Lee Goldberg

I decided to give the Mr Monk books a try after reading a review of Mr Monk Goes To Germany on crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com

I don't normally read novels based on a TV series but I have fond memories of Monk, especially the chemistry between Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford and I love the way Lee Goldberg uses humour so I found the first book in the series and dived in (I know what you're thinking: "Did it have to be the first book? Couldn't you have started anywhere?" Well, I could no more start in the middle of a series than Monk could get through a day without Wet Ones).

'Mr Monk Goes To The Firehouse' was a light comfort read that makes me smile and sometimes laugh.

It helped that I could immediately see Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford in my head as the story unfolded but I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did if this had just been a script turned into a novel. The outcome would have been too flat I think.

Lee Goldberg's decision to tell the story from Natalie Teeger's point of view was what made the book work for me. I enjoyed being inside her head, learning more about her and seeing Monk through her eyes. It turns out that Natalie has a dry sense of humour that I took pleasure in. Also, I'd much rather be in Natalie's head than Monk's. Being inside Monk's head for 250 pages would have been very uncomfortable.

Despite the large number of dead bodies (Monk solves multiple murders in this one) the tone remained cosy without dropping down into sickeningly cute. The mysteries snagged my curiosity and kept my attention, Natalie's worldview kept me engaged and I enjoyed all the little details of San Fransico's history. The main thing for me though was the warm glow I felt from the gentle humour that drives the book.

I'll be back for more Mr Monk when I'm in need of a reliable comfort read.… (meer)

I had a lot of fun with the first four novels in this series, Eve Ronin is an engaging character and the crimes she gets involved with are exotic in a very Los Angeles way so I pre-ordered 'Dream Town', It didn't disappoint. I got an inside view of Reality TV, the low down on how Chilean burglary gangs work. and a mystery set in an equestrian (quarter horses and stock saddles, not hunters and English saddles) gated community for the rich and famous.

I enjoyed catching up with Eve Ronin. I particularly liked that she was starting to change, partly to get a life outside her job and partly to accommodate the injuries she's picked up along the way. In this book, the TV series based on her previous exploits is underway and watching it being made is messing with Eve's sense of reality. Which was an elegant segue into a murder plot that involves a Kardashian-like Reality TV show where the patriarch spent so many years playing a Sheriff on TV that he thinks of himself as a lawman.

The first quarter of the book had a lot of recap in it but once Eve is picked up a homicide case with some legs to it, she and the book became a lot more focused, the book hit its stride and I was having fun.

I love the gentle humour that permeates these books. A lot of it comes from how seriously Eve takes herself and her job and her inability to anticipate which of her behaviours other people will think are odd. What Eve did to the Doberman that was attacking a suspect that she'd been chasing shouldn't have made me laugh but it did. I could imagine that dog's indignant face as it tried to work out how it had ended up in the pool. Then there are Eve's parents. Her narcissistic absent-for-most-of-her-life-but-now-directing-her-TV-series father is a slimeball. Her mother is a nightmare but a very believable nightmare.

The mystery worked well. The characters were writ large. The pace was fast without feeling rushed. It was exactly the kind of polished entertainment that I'd been hoping for.… (meer)

Eve Ronin has just been promoted to the robbery-homicide department in the Greater Los Angeles area police because of a viral video of her arresting a famous and violent actor. The other detectives don't like that she got there in that way, and Eve knows she has to prove herself. When she and her partner are sent to look over a blood soaked house, it's clear that multiple murders happened here, but that's all they have to go on. No bodies, no DNA. Eve, along with the task force she's heading for the first time, must find enough evidence before they can make a case of who did it.
This is the first of the Eve Ronin series, written by the author who wrote the best of the Monk novels, and the characters here briefly discuss the show. This is a gritty crime story, with both children and animals faring badly, but I'd like to continue with the series.… (meer)

Dream Town by Lee Goldberg
Eve Ronin #5

Dream town for some but a nightmare for others is my conclusion at the end of the book. I wonder if Eve is finding it dreamy, difficult, deadly or some other adjective that begins with “D” as Eve and Duncan tackle their next cases that may overlap before the end of the book.

What I liked:
* Eve: dedicated, competent, focused, intelligent, sees connections, growing in her profession, outspoken but can be tactful, conflicted about the new TV series based on her life, is searching for balance between her professional and personal life, beginning a relationship with Dr. Daniel Brooks
* Duncan: a good man, father figure to Eve, a good mentor, seasoned detective, supportive, smart, decades on the job, great detective, loving husband and father, perfect job partner for Eve, interesting, and has a sense of humor
* The way Eve and Duncan worked together as a team
* Daniel: forensic anthropologist, intelligent, driven, excellent in his field, attracted to Eve and potentially a perfect love interest for her – want to see how things work out
* Seeing Eve’s family again and catching up on how they are doing
* The police procedural aspects and watching how Eve and Duncan found then followed leads
* That the persons responsible for the crimes in this story were found and dealt with and there were no loose ends.
* The plot, pacing, writing, and setting where I spent many of my formative years
* Knowing that there will be another book to look forward to.

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The mindset, behavior, entitlement, and disconnect with reality some characters exuded
* Knowing that though this is fiction, there are people as evil as those in this book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (meer)