The series of novels about probation officer Cate Austin have just been reissued with a new publisher, HarperCollins, and hopefully will now reach a much bigger and appreciative audience.

This title was originally published as 'Humber Boy B' and is number three in the series. It's where I started and I can't wait to read more. There are four out now and two more to come soon.

It's a shocking case. A child is killed after falling from the Humber Bridge and Ben, only 10 at the time, is found guilty of causing the death and sent to prison. 

On his release, probation officer Cate Austin is tasked with ensuring Ben's reintegration into society under a new name and identify. But there's huge public anger about him regaining his freedom. People are determined to hunt him down and assert their own revenge. And as Cate looks into the original case, she begins to doubt all she previously understood about the events and Ben's involvement. 

This is a tremendous read which you don't want to put down as more details are gradually revealed about Ben, his brother, their friend, and the parents who should have had all the children in their care. Who was to blame? How might the events that day have been avoided?

Ruth Dugdall lives in Suffolk and the county inspires much of her writing. Here, Ben is first given another chance in Ipswich. 

It's a shocking, sad and disturbing story which holds so much more weight and authenticity through knowing that Ruth worked in the probation service herself before devoting herself to her writing, for screen and print. 

'The probation officer exists at the most delicate places within the Criminal Justice System, sentencing and release,' she has said, 'and I aim to show the challenges probation officers face daily through my protagonist Cate Austin.'

I'm eager to read more in this series and also to hear Ruth speak about her writing career to date and this new chapter in her life as a published author.