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A review by cyrce
Heat Wave by Richard Castle
5.0
Here we are with Heat Wave. Reportedly written by Richard Castle, who is a character on the TV series Castle, which I’m both addicted to and behind on. The true writer of the book is a toss up between the late Stephen Cannell and James Patterson up as possible candidates, as well as the writing staff of Castle. So let’s just say Richard Castle wrote it and continue on our way.
The main characters are Detective Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook. For anyone that has watched Castle, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say that the two main characters are very much like Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle. The differences? Rook’s a journalist and Castle is a writer. Their names are synonymous (a chess rook was once called a castle). And they’re both entertaining characters. They can provide comic relief while still understanding the seriousness of the situation. The incident with the murderer’s…I guess you can call him a tool (I don’t have the book with me to reference the name) and Rook’s attempt to protect Heat was very sweet.
There are various twists that I’m glad Heat and Rook don’t suddenly come upon the murderer and instinctively know that they did it. But with a frustrated trophy wife used to a certain standard of living, a bookie looking to collect, a girlfriend (or two), and others on him, who’s to say that it wasn’t a suicide? Well, that it’s a mystery novel and suicide is never a good ending when you’re starting a new series. Not that it wouldn’t be quite the twist in a later book (though it might have been overdone in the CSI series).
I spent over an hour in my bubble bath reading it when I originally intended to spend half an hour. Addicting and highly recommended. The next will be the following book in the series; Naked Heat.
The main characters are Detective Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook. For anyone that has watched Castle, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say that the two main characters are very much like Detective Kate Beckett and Richard Castle. The differences? Rook’s a journalist and Castle is a writer. Their names are synonymous (a chess rook was once called a castle). And they’re both entertaining characters. They can provide comic relief while still understanding the seriousness of the situation. The incident with the murderer’s…I guess you can call him a tool (I don’t have the book with me to reference the name) and Rook’s attempt to protect Heat was very sweet.
Spoiler
But, as this is a murder and neither of the main characters kick it, we should move on. The first Nikki Heat novel opens with a real estate powerhouse falling out of his apartment window and going splat on the pavement. The natural assumption would be suicide considering the hidden state of Matthew Starr’s financials, but the bruises that appear on the body and a ripped piece of jean turns our dynamic duo onto murder. Not to mention the avid protestations from those that knew Matthew Starr, stating that he wouldn’t take his own life.There are various twists that I’m glad Heat and Rook don’t suddenly come upon the murderer and instinctively know that they did it. But with a frustrated trophy wife used to a certain standard of living, a bookie looking to collect, a girlfriend (or two), and others on him, who’s to say that it wasn’t a suicide? Well, that it’s a mystery novel and suicide is never a good ending when you’re starting a new series. Not that it wouldn’t be quite the twist in a later book (though it might have been overdone in the CSI series).
I spent over an hour in my bubble bath reading it when I originally intended to spend half an hour. Addicting and highly recommended. The next will be the following book in the series; Naked Heat.