NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat teams up with superstar journalist Jameson Rook to solve the murder of a wealthy real estate tycoon.The job was hard enough if you were doing it right. Add a reporter with a mouth playing make-believe cop and your day just got a little longer.For those that may not be in the Castle “loop,” Richard Castle is character played by Nathan Fillion in this prime-time crime drama. He’s a mega superstar author who tags along with NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett. Sound familiar? Yes, that’s almost exactly the same plot as this novel. In fact, aside from a few name changes and some tweaking of minor details, this book reads exactly like a screenplay from an episode.What works on TV, though, doesn’t necessarily work in print. Without Fillion’s skills in pulling off the somewhat ridiculous one-liners, it ends up coming off as cheesy. What’s more, since this was marketed as being the fictional story that Castle writes during the first seasons, it kind of disappointed me, as it doesn’t seem to fit his character. He’s suave, talented, and kind of full of himself — I’d imagine him writing something more literary (as opposed to commercial), and painting Rook (who obviously is himself) in a more positive light.I abandoned this one halfway through as simply not my thing. It reads like fanfic, so fans of that might enjoy this, but otherwise, definitely skip it.
