Naked Heat is the second of the Nikki Heat books inspired by the ABC series "Castle". I've read a number of books based upon other works of fiction but the idea of having physical books that are alluded to within the context of the series is an interesting marketing ploy. As marketing ploys go, the Nikki Heat books are actually not at all badly written. I admit to being slightly disappointed with the first installment, Heat Wave, due to how short the book was. However, Naked Heat has proven to be a much more solid outing. As often happens, the sophomore book by an author tends to have a bit more meat on its bones and Naked Heat is no exception, though it is fictionally not the second book by Richard Castle.
The book is about the murder of a gossip columnist, which is made even more high profile when her body is stolen from the Medical Examiner's van on the way to the morgue. Beyond the police procedural aspects of the novel, the book simply wouldn't fit well into the world of "Castle" without the sexual tension between Detective Nikki Heat and journalist Jameson Rook (characters based on the characters of Kate Beckett and Richard Castle). Characters based on characters gets very meta, but that just adds layers to the book that fans of the show either enjoy or throw their hands up on.
I didn't exactly expect the ending, which is what makes a good mystery. It's an enjoyable summer read, but not a work of great literature.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 4 because the ending was somewhat predictable
I haven't had a chance to read the second book (though I very much enjoyed the first one), but what I really, really *LOVE* about this series is the "meta" going on. I don't know what I would've thought of it if I hadn't watched the series, but reading it from the point of view that this is what Rick is writing about Kate and the others, as well as what they've *read* that he's written about them kind of makes it fantastic.
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