Review: In Case of Emergency by E.G. Scott

Title: In Case of Emergency by E.G. Scott
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 381 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The new thriller from E. G. Scott follows a woman looking for answers after her boyfriend goes missing and a corpse appears that implicates her in the murder of a woman she never met.

Charlotte, a midthirties Long Island woman, has felt so alone since her promising career in neuroscience imploded. But she has an online support group for trauma survivors; she has Rachel, a friend who has seen her through the worst of it; and now she also has Peter, a mysterious new boyfriend who has asked that their budding romance remain a total secret.

That is why she is too scared to report his disappearance to the authorities when he vanishes without a word.

Weeks later, police contact her to make an ID on a body and she fears the worst for her missing beau. Instead, she arrives at the morgue and feels a terrible relief when she sees a woman she has never met before on the table in front of her. But relief is replaced by confusion, then terror, when Charlotte realizes she has become a person of interest.

Why did Jane Doe have Charlotte listed as her emergency contact? Was it revenge or a warning? And where exactly does Peter factor into all this? As Charlotte becomes the prime murder suspect, she enters into a race against the clock to find truth about the dead woman and the connections they shared. But what she discovers is beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Review:

In Case of Emergency by E.G. Scott is a fast-paced domestic mystery.

Charlotte Knopler is  former neurosurgeon turned acupuncturist. She and her best friend, Rachel Sherman, share office space but due to Charlotte’s past, business is a not exactly booming.  But they remain hopeful things will turn around for them soon.  However, things are not looking up after  Charlotte becomes the main suspect in the death of a woman she does not know. With Detectives Silverstri and Wolcott closing in on making an arrest, will Charlotte figure out who is behind the puzzling murder?

Charlotte’s neurosurgery career ended in tragedy and she is still trying to make peace with herself.  She has a difficult relationship with her mother who is one of the few people who have stood by her in recent years. Charlotte is a bit concerned about her friendship with Rachel as she senses her best friend is a little distant and distracted. She believes part of the problem between them is Rachel’s distrust of Charlotte’s boyfriend, Peter Stanton. Charlotte is feeling a little uneasy about their relationship as well since she has not heard from Peter in quite some time. But she ties to remain optimistic since his job frequently requires radio silence when he is working on a case. Luckily, Rachel has an online support group who never fail to bolster her spirits.

With little information to go on except for an “in case of emergency” card, Detective Silvestri and Wolcott are confident Charlotte will identify the deceased woman at the heart of their newest case. Surprised by her denial she knows the woman, they are shocked at the cause of death.  Once they uncover the truth about the victim’s identity, Silvestri and Wolcott are more convinced than ever that Charlotte is their killer. But will they find the evidence they need to arrest her?

Alternating between three distinct points of view, In Case of Emergency is an unputdownable mystery with a clever storyline and likable characters. Despite her life experiences, Charlotte is a little naive but easy to empathize with as she tries to remain upbeat and positive. Rachel is equally easy to like but what is she keeping from her best friend? Silvestri and Wolcott are tenacious as they doggedly work their investigation.  Through a series of sly misdirects  and devious red herrings,  E.G. Scott brings this twist-filled domestic mystery to a breathless conclusion.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this exceptional mystery to fans of the genre.