines by offering cliched, simplistic set ups. I don't remember that in the previous three books I've read. I get that Monk doesn't like odd numbers and things out of balance frighten him. But it's overboard in this tale. For being such a genius detective, he sure is stupid at times as well. He wants to put back the Berlin Wall after seeing tiny pieces of it for sale at shops. He assumes the "11-fingered man" is his wife's killer, ala the Fugitive, without thinking much.
This one was a bit of a disappointment. I don't think it will deter me from reading others, but if the next few are like this, I may slow the pace down in my goal of plowing through all the Monk books the local library has.
April 3, 2020
I did not enjoy this book.
Monk and Natalie are out of character. They are quite harsh and there aren't many redeeming qualities to speak of. You read a book based off a TV show for the characters and tone and other comfortable markers that tell you you're expanding your enjoyment of the TV show with a book. This story did not fulfill that for me.
After Natalie punched a particular person - and made a big deal out of not regretting it or feeling guilty - I couldn't like her. And she's the POV character, so that made it a real slog to get through.
I also ended up not liking Monk, though it's hard to refer to him as "Monk" because it just wasn't him.
Neither character apologized to a particular character that they wronged tremendously. They didn't care. They didn't care about each other, about the murder, or about others.
Monk and Natalie are out of character. They are quite harsh and there aren't many redeeming qualities to speak of. You read a book based off a TV show for the characters and tone and other comfortable markers that tell you you're expanding your enjoyment of the TV show with a book. This story did not fulfill that for me.
After Natalie punched a particular person - and made a big deal out of not regretting it or feeling guilty - I couldn't like her. And she's the POV character, so that made it a real slog to get through.
I also ended up not liking Monk, though it's hard to refer to him as "Monk" because it just wasn't him.
Neither character apologized to a particular character that they wronged tremendously. They didn't care. They didn't care about each other, about the murder, or about others.
January 25, 2018
Just not as cute and fun as other Monk books. And this one does not capture the sweetness of the TV show and characters.
Monk's paranoia and comments about people with physical deformities was cruel and rude and not very amusing.
There wasn't much unique about this story,
Monk's paranoia and comments about people with physical deformities was cruel and rude and not very amusing.
There wasn't much unique about this story,
December 11, 2023
trigger warning
When Mr. Monk's therapist decides to go to a conference which happens to be in Germany, Mr. Monk first panics and then decides to follow him.
This is based on the tv series about a former homicide detective who, after the loss of his wife, was unable to cope and lost his job. Now he works as a consultant for the police. He has many mental health issues, especially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and many phobias which are usually used in a humoristic manner but without degrading people who suffer from mental disorders - at least that is the sense that I got from it.
When I found this one where Mr. Monk literally goes to Germany in a Germany charity shop, I wanted to give it a go, but I would not have seeked it out otherwise.
While very ableistic and racist things are mentioned, we are very clearly shown that this is Mr. Monl's view, that everyone sees his views as extreme but it is unclear how far you can discuss matters with such a narrowminded person.
In the main part I got exactly what I expected, apart from the holiday resort they visit in the course of their investigation - because of course a corpse turns up in this one when they are away and they have to investigate.
It is a resort for people with physical differences. The activities director has hypertrychosis, there are people with missing limbs or more fingers than people usually have. The rules for this resort are that you have to be born with your difference to qualify for membership, and I'd have liked to get the reasoning behind that.
Of course one could argue that people who were in an accident and lost limbs in that way or had an illness which left a lasting effect on them already have support groups, for example. Just some way of adressing that there are two flavours of physical disability (congenital and happened later in life) would have been nice, if we have a whole section centered around respectful talk about disability.
But I see that the book is from 2008 and the author probably is able-bodied, and apparently it's too much to ask for.
Another topic you should be aware of before heading into this one is that a new neighbor moves in, and Mr. Monk was at first reluctant to meet him because he is an amputee and moves around on one leg, which Mr. Monk refers to as being "unbalanced".
But when he learns how he lost the leg he starts refering to the neighbor as the cannibal in the house and mentions he never went to Africa because of that. Cannibalism.
Huge red flags, but Mr. Monk is a walking red flag. And I knew that beforehand. So I don't feel like I can really complain.
When Mr. Monk's therapist decides to go to a conference which happens to be in Germany, Mr. Monk first panics and then decides to follow him.
This is based on the tv series about a former homicide detective who, after the loss of his wife, was unable to cope and lost his job. Now he works as a consultant for the police. He has many mental health issues, especially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and many phobias which are usually used in a humoristic manner but without degrading people who suffer from mental disorders - at least that is the sense that I got from it.
When I found this one where Mr. Monk literally goes to Germany in a Germany charity shop, I wanted to give it a go, but I would not have seeked it out otherwise.
While very ableistic and racist things are mentioned, we are very clearly shown that this is Mr. Monl's view, that everyone sees his views as extreme but it is unclear how far you can discuss matters with such a narrowminded person.
In the main part I got exactly what I expected, apart from the holiday resort they visit in the course of their investigation - because of course a corpse turns up in this one when they are away and they have to investigate.
It is a resort for people with physical differences. The activities director has hypertrychosis, there are people with missing limbs or more fingers than people usually have. The rules for this resort are that you have to be born with your difference to qualify for membership, and I'd have liked to get the reasoning behind that.
Of course one could argue that people who were in an accident and lost limbs in that way or had an illness which left a lasting effect on them already have support groups, for example. Just some way of adressing that there are two flavours of physical disability (congenital and happened later in life) would have been nice, if we have a whole section centered around respectful talk about disability.
But I see that the book is from 2008 and the author probably is able-bodied, and apparently it's too much to ask for.
Another topic you should be aware of before heading into this one is that a new neighbor moves in, and Mr. Monk was at first reluctant to meet him because he is an amputee and moves around on one leg, which Mr. Monk refers to as being "unbalanced".
But when he learns how he lost the leg he starts refering to the neighbor as the cannibal in the house and mentions he never went to Africa because of that. Cannibalism.
Huge red flags, but Mr. Monk is a walking red flag. And I knew that beforehand. So I don't feel like I can really complain.
March 26, 2019
I can finally see why there aren't that many Mr. Monk books and why my library offers only a few. The first book was great but the subsequent books just lack something. It's like there is less respect for the characters and although the murders are interesting enough the books are too flimsy. I am not a fast reader and I've read 4 of the books in 3 days. A single book wouldn't be enough for a long air flight.
The books still make me laugh at times, but I'm beginning to have less fondness for Monk as his intolerance towards the handicapped is painfully awkward.
The books still make me laugh at times, but I'm beginning to have less fondness for Monk as his intolerance towards the handicapped is painfully awkward.
October 28, 2017
Monk finds out his shrink is going away for a week and determines to keep his appointments anyway. He and Natalie follow Monk to Germany where Monk finds the 6 fingered man. Is it the man that killed his beloved wife Trudy? Read it and find out.
I enjoyed this book very much as it has the usual monkness going on with some really quick dialogue and a good plot. A very quick read for a change of pace to more suspenseful thrillers.
I enjoyed this book very much as it has the usual monkness going on with some really quick dialogue and a good plot. A very quick read for a change of pace to more suspenseful thrillers.
May 1, 2021
Poor Monk still didn't get him for his wife's death.
I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get to know more about Germany because it really didn't make much difference where the story took place.
Notes in updates.
I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get to know more about Germany because it really didn't make much difference where the story took place.
Notes in updates.
November 23, 2022
Reminds me of peanut butter fluff sandwich.easy yummy , not a lot nourishment, but so good and very pleasurable. And fuuuuunny!fun way to while some hours
April 5, 2021
It's nice to be able to read again...even if it's just audiobooks while I spend hours on art projects 😜
December 21, 2023
Cheesy, campy fun.
July 16, 2025
Mr. Monk and the Six-Finger Discount
Writing the tie-in novels for an ongoing (at the time this book was written) television series seems like, as Adrian Monk might say, a gift and a curse. Sure, it's a steady gig in a world where those don't exactly grow on trees, but it also means you can't resolve any of that series' ongoing plot points, or do anything that might shake up the status quo. At first, Lee Goldberg was content to play nicely within the confines of the Monk-iverse. With time, however, it became clear that he was desperate for something more substantial, which brings us to this, the book that finally tackles the central mystery underlying the entire franchise. Except, um, not really?
These events are set in motion when Dr. Kroger takes a week off to attend a psychiatric conference in – yep, you guessed it – Germany. His life thrown into disarray without his therapist around, Monk decides that the only reasonable and sane thing to do is stalk him all the way across the Atlantic, a plan that Natalie goes along with because she wants a free vacation. But things soon take a turn for the worse when, in an contrived coincidence, Monk spots a guy with six fingers on his right hand. You know... just like the man who arranged Trudy's murder. Looks like this could finally be his chance to corner the six-fingered man and say the words he has always longed to say: "My name is Adrian Monk. You killed my wife. Prepare to die."
Unfortunately, as Mr. Goldberg acknowledges in the foreword, this book came out several months AFTER the episode "Mr. Monk Is on the Run", in which we (briefly) met the REAL six-fingered man. Anyone who had been following the show obsessively and/or compulsively already knew that this guy isn't actually Trudy's killer. But even if the resolution hadn't been inadvertently undermined in this way, it still wouldn't be much of a spoiler for me to mention it, because it's just so dang obvious. There's absolutely no way Andy Breckman would've let Goldberg reveal the answer to the series' driving question in a silly tie-in book that most fans wouldn't even read. Did anyone really think that season seven would roll around and Monk would just be like, "Thank goodness we found my wife's killer on that vacation we took off-screen! I'm all better now, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun solving mysteries, right folks?"
Perhaps I'm putting too much thought into what is, really, just an excuse plot for another vacation book-isode in the vein of "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii". Taken from that angle, this book is ... also not very successful. Despite having been partially written in the very village where it's set, it is devoid of any convincing German flavor, to the point where nobody even bothers speaking German, not even the Germans. Place names aside, there are maybe five German words here, max. And one of them is Wienerschnitzel, solely so Natalie can do a lame stand-up routine about the fast food chain (Der) Wienerschnitzel. Monk is talking to Stottlemeyer over the phone about the man he thinks killed his wife, and she chimes in like, "Hey, could you also look into why they named that hot dog restaurant fried veal cutlet in German?" Yeah. Um. Thanks for that-alie, Natalie.
One of the other German words is Hauptkriminalkommissar (the rank of the local Stottlemeyer equivalent), which Monk and Natalie take to immediately, throwing it around like they've been using it all their life. It made me wonder, was there originally a less complicated term used here – perhaps simply kommissar – that got search-and-replaced at the very last minute, ostensibly for the sake of authenticity? If that's the case, it's just too bad the actual correct title would be Kriminalhauptkommissar...
If there's one area where Mr. Goldberg manages to top himself with each Monk novel, it's making the title character an insufferable jerk who can't make it through a single social situation without saying something cruel and/or bigoted. Remember that conference I mentioned earlier? It was organized by the aforementioned six-fingered man, Dr. Martin Rahner, who also happens to operate a resort for folks with "physical abnormalities". The upshot of this is that we get an entire chapter of little more than Monk shouting ableist abuse at these poor people! He calls them freaks; he says they should be embarrassed to exist; he even goes as far as to imply that Dr. Rahner is evil BECAUSE he has an extra finger. A Badfinger, if you will.
Yes, I know we're clearly not meant to agree with Monk here. Perhaps you could even claim that this counts as social commentary on society's attitude toward the physically disabled. It's a great work of satire. Mm-hmm. But Mr. Goldberg always seems to forget that, at the end of the day, we are still meant to sympathize with Adrian Monk as a character, and it's EXTREMELY hard in this day and age to sympathize with a man who's spouting nonsense like this:
But the worst part comes when we meet Katie, the resort's sales director, who just so happens to be intersex. (That's NOT the term the book uses, of course. I'm sure you can figure it out.) Naturally, both Monk and Natalie squeak in horror at the mental image, because cis folks spend way too much time thinking about genitals, and then blame everyone else. Later, Natalie's narration refers to Katie as "mostly a woman", and our heroes collectively cringe at the thought that she has – gasp – A BOYFRIEND. Silly Katie! Don't you know the Cishet Council has deemed you unworthy of love and companionship?
I'm sorry, folks. I swear I don't read these Monk novels just to find stuff to be offended by. Really! I don't! I generally enjoy these, in a manner that's only partly ironic, and I would love nothing more than to eventually give one of them three stars. (The Goldberg Gold Standard!) But this, like "Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants" before it, is one of those books that genuinely makes me wonder, why the heck am I doing this to myself? Surely, in a political climate where anyone the least bit different is put through the wringer, where I feel increasingly unsafe just being myself, there are better things I could do in my spare time than subjecting myself to Lee Freaking Goldberg's narrow-minded worldview yet again.
....but, for the sake of ending on a less negative note, let's talk about Adrian Monk in lederhosen! Yes, there is indeed a scene where he wears them, while stoned out of his gourd on Dioxnyl, the wonder drug from the episode "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine". But, for some reason, I also have a vivid memory of seeing an actual image of Tony Shalhoub wearing (Photoshopped) lederhosen and an Alpine hat. At first, I thought it might have been an alternate cover for this book, but if it is, it's not on Goodreads. Was this some sort of promo image? An alternate cover for a different, less intuitive book? Was I also stoned out of my gourd on Dioxnyl, the wonder drug from the episode "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine"? I now have the phrase "Tony Shalhoub lederhosen" in my Google search history and I still don't have my answer. So please, if this rings any sort of bell for you, TELL ME. SAVE ME FROM MY TORMENT.
Writing the tie-in novels for an ongoing (at the time this book was written) television series seems like, as Adrian Monk might say, a gift and a curse. Sure, it's a steady gig in a world where those don't exactly grow on trees, but it also means you can't resolve any of that series' ongoing plot points, or do anything that might shake up the status quo. At first, Lee Goldberg was content to play nicely within the confines of the Monk-iverse. With time, however, it became clear that he was desperate for something more substantial, which brings us to this, the book that finally tackles the central mystery underlying the entire franchise. Except, um, not really?
These events are set in motion when Dr. Kroger takes a week off to attend a psychiatric conference in – yep, you guessed it – Germany. His life thrown into disarray without his therapist around, Monk decides that the only reasonable and sane thing to do is stalk him all the way across the Atlantic, a plan that Natalie goes along with because she wants a free vacation. But things soon take a turn for the worse when, in an contrived coincidence, Monk spots a guy with six fingers on his right hand. You know... just like the man who arranged Trudy's murder. Looks like this could finally be his chance to corner the six-fingered man and say the words he has always longed to say: "My name is Adrian Monk. You killed my wife. Prepare to die."
Unfortunately, as Mr. Goldberg acknowledges in the foreword, this book came out several months AFTER the episode "Mr. Monk Is on the Run", in which we (briefly) met the REAL six-fingered man. Anyone who had been following the show obsessively and/or compulsively already knew that this guy isn't actually Trudy's killer. But even if the resolution hadn't been inadvertently undermined in this way, it still wouldn't be much of a spoiler for me to mention it, because it's just so dang obvious. There's absolutely no way Andy Breckman would've let Goldberg reveal the answer to the series' driving question in a silly tie-in book that most fans wouldn't even read. Did anyone really think that season seven would roll around and Monk would just be like, "Thank goodness we found my wife's killer on that vacation we took off-screen! I'm all better now, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun solving mysteries, right folks?"
Perhaps I'm putting too much thought into what is, really, just an excuse plot for another vacation book-isode in the vein of "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii". Taken from that angle, this book is ... also not very successful. Despite having been partially written in the very village where it's set, it is devoid of any convincing German flavor, to the point where nobody even bothers speaking German, not even the Germans. Place names aside, there are maybe five German words here, max. And one of them is Wienerschnitzel, solely so Natalie can do a lame stand-up routine about the fast food chain (Der) Wienerschnitzel. Monk is talking to Stottlemeyer over the phone about the man he thinks killed his wife, and she chimes in like, "Hey, could you also look into why they named that hot dog restaurant fried veal cutlet in German?" Yeah. Um. Thanks for that-alie, Natalie.
One of the other German words is Hauptkriminalkommissar (the rank of the local Stottlemeyer equivalent), which Monk and Natalie take to immediately, throwing it around like they've been using it all their life. It made me wonder, was there originally a less complicated term used here – perhaps simply kommissar – that got search-and-replaced at the very last minute, ostensibly for the sake of authenticity? If that's the case, it's just too bad the actual correct title would be Kriminalhauptkommissar...
If there's one area where Mr. Goldberg manages to top himself with each Monk novel, it's making the title character an insufferable jerk who can't make it through a single social situation without saying something cruel and/or bigoted. Remember that conference I mentioned earlier? It was organized by the aforementioned six-fingered man, Dr. Martin Rahner, who also happens to operate a resort for folks with "physical abnormalities". The upshot of this is that we get an entire chapter of little more than Monk shouting ableist abuse at these poor people! He calls them freaks; he says they should be embarrassed to exist; he even goes as far as to imply that Dr. Rahner is evil BECAUSE he has an extra finger. A Badfinger, if you will.
Yes, I know we're clearly not meant to agree with Monk here. Perhaps you could even claim that this counts as social commentary on society's attitude toward the physically disabled. It's a great work of satire. Mm-hmm. But Mr. Goldberg always seems to forget that, at the end of the day, we are still meant to sympathize with Adrian Monk as a character, and it's EXTREMELY hard in this day and age to sympathize with a man who's spouting nonsense like this:
"'Diversity' is just another word for things that don't match," Monk said. "It's unnatural."
But the worst part comes when we meet Katie, the resort's sales director, who just so happens to be intersex. (That's NOT the term the book uses, of course. I'm sure you can figure it out.) Naturally, both Monk and Natalie squeak in horror at the mental image, because cis folks spend way too much time thinking about genitals, and then blame everyone else. Later, Natalie's narration refers to Katie as "mostly a woman", and our heroes collectively cringe at the thought that she has – gasp – A BOYFRIEND. Silly Katie! Don't you know the Cishet Council has deemed you unworthy of love and companionship?
I'm sorry, folks. I swear I don't read these Monk novels just to find stuff to be offended by. Really! I don't! I generally enjoy these, in a manner that's only partly ironic, and I would love nothing more than to eventually give one of them three stars. (The Goldberg Gold Standard!) But this, like "Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants" before it, is one of those books that genuinely makes me wonder, why the heck am I doing this to myself? Surely, in a political climate where anyone the least bit different is put through the wringer, where I feel increasingly unsafe just being myself, there are better things I could do in my spare time than subjecting myself to Lee Freaking Goldberg's narrow-minded worldview yet again.
....but, for the sake of ending on a less negative note, let's talk about Adrian Monk in lederhosen! Yes, there is indeed a scene where he wears them, while stoned out of his gourd on Dioxnyl, the wonder drug from the episode "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine". But, for some reason, I also have a vivid memory of seeing an actual image of Tony Shalhoub wearing (Photoshopped) lederhosen and an Alpine hat. At first, I thought it might have been an alternate cover for this book, but if it is, it's not on Goodreads. Was this some sort of promo image? An alternate cover for a different, less intuitive book? Was I also stoned out of my gourd on Dioxnyl, the wonder drug from the episode "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine"? I now have the phrase "Tony Shalhoub lederhosen" in my Google search history and I still don't have my answer. So please, if this rings any sort of bell for you, TELL ME. SAVE ME FROM MY TORMENT.
September 12, 2021
As much as I love this series and the TV show, I can only give "Germany" two stars:
(Spoilers coming...)
1. This one took forever to get into and I almost gave up on it more than once.
2. Too many murders in this one. It's been so long since I read the other books that I can't remember how many were in each book but this one seemed to have a lot. It started to feel kind of repetitive after a while.
3. I really like Natalie in general but I did NOT like her in this book. She was snarky and rude and just downright unlikable. I was disappointed that she accompanied Adrian to Germany although he wouldn't have been able to handle the trip alone. I get why she went. I just wish that she hadn't.
4. I didn't like how Adrian was always replying to things with "Hell no!". That was SO unlike him, even when he had taken the medication.
5. I HATED that Natalie punched Dr. Kroger in the face! She NEVER apologized or admitted that she was wrong, even after she realized that she had acted out of spite. Even more important, I HATED that there was the suggestion that Dr. Kroger had something to do with Trudy's murder. He was my absolute favorite character and the idea that someone whom Adrian trusted so much could murder his beloved wife just burned me up. The fact that Dr. Kroger was featured so prominently is the reason that I wanted to read it.
7. I was very disappointed that this wasn't as laugh out loud funny as the other books I'd read. In fact, it wasn't very funny at all.
8. This book is not for the squeamish and I'm not referring to murder scenes. Those were fairly vague without being too descriptive but the beginning of the book deals with Adrian's neighbor who is a cannibal. Gross.
I loved the descriptions of the places they went and I found myself googling them to see if they were real. (Lohr and the Santa's Village amusement park in California that Natalie mentions). Sadly Santa's Village is long gone, but the pictures that I found were pretty close to the descriptions.
I'm still going to eventually read the whole series of books ( and reading this one renewed my interest in "Monk" which has always been one of my favorite shows), but I just hope that subsequent books are better than this one.
(Spoilers coming...)
1. This one took forever to get into and I almost gave up on it more than once.
2. Too many murders in this one. It's been so long since I read the other books that I can't remember how many were in each book but this one seemed to have a lot. It started to feel kind of repetitive after a while.
3. I really like Natalie in general but I did NOT like her in this book. She was snarky and rude and just downright unlikable. I was disappointed that she accompanied Adrian to Germany although he wouldn't have been able to handle the trip alone. I get why she went. I just wish that she hadn't.
4. I didn't like how Adrian was always replying to things with "Hell no!". That was SO unlike him, even when he had taken the medication.
5. I HATED that Natalie punched Dr. Kroger in the face! She NEVER apologized or admitted that she was wrong, even after she realized that she had acted out of spite. Even more important, I HATED that there was the suggestion that Dr. Kroger had something to do with Trudy's murder. He was my absolute favorite character and the idea that someone whom Adrian trusted so much could murder his beloved wife just burned me up. The fact that Dr. Kroger was featured so prominently is the reason that I wanted to read it.
7. I was very disappointed that this wasn't as laugh out loud funny as the other books I'd read. In fact, it wasn't very funny at all.
8. This book is not for the squeamish and I'm not referring to murder scenes. Those were fairly vague without being too descriptive but the beginning of the book deals with Adrian's neighbor who is a cannibal. Gross.
I loved the descriptions of the places they went and I found myself googling them to see if they were real. (Lohr and the Santa's Village amusement park in California that Natalie mentions). Sadly Santa's Village is long gone, but the pictures that I found were pretty close to the descriptions.
I'm still going to eventually read the whole series of books ( and reading this one renewed my interest in "Monk" which has always been one of my favorite shows), but I just hope that subsequent books are better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2020
This book was a little weird, but I am such a Monk fan that I'll take any more adventures I can get. In general, I love Lee Goldberg's Monk adventures. Except for Natalie, he generally nails the characters and the feel of the tv show. This one had some funny stuff and some interesting plotting. It had a few elements that stretched my disbelief, but still a worthwhile read. Keep 'em coming.
March 2, 2010
I absolutely loved the series (when it was on TV) and the books could not be better. They are exactly like the show, with only one slight difference, they are told from the perspective of Mr. Monk's assistant, Natalie Teeger. In this novel, Monk and Natalie travel to Germany so Monk can keep his appointments with Dr. Kroger, much to Dr. Kroger's dismay and Natalie's delight. Before they leave we experience Monk's amazing abilities (aka, his gift and his curse) first hand and the action doesn't stop there. What is the likelihood of stumbling upon a double homicide in the German village where Snow White was invented? Almost impossible for normal people, but not for Mr. Monk. As he tries to discover the murderer and solve his wife's murder at the same time, we get to see many of Monk's phobias first hand. It's an entertaining read and I cannot wait to start the next novel in the series. Here's hoping the novel series continues even though the TV series is over.
January 8, 2012
"Mr Monk Goes to Germany" by Lee Goldberg is a fun mystery based on my favorite TV detective, Adrian Monk. The story is told from the point of veiw of his assistant Natalee, who has her hands full as she travels to Germany with Monk, hell bent on following his shrink Dr. Kroger to the ends of the earth if he needs to, in order to avoid missing an appointment. The fact that Monk has convinced himself his new one-legged neighbor is a sock stealing cannibal does't help matters, but it adds to the laugh out loud humor. From the plane ride (he's drugged and acting up to edure the flight), to the way he sees the German countryside, to his visit to a resort for the deformed, Monk stays in character as he solves murders in his unique OCD style.
Oh, did I mention the part about his wondering if if the man with 6 fingers is in cohoots with Dr Kroger? You'll have to read it to see how that goes.
My son gave me this book for Christmas and I totally love it. :)
Oh, did I mention the part about his wondering if if the man with 6 fingers is in cohoots with Dr Kroger? You'll have to read it to see how that goes.
My son gave me this book for Christmas and I totally love it. :)
May 6, 2014
This was the first one that I've read in this series even though its the sixth one. I've watched the t.v. series for many years and always enjoyed it so when I saw there was a books series I was curious. I really liked it! I can't wait to read more of them. In this one Mr Monk goes to Germany following Dr. Kroger when he goes to a conference. As expected there end up being murders and a few mysteries. It gets very personal when he finds a six fingered man, which is connected to the murder of his wife. Its a great series and I really recommend them to anyone who wants a good read with a mystery and a laugh.
June 16, 2018
This was just a little silly murder mystery. Mr. Monk gets bent out of shape when his psychiatrist Dr. Kroger goes to Germany for a conference. Monk takes his medicine so his major OCD is under control so his fear of flying doesn’t bother him. I don’t know which Incidents are the most funny. with or without the medication.
Anyway he feels the psychologist who is friends with Dr. Kroger killed Monk’s wife simply because he had 6 fingers on his right hand. So when there is an actual murder that the police can’t handle he thinks it’s him. Can he prove it? This is a lot of silliness but it still demonstrates Mr. Monk’s attention to detail.
Anyway he feels the psychologist who is friends with Dr. Kroger killed Monk’s wife simply because he had 6 fingers on his right hand. So when there is an actual murder that the police can’t handle he thinks it’s him. Can he prove it? This is a lot of silliness but it still demonstrates Mr. Monk’s attention to detail.
April 18, 2021
Re-read March 2021
This was just as fantastic as it was when I first read it. These Monk books just make me so happy, and are somehow even better when I'm sick! They're like comfort to me.
Original review on 8/3/11:
I wasn't too thrilled with the last two Monk books I read, but this one brought it all back! This one was hilarious and had a lot of emotional parts to it when Monk thinks he saw his wife's killer.
I literally laughed out loud so many times in this book. Monk's reaction to Germany was hysterical, as was his interpretation of Snow White.
Loved this one!
This was just as fantastic as it was when I first read it. These Monk books just make me so happy, and are somehow even better when I'm sick! They're like comfort to me.
Original review on 8/3/11:
I wasn't too thrilled with the last two Monk books I read, but this one brought it all back! This one was hilarious and had a lot of emotional parts to it when Monk thinks he saw his wife's killer.
I literally laughed out loud so many times in this book. Monk's reaction to Germany was hysterical, as was his interpretation of Snow White.
Loved this one!
October 16, 2025
This was my first 'Monk' book, although I had seen the TV show previously and enjoyed it. I found the character initially insufferable but you grow to like him, as I am sure they intended and the story set in Germany is an interesting one. I eventually found his extreme OCD hilarious, as it is told by his assistant, this narrative style worked for me, as you are an observer to his behaviour as she is. The sleuthing and problem solving was intriguing and I will be reading some more of this series for sure. Also they made a new Monk movie that is worth a watch.
March 13, 2011
In the book Mr.Monk goes to Germany by Lee Goldberg, Monk becomes depressed when his Shrink Dr.Kroeger leaves for Germany. Monk being Monk follows Dr. Kroeger to Germany. To Monk Germany is a horror land where nothing is symetrical and the roads are made of cobble stone. In Germany Monk face a compelling murder that appears to have been a suicide. This book is a fantastic mystery book. It has a total of 276 pages. I would recomend this book to those who like humor and mystery.
August 26, 2014
The first of the Mr. Monk books by Lee Goldberg that I have read. I enjoyed it very much. Chuckled and laughed out loud! A real page turner! I even googled the name of the drug that calms him when his obsessions get in the way of solving the crime completely. Now one mystery is solved (Dioxynl) is a fake medication!!
August 31, 2016
This was certainly not a literary novel that one savors for its depth. However, for being a funny, modern detective novel it hit the mark! Definitely more enjoyable if you are already familiar with Monk and his OCD and personality (from TV or the novels), but it can still be read and enjoyed out of context and without reading the others in the series. The audiobook narrator is excellent!
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