The city of San Francisco is hosting a conference for cops all across the country. As part of that, Captain Stottlemeyer and Monk have been asked to speak about their unique working relationship. But the panel is moderated by Paul Banning, a dirty cop that Stottlemeyer had forced out of the SFPD years before.
By the time the panel is over, Stottlemeyer looks like an idiot who relies on Monk for everything. So Natalie assumes it is payback when Monk finds out the next day that his consulting services have been terminated even though the official explanation is budget cuts. Monk is determined to continue helping out the department whether he gets paid or not. Natalie, on the other hand, is concerned about money. Will someone else hire Monk? What about the string of murders occurring in San Francisco?
This is a bit of a different Monk novel. Yes, there are murders and a mystery or two, but they don't really get rolling until the second half. Instead, we get some very important set up and conflict in the first half. I was wondering where it was all leading but was absolutely entertained along the way. Once the mysteries really kick in, things get even better.
The characters are as strong as ever. Natalie gets her own character arc here, and I really like how it evolved. The rest of the TV cast is strong as usual. What really stood out to me were several new characters created for this book. I really liked them and would love to see at least one of them show up again in future books.
Fans of the character on the screen or the page need not fear. This is Monk at his obsessive best.