In this novel, in response to a blue flu, the mayor of San Francisco reinstates several police officers who suffer from debilitating mental issues, including Adrian Monk.

The squad of half-crazy detectives must contend not only with each other's eccentricities and a series of murders linked only by missing left shoes and shared birth dates, but their former friends on the other side of the labor dispute.

The city is planning on making deep cuts in the San Francisco Police Department's pay, medical benefits, and pension contributions.

Wyatt lost his badge due to lawsuits arising from his violent methods and disregard for civil rights.

Monk instructs Porter to check the dead women's credit card purchases and map out the crime scenes.

Monk realizes this is a premeditated murder when he notices skid marks that indicate the driver rapidly accelerated from a parking spot across the street.

On Russian Hill, waitress Diane Truby tumbled in front of the same bus she disembarked from minutes earlier.

Monk realizes that the killer sat on a vegetable crate not visible from the street and waited for Truby to pass.

Chow informs Monk and Natalie that Max Collins, who sells artwork, lost millions of dollars in bad investments he made based on Doucet's advice.

Monk calls up Porter for information about John Yamada's ex-wife's stolen car and has Chow check up on Truby.

Bertrum Gruber walks into the station to say he saw the Golden Gate Strangler while he was at the community garden in McKinley Park watering his strawberries.

Forensic teams find dozens of left running shoes, including those taken from the three known victims of the Golden Gate Strangler.

The mayor holds a press conference in which he personally gives Bertrum Gruber the $250,000 reward for the capture of the Golden Gate Strangler, commends Monk for keeping the city safe, and derides the strikers.

The next morning, the detectives go over the four open murder cases (Allegra Doucet, John Yamada, Diane Truby and Scott Eggers).

Monk arrests Madam Frost for the murders of Allegra Doucet, John Yamada, Diane Truby and Scott Eggers.

Porter puts together a list of possible witnesses to Doucet's murder and finds Tono Busok, who did not come to the police out of fear that his video bootlegging operation would be discovered.

Stottlemeyer explains that they have a search warrant and are going to test his clothes for gunshot residue that will match the gun that killed Milner.