Play Audiobook Sample
Mr. Monk Is Miserable Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.04) - 670 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
On a return trip from Germany, Monk and Natalie stop over in Paris. They visit the catacombs, a vast, underground cavern in the center of the city lined with millions of human bones. Monk picks up a skull and announces that the person was murdered. Most of the bodies came from a battlefield, but Monk believes the wound that killed this man came from a modern weapon made in the last few years. He thinks someone hid a recent murder victim among the ancient bones. As Monk starts to investigate the crime, he uncovers another murder that involves a society of "dumpster divers," people who live commerce-free off the waste of society. It might just be the last straw in Monk's visit to Paris.
Download and start listening now!
"Goldberg mentioned on his blog that this book was being released as an audiobook on Audible.com -- the first audiobook release in the "Monk" series. I made sure to be caught up in the series in time to take the audiobook (my first Audible.com purchase) with me on a road trip to visit my brother for Parents Weekend at his college. And it was worth the effort (not that reading "Monk" books is much of an effort) -- I can't tell you how much I loved listening to this audiobook. The book itself is wonderful -- the third (and probably final) entry in what I think of as the Monk "travel" novels, the gorgeous descriptions of Paris made me want to visit the city even more than I already do. There were some hilarious moments (Monk and Natalie being forced to share a hotel room -- and no, it's not a set-up to a madcap romantic comedy between opposites, it's just an inconvenience), some heartbreaking moments (Natalie's sudden bolt of grief for Mitch, and Monk's reaction to it), and scenes of sheer delight (the plane trip from Germany to France). The settings are described so lushly that I could picture the scenery in my mind -- the book actually made me want to visit the Paris sewer museum! I also thought the mystery was one of the series's best -- the plot and mystery unfolds as the city does to the reader, and I loved the dramatic switches in location: the city streets, the sewers, the restaurant in which you dine in complete darkness, the homes of the Freegans (the what? Read and find out), the underground tunnels and catacombs. Natalie and Monk have a non-stop, ever-shifting _adventure_ in this one, which made it perfect road-trip entertainment -- and it wasn't lacking for character development and a scene or two of real sweetness between the two main characters, the latter of which is my favorite thing about this series. I also gotta applaud Laura Hicks, the audiobook reader. She's done a bunch of audiobooks, and it's easy to see why -- she's awesome. She has to come up with a lot of character voices, including many with French accents, and also rattle off quite a bit of French, and she pulls it all off flawlessly. I particularly liked her voice choices for the two main characters: Natalie (from whose perspective the book is written) has a slightly higher voice when she's speaking (to differentiate from her first-person narration of the novel), and Monk himself. Instead of trying to just deepen her voice to ludicrous degrees (which is how a lot of women try to do male voices, just as a lot of men use falsettos for women's voices and call it a day), she actually creates a _voice_ for him. Hicks does talk in a lower tone than what she uses for, say, Natalie, but she also adds a slight, pleasant rasp to Monk's voice, making him quirkier. She doesn't sound like Tony Shalhoub in terms of tone, but she's got the _spirit_ of Shalhoub's Monk down with it, and I love it. Her accents are great and there was never any doubt of who was speaking -- and she's got a voice that is both engaging and soothing. I could listen to her on the hours-long drive without getting sleepy (a major problem of mine with audiobooks), but I could also listen to her before bed to relax -- it was an awesome combination.I finished listening to the book when I got back and started listening to it again from the beginning a day or two later -- I'm halfway through (when I put it aside for awhile to listen to the new "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii" release), but I can't wait to go back to it and finish it. It's _good_."
— Rose (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Full of snippets of slapstick humor and Monk’s special talents for observation, this will appeal to fans of the USA TV show.”
— Library Journal -
“Like Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote, Monk can hardly go a day without stumbling over a corpse. En route, he solves the in-flight murder of a fellow airline passenger. Once in Paris, Monk visits a sewer museum, where he notices a fresh skull amid a pile of centuries-old bones.”
— Publishers Weekly
Mr. Monk Is Miserable Listener Reviews
-
" Maybe I'm just getting tired of these, but dang. There were some laughs to be had and some nice moments between Monk and Natalie. The mystery took a backseat to Paris, though -- the crime wasn't uncovered until around page 100 and I had it solved from the moment they met the perp. And the gag that there are policemen in Paris just like Stottlemeyer and Disher was just used the book before! It was nice to have the real Stottlemeyer and Disher tag along here, though. Natalie's anti-consumerism is something that has added some depth to her in other books in that it's given her something to gripe about besides working for Monk, but it is downright obnoxious here. "
— Laura, 2/20/2014 -
" I absolutely loved Monk when it was on TV and was so upset it ended (so upset, in fact, that I refuse to watch the finale and admit it's over). These books fuel my denial by helping me think Monk is still on the air. I love reading them; they are so accurate and funny... just like watching the show. In this book, Natalie blackmails Mr. Monk into taking her to Paris, where they encounter not one, not two, but THREE murders (upsetting Natalie's vacation plans in the process). It seems where ever Mr. Monk is, murder finds him... It's a gift, and a curse. "
— Nicole, 2/11/2014 -
" Since I've never watched the television show on which this book is based, I was surprised by the depth of Monk's dysfunction. His assistant Natalie, who is also the narrator, forces Monk to join her in Paris for a vacation. Naturally, he discovers a contemporary skull in the catacombs, and is soon investigating, with Natalie reluctantly tagging along--she wants to sightsee. "
— Susan, 2/9/2014 -
" Monk is on vacation in Paris. While touring the catacombs, where the bones of millions are on display, he finds a fresh skull, someone dead only a few months. In due course, a woman is murdered trying to tell Natalie and he who the skull was and his vacation suddenly gets better, in his mind with murders to solve. "
— Randy, 2/3/2014 -
" I discovered this book by accident at the library and was so excited! I loved the T.V. series and was sorry when it ended but this book gave me more of Monk and I very much enjoyed it! "
— Kathy, 1/14/2014 -
" One word - funny "
— Ike, 1/11/2014 -
" I really miss watching Monk. While this isn't quite the same, it is fairly good.It is nice that the author was actually one of the writers from the show. It is not necessary to have read the previous book but there are several references to it and the story did feel like the second half of a two part episode. It is enjoyable to see the Monk gang in a different setting. The author seems to have a true admiration for Paris and did not make the book feel like a travelogue like a lot of stories do when they travel to a new place.Unfortunately the mystery itself seemed to be a little thin due to several minor plots in the book . The focus should have been concentrated to help relieve the feeling that everything was being glossed over. Despite these minor faults I feel this is a good addition to the series. "
— David, 1/10/2014 -
" For some reason I find the character of Monk (both the TV and book version) to be oddly compelling. The books are a guilty pleasure... they are truly book candy. I have to give credit though for the thoroughly original and cleverly created character of Monk. Goldberg does an excellent job of translating him into print. Kudos to USA for creating orginal characters for TV and to Goldberg for writing them so well! "
— Mari, 1/6/2014 -
" gave me a chance to review my francais. "
— Peggy, 12/31/2013 -
" One word........AWESOME!!!!! I love Mr. Monk the series and now Mr. Monk novels!!! The writer did much justice!!! "
— Teacher, 12/20/2013 -
" I listened to this while and did crafts and was driving. Helpful in passing time. "
— Paula, 12/9/2013
About Lee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg, a New York Times bestselling author, is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee and the recipient of the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic in 2012. He has written more than thirty novels, including the Fox & O’Hare books cowritten with Janet Evanovich. He has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator of the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic television series.
About Laura Hicks
Laura Hicks is an Obie Award–winning actress who has appeared on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater, film, and television. A native New Yorker and a Juilliard graduate, she has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, Austria, Italy, and Ireland.