Sunday's media madness...

I am currently working through a wonderful book challenge at Book Chick City and my February read was called Heat Wave by Richard Castle.  Some of you may recognize the authors name from the television show Castle.  The book is based on the characters of the show so if you are a fan it adds an extra dimension to the book, if you don't watch the show it won't matter when reading the book.  Heat Wave is the story of Nikki Heat, a tough as nails female detective in New York City.  Her current case takes place during one of the cities hottest heat waves, making everything she does just that much more difficult.  On top of the heat and cities rolling blackouts, she has been saddled with a civilian ride along, Jameson Rook.  Jameson is a well known, extremely handsome, magazine journalist with friends and poker buddies most people only dream of knowing, and a knack for playing just outside of the rules.  The story opens with Detective Heat and her team investigating the probable murder of a wealthy real estate mogul who, as it turns out isn't as wealthy as everyone thought.  The ever changing list of suspects will keep you guessing through the whole book, was it the wife, the nanny, the business manager, the Russian, or the ex mistress?  Every twist and turn brings Nikki closer to the truth and the reader more and more eager to find out if their hunch is right.  This is a fast paced and fun read for anyone that likes mysteries or enjoys the weekly television series.  So, you may ask, just who is the ghost writer for this book since Richard Castle is a fictitious TV character?  Well it seems this is the best kept secret since we all wondered who shot JR on Dallas.  If I had to wager a guess myself I would say look at the guest stars on the show, Stephen J. Cannell, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly.

The book is available new in paper back from Go Hastings for $5.66, hard cover from Overstock for $12.80 and the unabridged MP3 audiobook read by Johnny Heller also at Overstock for $15.28, Overstock has free shipping through February 28, 2011.  The Kindle edition is available from Amazon for $5.00 as is the Nook version from Barnes and Noble.

 

If you are a fan of the TV show Castle on ABC you will see the similarities between the characters in the book and the characters in the series, the obvious two being Richard Castle/Jameson Rook and Detective Kate Beckett/Detective Nikki Heat.  If you haven't seen the shows they are a great mix of drama and humor with a good mystery to keep you in suspense until the end.  If you would like to check out the show you can purchase seasons one from Buy.com for $19.98 with free shipping and season two from DVDs Direct for $21.95.  If you would like to watch on line or find out more about the show, actors, books check out the Castle website.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last day of the weekend.

C.Q.