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...
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reviews
May 08, 2011
Mojca
rated it: 
This is a prime example of TV-show-success exploitation. It reads like a fanfiction written by someone NOT Richard Castle. At least not Richard Castle from the TV show. Because from what I saw in the series, the “original” Richard Castle at least appears to be a (much) better writer.
So, why the fanfiction-y feel?
1. It read like one of the episodes of the TV show, though to be turned into one if would need a lot of work.
2. All of the “main” characters were there (with slig More...
So, why the fanfiction-y feel?
1. It read like one of the episodes of the TV show, though to be turned into one if would need a lot of work.
2. All of the “main” characters were there (with slig More...
6 comments
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Nov 13, 2009
Colleen
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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4 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Jan 29, 2010
Darcia
rated it: 
I enjoy the TV show Castle, which is why I bought this book. However, for me, this book falls short of the show. (Rare, since I prefer reading to TV.)
The dialogue is much like the TV show. The characters banter and there is a lot of lighthearted fun in the way they speak to one another. However, the story lacked detail. The plot was a spin on various episodes of the show. At times it was more like reading a summary of events.
The characters also lacked detail. If I had n More...
The dialogue is much like the TV show. The characters banter and there is a lot of lighthearted fun in the way they speak to one another. However, the story lacked detail. The plot was a spin on various episodes of the show. At times it was more like reading a summary of events.
The characters also lacked detail. If I had n More...
3 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Oct 16, 2010
Nikki
rated it:
This is a pretty awesome idea, all things considered. Put out the book that the character writes, and do it all in character. Even the marketing, from what I've seen. Right down to the acknowledgements in the back. It's a moneyspinner: even people who don't know the show, Castle, might pick it up, and certainly loads of people that watch the show will pounce on it. And people who read it unknowing might end up sucked into the show.
Also, tons of opportunities to reference it in the sh More...
Also, tons of opportunities to reference it in the sh More...
3 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Oct 14, 2009
Sheila
rated it:
For those of you who watched last night's Castle: yes, the thing on page 105 is really there. FYI.
I don't really know how to actually review this, so I'll repeat what I said to a friend of mine this morning:
Her: Oh my God. IS IT TERRIBLE? I MUST KNOW.
Me: It's not! It's not high literature either, but--it's basically the same in terms of quality as the show. Fluffy, funny, throwing in another dead body whenever they think of plot, and just adorable.
I don't really know how to actually review this, so I'll repeat what I said to a friend of mine this morning:
Her: Oh my God. IS IT TERRIBLE? I MUST KNOW.
Me: It's not! It's not high literature either, but--it's basically the same in terms of quality as the show. Fluffy, funny, throwing in another dead body whenever they think of plot, and just adorable.
5 comments
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(24 people liked it)
Apr 12, 2011
Adi (Reading in the Windowseat)
rated it:
Four stars for one reason alone - I love the plot of the TV series more than that of the book. But I'll definetely be onto the next book like... today, actually XD
The first installment of the Nikki Heat series is dynamic and catching, realistic to the point of seeming based on real events and convoluted enough to keep the reader wondering who's the real bad guy to the very last chapter. I found the characters unique and intriguing, the settings - well-described, and the detective work More...
The first installment of the Nikki Heat series is dynamic and catching, realistic to the point of seeming based on real events and convoluted enough to keep the reader wondering who's the real bad guy to the very last chapter. I found the characters unique and intriguing, the settings - well-described, and the detective work More...
3 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 25, 2011
Minandro
rated it:
The book started slow by finish great. My style of book with a woman hero. No wonder I like the tv program.
Feb 04, 2012
kingshearte
rated it:
If you haven't watched any of ABC's Castle, you should definitely consider it, because it's a very well-written crime show with a twist that's actually new and different from the many crime shows out there (some of which are also quite good, although still largely interchangeable with each other). I'm two seasons in, and I've yet to watch a disappointing episode.
In any case, if you don't know, as part of their cross-promotional efforts, they decided to actually produce the books disc More...
In any case, if you don't know, as part of their cross-promotional efforts, they decided to actually produce the books disc More...
Jan 29, 2012
Galinda
rated it:
I read this expecting it to be like the TV show, which I love so much, and was quite disappointed when it was not what I was expecting. My Mom bought it for me for Christmas two years ago, being big fans of the show and I read it on that day. But as I stress I was disappointed. I felt like it was a wrap up and sorely bad fanfiction of the TV show. There were characters in the book that were mirror images of the TV show, which I thought was quite funny but the book was missing the light-ness of t
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Jan 17, 2012
Siskoid
rated it:
If you watch Castle and would be interested in reading his Nikki Heat novels, there are two on the market right now (ghost-written, of course). I just finished Heat Wave, which would have been written after the first season, and in fact, we see Beckett reading it as a guilty pleasure over the course Season 2. I'm no expert on detective fiction as I can't say I've read very many mysteries since I was a youth and devoured Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie, but Heat Wave is very close
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Jan 16, 2012
Richard
rated it:
Rating: a deeply surprised 3* of five
As a rule, I watch very little TV that isn't about science, on PBS, or revoltingly prurient. Outside of that, why bother? So the other year, there came on this little show called "Castle" that had a promising premise: Bestselling author strongarms NYC mayor into giving him access to a working homicide team to research a character for some novels. (Yeah, right.) Sorta like being an embedded journalist in Afghanistan.
I heard about More...
As a rule, I watch very little TV that isn't about science, on PBS, or revoltingly prurient. Outside of that, why bother? So the other year, there came on this little show called "Castle" that had a promising premise: Bestselling author strongarms NYC mayor into giving him access to a working homicide team to research a character for some novels. (Yeah, right.) Sorta like being an embedded journalist in Afghanistan.
I heard about More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 12, 2012
Sam
rated it:
I am a huge fan of the Castle television series and was very much looking forward to reading this book when it was published. I went out and bought the book within a week or two of its release, came home and set it next to the bed. There is sat for over two years, while I liked the idea of reading Heat Wave, I never actually sat down and read it for some reason. Finding the book under a pile of other book next to the bed I finally read it. While overall I enjoyed Heat Wave there were many little
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Dec 30, 2011
Thomas
rated it:
For disclosure sake; I am a fan of the Castle television series. Heat Wave is written as if the author is the main character of the show and even has an acknowledgement section from Richard Castle to fictional characters in the show. This is one of the reasons I read Heat Wave. The book is quite successful in mimicking the show and is also one of the biggest failings of the book which I will go into later.
Heat Wave is a cop who-dun-it. The story centers around the murder of a failing More...
Heat Wave is a cop who-dun-it. The story centers around the murder of a failing More...
Dec 02, 2011
Josh
rated it:
Right off the bat, I'll admit that reading Heat Wave is probably the nerdiest thing I've done as an adult*.
*Well, I did make shirts for the third time I went to see Next in the theaters, but that was an act entirely motivated by comedy derived from making t-shirts for a seldom-seen movie that we went to see in a bargain theater in Round Rock**.
**For those unfamiliar with the Austin area, there isn't really a bunch of suburbs, per se. Austin can basically annex land as it see More...
*Well, I did make shirts for the third time I went to see Next in the theaters, but that was an act entirely motivated by comedy derived from making t-shirts for a seldom-seen movie that we went to see in a bargain theater in Round Rock**.
**For those unfamiliar with the Austin area, there isn't really a bunch of suburbs, per se. Austin can basically annex land as it see More...
Nov 15, 2011
Mikella
rated it:
Let me preface this with a declaration of my love for the show Castle. Nathan Fillion as a best selling author of detective novels? That’s a win in my book. There’s also the intense sexual tension between Castle and Beckett,and the antics of lovable partners Ryan and Esposito.
Anyway, reading Heat Wave was like watching a marathon of Castle episode. Raley and Ochoa (a.k.a. Roach) are fictional duplicates of Ryan and Esposito. Nikki Heat, while obviously altered to fit Castle’s imagina More...
Anyway, reading Heat Wave was like watching a marathon of Castle episode. Raley and Ochoa (a.k.a. Roach) are fictional duplicates of Ryan and Esposito. Nikki Heat, while obviously altered to fit Castle’s imagina More...
Sep 22, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
A titillating mystery thriller this is not. This is not even as good as the TV show, Castle, which they are playing off. This is just a middle of the road, let us slap some words on a page and call it a book kind of read. I don’t know if it has been published anywhere who the actual ghost writer is, but I am hoping that it’s not one of Richard Castles poker buddies, because a few of them have written some good books.
Nikki Heat and Rook (this would be the name given to Castle’s c More...
Nikki Heat and Rook (this would be the name given to Castle’s c More...
Aug 21, 2011
Marylu
rated it:
As a police drama book, this was entertaining. Characters could have been drawn out more, however, the story line was thought provoking with enough twists to satisfy a mystery lover like me.
The sexual tension betwen the writer and the detective was effective but no more than exptected. The scenes with New York suffering a heat wave ( pardon the pun ), was very appropriate for this year as it followed the real thing we were experiencing. The effect of the black out was very real ha More...
The sexual tension betwen the writer and the detective was effective but no more than exptected. The scenes with New York suffering a heat wave ( pardon the pun ), was very appropriate for this year as it followed the real thing we were experiencing. The effect of the black out was very real ha More...
Aug 10, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
This book is a fun novelty for fans of the show, "Castle," as it's the one Richard Castle is writing during the first season of the show. I'm a huge fan of the show, but the book was only okay. The character interactions, supposedly (in the show) based on the detectives Castle shadows, aren't nearly as good as the actual show's character interactions. Also, the names in the book really bug me. I mean, Nikki Heat as the main character is kind of cheesy, of course, but the other ones
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2 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 04, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
I was beyond excited when I heard about this book. I know that it is completely gimmicky, but the marketing genius behind it is fantastic: release the fictional novel in the popular ABC police comedy/drama Castle as a real one. Talk about score -not only does the novel already have a built-in fan base as well as already-existing hype and advertising (the show itself) but it fits in with the nature of the show perfectly. The popularity of Heat Wave (it was a New York Times Bestseller!) shows just
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Aug 04, 2011
Angela
rated it:
Yes, I picked this up because of the show. Guilty. I am unrepentant. I found the entire ploy to be exceptionally clever. It did, after all, get me to read a genre I have little interest in under normal conditions.
The ghostwriter element was a bonus to me, as they refuse to reveal who actually wrote it. There is something incredibly charming to me about a writer, role-playing himself as a fictional character and writing a book purely in that character's voice and mindset, when said c More...
The ghostwriter element was a bonus to me, as they refuse to reveal who actually wrote it. There is something incredibly charming to me about a writer, role-playing himself as a fictional character and writing a book purely in that character's voice and mindset, when said c More...
Jul 11, 2011
Mintwitch
rated it:
A fun conceit for a tie-in novel: ostensibly written by the main character of the ABC television show "Castle," Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion), HEAT WAVE is a rather dreary mystery, burdened with awkward, run-on sentences. Lacking the tight, clipped narrative flow that gives thrillers much of their adrenaline, HEAT WAVE is a Mary Sue that meanders towards a less-than-gripping climax.
Die hard fans of the show will be disappointed that the much-hyped sex scene does n More...
Die hard fans of the show will be disappointed that the much-hyped sex scene does n More...
Jul 05, 2011
Shanan
rated it: 
In A Nutshell:
I was disappointed. I really love the television show, but I really did not like this book. I felt the characters lost a lot of the charm and finesse we see in the television show. They were flat. The storyline was fairly predictable.
Review:
A spin-off of the popular ABC television show Castle, Heat Wave tells the story of a New York real estate tycoon who is murdered when he is thrown off the balcony of his penthouse apartment. During the investigation, More...
I was disappointed. I really love the television show, but I really did not like this book. I felt the characters lost a lot of the charm and finesse we see in the television show. They were flat. The storyline was fairly predictable.
Review:
A spin-off of the popular ABC television show Castle, Heat Wave tells the story of a New York real estate tycoon who is murdered when he is thrown off the balcony of his penthouse apartment. During the investigation, More...
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Jun 10, 2011
Sandie
rated it:
Let me begin by saying that I am a fan of the CASTLE television series. It is a cheeky, and sometimes cheesy bit of fluff that is pure entertainment. The viewer is not supposed to examine the “facts” of each weekly offering too closely nor try to utilize logic. This is just a show where you sit back and enjoy the silly banter of the cast and the sexual tension exuding from the two protagonists as they attempt to solve their latest case.
HEAT WAVE capitalizes on the popularity of t More...
HEAT WAVE capitalizes on the popularity of t More...
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(1 person liked it)
May 30, 2011
Echo
rated it:
I'm sort of torn about this book. I love the idea of reading something written by "Castle." It makes me feel like I'm immersing myself into the show. The thing is, the characters are so obviously the characters from the show with new names, it's obvious the book is something Castle would never actually write, so except for the author interview and acknowledgments in the back of the book, the book itself didn't actually FEEL like it was written by Castle. But on the other hand, I'm
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(2 people liked it)
May 30, 2011
Leah
rated it:
I'm not going to lie, I really only read this because I adore Nathan Fillion, and do it without being a Whedonite (which is apparently very uncommon). I enjoy the show Castle and figured the book couldn't suck. It was okay, I liked it well enough. I wouldn't exactly call it awesome, but it was nice to help pass the time. Although this book had the tiniest font I have ever encountered in a book. When I have my glasses on and am still wishing for a magnifying glass you know the font is tiny.
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May 15, 2011
Susan
rated it:
Seeing as this book is a television tie-in, supposedly written by the main character of a t.v. series, my expectations weren't all that high. I was pleasantly surprised.
There was a lot more character development than I expected, and more glimpses into how Nikki Heat thinks, and more description of the characters, physically, than I expected. The only exception was Jameson Rook, the writer character based on Richard Castle's character. I don't remember much description of him at al More...
There was a lot more character development than I expected, and more glimpses into how Nikki Heat thinks, and more description of the characters, physically, than I expected. The only exception was Jameson Rook, the writer character based on Richard Castle's character. I don't remember much description of him at al More...
May 12, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
okay, trying to voice what I thought and how I approached it.
First off: brilliant marketing idea.
Second: I love the meta layer of a fictional character publishing a book (in my reality) which is inspired by the woman he is in love with (yup I'm a shipper, your argument is invalid). So I tried to read it as such, which proved to be difficult. Whenever I heard his voice (or that of Nathan) as the narrator's voice, I was fine. I could happily picture him typing away and having a More...
First off: brilliant marketing idea.
Second: I love the meta layer of a fictional character publishing a book (in my reality) which is inspired by the woman he is in love with (yup I'm a shipper, your argument is invalid). So I tried to read it as such, which proved to be difficult. Whenever I heard his voice (or that of Nathan) as the narrator's voice, I was fine. I could happily picture him typing away and having a More...
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 29, 2011
Kristina
rated it:
Wow. I advise NO ONE to buy or read this book. It is poorly written. The dialogue is juvenile, the characters lack depth, and the plot is boring. I didn't care about anyone. I finished reading it only because it's not even 200 pages (the paperback is 198 pages) and it seemed silly not to finish it. The "romance" between Jameson Rook and Nikki Heat is barely there. One minute she thinks she may like him, the next they are rolling around in bed. Huh? That's not a romance. As a marketing
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Apr 02, 2011
Jasmine
rated it:
Richard Castle is back, with the first installment of his new Nikki Heat crime thriller series! After he killed off Derrick Storm, his audience was left confused, angry, fearful. Was Richard Castle through? Was he throwing in the pen?
No. Not by a long shot. Castle has come back with a new brand of detective: the tough, independent, yet secretly empathetic Nikki Heat. When a real estate tycoon is found dead after a long drop and a sudden stop, Heat, along with Riley and Ochoa (collectiv More...
No. Not by a long shot. Castle has come back with a new brand of detective: the tough, independent, yet secretly empathetic Nikki Heat. When a real estate tycoon is found dead after a long drop and a sudden stop, Heat, along with Riley and Ochoa (collectiv More...
Mar 21, 2011
Cornerofmadness
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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