The mayor’s decision to slash the San Francisco Police Department’s budget forces Captain Stottlemeyer to make cuts in his staff, resulting in the abolishment of Adrian Monk’s consulting position. It isn’t long before Monk and Natalie are working for Nick Slade, a former homicide detective who, some ten years earlier, left the department and founded Intertect, a private investigation firm for which he serves as its CEO.

But when Captain Stottlemeyer finds himself accused of murder . . . and the evidence of his guilt is overwhelming . . . can Monk find the answers to prove Leland’s innocence?

All of the expected characters make an appearance and Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, takes more of a center stage in the telling of this tale, eventually concerned with clearing Captain Stottlemeyer of a murder charge. Although there are plenty of hijinks, the twisty plot involves more investigation than many of Monk’s earlier capers. Readers and fans of the series alike will find much to appreciate in this delightful tale.

Highly recommended. ( )

I love the Monk series! ( )

This story is told by Monk's assistant (2nd assistant) Natalie. Captain Stottlemeyer doesn't have the budget to keep Monk on the payroll and he is picked up by Nick Slade who has a large detective agency. Monk solves several cases by just reading the files and Natalie as to force Slade to stop giving him cases as he stops sleeping in order to solve the cases. Then Natalie and Monk meet an old friend of Stottlemeyer who used to tend bar and pass on tips to the cops but who now lives with his daughter and due to dementia - he can remember thinks he saw and heard 10 years ago but no longer recognizes people. Then a man Stottlemeyer got thrown out of the force is found dead right after he and Stottlemeyer were in a fight. The killer was wearing the same tie Stottlemeyer was wearing and his fingerprints were found on a broken glass in the room the dead man was in. It is up to Monk to figure it out. I enjoyed this more than I thought although I always watched the show. However, Monk seemed more sympathetic on tv than he does in the book.

When the mayor of San Francisco slashes the police department's budget, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer is forced to terminate his consulting contract with former partner turned private detective Adrian Monk.

Nevertheless, the obsessive-compulsive detective continues to show up at crime scenes despite discouragement from his lovely and forthright assistant, Natalie Teeger. In an attempt to outwit her, Monk begins calling in anonymous tips on crimes he reads about in the newspaper until he is caught in the act by Natalie. No pay, no work!

Making matters worse, both Monk and Stottlemeyer are interviewed before a live audience at a homicide investigators convention wherein Stottlemeyer is made to look incompetent next to Monk's amazing powers of detection. The interview is conducted by homicide detective Paul Braddock of the Banning PD who clearly has a peronal axe to grind with Stottlemeyer.

Following the interview, former homicide detective turned millionaire PI Nick Slade extends a lucrative job offer to Monk and Natalie to join his company Intertect as investigators. In addition to the company car (a Lexus SUV that Natalie drives), Monk is also assigned a a gorgeous young assitant named Danielle. Though slightly jealous, Natalie gets along well with her until Danielle tasks Monk with hundreds of cases per week. Undaunted, Monk's obsessive nature allows him to solve one after the other without fail and without sleep--all from reading the case files.

Meanwhile, a long time friend of Stottlemeyer's, Bill Peschel, is found dead in a swimming pool. Peschel had been suffering with Alzheimer's and thought that he was still a bartender in a tavern he had purchased decades earlier but no longer owned. Whenever people would visit him at his daughter's home, he would serve them "drinks" at the bar, all of which turned out to be nothing more than water. Peschel also had a habit of calling in anonymous tips about crimes that had been solved years ago. At Peschel's wake, Braddock and Stottlemeyer end up in a fistfight over the humiliating interview from the day before.

The following night, Braddock is found dead in his hotel room and all of the evidence points to Stottlemeyer. Despite warnings from Slade, Monk begins to investigate the case after Stottlemeyer is arrested by his own partner, the quirky, hero-worshipping Lt. Randy Disher.

Will Monk be able to clear the captain? How is the murder of Braddock connected to the death of Bill Peschel and is there a connection to millionaire Nick Slade? Even Adrian Monk is stumped, albeit only briefly...

Once again, Lee Goldberg gives us a quick, fun read and remains true to the characters from the TV show. This is the fifth Monk novel I've read and I have yet to be disappointed. ( )

http://www.book-blog.com/2010/10/goldberg-lee-mr-monk-and-the-dirty-cop.html ( )