Pop Diva Mystery (Cozy Mystery Novel)

Pop Stars Mysteries is an standalone mystery novel written by Maryam Wells. The tagline is: "It'll take both a musical collaboration and a murder to bring these two pop divas together!"

## Profile

The first Pop Stars Mystery novel, *Heat Wave*, was released in the Season 2 episode "When the Bough Breaks". This was such a commercial success that Wells was offered a three-book deal to continue writing the series, with sufficient financial incentive that he put aside an offer to write books dealing with "a certain British secret agent". Castle's agent at the time, Paula, observes of the book and Beckett, "That's one hell of a love letter you wrote her." It was mentioned in the Season 3 episode, "He's Dead, She's Dead" that Wells' second Pop Stars Mystery novel, *Pop Stars Christmas Mystery*, would be published soon. In the Season 4 premiere, "Rise", Castle was at a book signing party for the third book, Pop Stars New Year's Eve Mystery, suggesting that it was released during the 2 month time jump in that episode. They are then followed by *Pop Stars* .

Nikki and Rook also made a cameo appearance in Richard Castle's Derrick Storm novel, *Storm Front*, where they interviewed Storm after he was detained by the NYPD for being in the room with a dead body.

Serial killer Scott Dunn became fixated on Nikki Heat/Kate Beckett after reading the book; FBI agent Jordan Shaw concluded that this fixation was caused because, like Dunn's habit of committing murder sprees to write about them, Heat/Beckett represented a detective who was both real and imaginary at the same time.

A movie was based on Nikki Heat's first book, *Heat Wave*. Nikki Heat was portrayed by Natalie Rhodes (played by Laura Prepon), but due to various issues (including Rhodes going to rehab), it was released straight to DVD.

## Character

The daughter of Jeff and Cynthia Heat, Nikki grew up in New York. In 1999, while home from Northeastern University for Thanksgiving, her mother was murdered. This caused her to switch majors from theater to criminal justice, and after graduating, Nikki joined the New York City Police Department.

Assigned to the 20th Precinct first as a uniformed patrol officer, sergeant, and then as a detective, Nikki eventually rose up the ranks and by 2009, she held the rank of Detective 1st Grade and was the leader of the Homicide Squad. She worked under Captain Charles Montrose, and her team consisted of Detectives Miguel Ochoa and Sean Raley. She also frequently consulted with her best friend, Medical Examiner Lauren Parry. After the events of *Heat Rises*, her team grows to include Detective Randall Feller, formerly of the NYPD Taxi Squad, and Detective Dan Rhymer, who was originally a member of the precinct's Burglary Division.

In *Heat Wave*, Nikki was profiled by famous magazine reporter/investigative journalist Jameson Rook, with whom she struck up an on-again, off-again romantic relationship. As he shadowed her, his skills as a reporter and his ability to think outside the box led him to becoming an unofficial-but-integral part of her squad. At the end of *Raging Heat*, Rook proposes, and the two are married in the epilogue of *Driving Heat* by their friend and frequent poker buddy, Judge Horace Simpson.

In *Heat Rises*, Nikki was devastated by the loss of her mentor, Charles Montrose. At the same time, she passed the Lieutenant's exam, but declined the promotion due to her desire to remain a homicide detective. Montrose was replaced by Captain Wally Irons, an administrator and bureaucrat who was not very well-liked or respected by Nikki, especially after he began sleeping with precinct Detective Sharon Hinesburg.

In *Frozen Heat*, Nikki found a lead in her mother's murder case that ultimately led to its conclusion in *Deadly Heat*. It was revealed that Cynthia was a CIA agent who worked as a piano tutor for the children of various foreign nationals, and that she was murdered because she had uncovered a terrorist plot. She also learned that her ex-boyfriend from college, Petar Matic, was a spy and the one who actually killed her mother.

After the death of Captain Irons in *Raging Heat*, Nikki took the promotion to Captain to prevent the brass from assigning some other "incompetent" officer to take over command of the 20th Precinct. Her first few days on the job, as depicted in *Driving Heat*, were somewhat challenging as she struggled to acclimate to her new duties and release the reigns on her old job, but she and her team were ultimately responsible for the resolution of the crisis.

In *High Heat*, Nikki and her team became embroiled with the 2016 Presidential election when the internet-broadcast beheading murder of a journalist (her husband's ex-girlfriend Senior Metro Reporter Tam Svejda) by American I.S.I.S. led them to a Presidential candidate who was found supplying bullets and ammunition to the real I.S.I.S.

In *Heat Storm*, Presidential candidate Senator Lindsy Gardner offers Heat a position in her Cabinet as Director of Homeland Security if she wins the election; however, those plans became moot after Gardner was arrested.

## Characters

* Niki Riley - She is a singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. She rose to fame as a teen pop star of the 80's.
* Teri O'Hara - She is a singer, songwriter, actress, and former teen icon. Like Niki, she rose to fame in the 80's as a teen pop star. She is a mother of two kids.
* Connor Montgomery - Teri's son. He begins a relationship with Tiffany Riley, Niki's niece.
* Tiffany Riley - Niki's niece and dancer.

## Notes

* The inspiration for this cozy mystery came from the rivalry of teen pop icons Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.
* The characters Niki Riley and Teri O'Hara were based on both Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.