Review #100
An Adrian Monk Mystery
Ever since a 1962 unsolved train robbery made it famous, people have made their way to the little town of Trouble in California's gold country. Some come to see the Gold Rush Museum, but, most come to search for the booty that the train robbers supposedly dumped off the “Golden Rail Express” in the botched heist. When the museum watchman, a retired SFPD cop is murdered, Monk and his assistant, Natalie, are asked to investigate by their friend, Captain Stottlemeyer of the San Francisco Police Department. Since his house is being renovated, Mr. Monk agrees to go to the mining town with his assistant. While in town he finds out about a cold case and decides to solve it in his spare time.
The famous train, ‘Golden Rail Express’ was robbed of its gold on its last run in 1962. But, what happened to the loot or the mastermind was never revealed and a third robber never found. With brilliant insight, Adrian works the train robbery, the murder, and assorted other inquiries until he vanishes leaving an injured Natalie to investigate the case of the missing sleuthing employer.
He has an intensive form of OCD and has more phobias than can be found in a medical text, but give Mr. Adrian Monk a homicide to solve and he will do it regardless of difficulty mostly caused by his disorders.
This Mr. Monk tale is one of the best I’ve read due to the intriguing tongue in cheek self mocking subplot involving the assayer, Artemis Monk, who also worked cases in 1852. The local curator insists the two OCD Monks may be a century and a half apart but look like twins separated at birth.
If you ever watched the TV series, “Monk”, you will know this is a fun book!
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