Review - Driving Heat by Richard Castle

 

Driving Heat
Nikki Heat, book 7
by Richard Castle
Publisher: Kingswell
Pub. Date: September 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1401324827
Pages: 336
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
ABC's Castle resumes it's eighth season tonight after a three week hiatus. Castle debuted in mid-season replacement in the spring of 2009 and quickly became a hit with viewers. The series centers on a mystery writer, Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion), teaming up with NYPD Detective Kate Beckett to solve murder cases. Working with Beckett gives him the inspiration to create his newest fictional character - Nikki Heat, which is just a copycat of Beckett, as well as the character Jameson Rook, which is a fictional version of Castle.

ABC took advantage of the shows popularity and released the first Nikki Heat novel, Heat Wave, in the fall of 2009, written under name Richard Castle. Five sequels followed, all of which have been bestsellers. While the real author has never been confirmed, some believe it is author Tom Straw.

The seventh book in the series, Driving Heat, arrived in bookstores back in September around the same time season eight of the series premiered. The novel centers on Nikki Heat being promoted to captain of the twentieth precinct. Her excitement about her first day on the job quickly disappears when her shrink, Lon King, is murdered. Things get even more shocking when a video turns up showing Heat's fiance Jameson Rook leaving King's office.

Rook refuses to give a reason of why he was at king's office (except for the fact that he is doing research on an article), resulting in him becoming the #1 suspect in the case. Feeling betrayed by her lover, Heat must somehow put aside her personal feelings to unravel the mystery.

I'm sure Castle fans will get a kick out of the similarities between Driving Heat and the current season of the series; though non-Castle fans as well as new readers to the Nikki Heat series can still enjoy reading this mystery thriller. This installment has a bit more emotional depth in the relationship between Heat and Rook. The plot is cleverly written with a few twists and turns that kept me flipping through the pages. Overall, Driving Heat is one my favorites out of the series. It's fast-paced sequel that's worth reading.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.