When Masters doesn’t appear on cue, but falls out of the sky, literally, and most dead, Alexis is back on the trail of a murderer and back in the sights of hunky Detective Frank Jakes. Jakes and Alex have a very strong mutual attraction, but Alex is in a relationship with a private eye that she knows she needs to end. And now her less than scrupulous ex-husband has returned on the scene, demanding to see his five year old daughter, Sara. 

Jakes, against the orders of his captain, a woman who Jakes thinks is interested in him as more than a subordinate, looks to Alex for her insight into the world of daytime dramas and soon realizes that there are at least four other murders that bear similarities to Masters’ death.  Is someone killing all the hot, rising soap stars, or is something else going on? 

Alex and Jakes work well together (Alex in disguise), interviewing friends and families of the murdered young men; when Alex is run off the road, she knows she is getting close to a murderer and should back off for the sake of her little girl. But something propels her to continue her search for a killer, bringing her even closer to Jakes, who has promised to keep Alex and Sara safe from ex-husband Randy.  

Dial Emmy for Murder is a readable mystery with a good main character and a plot that unfolds as Alex and Jakes’ investigation does.  Readers who enjoy solving the murder ahead of the professionals may be disappointed as it isn’t until at the very end of the book that exactly who becomes clear, though the why is apparent much earlier. 

There is a neat twist when the murderer is revealed that mirrors another part of the plot.  One thing that may be a little off putting to some readers is, unlike a traditional cozy, Alex swears a lot when she wants to express her frustration, fear or displeasure with a situation.  It is not so out of place as to seem unnatural, just unexpected. 

Once the murder investigation is wrapped up, there is one loose end that leaves the door open to more unrest in Alex’s life.  Alex straightens out her situation with her current boyfriend, and she and Jakes seem to agree they will try to be together, but they don’t really take the time to consider what effect this mutual attraction will have on their lives.  Overall, an enjoyable mystery with plenty of insider info that fans of daytime dramas will eat up.                                                                 

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry