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The Woman Before Me

(Cate Austin #1)

Ruth Dugdall (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 3,171 ratings · 356 reviews

Emma has everything Rose lacks: a faithful husband, beauty, and a healthy baby boy. Rose meets her in the hospital after her own baby dies from premature birth, and when Emma's child dies in a suspicious house fire shortly after, the obsessive and unstable Rose is the primary suspect.

Now, after almost five years in prison, Rose is up for parole, but probation officer Cate ...more

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Hardcover, 288 pages

Published May 9th 2013 by Arcade (first published 2010)

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Feb 26, 2014 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Psychological Thriller Fans

Shelves: maxines-favourites, psychological-thrillers-read, could-not-put-down, favourite-authors-read, women-s-fiction-read

I first read this novel in 2015 and really loved it so seeing it was being re-released by Legend Press in 2018 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 most stoic of us readers. She pulls no punches either.

Ruth builds the story block by block, so that you are eager for the next piece of the pic ...more

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Nov 11, 2016 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: psychological-thrillers

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is a very powerful read that will keep you guessing right to the very end. I loved every minute had me on the edge of my seat as the plot went along it was disturbing & sad I really felt for Rose Wilks her character was well written & handled delicately by Miss Dugdall.

This had every emotion you could want in a story of this calibre loved Cate Austin she was strong without being over the top the twist at the end was heartbreaking I really wished it had ended d ...more

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Mar 09, 2018 Dash fan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: publisher-review, i-own-a-copy, blog-tour

4☆ A Chilling Psychological Thriller that you won't be able to put down!

This is my very first book by Ruth Dugdall and it definitely won't be my last.

The Woman Before Me is a gripping Psychological thriller that got under my skin and drew me in.
It was suspenseful, gripping, lots of juicy twists, Emotional, Powerful, kept me guessing, a highly compelling read with some dark sensitive issues.

When new born baby Joel is rushed into hospital and put into intensive care, it is every mothers worst nigh ...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loss is something we all have to deal with in our lives. For Rose Wilks it is a tragic constant in her life. After losing her mother at a young age she then finds herself abandoned by her father and then loses the one person in her life she depended on, her auntie. In her adult years she will endure a loveless marriage only to finally give herself joy in her life when she falls pregnant. This happiness will be torn apart when her son Joel, passes away after just two days of life.

In the present, ...more

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May 15, 2020 Alayne Emmett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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.

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Jan 15, 2014 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This would not be on my typical reading list. Maybe I need to venture into new areas because this was utterly engrossing. I kept looking for hints and foreshadowing but I never saw the very end coming. Much does not usually get by me in a psychological "thriller." I don't like using the thriller genre here because I know that people including myself often fob off books because they are marked as such. This was a thrilling, "I want to keep reading, never end, but I want to know the end" thrilling ...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it

This book won the CWA Debut Dagger Award and I can certainly see why. Rose is such a great, ever changing character, quite astounding, not to say I liked her, but that my feelings for her kept changing throughout the novel. Never quite sure where it was going next. Insidiously creepy, dark and intense. Though I guessed part of the ending, what actually happened blew me away. Would give the movie Fatal Attraction a run for its money. Wonder what this talented author will write next?

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Dec 13, 2015 Tooter rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.75 stars

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Apr 28, 2018 Fictionophile rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: england, read-in-2018, psychological-thrillers, netgalley-read, womens-fiction, legend-press

Rose Wilks has been in prison for four long years. Incarcerated for something she didn't do. Another tragic part of a life filled with tragedy and betrayal. Rose is serving a sentence for manslaughter. She is charged with setting a fire that took a baby's life.

Rose's life has been a lonely one. At an early age her mother commit suicide and she went to live with her Auntie Ruth. Ruth was a spinster with no children of her own. Her parenting skills were sketchy to say the least. She did love Ros ...more

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Apr 12, 2018 Melissa In The City rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

⭐️ This book deserves All the twisty stars ⭐️
10 ⭐️s!!
Here is why:
The writing is superb and the format is really interesting because it is written in two POVs: Cate in the present and Rose through her Black Diary. I enjoyed this style and the author truly connected me to the characters. We got to know them without added unnecessary “fluff”.
I love a good stalker story and this became one but not in the usual psycho stalker way. I actually felt bad for Rose for about 80% of the book. Her Black Dia ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: four-star

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 thrill ride.

Rose has not had an easy life, as a child caught between her unfaithful father and chronically depressed mother, she is markedly different to other children. As she grows into a young woman ...more

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Dec 31, 2019 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book had it all for me. My final read of 2019 and I finished on a high! This novel was as addictive as my previous read by Ruth Dugdall and I found I had to keep on going to discover the truth. Again, quite a hard-hitting, dark subject matter, I felt that Dugdall treated many issues in a sensitive manner, allowing the narrative to flourish in its own right.

So, this book covers the prison system, stalking, mental health, motherhood, depression, death…. I could carry on but, seriously, this s This book had it all for me. My final read of 2019 and I finished on a high! This novel was as addictive as my previous read by Ruth Dugdall and I found I had to keep on going to discover the truth. Again, quite a hard-hitting, dark subject matter, I felt that Dugdall treated many issues in a sensitive manner, allowing the narrative to flourish in its own right.

So, this book covers the prison system, stalking, mental health, motherhood, depression, death…. I could carry on but, seriously, this should not distract you from reading this book – I promise! Allow me to explain…

Readers are given a true insight into Rose’s mindset, the protagonist of the story. Through a series of journal entries/letters, we discover Rose’s past and how she came to be imprisoned for something she claims to not have done. Throughout the novel, Rose protests her innocence to Cate, her probation officer. Of course, as a reader, we feel that this is an obvious plea in a bid to ensure that Rose is granted the parole that is looming.

However, all is not as it seems. Dugdall effortlessly portrays a very mixed up and unhappy woman who has been shunted and isolated at every aspect of her life. Growing up, Rose is clearly tormented and readers are given an insight into the relationship she held with her mother. Shift forwards to near present day and we, along with Cate, grow to understand how Rose came to be in prison. On the same journey of discovery as Cate, readers learn about Rose’s relationships with others, including her partner, Jason.

The subject matter is very dark and heavy-going in places. I felt rather emotional, particularly during the hospital scenes. Dugdall touches on aspects that many readers could relate to: male or female; husband or wife; father or mother. I think this is what helps make this book (and the series) have such a broad appeal. It is not a typical crime book and the thrilling suspense just leaves you clawing through the pages, desperate to find the truth.

I’m not going to lie – I’m certainly going to follow up this read with something far more light-hearted. However, I can already tell that this story is going to haunt me for many days. I could not help but feel sorry for Rose, despite her background, and wanted there to be some respite for her. She experiences such trauma in her life that it was impossible not to feel sympathy and desire her to find her own happy ending.

Some readers may find this story harrowing because of the delicate issues that are explored. However, this aside, it is a well-crafted narrative that depicts a very troubled woman who has been abandoned by so many around her. It is a powerful story that had me gripped from the very beginning, and I look forward to continue exploring this series in the near future.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Angela Savage rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction

Most thrillers are the literary equivalent of fast food for me, gratifying, quickly devoured and soon forgotten. The Woman Before Me is far more satisfying, combining the tension of the best thrillers with credible characters who linger long after this heartbreaking story is done.

A book you can't put down, nor stop thinking about.

The Woman Before Me is the story of Rose Wilks who is serving a six year sentence for the manslaughter of four month old baby Luke. Luke's mother, Emma, is the ex-wife Most thrillers are the literary equivalent of fast food for me, gratifying, quickly devoured and soon forgotten. The Woman Before Me is far more satisfying, combining the tension of the best thrillers with credible characters who linger long after this heartbreaking story is done.

A book you can't put down, nor stop thinking about.

The Woman Before Me is the story of Rose Wilks who is serving a six year sentence for the manslaughter of four month old baby Luke. Luke's mother, Emma, is the ex-wife of Rose's partner Jason. 'The woman you'd had before me,' as Rose puts it.

Rose endears herself to Emma in the maternity hospital where her own baby son, born at the same time as Luke but premature, is in intensive care. Rose's obsession with Emma and Luke makes her the prime suspect when Luke dies in a house fire. A jury finds her guilty of manslaughter, despite Rose's insistence that she loved Luke and would never harm him.

Now Rose is the woman before Cate Austin, a probation officer newly assigned to Bishop's Hill Prison and charged with the task of assessing whether to recommend Rose for parole after four years. Cate's primary concern is to establish whether Rose feels remorse for what she's done. But how can Rose be remorseful for a crime she says she didn't commit?

British author Ruth Dugdall worked for almost a decade in the criminal justice system as a probation officer. Even without reading that The Woman Before Me was 'inspired by a true event', Dugdall's experience clearly informs the novel, not only in her depiction of prison culture, but in her vision of Rose's childhood. Dugdall clearly understands how people's choices and actions are shaped by their past.

As the stuff of crime fiction, stories about the death of a baby or child tap into both primal fears -- a parent's dread of outliving their child -- as well as beliefs we cling to about the moral order, even when we know them to be untrue. Notions about motherhood, for example, and the belief that no woman would willingly harm a child.

Dugdall's novel demonstrates -- as Gabrielle Lord put it in her back cover blurb -- 'the horrifying results of what can happen when an unloved child grows up and becomes a mother.'

I was reminded of an observation Australian author Wendy James made in an interview earlier this year in reference to her latest novel, The Mistake. 'What happens to the maternal instinct if there’s nobody looking after the mother?'

Or as Dugdall puts it, 'How can there ever be justice when a child dies?'

The Woman Before Me won the 2005 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger and is published in Australia by Text Publishing. ...more

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Feb 07, 2018 Nicki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Although this is the first book in the Cate Austin series,she is essentially just a secondary character.The main protagonist is Rose Wilks who is just weeks away from freedom after spending nearly five years in prison for the murder of her best friend`s baby.As Rose`s probation officer Cate has to decide if Rose is remorseful about baby Luke`s death and wether she remains a threat to society.Despite warnings from her new colleagues Cate finds herself being drawn into Rose`s case and begins to do ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Gary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the 1st book in the Cate Austin series by author Ruth Dugdall, a series that I have already read and enjoyed two books of. Not quite sure why I didn't start reading this series from the beginning but I enjoy the writing of this author so I was not surprised that I found this one a very good read.
The novel focuses on Rose Wilks, whose life is destroyed when her newborn baby Joel is admitted to intensive care. At the hospital Rose befriends Emma Hatcher, a woman who has all that Rose lacks ...more

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Mar 24, 2018 Maya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book is a true psychological thriller in all it’s glory. It’s not perfect, one rarely is, but this is as close as it gets.
At times it was hard to read the words that so beautifully describe a very sensitive matter but that’s exactly what Ruth did, she made me feel.
It’s raw, it’s ugly, it’s harrowing, it’s heartbreaking and it’s beautiful.
None of the characters were likeable but that didn’t bother me one bit. Rose is a quite disturbing character, so pathetic at times it made me clench but ...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Angela Heider-Willms rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The blurb on this book reminded me of Minette Walters' "The Sculptress" and as I really liked it, I decided to buy this German edition of "The Woman before me". Unfortunately Dugdall's work can't be compared with what Walters so masterfully spun. To not eliminate the suspense that is indeed there (I finished the book in one afternoon) I will try to tell not much about the plot itself.

There is a lot of potential in this book, which made it for me only more disappointing and frustrating to read. The blurb on this book reminded me of Minette Walters' "The Sculptress" and as I really liked it, I decided to buy this German edition of "The Woman before me". Unfortunately Dugdall's work can't be compared with what Walters so masterfully spun. To not eliminate the suspense that is indeed there (I finished the book in one afternoon) I will try to tell not much about the plot itself.

There is a lot of potential in this book, which made it for me only more disappointing and frustrating to read. What the book could have been is dangled in front of the reader's eyes like a juicy carrot. For example we get very well written and intriguing views in the twisted mind of protagonist Rose. But the possibility that she is an unreliable narrator and not everything has to bee as it is seen from her eyes is not explored. In comparison to Rose it also only strikes that much more that her counterpart Cate, who is assigned to her as a probation worker, stays flat and shallow as a character. This would, again, not have been so bad, if the author hadn't decided to jump in between perspectives throughout the novel, a technique that did the book more harm than good,

We get many deep insights in Rose's thoughts via her diary, which were my favourite parts - but in the end it's this very diary that makes the big reveal in the end weak and unbelievable. When you write a diary you do it to pour out your secrets and not keep them until the end for the benefit of a reader. After the slow building up of the plot (sometimes too slow) the end also felt rushed and bland.

Also, as an avid reader of crime novels and psycho thrillers, I sometimes felt treated like a child by the not very subtle hints that the author keeps throwing around. Take a drink whenever red-blonde hair or the scent of apples is mentioned and you are maybe buzzed enough to not care about the disappointing ending.

Sadly, the book promises more than it can keep. If you want to read a psycho thriller in a very similar setting that keeps up those promises I'd recommend the aforemetioned "The Sculptress" by Minette Walters. For a believable use of flashbacks while still keeping suspense I can recommend Lionel Shrive's "We need to talk about Kevin". ...more

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Feb 19, 2018 Maureen DeLuca rated it really liked it

A good psychological thriller type book... Looking forward to reading the rest in the series! It is very hard for me to write a review- for I fear of giving something away- so all I can say it was a good read!!

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Feb 27, 2018 Bookread2day rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Woman Before Me is my favourite novel by Ruth Dugdall. I have read two other books by Ruth, Humber Boy B and Nowhere Girl and I enjoyed them both. The Woman Before Me is being released 1st March 2018 by Legend Press. I can't recommend this creepy psychological thriller enough. Baby sitter Rosemary Wilks is charged with the murder of baby Luke Hatcher. Pleading not guilty to the murder of Luke Hatcher, is Rosemary telling the truth? Rosemary was a friend and a baby sitter but the questions ar ...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: united-kingdom, crime, review-books

Sometime ago, a local author who worked in the local justice system, albeit in a different capacity to this author, wrote a debut novel which, at the time, read a lot like a spot of personal therapy. THE WOMAN BEFORE ME has a little of that feeling about it, but more importantly, and not just because it is inspired by a true event, it's a memorable and thought-provoking book into the bargain.

The blurb gives you the basics of the story. A baby has died, and there is only one suspect - a woman who Sometime ago, a local author who worked in the local justice system, albeit in a different capacity to this author, wrote a debut novel which, at the time, read a lot like a spot of personal therapy. THE WOMAN BEFORE ME has a little of that feeling about it, but more importantly, and not just because it is inspired by a true event, it's a memorable and thought-provoking book into the bargain.

The blurb gives you the basics of the story. A baby has died, and there is only one suspect - a woman who befriended the dead child's mother in hospital, a woman whose own baby boy died. As the story progresses the reader learns more about Rose's circumstances, what happened to her before, during and after the birth and natural death of her own son; why she was close enough to Emma to be found guilty of the manslaughter of the dead boy - a child she had become uncomfortably close to.

But Rose is also now up for parole and she's always denied any responsibility for the death. The woman who now must decide Rose's immediate future, probation officer Cate Austin, is new to the prison system, with a child of her own, a failed marriage and breakdown behind her, a fragile, vulnerable person. Swirling around these two women there's a subtle power-play, a sense of menace, and a lot that's not quite as it seems.

The narrative moves backwards and forwards in time through the events leading up to Rose's pregnancy, the birth and death of the child and her present day life in jail. The viewpoint also shifts around mostly between Cate and Rose - which leaves the reader with the classic dilemma - is Rose an unreliable narrator? Is she responsible for baby Luke's death, is she a victim or a master manipulator? The character of Rose, in particular, is absolutely fascinating in this book. The reader is constantly struggling with who Rose really is. She could be a victim or she might just be guilty as charged? There's also the very real possibility that she's a master manipulator and somebody who is actually quite threatening. You are also constantly struck by the nature of happiness and how this woman seems to have made a life for herself within the jail system - how will she cope out in the real world again.

Obviously Dugdall is writing about a world that she knows very well - the depiction of jail culture is stark and very pointed. She's also writing about the circumstances of people that she knows well - how someone's past can affect their present, and how complex the problems of justice and punishment can be.

It's no surprise whatsoever that THE WOMAN BEFORE ME won the 2005 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger in the UK, and it's very pleasing that it's finally made it to our shores. Hopefully there's more to come.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
...more

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Jan 15, 2014 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a reissue of a book which was the winner of the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger, as well as winning the 2009 Luke Bitmead Bursary, being shortlisted and longlisted for other awards and appearing on prestigious book lists. With such good credentials, I feel surprised that I had not previously read it, but the joy of new editions is that you can find authors you may have missed and novels you may like. I am pleased to add both this book and Ruth Dugdall to my list of books and autho This is a reissue of a book which was the winner of the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger, as well as winning the 2009 Luke Bitmead Bursary, being shortlisted and longlisted for other awards and appearing on prestigious book lists. With such good credentials, I feel surprised that I had not previously read it, but the joy of new editions is that you can find authors you may have missed and novels you may like. I am pleased to add both this book and Ruth Dugdall to my list of books and authors that I most certainly do like and I am glad that I discovered both. Ruth Dugdall worked as a Probation Officer for almost a decade and her knowledge with the world she writes about is evident in this intelligent and fast paced thriller.

Rose Wilks is in prison for the manslaughter of a baby, Luke Hatcher, son of her friend Emma. Both women gave birth at the same time – but Rose’s baby son died, while Luke lived. A chance encounter after the women leave hospital, leads to Rose infiltrating Emma’s life and quickly becoming indispensible as a babysitter and confidante. Now Rose is up for parole and Cate Austin, new Probation Officer at the prison, has to decide whether or not to recommend her for release.
Cate is a woman with problems of her own. Her husband has left her for another woman and she is a single mother to daughter, Amelia, working in a male dominated profession in what is, effectively, a demotion. She has to put aside her own maternal feelings about a child killer and look at the case dispassionately. This is not as easy as it sounds in a book which abounds with obsessive love – both romantic and maternal – and looks at the guilt women often feel about their role as a mother.

Gradually, as the novel unfolds, we learn of the life story of Rose; her troubled past and rather manipulative and secretive manner. She is an unreliable narrator and this book has many plot twists and surprises before we reach the truth of what happened on the night that led to the death of baby Luke. This is a really good read, told from the viewpoints of Rose, Cate and also Emma. The author manages to make all the characters sympathetic, so you are really involved in what happened and the build up of events. If you like intelligent and well written thrillers, with realistic and interesting female characters (I may be wrong, but I suspect this book will appeal more to women than men) then you will enjoy this. I will certainly search out the authors backlist and look forward to future books.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, for review.
...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Christine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book.

It was an awesome read, combining themes of jealousy, motherhood and obsessional love. At the beginning of the novel, we see Rose accused of murdering the child of a close friend. The rest of the novel explores Rose and her past, and the journey to motherhood.

Rose is hard to like as a character. She is a strange combination of odd, vulnerable and needy. She is fascinating.

I loved the way we got Cate, the probation officer's ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Norrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Rating: 3.5
Chilling and heartbreaking, The Woman Before Me is a story of loss and grief with a hearty dose of misogyny.

Although Cate Austin is the main character in Ruth Dugdall’s series, in this story she kind of takes a back seat to Rose Wilks who is currently serving time in prison for manslaughter after killing her friend’s baby. Allegedly.

Cate is just returning to her parole officer job after a six months absence and is being transferred to the prison where Rose is being held. She’s intrigu ...more

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Jan 31, 2014 Joanne Robertson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I actually read this book four years ago as I discovered when I checked back on Goodreads. I didn’t leave a review at the time just a rating of 5 stars so I was thrilled to get a copy of the updated version from Legend Press so that I could rectify that-the review not the star rating as that still stands, more now than ever!

I actually picked up a copy of The Woman Before Me the first time around whilst searching on Amazon for books to take with me on the first holiday, just me and my husband, si
I actually read this book four years ago as I discovered when I checked back on Goodreads. I didn’t leave a review at the time just a rating of 5 stars so I was thrilled to get a copy of the updated version from Legend Press so that I could rectify that-the review not the star rating as that still stands, more now than ever!

I actually picked up a copy of The Woman Before Me the first time around whilst searching on Amazon for books to take with me on the first holiday, just me and my husband, since our kids were born (they are all in their twenties now so this holiday was a big deal to us!) We are both big readers on holiday and The Woman Before Me was the first book I read whilst there and it spoiled me for the rest of my holiday reading pile. I just had the biggest book hangover when I finished it and it stayed with me till I got off the plane in rainy Manchester again. And since then I have become a huge fan of Ruth Dugdall, preordering and then devouring all the Cate Austin books and her others as well.

The Woman Before Me has a complex character at it’s heart who continually confused my emotions throughout. Rose Wilks has had a difficult and upsetting upbringing which made her a prime candidate for mental health problems as an adult, so my sympathies were torn right from the very beginning. Cate Austin comes into contact with Rose when she arrives at the prison to take up a new post and one of her first jobs is to investigate whether or not Rose is now eligible for parole. Does she show any remorse for the murder of her best friends baby? As we flashback to what happened in the lead up to that fateful day, we come to see that things aren’t quite as clear cut as we think.

Although this is the first in the Cate Austin series, she is really only introduced to us in small doses as the main focus is on Rose. But she obviously made a huge impression on readers and her character development continues over the next few books as her journey through life takes her to different places and situations. I always feel that there is a lot of Ruth Dugdall herself in Cate and that personal touch means that Cate is a very relatable, likeable character, unlike Rose who has such hidden depths and personality traits that mean you are never quite sure if she is just a misunderstood young woman desperate for affection or a seriously manipulative sociopath. I never knew whether to be revolted by her or feel sorry for her! And that’s why this book lingered in my mind for much longer than I was expecting it to and that four years later it still managed to bring those emotions out in me even though I already knew the outcome.

I highly recommend The Woman Before Me and I know that once you’ve read it you will want to meet Cate Austin again. And luckily for you, you can!! ...more

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Jul 17, 2014 Clarissa Bowen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: emotional, psychological-thriller

Gosh, this book was almost too depressing. The whole thing is just so tragically sad, but it's such a well-written, engaging psychological thriller, and with a protagonist that is so incredibly complicated and fascinating to read about, you won't be able to stop turning the pages to find out what happens next, even if a part of you dreads knowing.

I definitely recommend this one---unless, of course, you only like happy stories, than steer clear of this one. It'll bring you nothing but misery. Yet ...more

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Feb 07, 2018 Nicki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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Mar 11, 2018 Susan Hampson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

This is the first book in a re-released series featuring Cate Austin, a probation officer. Cate really is a get your sleeves rolled up kind of woman who isn’t happy to just go through paper work where others can easily sway her with their decisions. She gets in there and pokes at the past with a big stick. What she decides changes people’s lives and getting it wrong could mean either serving more time in prison for someone or putting lives at risk in the community. Rose Wilks has served 5 years ...more

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Mar 11, 2018 Kelly-Marie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

Thank you Legend Press for sending me this novel through netgalley. ❤️

4.5 stars 🌟 I really enjoyed this novel was different then I expected it to be. The ending brought the star rating up as I thought it was a good twist on the novel.

I thought the characters were all really like-able and I really liked the main characters rose and cate. Character development was great especially seeing rose’s development of where she came from and the reasons as to why she is they way she is.

Would highly recomm ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Woman Before Me is a psychological thriller that is hauntingly dark and bleak, there is absolutely nothing pleasant contained within this story, yet it is a compelling and at times, very addictive. It kept me reading until the late hours.
Rose Wilks is serving a prison sentence for the manslaughter of a young baby. The victim, Luke, is the child of a woman that Rose befriended whilst she was in hospital herself, when she gave birth to her own son Joel. Rose had a difficult labour and Joel was ...more

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Oct 09, 2016 Karen ⊰✿ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I found this an uncomfortable read. In many ways because it is not easy to read about the death of babies, but also because the main character was so unlikeable. Reminiscent of Gone Girl, The Good Girl and The Girl on the Train, she was just a little too unhinged to ever really feel any interest in her story.
Considering this is meant to the the first book in the "Cate Austin" series, we really learn very little about Cate and I didn't feel her character was well developed.
Add into this a scene w ...more

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Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	4	Mar 26, 2015 12:45PM

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About Ruth Dugdall

Ruth Dugdall

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Ruth Dugdall was born in 1971. She holds a BA honours degree in English Literature (Warwick University) and an MA in Social Work (University of East Anglia). She qualified as a probation officer in 1996 and has worked in prison with offenders guilty of serious crimes, including stalking, rape and murder. This has informed her crime writing. Since she started writing, Ruth has won awards in several ...more