Helpful Score: 22
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.
Helpful Score: 16
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.
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.
Helpful Score: 7
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?
Helpful Score: 4
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.
Helpful Score: 3
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.
Helpful Score: 2
HATED IT!! Poorly written, as if they turned an amateur loose. It in no way does justice to the TV show. As someone who once taught creative writing, this would have failed my class on so many levels. Well, on a VERY good day I would have given it a C- MAYBE. And it certainly does not track the relationship of Beckett and Castle. "Heat and Rook" hit the sheets and it just doesn't work for me. (Rook? They named the Castle character "Rook"? That's what I mean about amateur.) A friend won this from me in a swap and I PM'd her and told her to pick another book.
Helpful Score: 1
I had so much fun reading this book, it should be illegal! It was no stretch at all to see the characters from the show in this story. The banter and fun between the characters stayed snappy all the way through. The only disappointment, for me, was that the book seemed too short. Should there be another one, I would not hesitate to read it.
Helpful Score: 1
A super fun read, especially if you are a fan of the tv show "Castle". The characters of Beckett and Castle come alive with the dialogue in the book. I won't spoil the fun by letting you know if they "get together"....
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoy the ABC series "Castle", so when I found there were books out there by "Richard Castle" I had to get one. This one is a good story; similar to the series, the detective, Nikki Heat, has a civilian journalist tagging along on a crime investigation. True to the series, the reader is kept guessing who the culprit or culprits could be until the very end.
Full of wit and a bit of sex, it is a good read, although not as good as watching the Castle series on TV.
Doubt if I will read any more Nikki Heat novels.(But one never knows....)
Full of wit and a bit of sex, it is a good read, although not as good as watching the Castle series on TV.
Doubt if I will read any more Nikki Heat novels.(But one never knows....)
Helpful Score: 1
Adorable! So much fun if you love the show Castle and a good storyline either way. Quick easy read
Helpful Score: 1
Not the best written book, but for those that like the show it will do. If the next book is not good I don't know if I could continue on with the series. Who ever is Ghost writing this book needs to step it up. The publisher also needs to do a better job with checking for errors.
I read the second book first and enjoyed it as fluff. Then I looked up the author and saw the TV series, then read this one. _Heat Wave_ fell flat, comparatively. I like the characterizations of the TV series better than those of the novels, but they both could dispense with the illicit sex, as the dialogue interplay of the main two is better writing than the flagrancy of the blatant description of the act itself.
Love the series, and really enjoyed this book! Not exactly like the book, but what you might have expected Richard Castle to write about. Steamy, dramatic, and fun!
This was only so so in my opinion. I love the show on TV so I am familiar with the characters. I didn't think this was very well written and did not hold my interest the way the tv show does.
Great entertainment! A suprisingly good read.
Its perfectly decent, but its honestly just Castle fan fic. The same characters, names changed and Mary Sue self insert by Castle himself. Its just the show in book form with a bit of naked thrown in. Good brainless reading, perfect for laying out on the beach or something, but not a re-read, by any stretch. It is nice to have something new until the show starts up again, so at least there's that going for it!
I loved Heat Wave and Naked Heat both! It's such a genius idea to cross market Castle by creating the books that Richard Castle is actually writing in the show! There are elements of cases that Castle and Beckett have worked on as well as the humor between them. I really enjoyed reading Heat Wave!
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.
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.
If you have watched the series and liked it you will like this book.
I enjoyed reading this book since I really like the TV show Castle. The writing is not up to par with others series like Gideon Oliver or Mrs Polifax but it was a fun book. I suggest that if you enjoy Castle and the character Richard Castle you might enjoy this story. Richard Castle writes about a murder mystery focused on an author, Jameson Bishop, who is shadowing the Detective Niki Heat (the new series Richard Castle is writing as he shadows Kate Beckett in the TV show) and solves a murder of a bankrupted millionaire.
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.
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.
Books like this are the reason that I need to learn that a book based off a tv show or movie is only enjoyable if you like sub-standard writing. I love watching the show "Castle", but you don't get a lot of details in this book about characters, scenery, etc. because it reads like watching a tv show. It suppose it's okay for a quick read, but I prefer mysteries that were written to inspire one's imagination.
great book. commedy, drama and sex
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.
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.
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!
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.
If you are a Nathan Fillon fan, once again, comments/remarks reminding one of his cancelled TV show, Firefly, make an appearance.
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.
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.
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.
I enjoyed it, although it is different from the TV show Castle.
I am a fan of the Castle TV show and I really enjoyed this book. It was not only a good mystery but also follows the underlying
humor of the show. The characters are different, but in many ways of course the same.
humor of the show. The characters are different, but in many ways of course the same.
I am a big Castle fan so it was fun reading this book.
As a fan of the television show Castle, I enjoyed reading the first book of the "Nikki Heat" series. I not only liked the mystery but I also liked remembering scenes from the show and seeing the subtle changes depicted in the book. I look forward to reading the next book, Naked Heat.
Fast and quick, nice book for the start for the series.
Great book!
Having never seen the tv show, I read this in an afternoon and enjoyed it. Having nothing to compare it to might have been a plus - the mystery was a bit of a challenge, and I enjoyed the driven but also introspective Nikki Heat, as well as the interplay between the characters and the humor. It was a fun read.
It's just like reading an episode of Castle!
Print is VERY small in this book!
I was a little disappointed in this book. It was nothing like the show and you don't know who the real writer is. That was the most disappointing thing about the whole book.
Ive said from the start that I think this book was a brilliant marketing scheme for ABC and Hyperion. Take a fantastic TV show, which happens to be about a mystery writer, and have a book written by him released during your second season? Fantastic. I had even read reviews of the book and, despite the fact that they werent great, I bought it as soon as I could find the paperback.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1660
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1660
I don't know who actually wrote this book, but I was surprised. Its a good read. Had me guessing (and guessing wrong) right to the end.
I miss seeing the series. We don't get network TV anymore, so I've missed 2 seasons now.
I miss seeing the series. We don't get network TV anymore, so I've missed 2 seasons now.
Just started reading Heat Wave...so far I love it!!!
Very cute!
