Mr. Monk on the Couch  Mr. Monk on the Couch is the twelfth novel written by Lee Goldberg to be based on the television series "Monk". It was published on June 7, 2011. Like the other "Monk" novels, the story is narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's assistant. Adrian Monk has to solve the murders of three people: a struggling student, a security guard, and a beautiful woman. The only common element between these three people is a couch. Meanwhile, Natalie Teeger solves a case on her own with the help of Monk's agoraphobic brother Ambrose. Monk and the Sunday Paper" is an excerpt from "Mr. Monk on the Couch" that was published as a short story in the July 2011 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine after the release of the book.