Okay, so I’ve locked myself in a car boot, thrown a phone outside a moving car, and learnt to shoot a rifle, all in the name of research. So how far is too far?
I would never get the experience of my characters, by killing someone, or doing something particularly dangerous…. I always try to have safety in mind when I do hands-on research.
But it’s not always just about the hands on stuff that can be concerning.
There’s a huge amount of information out there these days, that we can access with a decent wifi connection and a few choice words. But is this a good thing, or a bad thing?
A little knowledge can be dangerous… That’s what they say, isn’t it? Well, I happen to agree.
If I knew all the intricacies of cyber security, and all the holes we don’t even think about as ordinary people (I did actually consider studying cyber security too, so this one hits close to home!), I think I’d go crazy.
I’d over protect myself, lose the digital footprint altogether, and potentially become a hermit in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with only a landline that was secure to contact others on the outside…
Okay so that’s a bit of an overreaction, but I could see something similar happening.
We can research and find almost anything these days, so where does the line end?
Where do we decide that things are too exposed, too overshared, too accessible?
Does knowing crime rates in your area really help you feel safer, or more at danger?
Does knowing the ins and outs of a dangerous event make you feel more knowledgable, or does it just give you nightmares when you picture it?
Well, whatever way you swing, here’s hoping we all know our limits on what we should be filling our minds with, and where we should put the book/website down and move on with our lives.
If you want to read my book, head to the link >>>here for the KIDNAPPED Entanglement eBook, OR get the paperback direct from me for the cheapest price!
Have you ever researched anything interesting? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add to my pile of research (regardless of all the stuff i said above)!
With only a few episodes left, we’re swiftly coming to the conclusion of the CGSP: First Book Journey podcast, but there is a lot more still to come! So check back every fortnight for another part of the book publishing journey.
Okay, so in my research for my new project, I stumbled upon this collection of FASCINATING (real life) Prison escapes in Australia!
A few of the things I’ve read and seen border on the impossible, ridiculous, or simply genius.
It would take FAR too long to go through them all in one post. So, I’m going to give you some interesting links below where you can explore them for yourself.
Check out the clip to learn about the MOST incredible escape – with a helicopter no less:
If you want to read my book, head to the link >>>here for the KIDNAPPED Entanglement eBook, OR get the paperback direct from me for the cheapest price!
Have you heard of some crazy real life prison escapes? Share them below…
Okay, we need to chat. I’ve readsome pretty great, and some pretty horrible books in my quest to hear the best stories I can. It’s book report time ya’ll!
Estimated Reading Time: 3min
So, I decided that I’ll share my thoughts on how they hold up with one book a month.
This month, I’m looking back at If I Run by Terri Blackstock.
In a basic rundown, the story is about a girl who appears to be guilty of murdering her best friend. But did she really kill him? And if she didn’t, who wants to make it look like she did? Casey is on the run while a bounty hunter is close on her trail – how long can she remain on the run?
I really enjoyed this book!
Terri is always a good read for me, and this was no exception. I found the writing style to be very easy to read and flows really well. It had a great way of giving suspense when needed, and breathing room on the flip side. Enough detail to keep you engaged, but not too many to slow you down.
The characters were utterly fascinating. I loved Casey and Dylan, both.
They had such depth, and tackled/dealt with such tangible and real personal issues that they were so understandable. The way they made their decisions felt authentic, and the voices had distinct differences throughout the novel. The backstories were explored well, and as the series continues, I look forward to finding out more.
The story itself was great.
I loved the idea of being on the run, trying to find someone who is supposedly a killer, and the potential conspiracies that lie behind the murder. Casey’s ability to blend in to her surroundings while running for her life had enough backstory to believe that she could actually conduct herself the way the character did. Sometimes when authors don’t give enough backstory or reasoning for a person to be ‘superman/woman’ it can be hard to believe. This was not the case for Casey.
>>>Grab the eBook version of my book – “KIDNAPPED Entanglement” HERE
I found the 1st third to be fascinating, the 2nd third illuminating, and the final third such a wild ride, I could barely get through it fast enough! There were some moments that lagged a bit, but overall it was very well paced and built to an exciting conclusion.
So there you go – my thoughts on an interesting crime read that isn’t finished just yet! I’ll be digging into another book next month, so get ready for another Book Report coming soon.
Kids fighting to the death to be the ultimate victor and live in luxury… Okay, it wasn’t my first choice in reading material when The Hunger Games came out!
Estimated Reading Time: 5min
Okay, so I finally did it. I read The Hunger Games. I actually watched the movie years ago, not long after it came out. At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested in a story about kids being forced to fight to the death in an arena. It sounded awful, and not in a way that made me want to watch it. Now, almost a decade later, I’ve finally picked up the book and decided it was time to compare the two.
As always, there will be spoilers ahead.
The Main Story Stayed Intact
One thing the movie did well was sticking to the core plot. The major story beats are all there, and I was actually surprised by some of the smaller details that made it into the film. Things like Prim’s cat and Katniss’s dislike of it only take a few seconds of screen time, but they were included nonetheless.
At the same time, the movie removed a lot from the book, and that’s understandable. Films have time limits. Condensing material is part of adapting a novel. The problem wasn’t necessarily that things were cut. It was what was cut.
The Pacing Felt Backwards
One of my biggest complaints about the movie was the pacing. It felt like the first half of the film focused heavily on the lead-up to the Games, while the second half rushed through the Games themselves.
If anything needed condensing, I think it should have been some of those earlier scenes. By spending more time in the arena, the film could have explored the survival aspect much more effectively.
In the book, the Games feel brutal. You see the effects of starvation, dehydration, injury, exhaustion, and the constant threat of death. The physical and emotional toll is impossible to ignore. The movie touched on those elements, but often moved past them so quickly that much of their impact was lost.
The Missing Character Moments
The biggest casualty of the adaptation wasn’t the plot. It was the character development.
Throughout the book there are countless small interactions that build relationships and motivations. Many of these moments never made it into the film. In particular, the dynamic between Katniss and Peeta suffered.
The movie includes the broad strokes of their story, but it removes many of the moments that make their partnership believable. Because of that, the “star-crossed lovers” strategy never felt as convincing on screen as it did in the novel.
Without those quieter scenes, it becomes harder to understand why certain choices matter later.
The Characters Lost Some of Their Personality
Another issue was how the characters came across. Book Katniss felt sharper and more observant. Her relationship with Gale felt more balanced and established. Peeta, meanwhile, came across as significantly kinder and gentler in the novel.
One example that stood out was when Katniss sees Peeta with the Career Tributes. In the book, there’s uncertainty about what he’s doing and why. In the movie, some of that ambiguity disappears, making him seem more focused on self-preservation than he actually is. The result is that many of the nuances of his character get lost. He’s still recognisably Peeta, but not quite the same Peeta.
Where the Movie Worked Better
To be fair, there were moments where the movie had an advantage. The Reaping is a great example. When I read Katniss volunteering for Prim in the book, it was emotional. Watching it happen on screen was even more powerful. Seeing Prim’s fear, hearing the silence of the crowd, and watching Katniss step forward created an emotional weight that hit much harder visually. Film can sometimes communicate emotion instantly in a way that books can’t, and this was one of those moments.
The Ending Lost Some Impact
One of the areas where I felt the adaptation struggled most was the aftermath of the Games. The movie moves through these scenes very quickly. In the book, however, there is far more tension and uncertainty. Katniss is separated from Peeta, unsure whether he will survive, and the emotional fallout is given room to breathe. These moments also help establish how Katniss’s feelings toward Peeta are changing.
By the end of the movie, I felt like she seemed almost indifferent to him. In the book, that simply isn’t the case. Her feelings are complicated, but there is already genuine care there. Losing those scenes weakens the emotional payoff.
Book vs Movie: Which Was Better?
If you couldn’t tell by now, I preferred the book. The pacing felt stronger, the characters had more personality, and the emotional moments landed more effectively because they had room to develop.
The movie isn’t a bad adaptation. It follows the main plot closely and includes more details than I expected. But for me, the emphasis was in the wrong places. Rather than cutting some of the setup and spending more time on character relationships and the reality of surviving the Games, the film often rushed through the moments that mattered most.
As with most book-to-movie adaptations, the book simply had more space to explore its world and characters. And in The Hunger Games, that extra space made all the difference.
A serial killer, technology, and a detective determined to find the truth. Come along on a murder mystery adventure, with The Murder App – Chapter 7!
Ted was waiting at the front door for her as Ella pulled into their driveway. She was almost 45 minutes late for their date night, and hadn’t called yet. They’d agreed that if she was more than 15 minutes late without calling or sending a text, that he’d wait until it hit 60 minutes, then call the station.
She’d made it in time for him not to make the call yet, but she’d cut it closer than she had in a while. When Ella was on a big case, sometimes she lost track of time, but after a particularly complex one, Ted had stayed up half the night sure that she had been shot and not told. They’d decided then to put the rule into place.
She smiled and shrugged as she got out of the car. “Sorry I’m late. I was going to send a message, but it was easier to just book it back home and be a bit late.”
Ted, in his usual fashion, shoved his hands in his pocket and grinned at her as she used the remote locking key to secure the car. “It’s okay El, you’re not that late. Are you ready for tonight?” When she reached the door, they kissed hello and he pulled the door closed behind him.
“Yes. It’ll be nice to take my mind off my case load tonight. What are we doing?” She looked around them. His car wasn’t parked where it normally would be beside hers, and she tried to deduce what his plan was. He took her hand and led her down the pathway. “We’re taking a walk to start.”
She smiled and allowed him to lead her down their picturesque street, walking in comfortable silence. Often her mind drifted back to the cases on her desk, but Ella had gotten better at pushing those things aside and focussing on her husband when she needed to.
>>>Get a copy of my ebook KIDNAPPED Entanglement >>>here
This house had been their dream home. They’d found it three years ago, and it was surrounded by the most beautiful street. The houses around here weren’t as new, which meant they had more character. Not so much though that they were falling apart. So it was a nice combination.
They also had the benefit of large leafy trees that lined the streets, almost completely blocking out the sun in the middle road. It gave them an incredible sense of country living, even in the heart of the city. They turned the corner that led to the small park nearby, and Ella stopped walking.
Ted had arranged a table, chairs, and elegant decor to be placed at the side of the park with large rose bushes rising up towards the sky. A violinist started playing when they came into view and Ted pulled her forward, holding out her chair for her.
Not able to say anything, Ella put her hand over her mouth and shook her head. Ted smiled and nodded. “I know right! I thought you needed something special right now, so here we are.” He pulled out his napkin and laid it across his lap. “Good?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down to get a giggle from her.
“Yes,” she finally said, putting her own napkin over her work clothes. Not even a chance to change, she suddenly felt very underdressed and un-date like. Even if it was her husband on the date. “You did good Ted.” As a waiter appeared from somewhere hidden beside them, Ella forgot all about the case. She forgot her concerns for another body, her obsession of Devon Smith, and everything else on her plate right now. All she focussed on, was her incredible husband, and the meal he had ordered.
As she laughed, and talked about the misadventures their dog had gotten into today with Ted, she almost didn’t hear the phone in her pocket ring. She almost missed the vibration, and ringtone that she had allocated to the station. It seemed almost to echo through her laughter, and she finally heard it. Her face fell as she looked at the caller ID and hit the answer key.
“Strong.”
“Ella,” Steve sounded flat, and she held her breath. “We have another body.”
I hope you enjoyed this instalment of the Murder App.
Come back next month for another chapter!
Today’s focus is Heatwave, the first novel in the Richard Castle “Nikki Heat” series, based on the TV show Castle. The premise is simple: bestselling mystery author Richard Castle shadows NYPD detective Kate Beckett, using her as inspiration for his new fictional character, Detective Nikki Heat. The real-world twist is that the books were actually published alongside the show, written under the Castle pseudonym to extend the universe beyond television.
This review reflects two perspectives:
As a Castle fan familiar with the characters and show dynamics
As a general reader with no attachment to the TV series
Castle Universe Context
The Castle TV show follows author Richard Castle, who joins NYPD Detective Kate Beckett and her team (Ryan, Esposito, and later Captain Gates) while researching crime for his novels. Beckett becomes the inspiration for Nikki Heat, and Castle uses his experiences with the precinct to shape his fiction.
The Nikki Heat novels were released in parallel with the show, initially heavily promoted as “real books written by Castle,” before shifting into more standard branded tie-in fiction.
Heatwave — Summary and Review
Dual reading perspective
The experience of reading Heatwave depends heavily on context.
As a Castle fan, it functions as an extension of the show universe.
As a standalone novel, it struggles significantly.
Castle Fan Perspective
For viewers of the show, there is immediate novelty in seeing familiar characters reinterpreted:
Nikki Heat resembles Beckett in concept and general presence
Rook mirrors Castle’s role as a witty, intrusive consultant
Ryan and Esposito translate reasonably well into supporting roles
This makes the book feel like a “bonus episode” in written form. However, that familiarity is also where issues begin.
Structural Issues
The biggest issue is structure.
The novel reads like a procedural TV episode translated directly into book form:
Case introduced
Investigation steps forward in predictable beats
Climax resolution follows standard crime format
This makes the pacing feel rigid and repetitive rather than dynamic. For readers accustomed to novel structure—where pacing, internal monologue, and narrative depth carry more weight—the format feels limiting.
Characterisation Problems
Nikki Heat (Beckett analogue)
Written as a hardened, emotionally restrained detective
Lacks the emotional layering that defines Beckett in the show
Comes across as more one-dimensional than intended
Rook (Castle analogue)
Feels underdeveloped and inconsistently placed in scenes
Lacks the charisma and narrative presence Castle has in the show
Often feels inserted rather than integrated
Supporting characters
Ryan and Esposito are more functional and consistent
They arguably feel more naturally placed than the central romantic pairing
Tone and Writing Style
A key issue is tonal inconsistency. The writing often does not match the expected voice of “Richard Castle” as a character:
Too cynical in places
Lacking the playful intelligence associated with Castle
Romance elements feel blunt rather than layered
Female Characterisation Critique
A major weakness is the portrayal of Nikki Heat’s perspective. The character often reads as:
A flattened “strong female lead” archetype
Emotionally restricted without nuance
Written in a way that feels externally constructed rather than internally lived
The result is a lack of authenticity in voice, particularly in scenes requiring emotional subtlety or relational depth.
Standalone Reader Perspective
Without knowledge of the show, Heatwave becomes significantly weaker.
Issues include:
Slow pacing
Predictable procedural structure
Limited character depth
Lack of narrative innovation
The book reads more like a scripted episode transcription than a fully developed novel.
Overall Assessment
Strengths:
Fun for Castle fans
Familiar character parallels
Easy, procedural readability
Nostalgic value tied to the show
Weaknesses:
Flat character development
TV episode structure in novel form
Weak emotional depth
Inconsistent tone and voice
Limited standalone value
Result
Heatwave is best understood as franchise extension fiction rather than a standalone novel. It succeeds in replicating the Castle universe in broad strokes but struggles to translate it into a fully realised literary form.
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