****This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review****
Driving Heat was my first foray into Castle’s books. I must admit, on first coming across it, I didn’t believe it was real! For those who aren’t aware, Richard Castle is the main character of the ABC show Castle. He is a writer looking for inspiration for his new series, and in doing so, ends up following Detective Beckett of the NYPD around as she solves cases. Much to my delight, someone, somewhere, decided that the books Castle was writing over the course of the series should be made available for fans to read.
At the start of this story, Heat and her fiancée Rook (read Beckett and Castle) are attempting to plan a wedding. Well, they are fretting over the thought of attempting to plan a wedding. Heat has just been made Captain, and on her very first case out after the promotion, she’s bombarded with her former coworkers jockeying for her recently vacated position. Needless to say, this makes them quite insufferable.
The victim of this case turns out to be someone Heat knew- her therapist. Rather than step back, and let her team do the work, Heat decides to be part of the investigation, meaning she has to juggle administrative duties with her time spent in investigation. (Suspension of disbelief moment) Add to the mix increased tension between the lovebirds when footage of Rook visiting the therapist’s office turns up and he refuses to discuss with others why he had been there.
The writing seems flashy, but this is one of my first forays into the mystery/thriller genre. I’m more of a Conan Doyle fan when it comes to mysteries. The story itself flows smooth, and the pace is swift right from the beginning. I found the dialogue enjoyable, particularly Rook’s banter. I would, however, recommend reading the books in order! I found most of the characters well-developed. Some of the secondary characters could benefit from a little extra build-up.
I was a bit surprised to find a scattering of grammar/spelling errors. They didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book however. If you like the show Castle or enjoy mysteries of the thriller/suspense, or police procedural variety, check out Richard Castle’s Nikki Heat series.
