I grabbed this up soon as it hit the shelf because I'm a real fan of the tv show, 'Castle'. I won't give away anything about the novels story line, but will say I was at first amused by the writing then later felt a bit let down. For a hardcover adult mystery the book comes in under 200 pages. It must be written by the tv shows script writers as the pacing, dialog, etc..is exactly what you see on tv every Monday night. And for me, that became a problem with the book. What works in a 1 hr (42 filmed mins) tv episode, falls a bit short in a book. I wanted MORE...background, dialog, details... The antics of the reporter-ride along character became somewhat annoying to me by the end of the book. If a 2nd one comes out and is larger, I might try it to see if it's improved.

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Loved it! But, I'm a huge fan of the show, so I might be a little biased! And, I loved this in the way that I like brainless reads. Plus, I like the references during the show to the book. It makes me feel like I'm on the inside!

Rook and Nikki Heat have the same type of relationship and undercurrents as does Castle and Beckett on the TV show. It's got much of the same wit and sarcasm. I really enjoyed the book but it was totally forgettable. The case was fun, fast-paced and pretty standard for this type of book. There wasn't much conflict, or anything that really got my heart pumping. I actually laughed more than I frowned in concentration!

Overall, if you like the show, you'll enjoy the book. Otherwise, I don't think that anyone will find this very engaging. It's a light read that is more enjoyable due to it's underlying humor.

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The was a totally fun read. I'm a huge fan of the show, so as I was reading the book I could "hear" the voices of the characters in my head while reading the dialogue. If you're looking for a serious read, this isn't it. But if you want a well constructed mystery with plenty of fun, this is a great book. I'd love to know who actually wrote the book - my guess is that it's a collaboration between James Patterson and Stephan Cannell. I wonder if we'll ever find out?

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I had fun with this book as a fan of the show. If you don't watch the show, I'm not sure how much you'll enjoy it. It's a quick read. I was done in less than a day and glad that I had checked it out from the library. It's definitely a guilty pleasure rather than literature, but if that's what you're looking for you'll be satisfied! It is also very interesting to think about the book as an extension of the show. Although there is clearly a real author out there (Tom Straw has been suggested in reviews on amazon) the actor from the show is on the book jacket and the character's name is in the author's spot. I think this raises some interesting questions about how media is evolving.

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This book was great. It was just like watching the TV show. As soon as it was released I had to get it and read it. I wish they would release more. Although if you can't get into the show "Castle", you may not enjoy this book, it was written like an episode of the show.

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If you love the TV show "Castle" you cannot help seeing Beckett and Castle in the pages of the book.....a fun read for all, especially "Castle" fans....If you have not seen the TV show, you will watch it after reading the book!

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HEAT WAVE suffers from spinoff-itis. It assumes that its readers know the TV show Castle and the story behind its books, and thus assumes that it doesnt have to bother with the usual writing techniques such as character development. Because Nikki Heat is (a much sexier) Kate Beckett; Jameson Rook is (a much more boring) Richard Castle (I mean, really, just look at the last names); Roach is Esposito and Ryan; and so on down the line.

The upside of this is that it does read like an extra episode of Castle, and the mystery is plenty good, with a nice amount of twists, red herrings, and unexpected revelations. The downside is that this book cannot and should not stand on its own. If it were a novel written by a real person, instead of by the fictional character Castle, it would probably be reamed by an editor for its lack of character development and the lack of developing chemistry between Heat and Rook.

For that was what disappointed me most of all: if HEAT WAVE were the manifestation of Castles imagination of a relationship between himself and Beckett (which, uh, in a sense, it is), then it was really poorly done, because the spark that Castle and Beckett have on the show is not apparent between Rook and Heat. On the show, sexual tension crackles between Castle and Beckett, a tension that is enhanced by their banter. In HEAT WAVE, Rook and Heat have just about zero banter. Any banter that they might have falls flat in about two lines, which is not really banter at all, but just the clumsy insertion of one-line quips. Rook comes across as an incompetent and bumbling reporter with not even a quarter of the appeal that Castle has, making the romance between him and Heat very unconvincing. If this were really the book that Richard Castle wrote on the TV show, then I struggle to understand how he ever made it as a bestselling mystery writer.

Still, I understand that this book was penned and published because it wanted to draw on the popularity of the TV show. I gave in and bought a copy, after all. For Castle fans, its a great indulgence. However, for more discerning readers, particularly discerning readers of mysteries and thrillers, HEAT WAVE will most likely disappoint. Dont open this book expecting greator, admittedly, even decentwriting.

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great book. commedy, drama and sex

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The best thing about the show Castle is Nathan Fillion for those you who dont know who that is that is the guy who plays Castle. His character writes books on the show and this is supposedly one of his books.

The idea of a TV character writing the actual book about characters he works with is just awesome! To be able to buy it is just a quirky thing a show like that would do.

The characters (now try to follow me if you can) are the characters from the show but not really. They are fictionalizations of the fiction characters. Things that havent happen to the characters on the TV show do happen in the books. That being said the characters miss something that the TV show has. I dont know if it was the way the scenes where described but they just did not play out as smoothly in my mind as they would on TV. So I did not really enjoy this as I do the show. It had the quirkiness of the show but disappointed me somewhat. I love watching the show but I dont know I would read another of the books.

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I liked the book, being a fan of the tv show Castle, but think that a reader has to distance him/herself from the show in order to enjoy the book; of course, if it were really written by the tv character, it would not be exactly like the show's characters--after all, it is fiction, but then so is the show. Otherwise, fun reading.

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Was very excited to get my hands on this book. It was such a disappointment, the story got into to much detailed disscriptions of personal thoughts of Niki Heat's life and not enough details on the crime & investagation of the crime. The last two chapters were the meaty part of the book, so happy it was only 196 pages otherwise I would have not finished it as I got to the point I really didn't care who killed Mathew Starr. If you want a fluff story between a few good books it's ok, but stick to the show Castle its much better.

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I finished reading the book. I am a fan of the tv series and enjoyed this book story because it was as close to the tv show that I enjoy very much.

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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 dont know if it has been published anywhere who the actual ghost writer is, but I am hoping that its 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 Castles character, because calling him Pawn or Knight would just be silly) are in charge of the investigation into the death of a New York real-estate developer. Of course everything is smoke and mirrors when it comes to Manhattan and the rich and famous, so when the death is ruled a homicide and the art collection doesnt live it to its estimated value, you throw in the Russian factor and wham-bam you have a police procedural.

The book goes where the series has not, but then again, this is all in the imagination of a somewhat 12 year old wanting to play cops and robbers.

If you are not looking for anything heavy or thought provoking, you might appreciate this sophomoric attempt at entertainment. It would work great for a lunchtime read where you can pick it up over a week and not feel that you have to go back and read anything to remember where you were.

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Just like watching "Castle" on TV. The books read like a television show, but not strictly as a script. The scenes are described completely, the characters are well-written and the storylines unique enough not to get boring or trite. Though, as with most mysteries, there is a certain amount of predictability. Overall easy, enjoyable read.

If you are a Nathan Fillon fan, once again, comments/remarks reminding one of his cancelled TV show, Firefly, make an appearance.

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