Naked Heat (Nikki Heat) Mass Market Paperback – April 26, 2011

Naked Heat turned out to be the book that I wanted to read when I picked up the first book of the series, Heat Wave. This second book in Richard Castle's Nikki Heat series, published to tie-in with the hit ABC show Castle, was much more substantial than the first, and an all-round better read. The plot revolves around the death of a not-much-liked gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, and around uncovering the many layers that obscure the reason for her death. To add to the drama, Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook have not seen each other for a while, and the way in which they reconnect at the beginning of Naked Heat sets the stage for some interesting byplay in their (re)developing relationship. Of course, this plotline echoes the Season 3 premiere of the show, in which Castle is found with the victim of a murder, and this initial tie-in sets the stage for the rest of the book.Many of the issues that I did not like with the first book didn't arise in the second. Naked Heat was even more solidly plotted, with an engaging mystery and characters (suspects and victims) that were varied and interesting. There was a much better sense of polish, with lots of attention being paid to producing a well told story, and not so much going to establishing the book as a tie-in to the show. It certainly benefitted from this treatment, as well as possibly from the fact that the writer(s) simply may have had more time to work on this one. Both Heat Wave and Naked Heat contain vastly entertaining, not unduly taxing, extremely engaging `whodunit' mysteries, but Naked Heat does it much, much better.In Naked Heat, there's also a much clearer distinction drawn between Richard Castle and Jameson Rook, as well as Kate Beckett and Nikki Heat. While the conceit of asking the reader to see the show's characters in the ones on the page still applies, Rook and Heat seem more fully drawn, with identifiably separate personalities from their television counterparts. As much as I want to be able to `see' something of Beckett and Castle in the main characters of the books, I also want Rook and Heat to not merely be carbon copies, but to be able to stand on their own as well-rounded characters. After reading the first book, I thought that maybe I was expecting too much, but in Naked Heat this expectation was well realized.Jameson Rook is a more abrasive character than Richard Castle. He's a little less likeable and so it's definitely not as easy to forgive his foibles. Additionally, Rook comes over as more self-serving than Castle and, along with some other minor differences, this serves to give Rook more ground to stand on as a character in his own right. The same can be said for Nikki Heat, who is a little rougher, a little less tolerant, and quite a bit `sluttier' (to use the show's term) than Kate Beckett. At the same time, Nikki is clearly seen to be working through the conflicts of what she wants in her personal life, especially as it concerns Rook, and this serves to make her as likeable and engaging as Beckett, while still establishing that she is someone different.What didn't change between the first and second books of the series were the references to the show, which added another interesting level on which to read the book. Once you're a fan of the TV series, you can't help but notice the not-so-subtle references to the show and it feels like you're discovering little treasures along the way. The practice in the show to referencing other projects which the stars have done (especially Nathan Fillion's `Firefly') also makes its appearance in the book, and enhances that level of enjoyment. There's one surprise however, that belongs purely to the book and was utterly hilarious, with the potential for lots more gags in upcoming books. The theme in the book of people having secrets is extended to Jameson Rook having one of his own, and the results are very, very funny indeed.I also felt that more research went into this book, as there were lots of minor details about people and especially places that was missing from the first - at least for me - and really made this book come alive. It's those things that, as a reader, you'd never know if they weren't there unless you're an expert on the subject, but when they are included, makes for a much richer reading experience and makes the story come alive. This is something that I tend to look for, and I'll always give kudos to an author who does this for me.I was really surprised when I realized that I was only about ten pages from the end. On the heels of that surprise was disappointment - I was truly sorry when Naked Heat ended, and that's a feeling a reader always wants to have at the end of a book.

What great writing, kept my interest the whole way. All the twist and turns. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Richard Castle books are a lot like potato chips--you can't read just one. As soon as I finished Heat Wave (see review) I started craving another Castle book, and I caved in within a couple of days and started Naked Heat. It was pure indulgence, and I loved every sinful page of it.This story starts with Lt. Nikki Heat and her two detectives Raley and Ochoa discovering Jameson Rook at the scene of a recent homicide, listening to his iPod, with the body of the victim in the next room. (Any resemblances between events in the book and episodes of seasons 2 and 3 of Castle are undoubtedly intentional).Heat hasn't seen her former shadow and occasional lover, journalist Rook, for a few months. Not since his article in First Press magazine about his "ride-along" with her and her detectives was published. That article made her the focus of the piece, and brought her a lot of unwanted attention. Nikki only wants to be a cop, not a media darling. And the article made her look like a one-woman crimefighter, totally shortchanging her team.No one at the Precinct really wanted to see Rook again. He'd screwed all of them in that article, one way or another.But the dead body in the next room was Cassidy Towne, mud-slinging gossip-raker extraordinaire...and Jameson Rook's current subject. Without, as he explained to Nikki, the sex.Even if none of the team wanted Rook back, they needed him this time. He was the insider, both in the publishing world, and on the subject of Cassidy Towne's current projects and potential enemies.So they were stuck with Rook after all, trying to charm his way into everyone's good graces again, and back into Nikki's bed. All the while, trying to help the police solve the case of Cassidy Towne's death before the killer strikes again.Escape Rating B: I was struck by how much Nikki Heat reminds me of Eve Dallas in the J.D. Robb In Death series. And through Dallas, Sigrid Harald from Margaret Maron's series as well. The tough female detective with the damaged past who builds a family out of the members of her precinct house, and eventually finds love in a most unlikely place. Nikki, Eve and Sigrid are all sisters under the skin.But if Nikki is an avatar for Eve Dallas, Jameson Rook is no Roarke. Not on Rook's best day and Roarke's worst. I like Jameson Rook as a character, but there's no resemblance. The analogy just doesn't stretch that far, in spite of the similar names.Jameson Rook, unlike Richard Castle, is a magazine writer, and presumbly doesn't make as comfortable a living. So Rook has to supplement his earnings by writing under a pseudonym. And what does Jameson Rook write, and as whom? Under the name Victoria St. Clair, Jameson Rook writes romance novels. And he's not the first fictional hero to make his living this way, either. In Tanya Huff's Blood series, Victoria Nelson's vampire partner, Henry Fitzroy, also wrote historical romances. I keep imagining Henry and Rook meeting at a romance writers' convention. It would have to be at night, of course.I read this just for fun. And did I ever have fun. You will too!

This one was almost too long. I had trouble reading, it almost became a chore.After all that. The ending was anticlimatic.

I downloaded this book when it was on special offer on Amazon, not knowing anything about the author, the TV series 'Castle', or having read the first book in the series. As a result, I have read 'Naked Heat' as a stand-alone 'police procedural who dunnit'. However, from reading the reviews on Amazon, it appears that one of the key aspects of the novel that others enjoy is based on their being familiar with the TV series Castle. Clearly this is something I will have to address in the near future to see if it further enhances my enjoyment of the book.What I particularly like about this novel are the characterisation and the writing, but I am less enamoured by the plot. The characters are a delight to behold and you can easily imagine what they would be like in real life. In the telling of the tale you get different perspectives about the crimes from various police officers and from the fictional award-winning journalist, Jameson Rook. The key murder victim is Cassidy Towne, a gossip columnist who has upset a large and varied group of individuals, all of whom would have reason to kill her. Here again these potential victims / villains are brought to life by the author. The writing is crisp and while peppered with Americanisms, is quite easy to follow for us British readers. What I also like is the humour that not only raises a smile but also adds a human dimension to the main police characters in the story.What I am less enamoured with is the plot. It is just a little too complex for my liking. There is a huge cast of characters and potential suspects for the murders that take place and we are taken down plenty of blind alleys, all of which would usually appeal to readers who, like me, want to 'solve' the crime before the climax of the story. But in this novel there are just a little too many to easily keep track of, and the motive for the killings is not as straight forward as one would expect. This complexity doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the story but I found I had to use the kindle 'search' facility a few times to remind myself who various characters are and, on a couple of occasions, had to re-read a couple of chapters to remind myself of what was happening.So, if you are already a fan of the Castle TV series, then it would appear from other reviewers that you will take delight in 'Naked Heat' and the other novels in the series. If you are like me and not familiar with the TV series and / or the other books in the series, then don't let this put you off reading this novel ... just be aware however that it has quite a complex plot. As for me, I am now off to watch 'Castle' to see what I may have been missing!

I'm a big fan of the series Castle, and as others have said if you aren't don't bother reading this book.I read Heat Wave after watching the first season and it was OK. At only 200 pages though it still felt like a slog, with workman like writing, a straight forward plot and little in the way of characterisation outside of Rook and Heat. It was great as a TV series tie-in and piece of imaginative merchandise but difficult to recommend.Naked Heat meanwhile isn't just a good piece of merch, it's actually a good book. Despite being twice the length of Heat Wave it felt much shorter as the plot tripped along more easily, the suspect list was larger allowing for red herrings and interlocking plots and we got more view points throughout leading to better charcterisation of support characters. It's just a better written book making me wonder which of the two Rick Castle got ghost written ;)

This story expands on the relationship between the writer and the lady detective in New york. Once more the writer Rook helps his muse to solve another case while writing for the papers.

To be honest, Heat Wave was fun to read... as an offspring of the Castle serie.It was enjoyable yes but mostly enjoyable to those enjoying Castle serie 1, serie 2 and serie 3.Like me, no need to say.When I started to read Naked Heat, I was hoping for an improved oeuvre of Richard Castle and his oh-yeah-she-is-a-great-gal-allrite Nikki Heat.The novel got me enthusiastic from the start and yes, till the very end!Even for those unfamiliar with the 3 seasons of Castle, this one is very enjoyable stuff to put your hands on.It is by all means very recommandable !More than that, it is very and totally enjoyable !!!So what can I say but... get a copy and start reading :-)Thank you Mister Writer, you are getting better and better at it.I can't wait to start reading your third work of art. Merci!Bernd

As other reviewers have commented, a lot of the enjoyment of reading these novels is because of their tie in with the TV show Castle. Watching the series and then reading the books adds another layer completely, and it is one that I find entertaining. The story itself is very good and like the episodes it had a few twists before we got the murderer at the end. The characterisation of the four main characters is wonderful. Whoever thought of the idea and whoever wrote the novels are to to be commended. I love them