Murder derails the Sunday night routines of three posh couples from an upper-class community in The Rule of Three, a smoldering murder mystery from E.G. Scott (The Woman Inside). Disgraced congressman Terry Barnes creates Kingsland, an elitist community where other scandal-plagued millionaires can live in private and plot their comebacks. Potential residents need a personal invitation from Terry. Self-help guru Gil Mathers and nanotech wunderkind Spencer Nichols are lucky recipients of Barnes's invitation and jump at the chance to live in peace from a press that hounds them. But Terry's altruism is more of the kiss-my-ring variety. Gil and Spencer chafe over the terms of Terry's generosity, and their poker nights become opportunities to humiliate each other.
While the men play cards, their wives--Victoria, Laura and Monica--meet for their book club (read: wine) and bond over spousal mistreatment. Their current book selection, The Rule of Three, is a self-help handbook. The ladies gain strength from the book's inspirational quotes: "The path is not a solo one; choose carefully who you decide to walk it with." Victoria returns one night to find Terry dead and soon learns that Laura's and Monica's husbands are missing. Kingsland's denizens are suddenly back in the spotlight. Enter a pair of cynical detectives named Wolcott and Silvestri to unravel what's what.
Scott uses a Rashomon-esque style to elevate The Rule of Three, a darkly empowering and downright fun read, beyond the usual whodunit. By giving each character space to tell their stories, clues are meted out slowly and realizations are served up with a welcome side of astonishment. --Paul Dinh-McCrillis, freelance reviewer