Review - Heat Wave

Title: Heat Wave
Author: Richard Castle (but really? SJC?)

There are two ways to review the crime novel Heat Wave. The first is as a book in its own right. I'll start there.

A heat wave holds New York City in its sweaty grip as Nikki Heat, a homicide detective, arrives at a suspicious scene. One of Manhattan's well known real estate developers lies dead on the pavement, having fallen quite far enough to make a grisly mess. It is up to Detective Heat to determine how and why this notable citizen is dead. Complicating matters, she has a reporter, Jameson Rook, tagging along. Rook is doing research on police detectives for a story he plans to write, and is constantly insinuating himself into situations best left to professionals. As she moves through the case, encountering mystery and danger, she's also working on the mystery of her attraction for such an egotistical interloper.

OK, I don't do book jacket synopses very well. But I think you get the flavor of the book. It's a light detective novel, with enough action to make things interesting, a very attractive and engaging main character, and a sexual tension angle with the reporter that is ripe for a TV story. And, in the end, solving the murder [I didn't spoil it by mentioning murder did I? Nikki's a homicide detective, after all. There will be a murder in the story.] is satisfying. The book is fast, simple, and fun.

OK, now the second way of reviewing the book.



In the ABC TV series Castle, Nathan Fillion {of Firefly fame, among other things} plays Richard (Rick) Castle, a mystery writer who is shadowing NYPD Homicide detective Kate Beckett {played by Stana Katic} for research purposes. As Season 2 begins, he has written a novel based on his experiences, and he bases his new hero on Kate. The new hero: Nikki Heat. The new novel: Heat Wave.

As a companion story to the TV show, this novel is precious. It captures exactly the sort of story we figured Rick was writing. Oh, I have to admit I initially thought Castle might be a little higher brow -- writing more complex stories such as those Agatha Christie produced -- but since he is credited with a series of other crime mysteries, I suppose it makes sense that they are fast-paced pulp-style stories.

The characters on the TV show are deeper than the characters in Heat Wave, but we can easily see Rick's fantasies and attraction for Kate in the story, as well as his appreciation for the work that he has seen Kate and her team do.

If you like mysteries and you've never seen the show, Heat Wave is a fun, quick read. But, if you are a fan of Castle, it's pretty much a guarantee that you will really enjoy this book, whether or not you've ever read another mystery novel.