In the sequel to the New York Times bestselling HEAT WAVE, Richard Castle's new thrilling mystery continues the story of NYPD Homicide Detective, Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. In what's sure to be another smash sensation by blockbuster author Richard Castle, readers will once again follow Nikki Heat and hotshot reporter Jameson Rook as they trade barbs and innuendos all while on the trail of a murderer!

Andrew ?Mac? McDaniel comes to Saddle Wells, Texas, and buys the rundown HanniganRanch. But he’s not just in town to get the place back to its former glory. He’s on a mission to find the drunk driver who killed his twin sister, and his latest lead has brought him here. Once he arrives in town, he gets more help than he thought he wanted from a group of locals who want him to feel welcome, led by the sexy realtor who sold him the place. When Nida Beloit hands over the keys to Mac’s new ranch, she can’t ignore whatever it is that sparks between them. But even as undeniable interest turns to hot nights together, Nida feels Mac’s obsession getting in the way of what could grow between them, and she’s not sure she can stand by and watch him destroy himself when his investigation sends him on a path toward a potentially disastrous act of revenge.

Picking up where Frozen Heat left off, top NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat pursues the elusive former CIA station chief who ordered the execution of her mother over a decade ago. For the hunt, Nikki teams once again with her romantic partner, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Jameson Rook, and their quest for the old spy and the motive behind the past murder unearths an alarming terror plot—which is anything but ancient history. It is lethal. It is now. And it has already entered its countdown phase. Complicating Heat's mission to bring the rogue spy to justice and thwart the looming terror event, a serial killer begins menacing the Twentieth Precinct and her homicide squad is under pressure to stop him, and soon. The frightening murderer, known for his chilling stealth, not only has singled out Nikki as the exclusive recipient of his taunting messages, he then boldly names his next victim: Detective Heat.

The New York Times bestseller, HEAT WAVE, is a tie-in to the ABC primetime show, CASTLE, that premiered in March 2009. The main character of the show, Richard Castle, is a bestselling mystery writer. HEAT WAVE is his newest book: Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them.

New York Police Captain Nikki Heat is accustomed to dealing with murders, even those with no leads and no motives. But having her husband as a suspect makes her newest case the most personal one yet. [end of box] Nikki Heat does not like to be away from her husband, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jameson Rook. But when Rook is given the honor to be a visiting professor at his alma mater, he can't pass up the opportunity to mentor bourgeoning journalists at his former award-winning college newspaper. Then one of Jameson's students is discovered, naked, in his bed. Now all eyes are on Jameson. Dealing with betrayal from any man is not Nikki's style. Against her better judgment, Nikki gives Jameson the benefit of the doubt and digs into Jameson's theory of an undergrad secret society.

Paired once again with top journalist Jameson Rook, NYPD Homicie Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified body stuffed inside a suitcase. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat gets more mystery than she imagined when she arrives at her latest crime scene. The body of an unidentified woman has been found stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left sitting on a Manhattan street. A startling enough death, but an even bigger shock comes when this new homicide surprisingly connects to the unsolved murder of Detective Heat's own mother. The gruesome killing of this Jane Doe launches Heat on a dangerous and emotional investigation, rekindling the cold case that has haunted her since she was nineteen. 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 also digs into unexplored areas of her mother's background—areas Nikki has been afraid to confront before, but now must. Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Heat'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?