The Woman Before Me, Ruth Dugdall
The Woman Before Me, Ruth Dugdall
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The Woman Before Me

Author: Ruth Dugdall

Series: The Cate Austin Casefiles #1

Narrator: Jane Fox, Kate Okello

Unabridged: 9 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HQ Digital

Published: 05/21/2026

Synopsis

'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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An ending that took my breath away and left my mind reeling!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love can destroy. Obsession can kill. See what readers are saying about : Emma Hatcher has all that Rose Wilks lacks. Effortless beauty. A loving husband. A healthy son. Until tragedy strikes, leaving Rose the only suspect. After nearly five years in prison, Rose is just weeks away from freedom.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? The 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 will devour this gripping psychological thriller. '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' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Authentic…diverting debut’ ‘Ruth Dugdall’s novels are intelligent and gripping, with a sophisticated psychological sensibility. She is a huge talent.’ Sophie Hannah 'I found this story an irresistible read. It's a psychological crime thriller that seemed to linger'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A must read this book kept me guessing right until the end. I literally couldn’t put it down'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Absolutely loved this book and all subsequent Cate Austin novels'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About Ruth Dugdall

Ruth Dugdall was born in Hull and studied English literature at Warwick University before training as a probation officer. She decided to concentrate on her writing career when her novel The Woman Before Me won the 2005 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. Her novels are informed by her direct experiences working within the criminal justice system and are published internationally. My Sister and Other Liars is her sixth novel. Ruth lives in Suffolk with her husband and two children.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Maxine on September 29, 2024

I first read this novel in 2015 and really loved it so I gave it another read. Ruth Dugdall blew me away with her novel Humber Boy B so I dived into this one with great gusto. She did not let me down. Ruth has a way of writing that cuts to the very bones of human life and tragedy and moves even the......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on August 04, 2023

I flew through this book, really engaging. Based in Ipswich, UK, this focuses on Cate who is a parole office and Rose who is in prison. Decent three-dimensional characters that drew me in and I couldn't stop reading, wanting to know how it would all pan out. Pleased it's the first in a series as I wi......more

Goodreads review by Alayne on May 15, 2020

Loved this book. It held me straight away, I guessed who did what so many times and it wasn’t until the end that I actually found out who it was. Sometimes the book made me actually gasp and I couldn’t get enough of this book. I was actually sorry when I finished it.......more

Goodreads review by Laura on September 12, 2016

You know you've discovered an enjoyable new author when you finish her first book in less than twenty-four hours! I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did; the cover reminded me of The Woman In Black, therefore I anticipated a ghost story, but this was much more of a dark psychological th......more

Quotes

Praise for Ruth Dugdall: 'Twisty, profound and completely convincing, it grips the reader by the heart. Unputdownable' ‘Ruth Dugdall’s novels are intelligent and gripping, with a sophisticated psychological sensibility. She is a huge talent’ ‘Authentic … diverting debut’ 'A chilling tale of betrayal and obsession…keeps its secrets well' 'Well plotted…The author understands how to build suspense and create atmosphere' 'The menace is skillfully intensified by Dugdall… a twisting labyrinth of child-trafficking and police cover ups' ‘Timely and beautifully-written… Highly recommended’ ‘An absolute tour de force that left me thinking for days’ ‘A chilling psychological thriller with a shocking twist. I read it one day and couldn’t put it down’ 'Dugdall’s background as a probation officer shines as she gets inside the heads of a range of characters, some quirky, some terrifying, all fascinating. In this chilling psychological thriller, she doesn’t so much prod the seedy underbelly of Europe as rips it wide open' 'An intelligent mystery, beautifully written, with an intriguing storyline. This one will keep you up to the wee small hours' 'Utterly chilling' 'Ruth Dugdall has created a child killer who is no evil stereotype. She skillfully reveals his thoughts and his motives, pulling the reader into a story that spirals towards a shocking conclusion. One to make you think' 'Intelligent, thought-provoking and tense, deals with an emotive subject sensitively whilst continually piling on the suspense. Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop until you reach the heart-stopping end' 'A thought-provoking and tension-filled novel – with evocative characters and an ending that I didn’t expect'

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