When Emmy Danvers sat down to work on her romance novel at Starbucks, she thought her major concerns would be dialogue and character growth. Instead, she gets tackled by an old man who says mysterious things to her and then promptly dies. After Emmy finds a tablet he stuck in her pocket, she realizes that she might be in serious dangerous, and she is coerced into a new private school for protection, though it may end up being the place she should fear the most.

What I Loved:
DIAL EM FOR MURDER is a fun, quirky mystery. Emmy is a delightfully sassy protagonist, and her wit had me laughing out loud more than once. With creepy texts, dangerous pasts, and deadly motives, the suspense chills, but what I most admire are the underlying issues beyond the suspense. Though they are minor problems, Bates creates wonderful nuances as Emmy struggles with her friends after switching schools and keeping secrets, unrequited love, and trying to do well in a school known for its competitive students.

What Left Me Wanting More:
Though the suspenseful moments are strong, the overall mystery fell a little flat for me. Emmy sometimes makes dramatic conclusions without any evidence to support it. While the unrequited love Emmy experiences with her close friend is a nice addition to the story, the on-and-off side flirting from Sebastian is weird and often distracts from the plot.

Final Verdict:
Though it has its flaws, DIAL EM FOR MURDER is a solid pick for mystery lovers looking for a fun, hilarious book with sass and suspense.