Book Review: In Case of Emergency

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY | E.G. Scott
08.04.2020 | Dutton Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

Charlotte, a mid-thirties Long Island woman, has been working for the last few years to rebuild her life after she watched her future in neuroscience blow up in her face. Just as she believes her life is turning around, Charlotte’s boyfriend has gone missing and a corpse has turned up with a card listing her as the dead woman’s emergency contact. The problem is, Charlotte has never seen this woman before. Things start to go from bad to worse as Charlotte finds herself being investigated for murder. Who was this woman and what does she have to do with Charlotte?

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY is my first book by writing duo E.G. Scott. I absolutely love finding out that author names are pseudonyms for writing duos like Elizabeth Keenan and Greg Wands. Can you imagine penning a book with someone else? I can’t even begin to think about writing one on my own, let alone figuring out how to create a seamless story with someone else. 

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY examines the strange connections between our main character, Charlotte, and a recent murder victim. Scott plays a fun game with revealing how these two characters are related to each other and how Charlotte is seemingly involved with the murder. I loved the dynamics of the two detectives leading the case and Charlotte herself. 

In order to draw out the truth in this story, Scott wisely gives the reader four alternating narratives. We hear from Charlotte, the two detectives investigating the murder, and Charlotte’s best friend and coworker. Each narrative offers a new perspective either on the case or on Charlotte and how the two may have crossed paths. I loved how by providing these different narratives, Scott created a book that combines thriller with police procedural. Watching the investigation and the main suspect truly allowed for a full picture to be created. 

The chapters are kept quite short in this book, which helps to propel the story forward at a quick place. Often the reader finds themselves with a cliffhanger during one of the narratives, which naturally means you must keep reading! I love when authors use this technique to keep the story interesting and the reader on their toes. 

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY is a great addition to the crime fiction genre and has given me a new writing duo to read more from! I’m excited to check out E.G. Scott’s previous title, THE WOMAN INSIDE, after reading this book!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Dutton for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.