Review: Heat Wave by "Richard Castle"

They really know how to get to people like me, don't they? The network execs, I mean. 3 easy steps and I am a pawn in their chess game.

1. Launch a show about an author getting into mischeif with the police force. Okay, I'm not NOT listening.

2. Cast Nathan Fillion. Who doesn't love Nathan Fillion? My cantankerous father loves Nathan Fillion. I would watch Nathan Fillion read the dictionary for an hour every week (you know he'd make it interesting)

3. Talk about a book all season of the show. THEN RELEASE THE BOOK.

I am so sold. I bought the book as soon as I found it - had to order from overseas of course. Now I didn't read it straight away, I just bought it, showed it to people, and giggled at the fact it has Richard Castle's name on it. This is a BAD reason to buy a book, and yet, I did it anyway.

Is the book any good?

I don't really know. Is that a weird thing to say after reading the book? I don't really know? Not much of a review so let's pull it apart and see.

I separate all books into three parts. Characters, Plot and Atmosphere.

The characters?

The characters are caricatures OF characters (…which are already caricatures of real people?)

Characters based on characters… Nikki Heat comes off as a sexualised, more open version of female lead - Kate Beckett. Which is exactly what you'd expect.

The plot?

You can pick who the killer is as soon as the character appears. The book almost encourages you to piece together the facts as you would sitting before a late season episode of Special Victims Unit.

It's less morbid than the show, less realistic, less witty but still very funny… but does that matter when you sit reading and trying to imagine Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle as Rook the pulitzer prize winning Journo?

The atmosphere?

Nothing gripping. Nothing really explored. The story takes place in the middle of a HEAT WAVE, and yes the bad pun makes me laugh, so I guess it serves it's purpose.

So, is the book any good. I still don't know. Because I can't separate the television show - which is very well written - from the book in my hands. And I don't think Im meant to. It's an in joke. It doesn’t have to be amazing, it has to be short and fast paced - and it is.

I enjoyed the book. I would buy another, and I'd keep them on my shelf where I could see them.

I'd look at them and I'd giggle still at owning Richard Castle's books, because you feel like you're in on the joke.

But those network execs, they're getting the last laugh really. I mean, I already said I'd buy another, right?