Book review: Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant by Hy Conrad

The forty-sixth book I read in 2015 was Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant by Hy Conrad.  This nineteenth installment of the Mr. Monk series serves as a sort of a reset on the Monk universe, realigning beloved old characters alongside the mainstays, so it's a disappointment that this is, barring an unforeseen revival, the last of the Monk novels.

As a result of the events of the previous book, Amy Devlin, Leland Stottlemeyer's second-in-command, resigns her position to move back nearer her family, and the "new lieutenant" of the title is an old irritant to Monk.  The action of the story centers around a judge and Captain Stottlemeyer himself being targeted for murder.  While the captain recovers from the attempt on his life, Monk and Natalie have to work with Lieutenant Thurman, a situation to which Monk responds with authentically Monk denial:

"No, that's unacceptable.  What about Lieutenant Devlin?  She can come back, at least until the captain is safe."
"I already asked her.  She said no."
"What about Randy Disher?  He can come back."
Randy had been the captain's number two for years, until he'd found a better job on the other side of the country.  "Randy's a police chief in New Jersey.  He's not coming back."
"You don't know that.  Okay, what about Lieutenant Devlin?"
"I just told you."
"What about Randy Disher?  I'm giving you all these options."

When it appears that the attacks are related to an old case, Randy Disher does make an appearance and becomes thoroughly depressed that apparently he wasn't important enough for the killer to target him as well.

While it's disappointing that there won't be any more Monk mysteries, all good things must come to an end, and this is a satisfying conclusion to the story, one that leaves the characters refreshed, reunited, and primed for new adventures.