Power Play. (Dallas #9)

"Power Play" is the ninth in a series of novelizations on the 1980s "Dallas" TV series. The books come from the Soaps & Serials imprint of Pioneer Communications Network, which also did similar novelizations of TV's "Guiding Light," "Days of Our Lives" and "Dallas" spinoff "Knots Landing," among others. There are at least 14 books in the "Dallas" series. This book focuses on the second-season episodes "Julie's Return" and "The Red File" Part 1 and 2. Julie Grey is on a plane bound for Dallas, copies of J.R.'s notorious Red File in tow, vowing revenge against J.R. for driving her out of town one year earlier. She arranges to "accidentally" bump into Jock at the Cattleman's Club, then they strike up a new friendship, spending lots of time together. Jock is ripe for the picking, feeling like he's being treated like an invalid as J.R. keeps him out of Ewing Oil business and Bobby keeps him out of Southfork dealings. J.R. and Bobby take note of the Julie situation and become concerned, with J.R. tipping off Miss Ellie. J.R., however, picks up where he left off with Julie, whom he's always felt more passion for than his own wife. In their newfound time together, he asks her to spy on Cliff for him. Julie realizes she's being had by J.R. all over again. Cliff is busy settling into his new office at the OLM (where J.R. has a spy planted, also), and Julie calls him to tell him she's got some knowledge to sell to him. She then mails the key to a briefcase containing her Red File copies, along with the pawn ticket for the briefcase, to Cliff while she waits on the meeting to collect the price. Before she can have the meeting with Cliff, Jeb Ames and Willie Joe Garr pay her a visit, intending to whisk her out of town because her Red File info will incriminate them, as well. They corner her, she gets scared and she falls to her death from the roof of her apartment building. J.R. wastes no time, since he's had Cliff's phone tapped, pointing his guy in blue, Harry McSween, in the direction of Cliff's answering machine and the message Julie left there. Cliff is arrested for her murder. Pam believes J.R. has framed Cliff, and she angrily leaves Southfork. Bobby sets out to find Julie's real killer and save his marriage.