Book Notices | Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant by Hy Conrad

Hy Conrad, Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant

Amazon   The stakes are unusually high in the latest Monk novel, because someone wants Captain Stottlemeyer dead. Monk and Natalie  have to figure out who's targeting him while dealing with a handful of distractions--a mysterious woman who hires Natalie for her divorce case, the hippie printers next door to their office, and an oafish new lieutenant who can't hold a candle to Amy Devlin, let alone Randy Disher. Eventually, inevitably, the case is solved, and you'll be surprised at the who and why behind the attempts on Stottlemeyer. The bigger news, though, is that Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant is slated to be the last Monk novel. Hy Conrad, who took over from Lee Goldberg three books ago, is leaving the series, and apparently no one else is stepping in to take over. For those of us who have read the Monk books religiously, this is very sad news. Conrad leaves the series in a good place. We can feel good about where the characters are at the book's end, but the conclusion also leaves things open so that someone could pick up the reins again in the future. Here's hoping.