In New York Times Bestselling author Richard Castle's newest novel, an illegal immigrant falls from the sky and NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat's investigation into his death quickly captures the imagination of her boyfriend the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jameson Rook. When he decides to work the case with Heat as his next big story, Nikki is at first happy to have him ride along. Yes, she must endure Rook's usual wild conspiracy speculations and adolescent wisecracks, but after reuniting following his recent assignment abroad, she's glad for the entertainment, the chance to bounce ideas, and just to be close to him again and feel the old spark rekindle. But when Rook's inquiry concludes that Detective Heat has arrested the wrong man for the murder, everything changes.
Balancing her high stakes job with a complicated romance has been a challenge ever since Nikki fell for the famous reporter. Now, her relationship lurches from mere complexity into sharp conflict over the most high-risk case of her career. Set against the raging force of Hurricane Sandy as it pounds New York, Heat battles an ambitious powerbroker, fights a platoon of urban mercenaries, and clashes with the man she loves. Detective Heat knows her job is to solve murders. She just worries that solving this one will be the death of her relationship.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Richard Castle is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the critically acclaimed Derrick Storm series. His first novel, In a Hail of Bullets, published while he was still in college, received the Nom DePlume Society's prestigious Tom Straw Award for Mystery Literature. Castle currently lives in Manhattan with his daughter and mother, both of whom infuse his life with humor and inspiration.
Note: Richard Castle is a fictional character from the ABC television show, Castle, played by Nathan Fillion. The biography is of this character. His name is being used as a pseudonym for tie-in novels to the TV show.
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Low stakes and washed-out, the story builds its final scene upon a muddy ground of gory violence and hurt feelings.
This is probably the best of the Nikki Heat series so far, barring the five or six glaring typos that really should have been caught by an editor/pre-reader. Also, the fact that the plot started with someone plummeting through my place of employment was pretty great. Whoever ghost-writes these does a really good job writing NYC, probably even lives here, possibly on the UWS. Two thumbs up for neighborhood accuracy!
The team gets back together when an illegal immigrant is filmed falling from the sky onto a public thoroughfare. The main suspect is the guy in charge of FEMA, and Hurricane Sandy is coming through.
Not bad. Nikki's self righteousness bothers me more than in some books in the series.
I love the TV show, Castle. And I know that Richard Castle is not a real author. And I completely know that I'm being manipulated with one of his fictional Nikki Heat novels.
But I started reading it anyway. And it was really good! I was actually surprised how good this story was.
I listened to it on my Android. The reader, Robert Petkoff, was very good. He has Nathan Fillion's delivery style down, so when he's reading Castle, I can see Nathan as Castle, I see the entire scene.
The story is a serious murder mystery, believable, difficult to solve, lots of clues and confusion. And it's also got the cheese and cheeky jokes of the TV show.
The acknowledgements at the end of the story were hilarious.
So, I don't really care that I'm being manipulated by mass market entertainment -- manipulate me all you want with a good book!
I alllllmost two-starred this fucker. For about the first 2/3 of it, I was actively bored. Halfway through, I actually returned it to the library and didn’t expect to pick it back up for a while. Somebody else had a hold on it, so I couldn’t renew it. But it turns out whoever had that hold either didn’t care enough to actually pick the book up, or returned it almost immediately because they didn’t like it. I can sympathize with that. And it got the book back to me very quickly, so. Hey. Who’s complaining.
There are lots of little problems in this sixth installment of the meta-tie-in Nikki Heat series, penned by “Richard Castle,” as a fun but savvy marketing ploy to fans of the TV show Castle. But the main problem is that the book, which takes place in the week leading up to, during, and after Hurricane Sandy, and yet it might as well have taken place anywhere or anywhen else for all that signified in the plot. I mean, my God, what a WASTE. Basically there were only two scenes that utilized the hurricane effectively, and they were very brief.
All the other problems I can sum up by saying that it feels like this ghostwriter (or maybe ghostwriters?) has stopped having fun with writing this series. It felt like a chore to read it, I can only imagine how it must have felt to write it. It doesn’t help that the plot has Nikki freaking the hell out and acting stupid and paranoid for half the book and she was almost intolerable to read about. But really, it was just uninteresting for the most part. Towards the end as all the plot threads came together it picked back up again and actually managed to hold my interest for the rest of the book, which is why I’m rounding my two stars up to three, and why I’m going to continue the series for at least one more book. (This was not something I planned on doing the first time I returned it to the library.)
This series continues to surprise me, not just with how enjoyable they are but with how well they are written. This 6th book in the series doesn’t let up for a second as Nikki and her team investigates a murder of a Haitian immigrant whose body literally fell from the sky. Throw in a corrupt government official, an inept boss, and a trail that leads to other deaths, all against the background of the approaching Hurricane Sandy, and you’ve got yourself a fun read.
The character of Nikki Heat continues to grow in this one as she is forced to confront her future (on several fronts) and come to grips with her own anxieties about it. The books do somewhat parallel the Castle TV seasons in many ways but I wouldn’t say these books read like just another episode. They are quite a bit more complex and the danger and level of suspense is definitely higher.
As always, I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I wonder how long these will continue to be written and published given the TV show’s cancellation. I really wish I knew who the author was because I would seek out his/her other stuff.
I read the Richard Castle books because I watch the show (I heart Nathan Fillion so much!), but I have never thought they were all that great. This one is definitely the best, IMO. There's tension and backlash between Heat and her squad, which evens out all the jokiness. Because, honestly, I do not think cops would be that agreeable all the time. Granted, it doesn't last very long, but it is a nice change.
I do have to wonder where have all the decent copy editors gone? I noticed so many mistakes, particularly in the last 50 or so pages, it started to take me out of the story. And this isn't the first book where I've had this problem recently. Is there an editor shortage that I am unaware of? Because I could use a job. And I am killer with a red pen.
With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on NYC, Nikki is racing to solve the murder of a man who fell from a plane. Are the clues leading to a powerful politician? Or is she ignoring the true trail and the clues that her boyfriend Rook is finding?
While there are scenes and lines that fans of Castle will love, this book works well as a mystery on its own. And the arrival of Sandy, while predictably timed, does add a great new layer to the story. Some interesting character development and this book is another winner is one of the most brilliant tie in series of all time.
More candy in Jameson Rook/Castle from. I think in this one they also mentioned Firefly so the nerd circle is complete. Interesting to seethe speculation on who the actual author is. And that there will be 2 more books in the series even though the show was canceled.
This book reminds me how much I adored the TV series. The casual banter, twisty plot, and fast pace make this a satisfying read. It is a mystery within a police procedural—who is the real author of the published series?
The over-hyping of the wedding that never happened last season on the Castle TV show, I have to say, hit a sour note for me. And even though I'll tune in again this season, it won't be with anywhere near the enthusiasm I've had in previous years. Unfortunately, I suspect that experience has carried over to the books as well. In large part, I'm sure that's because the books read like TV scripts and -- like the show -- are more fluff than substance.
So it is, then, that for the most part I ho-hummed my way through this, the sixth book in the series. About halfway through, I even considered not even bothering to finish it; but since I hate to do that with any book, I sneaked a peak at the reviews at Amazon.com -- and learned that 29 of the 35 reviewers gave it 5 stars. Say what? I asked myself, concluding that I'd better look at the book with a more positive attitude.
Did it work? Only a little. Sure, there were glimmers of the fun banter between Detective Heat and her writer/lover, Jameson Rook. One in particular made me chuckle out loud. After a rather nasty explosion, a message was found that simply read, "BYE HEAT." Rook's quip was immediate: "He left out the comma."
The story itself, though, never really jiggled any of my happy buttons. It begins when an illegal immigrant drops into the NYPD's lap -- almost literally -- seemingly from the sky. Heat and Rook are together again after a lengthy absence while he worked on a story -- which is good -- and she's looking at the possibility of being tapped for a task force that could jeopardize their future as a couple -- which isn't. To make matters worse, they can't agree on the prime suspect in the murder investigation; Heat is convinced a powerful city politician is behind it, but Rook (and some key members of Heat's investigative team) aren't so sure -- and her unrelenting passion to find proof that she's right threatens to destroy her relationships with Rook and her squad members.
In the end, it wasn't a truly bad reading experience, but neither can I work up much excitement about it. Just like the TV show, I fear that this series may be past its prime.
Richard Castle is back in print, and back to true form!! I love how these books run on a separate but parallel track to the Castle tv series, with thinly-disguised characters & plot points lifted from the show's various seasons/episodes (and, sometimes groan-inducing Firefly "Easter eggs"). While most of the secondary characters can rightly be seen as just re-named versions of their television selves (like Roach, whom I envision *exactly* as Ryan & Espo), the main characters of these novels are different and compelling enough to interest readers unfamiliar with the show.
I suppose Nikki Heat bears a closer physical/psychological resemblence to Kate Beckett/Stana Katic than Jameson Rook does to Richard Castle/Nathan Fillion, but it's both easy and pleasureable to separate these two fictional worlds (it's also fun to speculate on the wish-fulfillment Mr. Castle indulges in with his alter-ego, who is a tanned, fit, childless, Tribeca-loft-owning, bed-hopping, marathon-running investigative journalist with 2 Pulitzers and--in his words--'a great ass'). The sex scenes have disappointingly cooled since the first 3 books (seriously--the first couple books were HOT), but the playful banter and deeper conversations of Heat & Rook always ring true and form their own dramatic arc within the logistics of a murder investigation.
My delight in this series took a hit after the bloated excess of the previous two books (Frozen Heat & Deadly Heat): granted, there *were* 5 tv seasons' worth of Beckett's-mother's-murder plotlines to wrap up, but the global scope of the novels kept expanding so ridiculously & exponentially that I half-expected a metal-toothed Bond villain to appear and toss a razor-rimmed bowler hat at the leads right before pushing a big red button labled VAPORIZE THE WORLD. In *Raging Heat* we are back to real-world sized crimes, and while the end contains a scene that's a BIT too Agatha Christie for my taste, on the whole it's a wonderful return to the realistic scope and tone of these books (although, Mr. Castle, you can please bring the hot sex scenes back, anytime. Like...*now*).
I can't NOT recommend any of the Richard Castle books, just because I love these characters/this series so much. However, just know that books 4 & 5 are kind of like those first few episodes of Friday Night Lights, Season Two: you just gotta power though them and try to not let them taint your enjoyment of what came before, and what comes after.
It doesn't usually take me this long to get through a Castle novel, but it was no fault of the writer's or the story itself; as always, I enjoyed the further adventures of Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook (loosely based on ABC's TV series 'Castle'). This story in particular was quite complicated, and I couldn't figure it out before it was revealed - a rare thing for me, and a compliment. I definitely recommend this book for all mystery lovers, as well as any fans of the show. = )
Another well-done-for-the-genre Richard Castle novel. The plot is great and the exploration of the characters, when all is not a bed of roses between them, is new territory and an enjoyable read. Content warning: a pretty steamy sex scene and lots of innuendo. Also lots of good humor--male protagonist Jameson Rook never misses a beat.
Good book. The sci fi geek in me loved the Firefly references. Letting the hurricane help to rev up the suspense was a good idea. Had a few problems with the quick change in some of the personalities of the men. The pouting because she reprimanded them was over written. Women do still have a tough time in positions of power, but that was a bit too much.
The fall from the sky of an illegal immigrant leads Detective Nikki Heat and journalist Jameson Rook on an investigation of a powerful politician who may be involved in human trafficking, and numerous other criminal activities. Heat and Rook must survive various attempts on their lives as they search for evidence. Their investigation jeopardizes their relationship, as they cannot agree on how to pursue the case. Amid all of this, hurricane Sandy is bearing down on New York City, further complicating everything! This is a fast paced, enjoyable read, with a bit of a surprise ending for Heat!
This is a nice little crime book written by a real author (or authors) masquerading as a fictional writer about a fictional detective based on a TV detective. If you're a fan of Castle, you'll enjoy this installment in the series. It's clever and setting the crime in New York during Superstorm Sandy works to amp up the suspense. I liked it.
always fun to read the latest Castle book. This one has Hurricane Sandy, Rook, Heat, a body dropped from a plane maybe, a rich owner of Cruise ships who wants to be a POLITICIAN and murder upon murder. Or just a normal Castle read
3.5 stars It's been a couple of years since "Castle" went off the air and listening to this book made me realize how much I enjoyed and miss that show. Listening to this book was like going home after an absence and visiting with old friends.
It has been about 3.5 years since I read the previous book in this series, so I don't quite remember how it left off, which is fine. The books were pretty closely mirroring the season of the show that ended shortly before they were released and this one reminded readers at the outset that Nikki Heat had finally solved the murder of her mother - the reason she became a cop in the first place - so it wasn't necessary to have recently read it.
This one starts with a Haitian immigrant crashing into the roof of the planetarium. Unsure at first if this is suicide or murder, it quickly becomes clear that it was murder. Nikki and her team are thrown into trying to solve this murder, in which the prime suspect is a high-powered politician with eyes on a senatorial seat (who is also golf buddies with the mayor). In the meantime, they are also bracing for Hurricane Sandy, which is threatening landfall any day now and threatens to hamper the investigation, which partly takes place in the Hamptons.
On the personal front, Nikki finds a receipt for an engagement ring in Rook's trash can upon his return from a nearly two month assignment, which causes her to go into a tailspin as she's not sure how she feels about being someone's wife - especially when she's up for a promotion that will cause HER to be away for long periods of time, in addition to Rook's own travel schedule. This creates tension first between her and Rook, which then spills over to her and her staff.
This was fun to listen to. Having been a fan of the show, I was concerned at first as to what the narration would be like and was happy to hear the narrator sounded similar enough to Nathan Fillion ("Castle's" Richard Castle) that at times I wondered if it WAS him. (It's not). The series trademark humor and camaraderie was once again evident in this book - and I loved the references to the "drunk mystery writer" in the Hamptons and I couldn't help wonder if this was a jab at James Patterson, who I have long suspected is the real author of this series. I'm happy to see there are still a few more books left in this series so I can cherish these beloved characters for a little bit longer!
This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. This book is based on the television show Castle. The main character is a mystery writer and produces novels. In real life, these novels exist and are written by a ghost writer (I love this marketing ploy). To enjoy this novel, it would be beneficial if you are a fan of the show but it is not required.
This book is exactly what I want from this series. There is the mystery where aspects of the mystery are taken from episodes of the show. If you watch the show, you will notice many different parts that resemble episodes. The characters in the book are based on the characters from the show and the playful banter and their respective character situations are present throughout this novel. Also, there are various references to the show and fans must love this aspect as they try to notice these references. All these characteristics work in the book as the author is penning novels that are based on his experiences. As I said, I believe this is such a clever tie-in with the show.
This is one of the better books of this series. The mystery was terrific and satisfied my mystery reader side. The references and the callbacks to the show satisfied my devotion to the show. And there is character progression that follows the show but keeps the reader enticed as we wonder if the book's characters are going to follow the same path. This is a must read for fans of the show and people who are not fans can still enjoy this novel.
I really enjoy these Heat books. There are my guilty pleasures.
In this latest installment Richard Castle's Raging Heat, a Haitian immigrant falls from the sky and into a planetarium. Believe it or not, that was the simplest part of the case. The victim, Fabian Beauvais is not only connected to unsavory characters but also a Polish mercernary and a highly powerful senatorial candidate, Keith Gilbert. In Heat's personal life, she may have found an engagment ring in her writer's boyfriend Jameson Rook's things just as she gets an offer to lead a counter terrorist unit.
Also, this whole case takes place just as Hurricane Sandy is coming to New York City...
I liked Raging Heat better than the previous book, Deadly Heat, because there were no more spies. The reasons these books work is that they are believable and realistic enough. I felt that both Frozen Heat and Deadly Heat, my suspension of belief was wavering. Raging Heat got back to basics and gave me a good ol' murder mystery conspiracy.
I cannot wait for the next one especially for the latest character development.