by Cynthia Chow
Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of Driving Heat, along with a link to purchase the book.
New York Police Department’s Captain Nikki Heat thought she was prepared for her first day as commander of the Twentieth Precinct. Who could have predicted that the first homicide of the day would be of Lon King, a psychologist contracted with the NYPD? Nikki saw him on an ordered evaluation—and she continued to see the psychologist, a secret she held back even from her boyfriend Jameson Rook. The thought that her life could be exposed by the murderer or by the investigation itself is terrifying. Nikki channels that fear into anger when she discovers that investigative journalist Rook had been meeting with King, and his refusal to disclose why has her taking actions she never thought she would have to take.
Nikki’s worst-case scenario comes to pass when King’s office is broken into and his files stolen, including her own. The detectives follow a path of resentful officers who (justifiably) required psychological counseling… but may have regretted the secrets they disclosed. An additional murder takes Nikki and her department in a surprisingly different direction, but they will be hampered by an unimaginable but all-too-possible hacking. The shutdown of technical tools has the NYPD going old-school, proving Nikki’s long-held belief in the strength of diligent shoe-leather police work.
In this seventh Nikki Heat novel, we are presented with a side of Nikki unlike any we’ve seen before. For the first time, Nikki is unsure of her professional abilities and questions the decisions she makes as a captain. A fracture between the always-delightful partners Miguel Ochoa and Sean Raley results from one of Nikki’s first orders, and that threatens both the department and their friendship. Rook’s decision to hide information vital to her investigation certainly isn’t helping, as it means Nikki can no longer rely on him as her trusted voice of reason and counsel.
While the Nikki Heat novels can definitely be enjoyed by those who have not seen the television show Castle, it’s difficult not to insert those characters into the books. The “Richard Castle” of the television show initially joined up with the NYPD with the intention of using them as inspiration for his books, so it should not be surprising that there’s a resemblance. The books and television show also share excellent writing, fabulous characters, and the sarcastic humor of the police detectives. Of course, it’s the relationship and banter between Rook and Nikki that are the highlights and why readers continue to return to these very fun and intricately plotted novels.
To enter to win a copy of Driving Heat, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Driving,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 10, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.
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Have been wanting to dive into the Nikki Heat books and this is just the right excuse to do so. Thanks, Cynthia, for another review that whets my appetite.
I have followed this series from the start and love it. This was an excellent review, especially with how it ties into the TV show. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would love to win this book. I hadn’t realized we are up to the seventh book. My, time goes by fast.. This sounds like a great book and I’m looking forward to reading it. THANK YOU.
We have a winner
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher