Heat Wave (novel)

Last updated
Heat Wave
Heat-Wave-book-cover.jpg
Cover of the book
Author
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Nikki Heat
Genre
Publisher Hyperion Books
Publication date
September 29, 2009
Media type
Pages240 pages (paperback)
ISBN 9781401323820
Followed by Naked Heat  

Heat Wave is the first in a series of mystery novels featuring the characters Nikki Heat, an NYPD homicide detective, and Jameson Rook, a journalist. The novel and its sequels are published by Hyperion Books as a tie-in to the U.S. crime series Castle and attributed to that show's lead character Richard Castle. Heat Wave was published in 2009 and has been followed by Naked Heat (2010), Heat Rises (2011), Frozen Heat (2012), Deadly Heat (2013), Raging Heat (2014), Driving Heat (2015), High Heat (2016), Heat Storm (2017) and Crashing Heat (2019). The first seven novels in the series, though Driving Heat, were actually written by mystery novelist Tom Straw. [1]

Contents

Premise

Within the television show's universe, Richard Castle is a best-selling author who has published the final book in his successful Derrick Storm series, in which he killed off the main character, after writing the books became "too much like work". He is desperately searching for a new muse. When a copy-cat killer stages the crime scenes right from the pages of his books, he is called in to assist Detective Kate Beckett and her team.

At the end of the pilot episode, he becomes Beckett's partner in order to do "research". His fictional Heat Wave is released at the start of the second season which aired just before the actual release of the real-world book. Because of its success, ABC has released even more books, including a Derrick Storm trilogy and Derrick Storm graphic novels.

The actual book Heat Wave was written by Tom Straw, and revealed in installments on the Castle show's website. Straw said he wrote the book (and their first six successors) keeping in mind the purported author's idealized version of himself. [1] The book's characters are based on the characters in the TV series.

Plot summary

The title of the book refers to a heat wave that grips the city, the heat that is inside the characters' attraction for each other, and the character's surname. Castle's protagonist is NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat. Ms. Heat is attractive, tough and means business when she's on a case. She is good at her job and is the leader of her team investigating murders. Heat's boss, the commissioner, assigns Jameson Rook, a reporter, to be attached to her to do research on his article. Rook proves to be a challenge to Heat as he has a mind of his own.

As much as Heat hates Rook, she also feels a compelling force that draws him to her. Heat feels the heat between them. Ms. Heat tries to handle her professional work, as well as answer to the call of nature as she falls for her handsome, magnetic shadow. In her work, Heat has to dig into the case of a real estate millionaire who has fallen to his death. His widow was attacked but survived the confrontation.

Characters

Reception

Heat Wave reached No. 6 on The New York Times Best Seller list in its fourth week of release.

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Cogdill, Oline H. "Tom Straw, the Author Behind 'Castle'". Mystery Scene. Retrieved May 7, 2024.

Related Research Articles

<i>Silent Witness</i> British crime drama television series

Silent Witness is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squad detective based in Nottingham. Twenty-seven series of Silent Witness have been broadcast since 1996, with series 27 airing in January/February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellery Queen</span> Detective fiction writer (joint pseudonym)

Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve baffling murder cases. From 1929 to 1971, Dannay and Lee wrote around forty novels and short story collections in which Ellery Queen appears as a character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson DeMille</span> American author

Nelson Richard DeMille is an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The Gold Coast. DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Castle</span> Fictional character in the crime series Castle

Richard Edgar "Rick" Castle is a fictional character on the ABC crime series Castle. He is portrayed by Nathan Fillion.

Ochoa is a Spanish surname of Basque origin common throughout Spain, France, the Americas, and the Philippines. It is a surname of patronymic origin; it was originally a given name in Medieval Spain.

<i>Castle</i> (TV series) American crime comedy-drama TV series (2009–2016)

Castle is an American crime mystery/comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Beckett</span> Fictional character

Katherine Houghton Beckett is a fictional character of the ABC crime series Castle. She is portrayed by Stana Katic.

<i>Castle</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle premiered as a midseason replacement on ABC on March 9, 2009. The season aired from March 9, 2009, to May 11, 2009. The first season consisted of 10 episodes.

<i>Castle</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle was ordered on May 15, 2009, by ABC. The season aired from September 21, 2009, to May 17, 2010. The second season was originally renewed with an order of 13 episodes, but a few weeks after the season premiere, on October 20, 2009, ABC ordered a full season increasing the episode count to 24 episodes.

<i>Castle</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle was ordered on March 30, 2010, by ABC. The season aired from September 20, 2010, to May 16, 2011. The third season was originally ordered with a 22 episode count, but ABC extended the order to 24 episodes on November 11, 2010.

<i>Castle</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle was ordered on January 10, 2011, by ABC. The season aired from September 19, 2011, to May 7, 2012. The fourth season initially contained 22 episodes, but on December 8, 2011, ABC ordered an additional episode, bringing the total episode count to 23 episodes. Penny Johnson Jerald joined the cast as the new captain, Victoria "Iron" Gates for the fourth season.

"Tick, Tick, Tick..." is the 27th episode of Castle and the first of a two-part story, concluding with the following episode, "Boom!". It is the 17th episode of the second season. The episode was written by Moira Kirland and directed by Bryan Spicer. It aired on March 22, 2010 on ABC. In the episode, Rick Castle and Kate Beckett must team up with the FBI to track down a killer using one of Castle's books as inspiration.

<i>Castle</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle, was ordered on May 10, 2012, by ABC. The season aired from September 24, 2012, to May 13, 2013. Two additional episodes were ordered on October 19, 2012, and February 5, 2013, which brought season 5 up to a total of 24 episodes.

<i>Castle</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle, was ordered on May 10, 2013, by ABC via Twitter. The season aired from September 23, 2013, to May 12, 2014, in the United States on ABC. The season consisted of 23 episodes.

<i>Deadly Heat</i> 2013 novel by Richard Castle

Deadly Heat is the fifth novel in Richard Castle's series about NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat and journalist Jameson Rook. It was released on September 17, 2013. The novel is published by Hyperion Books in collaboration with ABC. ABC produces the TV series Castle where the main character, Richard Castle, to whom the book is credited, shadows NYPD Detective Kate Beckett.

<i>Castle</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle, was ordered on May 8, 2014, by ABC. The season premiered on September 29, 2014, in the United States on ABC, and the finale aired on May 11, 2015. The seventh season initially had 22 episodes. But on October 23, 2014, ABC ordered one more episode, resulting in an episode count of 23 episodes.

<i>Castle</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth and final season of American crime-comedy-drama television series Castle was ordered on May 7, 2015, by ABC. The season premiered on September 21, 2015, in the United States on ABC, and the finale aired on May 16, 2016. The season consisted of 22 episodes.