The Sacrificial Man - Ruth Dugdall

Reading Challenge Category: Free Kindle Unlimited Book

Official Blurb:

What I want to say is that suicide is my choice. No-one else is to blame. Man seeks beautiful woman for the journey of a lifetime: Will you help me to die?
When Probation Officer Cate Austin is given her new assignment, she faces the highest-profile case of her career. Alice Mariani is charged with assisted suicide and Cate must recommend a sentence. Alice insists her story is one of misinterpreted love, forcing those around her to analyse their own lives. Who is to decide what is normal and when does loyalty turn to obsession?
Investigating the loophole that lies between murder and euthanasia, Cate must now meet the woman who agreed to comply with her lover's final request. Shocking revelations expose bitter truths that can no longer be ignored.

My Thoughts:

I like revisiting Cate Austin, and I didn’t envy her the puzzle of figuring Alice out. I couldn’t decide on her, whether she deserved to be punished, was she genuinely evil (the way she thinks nasty things about people made her seem slightly psychotic)? However, was she just helping Smith out by being with him when he died?
The small twists and turns that unfold as the story develop are brilliant and shocking. I didn’t know what to expect from this book. From the blurb, I was expecting it to be similar to John Marrs’ ‘The Good Samaritan’ where it was going to have numerous aided suicides. However, this was completely different, and I didn’t see the end coming.
In true Dugdall style, the book ends in a very abrupt fashion. You are reading one page, turn over, and the book has ended. I always have to go back to read that last page to truly get the impact that it was the end of the book — trying to soak up as much as possible. She always leaves you wanting just a little bit more, and I forget this every time!
Overall, a really gripping and enjoyable book. I can’t wait to read more of Cate Austin, although I wish she’d cheer up a bit, as she’s just so solemn!

Buy Now on Amazon Buy Now on Apple