The Forgotten Victim

'Ruth Dugdall is a huge talent' Sophie Hannah

How do you stop a killer hiding in plain sight?

On 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.

Don't miss this gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Joy Ellis from award-winning, Kindle #1 bestselling author Ruth Dugdall.

Reviews

Praise for Ruth Dugdall:

'Twisty, profound and completely convincing, it grips the reader by the heart. Unputdownable' Erin Kelly

‘Ruth Dugdall’s novels are intelligent and gripping, with a sophisticated psychological sensibility. She is a huge talent’ Sophie Hannah

‘Authentic … diverting debut’ Daily Mail

'A chilling tale of betrayal and obsession…keeps its secrets well' Publishers Weekly

'Well plotted…The author understands how to build suspense and create atmosphere' Kirkus

'The menace is skillfully intensified by Dugdall… a twisting labyrinth of child-trafficking and police cover ups' The Times

‘Timely and beautifully-written… Highly recommended’ Mark Edwards

‘An absolute tour de force that left me thinking for days’ Alex Marwood

‘A chilling psychological thriller with a shocking twist. I read it one day and couldn’t put it down’ Louise Millar

'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' Mike Craven

'An intelligent mystery, beautifully written, with an intriguing storyline. This one will keep you up to the wee small hours' Jane Isaac

'Utterly chilling' Karen Maitland

'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' Julie Corbin

'Intelligent, thought-provoking and tense, Humber Boy B 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' C.L Taylor

'A thought-provoking and tension-filled novel – with evocative characters and an ending that I didn’t expect' Mel Sherratt

About the author

Ruth Dugdall is an internationally published novelist, a #1 bestselling author and a short story writer. Her previous career was as a Youth Justice Social Worker, then she worked for 10 years as a Probation Officer.