Book Response: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Hyperion, September ‘09

Partial Galley

Puzzle this one out.  This is a novel by a fictional character in a TV series.  Richard Castle (portrayed in the show by real-life person Nathan Fillion) of ABC’s hit show Castle.  Richard Castle (not a real-life person) plans to write a series of novels which fictionalize his relationship with his co-character Kate Beckett (portrayed in the show by Stana Katic).   What results is the novel-character, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist, Jameson Rook, and the sexy New York homicide detective that is teaching him all about ‘real’ crime, Nikki Heat.  

Still with me?

Heat is an NYPD homicide detective motivated to catch the bad buys by a tragedy in her past.  Rook pulls a favor from his buddy the police commissioner to shadow Heat for research about police work.  Snarky, flirty, arrogant Rook irritates Heat, and the sexual tension flies.  

The mystery at hand involves a businessman’s dive off his sixth floor balcony.  The suspects begin to line up quickly, including the deceased’s Eliza-Doolittle widow and her lover(s), his straight-and-narrow business manager, and a beefy bookie’s goon with a disgusting sense of entitlement about women.  

Heat is an interestingly complicated, tough, and relateable main character.  Jameson Rook comes across as less nuanced and more clichéd, but I suppose you expect a few clichés in a splashy detective novel.  The rest of the characters make up a plausible cast that will serve well in a series, if that’s the intention.  My favorite minor characters are the side-kick homicide detectives, named Raley and Ochoa, respectively, but referenced collectively as Roach. 

While reading, I was reminded several times of Janet Evanovich’s very fun Stephanie Plum novels.  Perhaps Nikki Heat is what Steph would be like with a little more realism and a little less of that delicious silliness.  

I have one criticism so far.  I don’t buy the scene where Heat is walking around her apartment, bubbly, wet, and naked, with the windows open and the blinds drawn.  I’ve never been in a heat wave in New York City—maybe I’d feel differently if I had.  I get the distinct impression that the book’s heat-wave-in-a-New-York-summer conceit is built just to make this scene remotely plausible.  That, and, you know, to pun on the main character’s name. 

I’m not crazy about crime novels, but I had fun reading this preview and I will read the full-version when it comes out.  I’ve only seen part of the pilot episode of Castle, though I really like Nathan Fillion (He can be my Captain Mal any day).  This novelization has done its marketing job as well, making me want to check out more of the series.  

What are you reading?