3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cute Mystery Series, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Dial Emmy For Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery (Paperback)
I was looking for a light, quick read to take with me to the pool the other day, and I thought DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER by Eileen Davidson and co-authored by Robert Randisi sounded like it might hit the spot. I wanted an entertaining book that would hold my interest, but I didn't want to have to concentrate too much because I still needed to be able to watch my kiddos. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER was ideal, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
When I was growing up, I was a huge fan of The Young and The Restless as well as Eileen Davidson -- I always loved Ashley Abbott. When I found out that Ms. Davidson was writing a mystery series and that it was getting some positive reviews, I knew I had to give it a try. It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but one of my main reasons for reading this book is that I wanted to learn a little bit about the world of daytime drama. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER gave me that scoop, and it's apparent that Ms. Davidson's 25 plus years in daytime drama have made her an expert on this topic.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER. I used to read ton of mysteries and then I became more interested in other genres. While I don't pick up mysteries very often anymore, I still find that I like them when I do. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER had all of the elements that make for an entertaining mystery. The story kept me guessing and was suspenseful, but it also had some likable characters. It didn't hurt that I found myself laughing a few times too.
While I enjoyed the story with its fair share of twists and turns, I think my favorite part of this book were the characters. Of course, that's probably the intention when an author sets out to write a series -- create likable characters so readers gets caught up in their story. I really liked Alex, a single mom and soap star, who also happened to be an amateur sleuth; and I found myself quite interested in her love life. I thought Ms. Davidson did a good job of keeping the book pretty clean (although there was some bad language) while also creating tension between Alex and Jakes, the investigating police officer (whom I really liked by the way.) I also thought Alex's best friend George was a hoot and added some humor to the story; and I'd actually like to see more of him in future books.
I also enjoyed the secondary storyline of Alex's ex-husband Randy. He decides to return to Southern California after years being MIA and suddenly wants a relationship with his daughter. Randy was actually kind of a mystery to Alex since he disappeared a few years ago, and she wasn't sure what his intentions were or what he was capable of. The book definitely leaves this storyline open-ended and I have a feeling that we'll be seeing more of Randy in the future --- kind of like a cliffhanger on a soap!
DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER is actually Ms. Davidson's second mystery book with these characters. The first book is called DEATH IN THE DAYTIME; and if it's anything like DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER, then I definitely want to read it too. The second book did give hints and references to the murder that occurred in the first novel; however, I definitely think it stands alone. Ms. Davidson has a third book in the series coming out DIVA, LAS VEGAS!; and there is a brief excerpt of the book in the back of DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER. I have a feeling that I'll need to get my hands on this one too based on the teaser.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than I Expected Mystery Story, June 17, 2010
This review is from: Dial Emmy For Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery (Paperback)
Although I did not really know what to expect when I picked up Eileen Davidson's Dial Emmy for Murder, my expectations were not very high. After reading several disappointing light mysteries in a row, I thought I might be in for another disappointment. I love watching Eileen on The Young and the Restless, so I thought I would give her story a try.
I am so glad I did. Dial Emmy for Murder is a much deeper and more compelling mystery than I thought it would be. The main character, Alexis Peterson, arrives at the daytime Emmys as a presenter and soon finds out why her co-presenter didn't show up. Now she has another murder mystery on her hands. Not having read her first book, Death in Daytime, I had a little catching up to do as far as her changing shows and who a few of the characters were, but that wasn't difficult at all.
This book has several threads going at once, which keeps things interesting. Also of interest is the relationship between Alexis and detective Frank Jakes. There is a playfulness to the relationship that is fun to watch as the two draw closer together. As I was reading the book, I could hear Eileen's character Ashley's voice in Alexis. She spoke much as Ashley does on Y&R. It was not distracting at all, but made the charcter of Alexis feel all the more familiar and real.
The plot heats up quickly as more murders occur and Alexis finds her own life in danger. How she and her favorite detective are able to stop the killings before it is too late for Alexis is, of course, what we enjoy most.
With her third book, Diva, Las Vegas, on the way, we are more than ready to check in with Alexis and Jakes to see what they get into next.
Dial Emmy For Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, December 8, 2011
This review is from: Dial Emmy For Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery (Paperback)
She is a very entertaining writer and a very good actress. Started watching her many years ago when she was on Days of Out Lives...mean, mean, mean. She is just as entertaining in her books as she is now in her role as Ashley on The Young and the Restless. Can't wait for her newest book because I have read both of her books.
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