THE SACRIFICIAL MAN

-





Ruth Dugdall’s new novel, The Sacrificial Man, the second instalment in her Cate Austin series is definitely not a book for the more squeamish reader. Dark in tone and containing grotesque and disturbing details, it tackles the very sensitive question of whether assisting a person to commit suicide is a crime or an act of love. This particular case, however, deals with a very different situation where the main character, Alice Mariani, a brilliant literature professor, obsessed with the Romantic poets, believes it’s an act of ultimate passion.
Cate Austin, probation officer, is called in to question Alice in order to recommend a suitable sentence, and discover why she agreed to help Dave, a young man suffering no apparent fatal illness, to die. As she tries to chip at Alice's icy exterior, she begins to dig deeper into the past of this enigmatic, beautiful though rather unlikeable woman and discovers how a painful, early childhood has shaped her into a lonely, unreachable narcissist haunted by the traumatic loss of her mother.
Told from multiple points of view, I found Alice’s voice the most compelling, though I enjoyed the more pragmatic character of Cate and would like to have heard a lot more from her. The story is fast moving, the plot compelling and the many twists and turns result in a powerful and shocking ending.
Thanks to Legend Press for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE ANGEL AT THE HEARTH

-
Image
While doing research for my last two books ( The Savage Instinct and A Proper Lady ) I kept coming across a term that was used to define the role of women during the Victorian era. The term Angel at the Hearth or Angel in the House defined the ideal image and essence of womanhood. It was widely portrayed in the art and literature of the time and was used as a standard to define the perfect woman, mother and wife. This idea actually gave rise to a whole genre of painting known as domestic pictures in which the ideal wife was portrayed as an earthly though angelic Madonna, soothing, comforting and submitting to her husband. Selflessly encouraging, watching over and nurturing her children while presiding over a well ordered, highly moral household. A poet named Coventry Patmore actually coined the term in his narrative poem The Angel in the House, first published in 1854 and   dedicated his first wife, Emily, whom he considered the ideal woman. Emily Patmore, painted by J...
Read more

DOGS and DATING

-
Image
I've recently changed writing gears to work on a more lighthearted project, inspired by a chance moment in my life when I went out with a friend to walk her dog, a cute, woolly little mutt. As we strode down the leafy path, I was amazed at the number of people who stopped to chat and generally fawn over my friend's dog. In that short walk we met more new people in half an hour than I had in several years, and some of them were hunks! My friend and I are both married, but it didn't take much of to stretch our imagination and ponder the question: C ould walking a dog help you meet the man or woman of your dreams? And that's how THE DOG WALKERS' DATING CLUB was born. The main character, LILY, is a self-professed dog hater after some traumatic dog-bite incidents in her childhood, which lends the book a more interesting dynamic when she decides to take on a puppy in the hopes of improving her chances of meeting someone to love. She wrestles with her n...
Read more

Publishing News

-
Image
Canelo set to publish two dark and twisty suspense novels by M. M. DeLuca. Commissioning Editor Leodora Darlington has acquired WEL rights to new standalone suspense novels by M. M. DeLuca in a two-book deal.  The Secret Sister  is a gripping suspense novel with a twist that will leave readers reeling. We follow our protagonist, Anna, on her whirlwind romance that ends in her marrying almost-too-perfect Guy. But how much does Anna know about the man she has married? And how much does Guy know about his new wife? She’s certainly keeping her share of secrets, and the biggest one of all is the identity of the sister she lost many years ago, the sister she is still searching for now.  M. M. DeLuca studied psychology at the University of London and now resides in Canada. She studied Advanced Creative writing with Pulitzer prizewinning author, Carol Shields. Her first novel,  The Pitman's Daughter  was shortlisted for the Chapters Robertson Davies first novel in Canad...
Read more