Nikki Heat Books in Order: How to read Richard Castle’s series?

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Richard Castle is a New York Times bestseller writer, who happens to be portrayed by Nathan Fillion on the crime series Castle…

What is the Nikki Heat series about?

Based on Castle’s partner in the NYPD police, Kate Beckett, Nikki Heat is a woman who decided to become a detective following the death of someone close to her. She is a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and lives at an apartment in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan.

In her work, Heat is assisted by sometimes-lover journalist Jameson Rook, and colleagues, Detectives Raley and Ochoa. Her stories are inspired by cases Richard Castle worked with Beckett.

How to read the Nikki Heat Books in Order?

Every book in the Nikki Heat series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

Heat Wave Nikki Heat Books in Order Naked Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order Heat Rises Nikki Heat Books in Order Frozen Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order

  1. Heat Wave – 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. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between her and Rook.
  2. Naked Heat – When New York’s most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Nikki 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 journalist Jameson Rook. 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.
  3. Heat Rises – 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.
  4. Frozen Heat – Paired once again with top journalist Jameson Rook, 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?

Deadly Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order Raging Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order Driving Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order

  1. Deadly Heat – Top NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat and her partner, journalist Jameson Rook, pursue the elusive former CIA station chief who ordered the execution of her mother over a decade ago. But their quest for the old spy unearths an alarming terror plot that has already entered its countdown phase. Complicating their mission, a serial killer boldly names his next victim: Detective Heat.
  2. Raging Heat – An illegal immigrant falls from the sky and Nikki Heat’s investigation into his death quickly captures the imagination of her boyfriend, journalist Jameson Rook. When he decides to work the case with Heat for his next big story, Nikki is at first happy to have him ride along. But when Rook’s inquiry leads him to conclude that Detective Heat has arrested the wrong man for the murder, everything changes.
  3. Driving Heat – Nikki Heat has been promoted to captain just in time to face a thrilling case with a very personal twist. Her fiancé Jameson Rook is deep in an investigation. Professionally for Heat, Rook’s meddling in the case compromises her new job. Privately, it becomes an early test of their engagement when Rook becomes a distraction at best, and an obstacle at worst, as their parallel lives not only cross, but collide.

High Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order Heat Storm Nikki Heat Books in Order Crashing Heat Nikki Heat Books in Order

  1. High Heat – An ISIS-style beheading of a journalist, carried out by a New York City group pledging fealty to that rogue state, becomes more than just another case for Nikki Heat when the killers announce their next target: Jameson Rook. Meanwhile, Heat is haunted by a fleeting glimpse of someone she swears is her mother … a woman who has been dead for nearly twenty years.
  2. Heat Storm – Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm (Richard Castle’s first detective) team up for the first time to save Nikki’s mother, Cynthia, who has been in hiding (and presumed dead) for 17 years. Standing in their way is a nefarious group of Chinese businessmen known as the Shanghai Seven, who have the resources-and ruthlessness-to stop them.
  3. Crashing Heat – Rook is given the honor to be a visiting professor at his alma mater, and he can’t pass up the opportunity to mentor bourgeoning writers at his former award-winning college newspaper. Shortly after his arrival on campus, a female reporter for the paper is found dead, naked, in Rook’s bed. On the case, Nikki Heat asked herself: is her husband keeping secrets, or can she really trust him? In order to find out, Nikki gives Jameson the benefit of the doubt and digs into Jameson’s theory of a secret society within a secret society.

If you like Nikki Heat, you may also want to see our Jessica Fletcher reading order, or our guide to Lee Child books. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.

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2 Comments

  1. ‘Richard Castle’ also wrote the Derrick Storm series, and his “Heat Storm” is a crossover of the two series. The first three Derrick Storm books started as eBooks and have now been published in omnibus form as “Ultimate Storm”. Other than that I can’t offer anything beyond what the Wikipedia page has for Richard Castle’s bibliography.

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