Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat, Book 4) [Hardcover]

Richard Castle (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 11, 2012

Hot on the heels of Richard Castle's #1 New York Times bestseller Heat Rises comes the fourth novel in the Nikki Heat series, Frozen Heat. Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook are together again, facing an unsolved murder mystery that has haunted Nikki for ten years.

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to reexamine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Castle is the best-selling author of the Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm novels. He is played by actor Nathan Fillion. Tom Straw is an Emmy-nominated TV writer and producer. He has written and produced for the television shows COSBY, WHOOPI, GRACE UNDER FIRE, and more, and is currently writing for THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON. He is the author of the mystery THE TRIGGER EPISODE.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1St Edition edition (September 11, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781401324445
• ISBN-13: 978-1401324445
• ASIN: 1401324444
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (516 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Castle is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the critically acclaimed Derrick Storm series. His first novel, In a Hail of Bullets, published while he was still in college, received the Nom DePlume Society's prestigious Tom Straw Award for Mystery Literature. Castle currently lives in Manhattan with his daughter and mother, both of whom infuse his life with humor and inspiration.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#18 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#33 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#74 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#89 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#18 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#33 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#74 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#89 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Frozen Heat--pretty dang fun September 13, 2012

By S Wilson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I picked this one up, being a big fan of the Castle series as well as Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, as well as to drown out the silence on my son's first day of preschool. I really couldn't put it down!

The first 3 books in the series were quite good, and improves on rereads, which is difficult for a murder mystery novel. After all, if you already knew whodunit, what's the sense of reading again?

The sense is the characters are rich and the action is brilliant. I absolutely love Castle mainly for Detective Beckett, who is a wonderful, meaty character, and the novels increasingly capture it. Sure, there's dumb jokes and more than my fair share of cliches, but it kind of blends into the environment, and that they probably would be saying all those cliches if this were real life.

One of the beefs I have with this novel though (and consequently the removing of a star) is that Nikki Heat does something really stupid which hurts Rook and turns out badly for her. (Trying not to give spoilers). She takes offense at something stupid and just does something stupid in return. It seemed like a setup for some sort of crazy turmoil in their relationship or her sense of well being, and after its all said and done, it barely makes an impact in her life or their relationship. If a guy pulled a similar stunt on me then acted the way she did afterwards (before they 'made up'), I probably would walk away, no matter how much I cared. Seriously, it wasn't like super-huge-bad, but some major red flags would be up and I would have serious trust issues afterwards. And then it didn't matter, and they just moved on? Really hard to choke down that one. It was not cool!

The twists are really clever (while still being believable!) and the action is really fun and exciting. Everything else in the novel is superb. The excessive cop-lingo (and acronyms) that makes you feel like you're in a foreign country is quite toned down since the first novel, which is a big relief. I'll definitely go back and read it again, enjoying all the little nuances I missed the first time. Sure, there's a few things that you're like, "Why didn't she chase that particular lead down?" or, "Why doesn't she look there?" Or "She's walking into a trap! Wait for backup!" But you'll get that with almost every mystery novel or movie. (I think the trick is to not say it out loud when you're in the movie theater. ;)

And don't forget the serious cliffhanger. I got to the end and I was like, "Where's the rest?" It seemed like there should be another chapter or two. If cliffhangers bug you, wait until the next one is out and read them together. I certainly felt brought-up-short. I know at least one reviewer before wrote that it was "kind of a cliffhanger." No, its a serious, full-stop, mid-thought kind of cliffhanger. Not quite as bad as leaving off a person screaming in terror, but similar. Now we get to wait a whole year for the next part, oh goody. -.-

Anyway, have a lovely time reading this book. Definitely start with the rest of the series if you haven't read them yet, there's old characters to swim with along with new. (And watching the series does not count.) Also, if you like period mysteries, check out the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. I don't think that one is quite popular enough for how good it is. :) Enjoy!

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars you can't be serious - Frozen Heat September 14, 2012

By Ingrid

Format:Hardcover

First of all - the three stars are given not because I don't like the novel or because the writing is lazy. Nothing further from the truth: As always the story is gripping, the characters are well fleshed out and the funny one liners add just enough humor to an otherwise serious crime that dates back ten years and will turn Heat's life upside down.
No, the two stars missing from this review depict my utter frustration as this is a cliffhanger - and it's not very well done, too. I thought I hadn't downloaded the whole book until I realized that the novel did indeed end in the middle of a train of thought. I really hope the next installment is out soon - and not in a year. And again: no, I am not happy - I feel cheated out of a full book (for which I'd gladly paid more and waited a bit longer) and I don't like that.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Potential Spoiler September 12, 2012

By Tracy

Format:Kindle Edition

I thought this is the best of the "Castle" books. The story seemed more extensive and fleshed out than the others. There were a few minor s/he errors and missing words, but not enough to detract from the story or even miss the point. As a fan of the show I love the "Easter Eggs." However, I was a bit bummed that it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. That being said, it is true to a cops life and a clever marketing ploy ... I'll be back. Four and a half stars.