Win: the Nikki Heat novels by Richard Castle (UK only)

The tv series Castle is one of my guilty pleasures so I was very pleased to be offered the opportunity to host a competition this month.

So, thanks to Titan Books, Euro Crime has one set of the Nikki Heat novels to giveaway.

To enter the draw, just answer the question and include your details in the form below.

This competition is open to UK residents only and will close on 31 January 2013.
Only 1 entry per person/per household please.
(All entries will be deleted once the winners have been notified.)

The explosive and exciting Nikki Heat novels are penned in the fictional world of Richard Castle, the successful crime novelist and investigator of the hugely successful TV show, Castle. Castle’s novels see Heat investigating terrifyingly mysterious cases in a whirlwind of secrets, celebrities, shamed politicians, mobsters, murdered real estate tycoons and vicious drug lords. Not entirely alone, Heat unravels her cases with the help of the handsome and unshakeable journalist, Jameson Rook. Whether on the back streets of Manhattan, or searching the murky waters of her own past, Nikki Heat brings crime and mystery to life.

OT: Castle Season 3

Great news today for UK Castle fans like me. The third season will begin on Alibi on 9 March at 9pm. Here's a sneak peak:



Castle is similar to The Mentalist but more light-hearted.

Synopsis from wikipedia:

Castle follows Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, a famous mystery novelist who has killed off his main character in his book series and has writer's block. He is called in to help the NYPD solve a copy-cat murder based on one of his novels. Stana Katic co-stars as Detective Kate Beckett. Castle, who becomes interested in Beckett as a potential character for a new book series, uses his connections at the mayor's office and receives permission to continue accompanying Beckett while investigating cases. Castle decides to use Beckett as the model for the main character of his next book series starring "Nikki Heat". Beckett, an avid reader of Castle's books, initially disapproves of having Castle shadow her on her cases, but later warms up and recognizes Castle as a useful resource in solving crimes.

The books Rick Castle is writing in show have also been published: Heat Wave and Naked Heat.

OT: Castle & books

The tv show Castle has become one of my guilty pleasures. It's showing on Alibi on Wednesdays at 9pm. It's along the lines of The Mentalist with a (male) outsider coming in and showing the (female) detective and her team how it's done. In this case Rick Castle is a best-selling crime writer.

I recently found out that there are books being published as if they were written by Rick Castle - the ones that he is writing in the show, his Nikki Heat series. (Almost as confusing as how there are Bones books based on the tv series, which are based on the books by Kathy Reichs.)

In the trailer below, Stephen J Cannell and Michael Connelly join in the fun:



Update: You can read the first ten chapters of the first book in the series, Heat Wave, at the Castle website.

TV & Radio news (and it's all good!)

I had an email from, David B a blog visitor, about the Swedish Wallander series. He has been in touch with Yellow Bird and they have the following news:

I would like to let you know that BBC4 has acquired the second season of the Swedish Wallander series (i.e. film 14-26).

No news of when BBC4 will show them but great news nonetheless (I hope they repeat the first series again as I'm missing part of an episode...). So thank you so much to David for passing the news on.

We've had several recent announcements of casting news over the past few months:

Stephen Tompkinson as Inspector Banks

David Morrissey is Tom Thorne

and now Rufus Sewell is to play Aurelio Zen:

From Digital Spy:

Rufus Sewell has signed up to star as Aurelio Zen in a new BBC drama.

The Eleventh Hour actor will play the fictional detective across three feature-length dramas which will transmit on BBC One.

Set in and around Rome, and based on the best-selling series of novels by the late Michael Dibdin, Zen will start shooting in Italy in Spring 2010.

And though not euro crime in anyway, the tv drama Castle, starring Nathan Fillion is coming to the Alibi Channel soon.

Here's the lowdown from Alibi:

Castle is the hit new US crime drama coming soon exclusively to Alibi. Nathan Fillion plays Richard Castle, a best-selling crime novelist who, despite fame and acclaim, has become bored with his own success. All that changes, however, when a real-life copycat murderer starts staging scenes from Castle's novels. Castle is first suspected of the crimes and then asked to team up with NYC homicide Detective Kate Beckett to help her solve the case.

Together, the pair make a formidable combination. Beckett is a first-class investigator with a rare ability to empathise with victims, having joined the force after the murder of a loved one was never solved. Castle has spent years researching crime and brings that unique knowledge, together with a creative flair and touch of irreverence, to homicide cases. Their contrasting approaches, however, often cause sparks to fly...

Finally a bit of radio news:

Sir Ian McKellen is to play the title role in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger.

The James Bond drama will also star Rosamund Pike as Pussy Galore and Toby Stephens as Bond.

Impressionist and actor Alistair McGowan will play the canny caddie, Hawker, during the famous golf scene.

Martin Jarvis, who is also directing the play, is the voice of Fleming, while John Standing appears as M, the head of MI6.

The radio dramatisation will be faithful to the novel rather than the Goldfinger film.

The plot revolves around Bond's pursuit of Auric Goldfinger, an international criminal, who is masterminding a plan to rob Fort Knox.

The play will air on Radio 4 on 3 April.

Read the whole article at the BBC website.