E. G. Scott (1)

Oh, this book was diabolically good. Rebecca and Paul have been married nearly 20 years, having inauspiciously started as an affair with Rebecca as the other woman. Now Rebecca knows Paul has been cheating on her. Rebecca, a drug rep, has been self-medicating and has developed an addiction to various drugs. Despite the dysfunctionality of their marriage, Rebecca and Paul still attempt to stay together...or do they? In this game of who-is-untruthful-to-whom, actions have serious consequences, show more leading to murder and cover-ups and perhaps not the results originally intended. show less

This book was a huge surprise. I think it is one of the best books I have read this year, in this genre. There is mystery, suspense murder, twists, and mostly reliable and likeable characters.

Charlotte and Rachel share office space together. They met when they were studying Chinese Medicine, opened their practice together, and fast became best friends. They each entered the field leaving some heavy baggage behind; Charlotte was a talented brain surgeon who lost a patient and suffered a show more crisis, and Rachel was a recovered addict. The depth and strength of their friendship is felt throughout the novel. Rachel is now addicted only to mental and physical health, and she is totally empathetic to Charlotte’s occasional emotional backslides. Charlotte’s boyfriend Peter is virtually (double entendre intended) out of the picture. He works for the government, very hush hush, he will not meet with Charlotte’s friends, she is not allowed to talk to others about him, he disappears for long periods of time, communicates with her mostly by phone, internet, and automatic deleting messaging platform – Charlotte is completely besotted which is hard to swallow, considering she is/was an extremely talented brain surgeon. Charlotte met him in an anonymous online support group, the only place where she feels comfortable enough to bare her soul. Even Rachel does not know about Charlotte’s online activities, but Rachel is protective of her friend and tries to uncover information about Peter, worrying that his clandestine behavior may serve to shield a predator. Charlotte is secretive about Peter and does not share, neither does she appreciate Rachel’s prying in this matter.

Charlotte’s and Rachel’s practice is suffering because someone is anonymously writing scathing reviews about Charlotte on Yelp. When Charlotte is at her lowest, financially, professionally, and emotionally she is called into the county coroner’s office to identify a body. She is frantic, sure it must be Peter who has been out of touch for a month. Charlotte is stunned and relieved to see that it is not Peter, but rather a woman, and she has no idea who the woman is or why her name appears as the contact number in case of emergency, in Jane Doe’s personal effects. Enter a team of two quirky but professional police detectives, Silvestri and Wolcott, who are looking at Charlotte as a person of interest when suddenly a person close to Charlotte is murdered. At this point, the investigation of both murders is uncovering more and more evidence pointing to Charlotte, and she is beginning to unravel. And if all that is not bad enough, her Mom (Charlotte's bane and the brunt of her snarkiest remarks) shows up on her doorstep.

….and, that’s as far as I’m going to take the reader other than to say that there are plenty of suspects and clues to keep the reader guessing, twists not altogether that twisty but good, and a paralyzingly mind-blowing ending (yet another double double entendre?).

I felt the authors really loved all the characters in the book, even “the villains”. Charlotte being an interesting, flawed, and sympathetic character. The narrative was smooth and did not zigzag back and forth to earlier periods, but rather, the past was examined, where necessary, in retrospect only.

One of the pleasantest surprises for me was the Epilogue which, although I normally distain as unnecessary in most cases, was the perfect digestif for this book. All issues, re whodunnit and why, were tied up neatly before the Epilogue. The Epilogue added another dimension to the story and a possibility for new beginnings.

I listened to the audio edition of this book and the narrators were very good. E.G. Scott is a pseudonym for yet another writing duo, Elizabeth Keenan and Greg Wands. show less

Deliciously twisty, with impeccable plotting, this one took me by complete surprise. The scenes with the detective characters were some of my favorites, and I would read more books with them solving crimes. (Hint, hint). With its jaw-dropping ending that didn't turn out at all the way I expected, this one will linger -and maybe make me question what my own spouse has been getting up to! I will happily recommend this psychological thriller to fans of Gone Girl and other complex novels that show more mess with your head. Thanks to the author and Dutton/PRH for the opportunity to read an early copy of THE WOMAN INSIDE. You made me #sleepdeprived! show less

One sentence summary
The Woman Inside is intense, suspenseful and has one of the most shocking twists I’ve ever read!

My thoughts
I love when a book surprises you with something totally unexpected you have to stop and take a minute to process what you just read. That was this book! Once I hit that unpredictable twist, I couldn’t finish this book fast enough.

This is another book that wasn’t what I expected. I thought the description was a little misleading...and was prepared for a show more typical domestic thriller. That was not the case. Yes, there is infidelity, lying, and murder...and the characters are mostly unlikable...but there is more to the story. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to Edelweiss / Dutton / E. G. Scott for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
#Edelweiss #TheWomanInside

Book Description
Rebecca didn’t know love was possible until she met Paul, a successful, dashing, married man with a past as dark as her own. Their pain drew them together with an irresistible magnetism; they sensed that they were each other’s perfect (and perhaps only) match.

But twenty years later, Paul and Rebecca are drowning as the damage and secrets that ignited their love begin to consume their marriage. They are both cheating on each other, but Paul’s affairs get messy, and fast. His first mistress is stalking them with growing audacity when Rebecca discovers Paul’s elaborate plan to build a new life without her. And though Rebecca is spiraling into an opiate addiction, it doesn’t stop her from coming up with a devious plot of her own, and this one could end absolutely everything.

What follows is an unpredictable and stylish game of cat-and-mouse—a shocking tale of unfaithfulness and unreliability that will keep you racing until the final shocking twist and wondering how much you know your spouse. show less