This is the second of the Cate Austin case file novels. And if you've read the first you’ll certainly want to read this. It demonstrates ably how a writer develops and grows in confidence. Another humdinger of a plot that sees Cate snake her way through its twists and turns. We are also treated to some excellent character development as we get to know Cate even better.
With a storyline that’s not for the fainthearted, I will not give anything away though, the novel grips from the very first chapter. Enigmatic, the reader’s curiosity is piqued into wondering if this might be another dating app story? We are informed from the outset that the protagonist’s internet name is Robin, and her date is Mr. Smith. We are even treated to his online profile, and initially may not comprehend his true intent, instead, perhaps, we see it metaphorically. But if it’s an opening chapter fishing for readers’ attention then the bait is taken and swallowed ……hook, line and sinker!
But it’s never that simple, is it? Lines get tangled and caught up in each other. There’s a dual narrative that gives us insight into ‘Robin’s’ past and may give us some understanding of her motivations, but nothing prepares us for the final denouement which will leave you open mouthed if you hadn’t already begun to suspect.
Cate, as in The Woman Before Me, is plunged into anomalies and dilemmas that she must unravel as she strives to reach the correct decisions. She navigates the eternal paradox of doing the right thing whilst remaining compassionately impartial and open minded. Alongside her work as a Probation Officer her own life chugs along without dominating the main thrust of the narrative at any point but we feel we are getting to know her better and, in turn, trust her judgement more.
Something I do find interesting in Ruth Dugdall’s books, that doesn’t always happen in a book series, is the way in which Cate, who is the enduring character, often plays a kind of second fiddle to the protagonist. I think it’s very clever and well balanced because the reader doesn’t lose interest in either.
I’ve two more published Cate Austin books to read and I believe there are a couple more planned; one later in the year, September, and another for March next year. I can’t wait.
Boy B is the third of the Cate Austin case files. A very different scenario from the previous two books. Here Cate is responsible for Boy B being reintroduced to society after being found guilty, as a 10-year-old, of murder. I would say straight away that it reminded me very much of the 1993 James Bulger case which was referenced in the text. So, it is by no means a feel-good read.
Questions are asked, moral, social questions, but answers are elusive in this twisty thriller. However, our intrepid probation officer, Cate, tries to see the issue from all sides. She doesn’t shy from the atrocity committed but she does try to see Boy B as an individual and considers his safety and his needs. Not all of her colleagues in the Police Force of the Probation Service see things the same way.
There is a dual narrative that looks at the then and the now from the perspectives of the key players in the narrative. The back stories unfold but by bit and the reader is offered the circumstances that lead up to a child’s death and a conviction for murder.
Ben (Boy B) is an interesting character. He isn’t unintelligent and seems extremely sensitive which seems to be the antithesis for a criminal! It isn’t hard to engage with him, and I believe we are led to consider how culpable he is at 10 when clues are hinting that he may not be wholly responsible for the tragedy. Cate is Cate! Her life is lived alongside her case without intruding too deeply on events and outcomes. The other characters are harder to engage with. But they ably serve their purpose within the narrative.
Overall, it is a tense well-paced narrative that has you guessing and jumping to conclusions, sometimes you are correct and sometimes you are wrong. I think the ending was completely unexpected! Masterful twist that had me on the edge of my seat.
Nowhere Girl, the fourth in the Cate Austin series, sees a change of location and a change of circumstance for Cate but nothing daunts her inquisitive nature and her desire to seek the best truths and outcomes within the situations she encounters. Ruth Dugdall’s stories are possibly the complete antithesis of cosy crime. Somehow this novel seems darker than ever yet seeks to strike at the heart of issues that face our world.
A moment of bad parenting sees events spiral out of control for many of the characters. Police, educators, parents seem to flounder in their attempts to get to the true circumstances of the missing Ellie.
This story is character driven and the dynamics of various relationships explored against the backdrop of finding the missing teenager. I think it helped to have read the previous books to understand Cate’s situation, but I don’t think it matters if this is read as a stand-alone. I think my favourite character is Amina, there was sympathy within her and her input is pivotal to the outcome. But other characters were quite hard to warm to. I think that is often important because a bias towards one character over another can cloud a reader’s judgment and a neutral perspective is more desirable in a story like this, as secrets and twists unfold.
I do enjoy the fact that each story is very different, and Cate is the cement that binds them. I will be interested to see where the author goes next.
My thanks and gratitude to Caitlin McCoy at Harper Collins for my copies.
