by Teena Kay

Created on: September 13, 2010

New York City is suffering from record breaking temperatures and electricity blackouts are regular occurrences. NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat and her team (including journalist Jameson Rook who is shadowing Heat while researching an article on the New York police) are called to the apartment of mega rich real estate developer Matthew Starr who is found dead on the pavement after jumping from his sixth floor window. It quickly becomes apparent that it was not suicide but someone had helped Starr take flight over the balcony railing.

Finding out who had motive to kill Starr, Nikki Heat soon discovers that Matthew Starr was not the business man many had thought and instead of reigning over a real estate empire, Starr was flat broke. And soon it becomes apparent that there are more people with motives than first thought. Could his trophy wife have a reason to kill her much older husband? Maybe the eastern European Mafia had something to do with his death, after all, he gambled away a fortune and owed a lot of people a lot of money. The more Nikki Heat finds out about Starr, the more motives become clear.

Having rattled some cages, Nikki Heat becomes a target herself and manages to escape an attempt on her life with little injury to her person. And soon enough, the body count relating to the Starr case start mounting.

Can Nikki Heat find the culprit before another attempt on her life is carried out? Will she come to terms with journalist Rook following her everywhere like a puppy? Will she solve the murder of Matthew Starr and discover the reasons he had to die?

When I first picked up the book I was in two minds whether to read it or not. I had heard a lot about it but wasn't sure it was the kind of book I would like to read. The book starts of very wordy and it takes a chapter or two to get into the flow of things.

The characters in the books are developed quite well, you have a good idea what Nikki Heat looks like, as well as the rest of her team of detectives. Cocky journalist Jameson Rook is described as a good looking guy who has a bit of an attitude but generally gets on with everyone – and often into the way when things get sticky. The relationship between Heat and Rook is full of tension, and sparks fly between them on more than one occasion.

The story holds together very well. It is an enjoyable read and while it is not the best story ever told, it is certainly fun to read, in particular the double entendre in the dialogue as well as narrative.

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