Heat Rises by Richard Castle

First sentence:

"The thing about New York City is you never know what's behind a door."

Description:

"The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat's most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York's most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads Nikki Heat to a dark conspiracy that reaches all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.

But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who’s not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.

In the midst of New York’s coldest winter in a hundred years, there’s one thing Nikki is determined to prove: Heat Rises." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this third book of the "Nikki Heat" series. It was fast-paced and it kept me guessing throughout. I look forward to reading the next book, Frozen Heat.

Date read: 9/22/2012
Book #: 36
Series: Nikki Heat, #3
Rating; 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 1401324436
ISBN-13: 9781401324438
Publisher: Hyperion
Year: 2011
# of pages: 301
Binding: Hardcover
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The Xander Years, Volume 1 by Keith R.A. DeCandido

First sentence:

"The argument started when Cordelia saw what Xander was wearing."

Description:

"Unfulfilled crushes. Awkward first conversations. A date who wants you. . .dead.

Having a Y-chromsome in Sunnydale is never easy. But Buffy the Vampire Slayer's friend Xander Harris seems to find more than his share of trouble with the opposite sex.

At first Xander is happy being the teacher's pet--until his schoolboy crush brings out her true animal instincts. Then his whirlwind romance with the exotic foreign exchange student falters when she demands the ultimate sacrifice.

Some members of the Slaying squad might say that dating Cordelia Chase could kill a guy. But Xander's relationship with the high-maintenance Cordy actually seems to be working out--until she decides he's seriously harming her social standing. His craft plan to win her back may earn him more love than one guy can handle.

Now collected for the first time, are three stories from the hit TV series chronicling Xander's search for love on the Hellmouth." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read stories based on a television show, even a show I like. But as I continued reading, I started to enjoy reading about Xander's misadventures and finding out how he saw things and what he thought.

Date read: 9/18/2012
Book #: 35
Challenges: Whats in a Name 5 Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge 2012, A to Z Challenge 2012, New Author Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0671026291
ISBN-13: 9780671026295
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 1999
# of pages: 227
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Emotional Geology by Linda Gillard

First sentence:

"I talk to the Island."

Description:

"Rose Leonard is on the run from her life.

Taking refuge in a remote island community, she cocoons herself in work, silence and solitude in a house by the sea. But she is haunted by her past, by memories and desires she'd hoped were long dead.

Rose must decide whether she has in fact chosen a new life or just a different kind of death. Life and love are offered by new friends, her lonely daughter, and most of all Callum, a fragile younger man who has his own demons to exorcise.

But does Rose, with her tenuous hold on life and sanity, have the courage to say yes to life and put her past behind her?" -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a moving story about love and art, strength and weakness, and learning to trust again. I liked the interaction between Rose and Callum and between Rose and her daughter Megan.

Date read: 9/15/2012
Book #: 34
Challenges: New Author Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge 2012, A to Z Challenge 2012
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fiction

ISBN-10: 1905175078
ISBN-13: 9781905175079
Publisher: Transita
Year: 2005
# of pages: 307
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Naked Heat by Richard Castle

First sentence:

"Nikki Heat pondered red lights and why they seemed to last so much longer when there was no traffic."

Description:

"When New York's most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Heat uncovers a gallery of high profile suspects, all with compelling motives for killing the most feared muckraker in Manhattan.

Heat's murder investigation is complicated by her surprise reunion with superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook. In the wake of their recent breakup, Nikki would rather not deal with their raw emotional baggage. But the handsome, wise-cracking Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's personal involvement in the case forces her to team up with Rook anyway. The residue of their unresolved romantic conflict and crackling sexual tension fills the air as Heat and Rook embark on a search for a killer among celebrities and mobsters, singers and hookers, pro athletes and shamed politicians.

This new, explosive case brings on the heat in the glittery world of secrets, cover-ups, and scandals." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this second book of the Nikki Heat series.  It's was fun remembering scenes from the television series Castle and seeing how they are portrayed in the book. I also enjoyed seeing the character Richard Castle thank the actors in the acknowledgements.I look forward to reading the third book - Heat Rises.

Date read: 9/13/2012
Book #: 33
Series: Nikki Heat, #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 1401324029
ISBN-13: 9781401324025
Publisher: Hyperion
Year: 2011
# of pages: 288
Binding: Hardcover
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