When a woman returns home from her weekly book club, she finds her husband has been shot dead. What unfolds is a domestic thriller that held my attention but it wasn’t my favorite thriller. I think I had a hard time keeping the characters straight in the beginning but once I did I just wasn’t too invested too in anyone. I didn’t really care who did it or what was going to happen. It did hold my attention though and I read it on vacation so maybe my brain was on vacay mode and wasn’t able to focus too much on all the characters. If you are a fan. If domestic thrillers, I’d recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

The night was muggy and sweat beaded her brow. All she could hear were the crickets chirping and hushed whispers of the neighbor that she couldn’t decipher. Then a blast pierced the air and she inhaled a deep breath as she saw the first of the neighborhood fireworks launching. She stretched out on her lounge chair and took in the light show, but then the sound of sirens entered the neighborhood and she knew something had gone horribly wrong.

The Rule of Three is about three couples who live in a wealthy, secluded neighborhood and tells the story of a poker night gone horribly wrong. The wives are left reeling as they try to piece together what happened between their husbands.

This book was wild and full of rich people drama that I was completely here for. So many people with motives, so many dark secrets, so much crazy drama. It was an entertaining read for sure!

If you’re a fan of murder mysteries with plenty of secrets, and books painting the colorful drama of rich people, then you’ll want to pick this book up.

All the Stepford Wives vibes, revisited, with a new twist - extra added creepiness, drama, gossip, lies, and murder? Why, clutch my pearls, that’s a yes please!
🔪
E.G. Scott is a dynamic author duo, who really know how to build a well paced and entertaining plot, filled with tension and intrigue, colorful character development, set amongst the affluence and abundance of an exclusive invite only drama filled community. Edge of your seat entertainment. I loved it!
🔪
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and E.G. Scott for the opportunity to read this fabulous fiction in exchange for my honest and wholly independent opinion and review.

I think I'm just over domestic thrillers... This one was fine. There was nothing objectionable - beyond three protagonists who were difficult to keep straight as they alternated as the pointnarrative voice in the chapters. It made things somewhat confusing - although in hindsight may have been intentional, given the subject at hand. Regardless, it meant I had to keep flipping back to chapter headers to see who was talking and to earlier references to remind myself which husband went with which wife.

I saw the big reveal coming within the first few pages frankly, but that's okay - that doesn't always ruin a story. When you read as many books as I do eventually it gets difficult to throw together twists that are truly and completely unanticipated. Clever plotting and pacing means that even if you see where things are going, the journey to get there can still be a fully enjoyable one. There was some cleverness here certainly, but I must confess that on the whole the characters and concepts felt like things I had read before numerous times.

Add to that the incredibly similar three main characters and a pair of detectives who seemed truly clueless and not all that interesting, and the result was a book that I didn't mind reading but that didn't really leave much of a mark on me. Every book doesn't have to - I don't expect everything to be a life changing experience. Sometimes it's nice to just be entertained for a while. And I was entertained - but I think I may be done with this genre for a while because the entertainment was neither as engaging nor as effective as I wanted it to be..

Another great novel from E. G. Scott! The premise of The Rule of Three sounded right up my alley and it did not disappoint! Such great character development (which is so important to me) and the plot and pacing were A+ as well!

I was completely captivated by this one and I loved the ending! I definitely recommend this one!

This is a twisted and thoroughly enjoyable novel who comes full circle in the best way.

Told in the six different unique voices, this mystery unfolds in such a way that keeps you right on the edge the entire time.

It is the day after an annual 4th of July shindig in a wealthy gated community. While three women are enjoying their book club, reading The Rule of Three, their husbands are partaking in their regular poker game... which turns deadly. The three men wind up dead or in the hospital and we have two detectives investigating the case.

As this investigation progresses, we learn so much about these men, their shady dealing and the plethora of possibilities that could have caused their collective demise (including their relationship with one another).

This sucked me in so fast and refused to let go. I loved the build up, the progression and the conclusion of this mystery. This one will keep you guessing until the very end!

The Rule of Three by EG Scott. Thanks to @duttonbooks @netgalley for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three women get together weekly for their book club while their husbands play poker. This time the husbands all end up dead or hurt.

This plot and story are right up my alley and the exact type of thing I like. Unfortunately I had a hard time keeping interest. This was mostly because the characters all blended for me. I had a hard time keeping them straight and who was who. I liked how from the very beginning we knew something was not right and that just added to the suspense.

“This feels like a nightmare, but I’ve never felt so awake.”

The Rule of Three comes out 8/9.

The plot of this book definitely had me sucked in.
When a woman returns from her weekly book club, she finds her husband shot dead. Vicki was with her sister and friend when her husband was killed, however, her husband was playing poker with her brother-in-law, and her friend's husband both of whom at least for the moment are missing.

Right from the beginning, we know that the wives are hiding something, and this book does a great job of giving you the right amount of facts mixed in with speculation and red-herrings everywhere we're never really sure what the actual truth is until everything is revealed at the end.

I did really enjoy the ending. It surprised me the way everything played out, and the very last bit was even better.

Every chapter is from a new perspective, and boy was there a lot. Not only do we get our three wives, but also one of the Detectives investigating the case. We flip back and forth a lot, and it sometimes left me confused about which wife belonged to which husband. I did find myself losing a bit of focus while reading with all the shifting perspectives, but overall did like this story and will check out more by this author.

One thing that this author duo does really well is they write a gripping premise that pulls you in immediately and they keep you on the edge of your seat as they hop back and forth between points of view and this was no exception. You also have not only one, but two dead bodies and another that may hit survive so there is a ton going on here right off of the bat. The pacing was fast and furious and most of the chapters were short and ended with more questions than answers which is always a tactic I enjoy. As with their prior books you get the perspectives of two cops, Silvestri and Walcott and I always like that police procedural angle. This had plenty of drama between all three couples as well as the residents of their exclusive neighborhood and made for a pretty delicious and wicked summer read. A tad over the top? Absolutely but I like a bit of that in a summer thriller.

Move over Stepford Wives! This book has all the makings of a great book! - a great set-up, compelling characters and a mystery that keeps evolving as the walls of a closed suburban community close in. Fantastic! In the gated community fo Kingsland there is a interesting set of rules, and a community filled with individuals that have run afoul. The founder of the community, Terry, a wealthy man, is hiding secrets and tries to control Kingsland behind the scenes. Its full of mystery as one of the husbands disappears during a poker game. No one knows who to trust and who to run from. An engaging domestic thriller that will keep you turning the page. Fast paced and a twisted ending!

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

A twist on the stepford wives trope. The Rule Of Three is a fantastic thriller. Kingsland
is a secluded gated community for those who have run afoul of the rules, or been "canceled." Terry, the founder of the community, is a very very wealthy man who he himself, may have a few secrets to hide. He controls Kingsland behind the scenes and seems to feel the all of the citizens are indebted to him.

This story is about three friends who participate in a book club while their husband play poker at another house. When one of the husbands disappears, and another is injured, the friends don't know who to turn to or who to run from. If you like a twisty domestic thriller - this is sure to surprise you! Great writing, great pacing and a surprising ending - what more could you want?
#penguin #Dutton #theRuleofThree #egscott
#netgalley #Netgalleyreads

A very engrossing and entertaining novel set in an affluent enclave in the States. Excellent character development and a beautifully drawn-out plot keep you engaged and guessing. The switching perspectives tool is used in a way that develops the story in a really interesting way. Very enjoyable and the ending is superb, loved it!

This book did a lot of things well. The Rule of Three has an immediately gripping plot, with twists and turns that are hard to predict. It's reminiscent of popular media like Big Little Lies, or The Stepford Wives with its suburban setting and upper-class characters. The chapters are relatively short and quick-paced.

However, I had a lot of trouble getting into it. The novel switches perspectives with each chapter and I found it hard to keep track of who was married to who and what the interpersonal relationships were. Ultimately this made it hard to enjoy for me.

Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for providing honest feedback.

Game night has never been so thrilling! It’s hard to give away any of this book and not ruin the plot so I won’t give away any surprises. However this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read all year and I would absolutely read it as soon as possible!