dragonfire88's Full Review: Richard Castle - Heat Wave
I continue to pick up books by authors that are new to me. I just finished one of those books, Heat Wave by Richard Castle.
I consider Heat Wave to be a unique book. Richard Castle is actually one of the main characters on the ABC television show Castle. He is a mystery author who is shadowing homicide detective Kate Beckett as research for his writing and he decides to base his new character, Nikki Heat, on Beckett. Heat Wave is the first book to feature Nikki and is supposed to be the start of a new series. Castle has been shown working on the book during some episodes and the release has been mentioned as well. Some of the chapters are available from the Castle page of the ABC website.
I believe that this is the first time that a book written by a fictional character has actually been published. The person who really wrote the book hasn't been revealed yet, though I have a suspicion or two about that. I'm not expecting that to be shared anytime soon since so much has gone into setting it up like Richard Castle is the author. Things in the book like the dedication and acknowledgments are written fully in character as Richard Castle. The information on the back flap shares things about Castle that have come out during the television show so far, including mentions of his mother and daughter. I think the book is an interesting, unique tie to the show. It does sort of fit in with some of the other publicity that has been done for Castle though. Richard Castle has accounts on Facebook and Twitter and there have been some interesting posts on them. Nathan Fillion, the actor who plays Castle, even went to a book signing for Heat Wave. I've really been enjoying the different things done to publicize the show.
Homicide detective Nikki Heat is investigating the death of Matthew Starr. It doesn't take long for Nikki and the other detectives to spot clues that point to murder. Nikki is annoyed that reporter Jameson Rook is tagging along, doing research for a story he plans to write about the police department. Nikki discovers that Matthew and his much younger wife Kimberly both have secrets. Nikki grudgingly uses Rook's assistance a few times as more victims start to pile up.
When Heat Wave begins, Nikki is arriving at the scene of Matthew's death. She starts her investigation immediately, so it doesn't take long for things to start happening. Right after Nikki talks to Kimberly, something else happens to Kimberly. That helps to set up the pace, which remains fast without making things feel rushed. The book isn't very long, but I still think that the story is interesting and developed enough. A lot is happening in the book, so it seems longer. I part of why the book seems longer is because the font is slightly smaller, so more text fits on each page.
Most of what happens in Heat Wave is focused on the investigation that Nikki is working on. She and the two detectives she works with, Raley and Ochoa, start uncovering things that only raises more questions at first. It does take a little while for everything to tie together. A few elements of the story are slightly predictable, but I don't feel like the book is predictable overall. The mystery is decent, though it could have been a bit stronger. Things for the main plot are concluded by the end of the book while a few other things tied to subplots are left unresolved, possibly to be dealt with in a future book. I think the conclusion makes sense and I didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. There is some suspense in a few scenes as well.
A lot of the work that Nikki does during the investigation is shared throughout Heat Wave. While some of that stuff isn't the most exciting, I still think it is important for the plot and helps to make things more realistic. Nikki questions various people involved in the case, sometimes with Rook present and other times she makes him watch in observation or leaves him out completely. Action turns up in some scenes, like when a suspect has to be chased. Those scenes do help to keep things more interesting. There is also some violence in a few scenes that is descriptive without being explicit. A few gross things are described, usually in connection with the remains of a victim, that might upset some readers. Humor turns up every so often as well, which helps to give the book a lighter tone overall. I really liked the lighter tone, though some people who prefer more serious and dark mysteries may feel differently.
It is made clear early in Heat Wave that Nikki and Rook are attracted to each other even though nothing is happening with the attraction at that point. Rook is a bit flirty with her while she tries to ignore him. He is much more willing to act on the attraction he feels than she is. There are some sexual remarks in a few scenes and a few sexual situations that are descriptive without getting too explicit. The relationship that is developing between Nikki and Rook is important without being the main focus of the book. I don't feel that it distracts from the mystery.
I noticed several things in Heat Wave that are similar to things that have happened during various episodes of Castle. I really liked that since I enjoy the show so much. It makes sense that those similarities turn up since on the show, Castle has spent time shadowing Beckett as research for a book. It is clear that characters in Heat Wave are supposed to be based on characters and events from Castle. The investigation is unique to the book, though a few bits here and there have been at least inspired by things from the show. Rook is a famous writer like Castle, though he is a reporter. Rook also shares some personality traits with Castle, including having a somewhat flamboyant mother like Martha.
Nikki Heat is definitely a version of Kate Beckett. The last name is a bit silly, but I got past that. She is a very dedicated detective with some issues her in past, much like Beckett. Nikki does seem to be slightly less harsh than Beckett at times. Raley and Ochoa are clearly Ryan and Esposito from the show. Even the medical examiner is based on Lanie from the show. Nikki's boss really isn't shown much. A decent amount of information is shared about Matthew, which helps to make the book interesting since it revolves around the investigation into his death. The other people that are part of the investigation aren't around a lot, but enough is shared about them.
Heat Wave is an entertaining book that has connections to a very entertaining show, Castle. I loved all the connections to the show that I spotted in the book. People who have seen Castle should be able to pick up on these things. Now that I've read the book, I am hoping that some reactions about it make it into future episodes. I do think that people who haven't seen the show can also enjoy the book because it is really entertaining. Since I really enjoyed this book, I would get any future Richard Castle books as well. In fact, I'm hoping there will be more.
The title character from ABC s hit television series Castle kicks off his new series of books featuring tough and sexy New York police detective Nikki...More at Buy.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.