What an incredibly addictive novel! Before You Knew My Name centers around two women who are both new to New York City and prior to one fateful day have never met. That day was when Ruby Jones stumbles upon a dead body by the Hudson River. Ruby has the heart and humanity to call authorities and from that point Ruby made it her mission to try and figure out the true identity of this Jane Doe. That Jane Doe was 18 year old Alice Lee and it was at this point in the novel that I found it unputdownable!

This novel completely grabbed me! Such a thought provoking novel and I am blown away that this is Jacqueline Bublitz debut novel because it’s THAT good! The characters are extremely well-developed and Jacqueline Bublitz does a brilliant job creating a storyline that will stay with you. I thought it was so clever to have the novel told from Alice’s perspective, she is no longer alive, but is still very much a main character. If you are a big fan (like I am) of The Lovely Bones, than this 5 star novel is a must read! I highly recommend Before You Knew My Name as a book club selection, I could chat about this book for hours! I am really excited to see what Jacqueline Bublitz comes out with next!

How often does one here the POV of a dead girl?

Alice escapes to New York On her 18th birthday with such hope, dreams, leaving behind a past and hoping that New York is the solution to all her dreams.

Ruby escapes to New York and stumbles upon Alice’s body.

We get to hear from Alice what happened and we get to hear from Ruby In this heartbreaking feel it to your soul book!

An absolutely beautiful and haunting story of loss but also of finding your footing through loneliness.

Alice Lee and Ruby Jones both arrive in NYC on the same day. Both are running from their lives in the hopes of finding something new and better.
Alice is murdered.
Ruby finds her body.

The entire story is told from Alice’s POV, think Lovely Bones style. And it’s truly beautiful to hear her describe the bonds she sees amongst the living.
Ruby refuses to let Alice continue to be jane doe, she can’t let it go. So she finds forums and threads and eventually The Death Club, where she can openly discuss macabre topics with other people who are affected by death in various ways.

The story wraps perfectly and I cried more than once. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

4 Jane Doe stars

Two women cross paths in a tragic way in New York. One is Alice Lee, a young 18-year-old girl who was just finding her way in the city, creating a new life for herself. The other is Ruby Jones, fleeing a toxic relationship in Australia.

Alice arrives with a few hundred dollars and a camera. A good Samaritan offers her a place to stay, and she’s starting a job and looking to enroll in a photography course. Unfortunately, a month later she is known only as Jane Doe, her body found battered by the Hudson River. That’s not the last we hear from Alice though.

Ruby is also trying to start over in New York, doing her best to put a man behind her. She is the one who discovers Alice’s body early one morning and she is understandably traumatized.

As the book progresses, so does the police investigation and we get insight into how the police solve a case like this. Alice’s spirit is watching it all and trying to figure out how to influence people to discover her identity and solve the case. Alice and Ruby are tied together as Ruby can’t put it all behind her and Alice is trying to influence her.

We even get a glimpse into the killer’s mind, and it is very chilling indeed.

This well written tale was very compelling, and I mourned for Alice knowing that her life was so short. This is an author that I will follow, and I appreciate her well-developed and memorable characters.

This is a remarkable and heart wrenching novel. Alice Lee has just turned 18 when she leaves Wisconsin with $600 and a stolen camera in her possession. Ruby Jones is 36. She just left her home in Australia to find herself and to get herself out of a very unhealthy relationship with an engaged man. Both are in New York City. Alice is staying with an older man who has taken a paternal interest in her. Ruby is living alone in a studio apartment on the upper west side. One morning before dawn, Ruby goes running through the nearby Park and finds the remains of a young woman in the Hudson. She contacts the Police and they take over from there. The woman is unidentified and Ruby begins to try to learn, with the few friends she has made, who she is and what happened to her. The novel is written through both Alice’s and Ruby’s voices and viewpoints. It is not something you can sit down and rush through in an evening. It actually leads the reader to think about life, love, friendship and what kind of person one can develop into. It is well worth the time it takes to read about the relationships that evolve between the dead and the living. Thanks to Net Galley and Atria for an ARC for an honest review.

One of the MOST beautiful books I've ever read. Precisely my type of novel when it comes to voice and pacing and just overall resonance. So many beautiful, poignant points throughout. Absolutely could not tear myself away from these pages. Up there with ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN and SILENT PATIENT for me. Five stars (but I'd give more if I could!).

Very good story told from the deceased girl and the woman who found her. All females should consider reading this book. Made me cry but worth the tears. Beautiful as well as sad.

After I got into this and began to follow the story line going from the dead to the living made me want to continue. The author has a way of writing that keeps you wanting to read more!

I have just finished reading Before You Knew My Name by Author Jacqueline Bublitz.

WOW, this is a powerful debut novel!

It really is hard to believe that this is Author Jacqueline Bublitz’s first book.

She really knows how to write a story. A very intense story taken from a different viewpoint, as it is told from 18-year-old Alice after she arrived in New York with only $600 and a camera, and then is soon been found dead.

It is actually about 2 women who arrive in New York on the same day, and are leaving a life from Melbourne, and a small town in the US.

Such well written words, that are at times also very sad.

An intense, and emotional book, that is very captivating.

Thank You to NetGalley, the Author and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

This was a tough read for me and it wasn't because of the dark themes of the story. The transitions between Alice's life and Ruby's life was so confusing, at times I didn't know who I was following. Neither one of the characters really had any depth or likeability to them. The story itself felt very drawn out and long.
Overall, I just found myself not caring what happened and struggled to make it through. It isn't one that will stay with me. I do see how it would appeal to many people, but I had a hard time connecting with this one.

‘This isn’t just another novel about a dead girl.’

Nothing could be more true. This is an absolute heart wrenching story that is more than just about a dead girl but a powerful novel full of emotion.
Told partially from the POV of Alice postmortem, this is exceptionally well written and the character development is astonishingly deep.
Reading this book knowing that the one character essentially has a soon to be expiration date made it much more devastating than I ever anticipated.
There are so many underlying themes that are important and without giving any spoilers, I can say that I will recommend this book to any and all women I know. Really anyone. This is much more than just a psychological thriller and will definitely be a re-read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

“HER BODY WAS FOUND BY A JOGGER”; TWO ANONYMOUS WOMEN CONNECTED BY JUST SEVEN WORDS”

From the synopsis: “When she arrived in New York on her eighteenth birthday carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe. She may be dead but that doesn’t mean her story is over.”

Alice can’t let the killer take her name too. She wants to be remembered for more than her ending-she doesn’t want to be known as just the latest Jane Doe.

Riverside Jane (Doe)
That’s what they are calling her.

Her spirit narrates for us as she clings to Ruby Jones, the woman who found her body, hoping Ruby will give her back her identity-her name.

Neither woman can let go.

Both Alice and Ruby were running away from men who took advantage of their vulnerability- arriving in New York, full of hope, on the SAME rainy night.

Why do the newspaper articles never follow up on what happens to the joggers who make these gruesome discoveries?

Ruby is haunted.

Consumed by thoughts of what Alice endured-and wondering if it could have been her instead, if she had started her jog earlier. Unable to sleep. Living in fear. Looking for someone who can understand.

And, what about the killer?

Does he just go about life as if nothing is different?
Eat Breakfast-Leave for Work-Walk down the street smiling?

This is what you can expect from this heartbreaking, illuminating, thought provoking story- An exploration of a LIFE taken too soon-of a DEATH from all sides of the equation.

I have to admit that the first 40% was a SLOW burn for me. But, then the story kicked in and I was MESMERIZED for the remainder of the novel. Not a thriller-it’s a book for those who SAVOR beautiful writing, who highlight passages that move you, and who appreciate strong character development.

That first part, kept me from awarding the FULL five stars, and yet, I feel like this will still end up as a FAVORITE of mine this year, as it definitely is NOT a book that will soon be forgotten.

4.5 ⭐️

This is a DEBUT from an Australian author, who proclaims that she is a writer of books that explore love, loss and connection. Since reading a review for this last year, it has sat on my TBR shelf while I searched in vain for a copy. Finally, Atria/Emily Bestler books picked it up for U.S. publication with a scheduled release date of November 1, 2022. (Very grateful for the gifted copy!)

It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Excellent debut from Jacqueline Bublitz! I was touched and brought to reality the tragic deaths of all Jane Doe's. The effect on the ones left behind is highlighted with their shock and processing of their pain. No family or friend should ever have to lose a loved one from selfish and brutal acts of violence.

"This isn't just another novel about a dead girl."

Traveling to NYC, two women encounter the city from different states and reasons, but both broken and alone. Eighteen year old Alice Lee walks away from her troubles in Wisconsin hoping to start fresh. She finds room and board with Noah, a stranger, but father figure, who wants to help her with a better life. A month later, she is found brutally murdered and left on the banks of the Hudson River.

Thirty six year old Ruby Jones from Australia leaves behind her boyfriend that has plans to marry someone else. Heartbroken and frustrated she finds therapy in running and this is how she discovered Alice's body. The gruesome crime haunts her as she vows to find who the person is that has been labeled Jane Doe.

Through Alice's narration, we are able to see how her days in NYC unfold and the instability she left behind in Wisconsin. The heart-wrenching purgatory of her current state is unsettling, but led me to continue even though the ending will not change her demise. So many times we are left to grapple only with the news rendition of someone's death and not who the person is. Bublitz creates the path to see inside her life. She does not extenuate the seriousness of it, but there are some enlightening moments of Alice's new found happiness that I loved reading.

With all honesty, it is lengthy at times and confusion with the switching of characters, but overall it is worth the time spent. Well-done!!!

Thank you, NetGalley and First Emily Bestler Books/Atria for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz was a really compelling read. Written in the voice of the dead eighteen year old, it recounts Alice’s troubled life and her observation of Ruby’s current experience. She speaks to the reader and about everyone who her life, and now her death, touches. Chapters begin with statements like “Tomorrow, I will be dead.” and “In the hours before I die,” alternating between telling the story of how she got to New York and the story of how she left it forever.

Some of the nuances that made this book compulsively readable were the dual newcomer-to-New-York stories and the acute observations of the ways in which women are still required to tailor their lives to the wants and whims of the men surrounding them. One, obviously, much more enjoyable than the other, but the latter done in such a way as to be infuriatingly relatable to female readers.

How Alice and Ruby are connected isn’t a spoiler that I’m going to give away here, although it is hardly the most gripping discovery contained within the story. Some details that I clearly misread for clues took me down a whole different path with my suspicions, but I was appropriately satisfied with the outcome. That said, in hindsight, the outcome was hardly the point. Bubiltz did a thorough job of allowing the victim to own her story and her death, leaving very little attention devoted to the person who caused it.

One of the more rewarding features of the book were the social connections made throughout. There is a network, the Death Club, that is born from the tragedies suffered by people who are still living and the love and support that grows through the sharing of loss and of trauma. The book is a mystery, but it isn’t so much about solving the crime as it is about the way that this crime ripples through the lives of so many others. It leaves a lingering sadness in the reader.

This is a beautiful story from an entirely different perspective. Instead of focusing on the who did it and why (although that obviously is part of the story), the focus on is who the victim was. The story focuses on Alice, who is running from her past. Just turned 18, she showed up in New York City with a stolen $600 and a camera. She finds a place to stay with an old man named Noah, who shows her kindness she has rarely experienced in her short life. At the same time, another woman named Ruby, who is twice Alice’s age, arrives in New York, fleeing an affair with an engaged co-worker.

There was a lot of really insightful commentary on the reality of the dangers women face, and how we tiptoe around uncomfortable situations, trying to be polite to edge our way out of them, when every fiber of our intuition is screaming at us to run. There are several times I found echoes of my own past in this story; what woman hasn’t found themselves in similar situations, trying to avoid triggering the egos of men and free ourselves from danger?

The novel was beautifully written, emotional, and impactful. The characters will draw you in, although I wasn’t sure I’d like Ruby much at first. The ending provides closure and I was satisfied with how things turned out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A must-read for 2022!

Incredibly, Moving. This is a book sure to touch your heart in many ways. It is uplifting. It is captivating. It will keep you up late into the night. It is haunting, it a slow burn read that pulls you in and makes you think about living life and it’s value. This is a great book to read alone, but think it will also be great for book discussions, book clubs, and with friends. There are just so many great topics to discuss.

This starts with two individual women who do not know each other. Alice Lee has just turned 18 and she decides she wants to start fresh and live in New York City. She had a teacher coming on to her and is using her for his needs. He was very angry with her, and afraid for himself. She was just 17, so she leaves.

On, the same day, Ruby Jones decides she also needs a new beginning. She is twice Alice’s age at 36. She feels adrift, her life should be much more defined and planned out by now. She also has a man she loves, but he has decided to become engaged to another woman. Yet, he still sees Ruby. She wants to be a strong and capable person, but is afraid she can’t quite be that, so she tolerates this. Secretly, she hopes this will be like the movies and Ash will decide he really loves her and come to NYC and they will build a happy life. She keeps talking with him.

Alice ends up staying with an eccentric, much older man, but he seems to really care and is willing to let her stay at his apartment. He makes Alice have a special birthday. Alice loves photography and he offers to pay for it. It appears he is ok, but is he? For Alice though, she starts to feel alive and have her dreams seem possible. Sadly, this comes to a crashing halt, when she receives a brutal attack at Riverside Heights Park.

Ruby, goes for a run that morning and comes across something very wrong. Someone is hurt. Yes, it’s Alice and Ruby sees the brutality to her. Her face is smashed, she has been raped, and she is slipping away. She is dead as Ruby dials 911.

This is a murder mystery. The police are investigating, the news in out to report their big case, everyone wants to know about the mysterious beautiful white blond girl called the Riverside Jane since no one knows who she is. This is profoundly disturbing Ruby, she can not stop thinking about the dead girl. She wants to know her name, who she was, what she was doing. She needs to know. At this point you find out, Alice has a bit of her spirit left in this world and can subtly push Ruby in certain directions.

Usually, we concentrate on the young, pretty girl and how her life was cut short. We forget to put her together before and we forget how her loss effects others so deeply. Ruby is shattered and having PTSD. No one knows if anyone misses Alice. Ruby wants to know. Alice wants Ruby to set things in motion to find the killer, so she will matter. She will not be a Jane Doe in an unmarked grave. She wants people to know her name, that her best friend was Tammy, that she wanted to be a famous photographer, that her favorite song was ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ by Otis Reeding. That did hold me, it was intimate. It made Alice real to me. No viciously angry man has a right to take that away from any woman, yet it happens. It made me angry and I wanted Alice’s killer found, too.

The other part of the book seems dark and it is in a way. Lennie, is a mortician and understands death. She understands the isolation one feels when a trauma or death occurs. Those who are the survivors, like Ruby, a witness, or the lucky one, Josh who almost died, but physically recovers, or her neighbor whose daughter has been killed, need to talk about their real feelings and all their questions yet no one wants to hear about this much. People want you to get back to yourself, yet you will never be that same person. You are forever changed. Lennie calls the group, The Dead Club, yet she is the warmth for these people. Another acts motherly, one encourages Ruby to pursue a possible true romance. This is the only place each feels safe. It is not about leaving life, it is the life force, it is a way to come out of your loneliness. It is a way to express your loss and love, too. How do you hold your pain close, yet let it go at the same time? That is a very hard question. It is not one unique to this group, each here has been intensely forced to confront humanity or it’s lack, but most of us will do just about anything then sit with our discomfort. We find every reason to run from anxiety. We want to be safe. We want to be loved. We want people to care.

This book offers that. There is an ending to Alice’s story. There is a sense of goodness there that is hard to describe. It was sad, it was difficult, but is had a sweet ending. It did. I loved that.

This is one you have to read and engross yourself in. Talk with others about it. I would definitely recommend it. This is a thriller, a character exploration and a book about living on.

Thank you NetGalley, Jacqueline Bublitz, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for letting me read this book. I am happy to give my review. I am stunned at how good this book is.

This haunting and heart-wrenching debut novel is one of the most insightful novels that I have read, and one that will stay with me for a very long time. The story is narrated by a deceased protagonist who poignantly tells the story of her violent death and its aftermath on those she has left behind. The author's beautiful prose is reason enough to read this book, but the powerful message about how we think about and approach death by violence is an eye-opening lesson. In the zeal to discover the perpetrator, we fail to shine light on the deceased and tell their story. Who, exactly was this person? What was their story? Who is left behind and how will their future be changed because this person has died? While the storyline includes the mystery of who killed the protagonist, the focus is on the life of the deceased and those affected by her loss.

I can't recommend this book enough! Perhaps if everyone began to view violent deaths through the lens of this story, we would stop writing backstories and giving attention to the perpetrators, and instead write stories about the deceased. From beyond death, the young protagonist in this story said it best:

"For the first time, I understand it's not only the dead who have lives they don't get to live out. The people left behind have as many versions of themselves unexplored, as many possible paths that close off."

Thank you Atria Marketing, Simon and Schuster, Jacqueline Bublitz, and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Have not cried over a book in a long time, but this book had me crying so badly for Alice. I found myself thinking about this story for days.

Alice's story will tear at your heart. Have a full box of tissues ready.

Loved the book, but made we wonder what more can be done I could done to save women like Alice from such a tragic end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Beautifully written heart wrenching novel. A book that drew me in from the first pages and kept me reading late into the night.I will be recommending this book and this wonderful author.#netgalley #atria

A powerfully haunting and heartbreaking story.

Alice Lee has literally just turned 18. With only $600 in her pocket, she leaves her small Wisconsin town for the Big Apple, in hopes of creating a better future for herself. Just 30 days later, she is brutally raped and murdered, becoming the latest Jane Doe to hit the New York news.

Ruby Jones is a 36-year old Australian woman who needs a change. She decides to take a year off from work and responsibilities and spend her time in New York. She finds herself extremely lonely, and copes by running. One day on her run, she finds Alice’s body by the river.

Ruby is shocked and saddened, and can’t believe this young girl is a Jane Doe who nobody has reported missing. Alice’s spirit hasn’t crossed over. In fact, she attaches herself to Ruby. Through her grief, she knows that Ruby is sincere in wanting to find out who Alice was, make her name known, and figure out who did this to her.

“This is not just another novel about a dead girl.”

That’s what the blurb states, and it is correct. It’s so much more. This is astonishingly well written, and the character development is on point. I cared so much about Alice and Ruby. We learn from Alice’s post-death POV about what led her to leave Wisconsin. It’s certainly sad and unjust, even if that part of the story has been told before and parts can drag. I loved hearing about her first 30 days in New York, and couldn’t help but feel sadness as I knew her life had an expiration date. Ruby had her reasons for leaving Australia, and I felt her immense loneliness in my bones. She struggles with discovering Alice, and her view of New York has changed. She finds herself terrified by the trauma until she finds a group of friends she can talk to about it.

There is mystery since we know someone caused Alice’s demise, but that’s not the focal point. When all is revealed, it probably won’t be very surprising…and that’s okay because the mystery aspect is only a means to an end in discussing much more important topics.

A very intense and moving story that really delves deep into the dangers that women might face every day, the consequences of trauma, and the resilience of the human spirit.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley and Edelweiss. Expected Publication Date: 11/1/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com