When a larger-than-life reality TV star is found dead in her bathtub, Elsbeth and Kaya investigate the circumstances around her death to determine if it was an accident or murder. As they get deeper into the events surrounding her demise, they meet Skip Mason, the mercurial producer behind the popular, guilty-pleasure reality series "Lavish Ladies," who becomes a prime suspect after he is accused of going to dangerous lengths to concoct "good TV."

When an unlikable fashion photographer is murdered in the middle of a fashion show, Elsbeth and the team suspect the killer to be either the photographer's college ex - and leading model of the show, Nadine or her jealous husband.

When a womanizing finance executive is found stabbed to death after a night at the opera, Elsbeth suspects an obsessed opera lover was driven to murder because of a ringing cell phone. Meanwhile, Elsbeth, Captain Wagner and Kaya must adjust to changes in the precinct as the consequences of Noonan's wrongdoing continue to loom.

While investigating the mysterious death of a college admissions officer, Elsbeth finds herself fencing with Lawrence Grey, an independent educational consultant who promises an Ivy League future to high-paying clients and their painfully average kids. The case also causes Elsbeth and Teddy to question how well she prepared him for the real world.

When Elsbeth tries to solve a murder, she comes face to face with many familiar suspects.