Aloha, mystery lovers!
Remember the hugely successful USA channel mystery-comedy series “Monk,” starring Tony Shaloub, featuring an obsessive-compulsive (OCD) germophobic detective named Adrian Monk that ran eight years? Haven’t heard of it? That’s OK! We’ve got a surprise!
Author Lee Goldberg, who got permission to continue the show in book form, has crafted a very funny and very entertaining “Monk” mystery book series.
And fortunately for us readers, the books are better than the TV series! In fact, there are 18 books in the series!
“Monk” is a mix of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe, and TV’s Columbo … but even quirkier!
Our featured book, “Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii,” is set on your very own Kauai.
Mr. Monk needs an assistant (Natalie Teeger) because of his extreme OCD, which makes him a handful. Natalie Teeger is desperately needing to take a vacation. Mr. Monk, completely dependent upon Natalie, is so distraught, he immediately sees his therapist. When Natalie boards the plane to Kauai, she is stunned to see Mr. Monk in the same aisle as her! Mr. Monk, assisted by his therapist, has taken a medicine to help him travel but unfortunately, as a side effect, it temporarily transforms him into a gregarious alter-ego named “The Monk” or “Chad.”
Natalie is not thrilled about “The Monk” joining her, but as his medicine wears off and he is back to his OCD ways, she is too nice to not to assist him while they are on Kauai.
And, of course, they find that a strange murder has occurred. The local authorities, finding out the famous Mr. Monk is here, requests his help to solve the crime.
Your familiar sights and places of Kauai are throughout this hilarious and fun entertaining mystery!
Enjoy!
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Ed and Cynthia Justus are owners of The Bookstore in Hanapepe.
