Naked Heat

Fans of the hit ABC-TV series Castle will welcome this highflying and oh-so-sly sequel to Heat Wave from, if one can trust the author photo, the actor Nathan Fillion, who plays mystery novelist Rick Castle on the show. NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat hates the overexposure that results from the cover story journalist Jameson Rook wrote about her for First Press, a national magazine. But that doesn't stop her from teaming with the charming Jameson to try to solve the stabbing murder of gossip columnist Cassidy Towne, who was to be the subject of another Rook article. The romantic sparks fly as the pair investigate the many enemies Cassidy's "Buzz Rush" column for the New York Star Ledger earned her, including singer-songwriter Soleil Gray, whose drug use has sent the pop star's career into a tailspin. The same comedic sparring that lifts the TV program helps propel this whimsical mix of romance and crime. (Sept.)