Title: Heat Wave (Nikki Heat #1)

Author: Richard Castle

Publisher: Hyperion 2010

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 216

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Page to Screen (Or should I say Screen to Page)

How I Got It: Borrowed from the library

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

I'll admit it...  I was really hesitatnt to read this one.  I absolutely adore Castle, but in the past I have found television and movie tie-in books to be very badly written.  So only after hearing great things about this one, I picked up the book.  And I'm so glad I did.  This was just delightful.  A suspense filled detective story with the charm and with of Castle.

All the characters are there, albeit with some name changes.   I especially loved the Detectives Raley and Ochoa, affectionately referred to as Roach.  They were the comic relief in the book.  So much fun to see Ryan and Esposito redone.  Loved it!  Lauren Parry, the ME, has a passing resemblence to Laney, but she has a very small part.  I would love to see more of her in the next book.  Captain Montrose is the fatherly figure guiding the department.  Sounds like Captain Montgomery.  And finally we come to the two main characters: Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook.  Nikki has a resemblance to Kate Beckett in her strength and determination.  The difference is we get to hear her inner monologue through the book.  This really adds to the character.  We get to hear about her insecurities.  Kate Beckett shows it on the television show, but in a more restrained way.  And Jameson (Jamie) Rook... What can I say?  It's Nathan Fillion.  Oops!  I meant Richard Castle.  I love the play on names: Castle/Rook.  He's the sauve journalist trying to get the inside scoop on detective work and Nikki Heat.  Their will they/won't they romance wasn't long and drawn out, but just the right amount of wait.  They didn't jump into bed together in the frist 25 pages.  I appreciated seeing their relationship development.  Eventually they get together.  I wonder what this says about the future of Beckett and Castle?

As to the storyline, I liked it.  It was a bit predictable, but kept me entertained.  I appreciated the logical red herrings and revelations.  It didn't read like a fantasy story where characters know things they shouldn't.  It read like a real detective story.  We get bits and pieces of the puzzle and have to put it together with the detectives.  I definitely stayed with the story the entire way.  I can't wait to read the sequels: Heat Rising and Naked Heat.

P.S. The acknowledgements at the back are priceless!

Nikki Heat

• #1 Heat Wave
• #2 Naked Heat
• #3 Heat Rises
• #4 Frozen Heat
• #5 Deadly Heat
• #6 Raging Heat
• #7 Driving Heat