{"title":"Books by Ruth Dugdall","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780008803735","title":"The Woman Before Me","description":"\u003cp\u003e'I was HOOKED. I read this book in a matter of hours racing to get to the final pages … It’s full on twisty, suspenseful and the ending, just wait till you read that!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I was drawn into the book in the best way… really dug into parts of my soul' ★★★★★Love can destroy. Obsession can kill. Emma Hatcher has all that Rose Wilks lacks. Effortless beauty. A loving husband. A healthy son. Until tragedy strikes, leaving Rose the only suspect – and, ultimately, the only one held responsible. Now, after nearly five years in prison, Rose is just weeks away from freedom. If she is granted parole. Probation officer Cate Austin must decide whether Rose is remorseful for the shocking crime that put her behind bars, or whether she remains a threat to society. As Cate is drawn in, she begins to doubt her own judgement. Where is the line between love and obsession? Can justice be served and, if so … by what means?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe gripping, twisty first book in the Cate Austin Casefiles series and winner of the CWA Debut Dagger Award. Fans of K.L. Slater, Joy Ellis and All Her Fault will devour this gripping psychological thriller.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee what readers are saying about The Woman Before Me:'I thought I saw the ending coming but I didn’t see it all!' ★★★★★ 'Chaotic, messed up and totally unhinged. My kind of thriller ' ★★★★ 'Goodness … this gripped me and I wasn’t able to put it down' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Authentic…diverting debut’ Daily Mail\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Ruth Dugdall’s novels are intelligent and gripping, with a sophisticated psychological sensibility. She is a huge talent.’ Sophie Hannah\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I found this story an irresistible read. It's a psychological crime thriller that seemed to linger'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A must read this book kept me guessing right until the end. I literally couldn’t put it down'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Absolutely loved this book and all subsequent Cate Austin novels'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367733997941,"sku":"9780008803735","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008803735_855fb59e-d116-4c63-b807-02af98976fe6.jpg?v=1786011133"},{"product_id":"9780008804282","title":"The Sacrificial Man","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Reading this book was like a drug. I could not put it down’★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Chilling, gripping and stomach-lurchingly twisted’ ★★★★★A deadly choice in the name of love. Probation officer Cate Austin faces the highest‑profile case of her career: Alice Mariani, a celebrated university lecturer, has been charged with assisting in the death of her lover. But at what point does a private pact become a public crime? Every interview with Alice peels back another layer of secrecy. As media and campaigners swarm the courtroom, Cate is forced into a legal blind spot — and a brutal dilemma. Will a lover's last request become a deadly price to pay?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Joy Ellis from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall, as discussed on Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders love The Sacrificial Man:'Gripping, original, authentic' Erin Kelly\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Ruth Dugdall has the ability to get under a character’s skin so thoroughly that they seem real, making them all the more scary’ ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Another dark and disturbing read in a brilliant series'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I would strongly recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers with bizarre and unsuspecting twists'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'There has always been something exceptional about the words written by Ruth Dugdall'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367734260085,"sku":"9780008804282","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008804282_86d8a05d-7055-4946-8db2-a9c36a910539.jpg?v=1786011139"},{"product_id":"9780008805562","title":"Nowhere Girl","description":"\u003cp\u003e'An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. OMG I didn’t see that coming' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'THIS is cracking fiction, yet has the power to feel disturbingly real' ★★★★★He said he wanted to help her. That was the first lie.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the opening night of the biggest festival in the city, 17‑year‑old Ellie vanishes. Looking for a fresh start, probation officer Cate Austin has moved countries to live with her detective boyfriend. But when the police dismiss the case as a teenage runaway, Cate begins to dig deeper. What first looks like a straightforward missing‑person case soon unravels to reveal a network of quiet, insidious lies. Beneath Luxembourg’s pristine beauty and polite façade, nothing is as it seems — and to bring Ellie home Cate will have to risk everything she holds dear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this nail-biting thriller from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall. Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders LOVE Nowhere Girl: ‘I thought I had the plot all worked out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, at just over halfway through I came across a real OMG moment!’ ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'THIS is cracking fiction, yet has the power to feel disturbingly real' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An easy 5 star rating, would like to give even a higher rating!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The best one to date' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Grabs your heart and has a huge twist' Reader review ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367735996789,"sku":"9780008805562","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008805562_d9b1f83f-7705-4967-b6d2-fffa3af099eb.jpg?v=1786011149"},{"product_id":"9780008805593","title":"Mother Missing","description":"\u003cp\u003e'An absolute treat … authentic, compelling and incredibly skilful' ANGELA MARSONS 'Lives colliding, secrets unfolding … dark, twisty and original' JACKIE KABLER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe vanished without a trace. But someone knows exactly where she is. Bronte Lowe — single mother and the key witness to a local hit-and-run — disappears in broad daylight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProbation officer Cate Austin is used to spotting lies. So when Adam, one of her offenders, starts raising red flags, she can’t ignore her instincts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, Adam’s girlfriend Freya has just moved into his remote cliffside home, hoping for a fresh start. But something isn’t right. The closer she looks, the more she senses the house is hiding something — or someone. As Bronte’s disappearance collides with Cate’s investigation, a web of secrets begins to unravel. When desperation takes over, how far will three women go to protect what they love?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Joy Ellis from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders are OBSESSED with the Cate Austin casefiles series:‘This book is an absolute page turner, a fantastic psychological thriller with the perfect amount of suspense and emotion to captivate the reader’ ★★★★★ 'ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, A SERIES THAT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER.' ★★★★★ ‘Fantastic book, my heart was racing throughout’ ★★★★★ 'I am struggling this review as it is so much better than my words can express and it stirred up so much in me, it's really a crime\/psych thriller mix and it's done so well. I was immersed in this novel’ ★★★★★ 'What a fantastic ride this was. Highly recommend!' ★★★★★ 'I was drawn into the book in the best way. It was way more than a thriller and really dug into parts of my soul' ★★★★★ 'An ending that took my breath away and left my mind reeling!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367736029557,"sku":"9780008805593","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008805593_3d6d0d19-17b6-4c0c-970c-b96c4a1554f9.jpg?v=1786032867"},{"product_id":"9780008805531","title":"Boy B","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Cancel your plans because once you start reading you won't be able to stop’ ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The book ends with a final twist that is as shocking as it is dramatic’ ★★★★★He was ten years old when the world decided he was evil.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA child is killed falling from the Humber Bridge. Despite fleeing the scene, two young brothers are found guilty and sent to prison. Upon their release they are granted one privilege only – their anonymity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProbation officer Cate Austin is responsible for Boy B's reintegration into society, but her loyalty is challenged when she begins to discover the truth of the crime. Is a child capable of premeditated murder? Or is there a greater evil at play?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of the Netflix show Adolescence, from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders love Boy B:'I am struggling this review as it is so much better than my words can express and it stirred up so much in me’ ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Fantastic book, my heart was racing throughout’ Reader review ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A suspenseful novel that deals with a sensitive, but timely subject matter' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Superbly written… The plot twists and turns on the way to a nail-biting finale. A compelling read' The Sun\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Sad, chilling and horrifying, Boy B is extraordinary' Elizabeth Forbes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘This book is an absolute page turner, a fantastic psychological thriller with the perfect amount of suspense and emotion to captivate the reader’ ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘The eponymous young adult Ben is drawn with unflinching honesty by a writer with a masterful grasp of nuance and contradiction’ Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367736848757,"sku":"9780008805531","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008805531_790dc8c9-b3d6-4493-ba83-8d20a805ebbd.jpg?v=1786011148"},{"product_id":"forgotten-victim_cate-aust6-pb","title":"The Forgotten Victim","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Ruth Dugdall is a huge talent' Sophie HannahHow do you stop a killer hiding in plain sight?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the morning of her wedding, probation officer Cate Austin receives a call that stops everything: her sister has been found, barely alive, on a Suffolk riverbank. Police move fast, certain they’ve found the culprit. But Cate can’t shake the feeling they’ve missed something. Because this isn’t the first woman to vanish. And it may not even be the second. What if a serial killer has been hiding in plain sight for years? To expose the truth, Cate must confront the darkest corners of the past. Before he kills again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Joy Ellis from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders are GRIPPED by The Forgotten Victim:'Just when I thought I had worked something out, another twist appeared!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Shows what love makes us do to protect those we care about.' ★★★★★ 'I read this in one sitting!'\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57495264231797,"sku":"9780008805623","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008805623.jpg?v=1786617953"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-ruth-dugdall.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}