Mr. Monk in Trouble by Lee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg tackles the world of writing in both the book form and the television medium. Some of his successes include Diagnosis: Murder and the Emmy-award winning Monk. In addition to screenplays for both shows, he has also written novels based on the characters. His latest Monk novel, Mr. Monk in Trouble, is his ninth.
What sparked the idea for Mr. Monk in Trouble?
I always try to do things in the books that they either haven't done in the TV series, can't do, or are unlikely to do. I also try to challenge myself. In this case, I was able to do all of that with this one idea. I've always wanted to write a western... so I decided to give it a shot using Monk as a springboard. The story bounces between the 1850s and present-day, between Monk's ancestor Artemis Monk (an assayer in a California Gold Rush town) and the Adrian Monk that we know and love.
I did a lot more research for this one than I usually do for a Monk book. I took a week-long road trip through some California gold rush towns, took a bunch of pictures, then read a lot of books on the Gold Rush and frontier life in general, and mining techniques in specific. Once I got down to the actual writing, I imposed on the kindness of novelist Richard S. Wheeler, who has written some of the best westerns ever, to read some early drafts of the western sections to make sure that I wasn't embarrassing myself. I am tremendously flattered that he enjoyed the final result.
How do you feel now that the Monk series is ending?
I think it's better to end a show while it's still on top -- creatively and critically -- than wait until it begins to deteriorate or gets abruptly cancelled. Andy Breckman, the creator and executive producer of MONK, got to end the show exactly way he wanted to...and to solve the murder of Monk's wife. I've read the final script and it's terrific. The fans are going to love it...even if they are sad to see the series end.
Are there plans to continue the show in book form or even TV movies?
There will be at least two more books (not including Mr. Monk in Trouble) after the series ends...and more after that if the sales of the books continues to be as great as they have been so far. The Murder She Wrote books are still going strong years after the show ended... I think they are up to book 38 or 40 now.
I have to ask about Diagnosis Murder. Are there more books coming in that series?
I chose to end the book series with #8: The Last Word. As you may know, I was the executive producer and head writer of the show for many years... and I ended the book series exactly as I would have ended the TV series had I remained as executive producer until the bitter end.
What's next for you in both the TV and book world?
I am working on a stand-alone novel, a spec feature script, and am "in development" on several TV series pilots at studios around town. Hopefully one or all of the projects will come to fruition soon! In the meantime, Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out will hit bookstore shelves in July 2010.
Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine.
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