He’s ingenious, he’s phobic, and he’s obsessive-compulsive. Adrian Monk’s offbeat antics have made him unfit for duty but he’s back as a San Francisco police consultant to help out on their most baffling cases. The brilliant but neurotic Monk is now fighting crime as well as his abnormal fears of germs, heights, crowds and virtually everything else known to man.
A former San Francisco police detective suffering from an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder is called in to investigate an apparent assassination attempt of a mayoral candidate in which one of his bodyguards is killed.
With an introduction to Monk's talent, his phobia's, and need for an assistant, Monk investigates the murder of the candidate bodyguard and a political worker. He determines the candidate was not the intended target.
When a woman drives off the road to her death, her body is mysteriously found the next morning by a psychic known for fudging the truth. Monk must discover if she's telling the truth this time, or else let a murderer go free.
A judge is murdered while placing a 911 call, but before she dies she names her attacker - notorious criminal Dale Biederbeck. The problem is, "Dale the Whale" is over 800 pounds and hasn't left his bed in years.
A police officer and friend of Stottlemeyer is framed for a crime he didn't commit involving a ferris wheel. Meanwhile Monk tries to convince Stottlemeyer to get him reinstated.
When billionaire software magnate Sidney Teal is shot dead by ex-cop Archie Modine after allegedly turning mugger and another policeman mysteriously flees the scene, Stottlemeyer calls in Monk to investigate. Meanwhile, Sharona threatens to quit (this time for sure) when her paycheck bounces, and Stottlemeyer is hounded by reporters demanding information on "Fraidy Cop."
A woman is murdered during the San Francisco marathon and Monk suspects her married lover. But he was running the race, and his tracking chip says he never left.
While on vacation at a resort, Benjy claims he witnessed a murder. Monk believes him, but with no body and the cleanest crime scene Monk has ever seen, it's going to be hard to convince everybody else.
Renowned philanthropist Henry Rutherford is killed when a minor earthquake rocks the city and sends a display case falling on top of him. But when Monk examines the scene, he finds clues that suggest foul play.