Author Jacqueline Bublitz wrote Before You Knew My Name, her debut novel, after spending a summer in New York City where she "hung around morgues and the dark corners of city parks (and the human psyche) far too often." Her manuscript was rejected many times during a more than five-year journey to publication, but the book is now receiving stellar reviews and numerous awards.

Bublitz says she drafted the ending of the book first, and continued penning the narrative in reverse chronological order, which made sense because on the first page she reveals that " our narrator has not survived." She crafted the book's propulsive opening later -- it came to her "really strongly" when she had become "intimately acquainted with Alice Lee, one of our two storytellers in the book, so intimately connected to her voice." She kept hearing, "If I tell you my story . . . and it wouldn't leave me alone," so she sat down and wrote the opening in just two or three minutes.

The second narrator is Ruby Jones, who arrives in New York City from Melbourne on the same day as Alice arrives from the Midwest. Ruby is twice Alice's age -- 36. "She knows what she's getting away from but she doesn't know what she's going to." She chose New York from an "if I can make it there" unrealistic, from Bublitz's perspective, outlook. She's "a bit of a romantic and a hot mess as well." She's escaping a toxic romantic relationship -- her lover is engaged to marry another woman but continues his dalliance with her as she hopes against hope that he will finally choose her. Bublitz says "she's absolutely aimless and she knows it," and while jogging early one morning in New York, she discovers Alice's body.

Bublitz was inspired by an actual case in Melbourne. A young woman was chased into the Tenant Gardens around 5:00 a.m. and murdered in an area that was considered safe. "I could identify with this young woman," Bublitz says. Her body was discovered by a jogger. A jogger herself, Bublitz could not stop wondering, "What if that had been me? I could not get that trauma out of that mind." She researched the impact upon people who happen upon bodies under similar circumstances, but she could only locate one archived article discussing how a gentleman was so effected by the experience that he returned to the scene every year to commemorate the victim's death. That's when Bublitz knew she was "on to something" because no one had ever told the story of the connection between the person who found the body and the victim. She felt she could craft the “very human” tale.

She tells the story beautifully. From the very first page, when Alice begins relating her experiences, Bublitz endears readers to the dead girl who came to New York in search of a fresh start after enduring poverty, the death of her mother, being foisted on various relatives, and, eventually, an inappropriate relationship with one of her teachers. When he realizes how reckless and potentially destructive his behavior has been, Alice flees. She boards a bus from Milwaukee to New York City, taking with her a small amount of cash and his cherished antique camera. It is a Leica from the 1930s that belonged to his mother and she steals it from him because she knows losing it will cause him pain. “I am a survivor. I will turn eighteen years old tomorrow, and I am leaving on my own terms. Nothing – no one – can hold me back now,” she declares.

Alice finds a room for rent in the home of an older man named Noah. She has no job and her money won’t last long, but she works out an arrangement with Noah, who is clearly lonely. Is he a kind-hearted person who feels genuine fondness for Alice and wants to help and protect her by providing her a safe place to stay? Or is he a predator? Alice enjoys living in his beautiful apartment and working for him in exchange for room and board. Their arrangement ensures she can remain there. She walks and walks, learning her way around the city and snapping photographs, and begins to believe that perhaps dreams can come true. But her life ends abruptly and violently. Senselessly. Alice explains that a man murdered her in the park by the river. Is Noah her killer? Readers will find themselves hoping Noah is the kind-hearted man he initially appears to be, and not a cold-blooded murderer.

Simultaneously, Ruby, who is “approximately three years past pretty,” drinks heavily when she first arrives in New York. She stays in the dreary little room she has rented, staring at the ceiling, considering the choices she has made and her feelings for Ash, the man she loves more than she respects herself. She knew he was planning to marry another woman when she got involved with him, but believed that over time he would change his mind. He didn’t. So she escaped to New York for a sabbatical. After she wallows for a week, she finally decides to get up and moving, her anger inspiring her to go for a jog even though it is raining. She feels better, realizing “there is a whole world outside” the brick walls of the apartment building, and “she’s finally ready to crash her way through.”

But as Ruby approaches the marina, she steps on a plastic object – it is round and black, and now shattered. She notices something on the rocks, and quickly realizes she is looking at fingernails and blond hair. Comprehending that she has happened upon the body of a young woman, she summons help. Indeed, she has found Alice’s mangled body. “Ruby Jones is my only witness,” Alice explains. From the waterfront path, Ruby can’t get to Alice, but Alice is able to “make my way to her” but is dismayed to find that Ruby “can only see the husk of me, left down on the rocks.” But her spirit has aligned with and will remain with Ruby as the police search for Alice’s killer and a traumatized Ruby tries to understand the ways in which her life is forever changed that morning.

Before You Knew My Name is a unique and inventive tale, related from the perspective of a young woman whose life ends tragically and wants justice because she has been robbed of the future she was just beginning to envision and create for herself. “I really fought hard to stay in my body. I tried my best, but I just couldn’t hold on. I did not want to die.” At first, the police are unable to identify Alice because she had no wallet or form of identification with her, so she becomes yet another “Jane Doe” whose plight will fade from the headlines quickly. The media dubs her “Riverside Jane” but she wants to be identified so that she can be remembered and mourned by her best friend back at home, and her killer can be prevented from murdering again, even though she acknowledges that when the man who murdered her is identified, “he’ll be the one they want to now, the one who takes over the narrative.” When no one comes to the morgue to claim her body, she fears no one will care about her because she will be classified as “the wrong kind of victim.” Meaning, the kind who remain invisible. Alice looks to Ruby to ensure that she is not forgotten, whispering to Ruby, “I’m Alice,” again and again. But Ruby cannot hear her over the din of the city noises.

Ruby recognizes that she can never go back to being the woman she was before that morning. The media reports that Alice’s body was discovered by a jogger, but “why did they never say what happened to the jogger after that?” She wants to help. She wonders why only some victims’ stories are deemed worthy of being told. She can’t stop thinking about Alice; she feels connected to her. She seeks out other “finders of the dead” and discovers a small group who call themselves the Death Club. Led by a mortician, the members include Josh, who survived a near-death experience and suffers from survivor’s guilt, and a grieving mother. They are an eclectic and fascinating group of supporting characters who reveal their own tragic stories and the personal demons they are striving to overcome. Their ponderings about death are absorbing.

Fortunately, the detective assigned to Alice’s case is seasoned, and determined to solve it. As Alice remains beside Ruby, Bublitz takes readers on their journey of discovery. It is poignant, frequently heartbreaking, and powerful as a result of the achingly simple yet captivating way in which Bublitz describes Ruby’s encounters with the members of the Death Club, the relationships she forms with them, and the myriad ways in which she grows and matures, unwilling to be aimless any longer. At the center of the story is a cleverly-imagined mystery and the believable procedural tale about how Detective O’Bryne follows sometimes obscure clues that would be missed by a less diligent investigator.

But the real power of Before You Know My Name is the way in which Bublitz examines female empowerment from the perspectives of her two female protagonists. As noted, for Alice, it is about being valued. Even though her life was short, she wants to ensure that it was not without merit and meaning, and that she will be remembered as a person who mattered. The same things are important to Ruby, but from the perspective of her continuing life. Bublitz makes a strong statement about the importance of safety to women in New York City, in particular, but wherever they find themselves, and the vast power imbalance that still leaves women vulnerable and too often victimized.

Bublitz explores, from a decidedly feminist and fresh vantage point, the often surprising and frequently profound ways in which people’s lives intersect and become intertwined, and how those connections impact not just emotions, but decision-making, and shape the future. She also offers a sly indictment of the ways in which the media sensationalize crime, especially crimes against women. And the shamefully fleeting and superficial attention paid to cases that lack “legs,” meaning the ones the public grows tired of hearing about because they are not flashy or titillating enough to sustain interest from an industry focused on soundbites rather than substance. Bublitz makes clear that Alice’s killer should never overtake the narrative or overshadow the significance of the life he stole from her. Bublitz also challenges readers to consider their beliefs about the afterlife. Could those nudges and urgings we all feel emanate from spirits of the dead who remain with us and, as Alice struggles to communicate with Ruby, whisper to us?

Before You Knew My Name is a richly emotional, riveting, and thought-provoking debut from a talented and promising new thriller writer. It is a hauntingly tragic, yet life-affirming story of two women readers will not soon forget. And it is one of the best books of 2022.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Its so well written and the characters are so well developed. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

What an ambitious book!! Attempted to do A LOT in one book and overall did all the things quite successfully. As someone who researches and teaches end of life, grief and loss I felt this book captured those elements sincerely and respectfully - not something I often think of or find in novels. A lengthy, but rewarding read. Congratulations to Jacqueline Bublitz. Can't wait to see what you do next!

This book was so unique and had me engaged the entire time.
So thankful to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this title.

Solid 3.5 stars.

This was an interesting premise - the story of two women, told from the perspective of one of them; their lives connected though they never met. I enjoyed both of the main characters - Alice and Ruby. They were likable and sympathetic. The journey that both Alice and Ruby took after Alice's death was a fascinating look into how each of them dealt with their different traumas, and there were so many points that I never gave much consideration to, but I could imagine feeling the same way under their circumstances. It's hard for me to fully explain exactly why I liked this book, but it basically comes down to it being a great escape with interesting characters and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing through to the end. I would definitely recommend this!

This was a haunting and emotional story that kept summoning me back to its pages. It is a story that will stay with you.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is strange that a book about a woman who is eventually going to be a Jane Doe would be written in such a detached manner. I guess it was a deliberate stylistic choice but it was so cold I didn’t really connect with either woman, I felt like I was watching them from far afield.

I am a huge true crime junkie. I listen to various podcasts, watch ID Discover, and read fictional mysteries/suspense/thrillers. So, when I got the Before You Knew My Name invite, I accepted it. No hesitation, I downloaded this book to my Kindle in record time. I am glad I did because I enjoyed reading this book a lot.

Before You Knew My Name was an exciting book. This was the story of Alice, an eighteen-year-old girl from Wisconsin who had traveled to New York City. Alice was murdered and left for dead on a rocky pier. She is determined to help the woman who discovered her, Ruby, find her murderer and get justice. But this is also the story of Ruby. Ruby, from Australia, had been stuck in a rut for a while when she decided she needed a new start. And for her, it means traveling to New York City. But Ruby is the one who discovers Alice’s body, and Ruby is the one who pushes the police for answers. Will Ruby find herself in New York City? Will Alice get her justice?

There are trigger warnings in this book. The trigger warning is underage sexual contact/situations, cheating, mentions of sexual abuse, suicide, child abuse, and drinking. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading this book.

Before You Knew My Name was a medium-fast-paced book set in New York City. It starts fast, slows down in the middle of the book, and then picks up towards the end. The pacing was perfect for this book. Any faster, and I would have had an issue keeping up. Any slower, and the book would have dragged.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Alice and Ruby when they were both introduced. Alice seemed like an unreliable narrator. At the beginning of her story, she glossed over a lot. Ruby was a hot mess, and you know what? I related to her.

Alice— As I mentioned above, I wasn’t too sure about Alice at the beginning of her storyline. She was very unreliable and kept glossing over her earlier years. But, as the book went on and she opened up about her life pre-New York City, I started to like her. I did think she was too trusting (mainly with Noah, but he ended up being a teddy bear). When the killer killed her, it did hit me hard. I was a freaking mess. Then I got mad and hoped the police would catch the killer soon.
Ruby—I liked her right from the beginning. She was a hot mess but relatable (as I described above). I wasn’t that shocked that she up and left Melbourne. She needed a new start. But her fresh start didn’t exactly go as planned when she found Alice. I loved how her character grew after finding Alice. She became almost obsessed with finding the killer, and she did have a great support system (a found family) in New York. My only quibble with her was Ash. He was like a drug to her, and she needed to let him go.
There were many memorable secondary characters in Before You Knew My Name. They each brought added depth to the plotline. There were some that I wished had more book time (Noah and Tina were two), and others (like Alice’s teacher/lover) needed less book time.

Before You Knew My Name was a combination of mystery and thriller. It fits perfectly into those genres. I think there could have been a tad more thriller, but that’s just me.

Alice’s storyline was poignant. But it also made me unbelievably mad during some parts. Alice had some awful things happen to her, but she dealt with them with a grace that I know I wouldn’t have had. But, once she arrived in New York with that camera and found Noah, she turned into a different girl. She began to see a future. And that is what made me so unbelievably angry when she was murdered. The killer snuffed out her light too soon.

Ruby’s storyline was just as poignant but in a different way. She needed a change. She was stagnating in her life in Australia. So, her going to New York City and starting over was good. And, in a way, finding Alice’s body was a good thing too. Because if she didn’t, she would have never gone to the support group. She would have never met Lennie, and she would have never joined The Death Club. She also would have never met Josh, Susan, or even Noah.

The storyline with Alice’s killer was interesting. The author kept his identity and motive under wraps until almost the end of the book. Ruby had a hand leading the detectives to him when she remembered something crucial about the night she found Alice.

The end of Before You Knew My Name was poignant. The author was able to merge all the storylines, and she ended them in a way that tugged at my heartstrings. From beginning to end, this book will make you think about all the John and Jane Does out there.

Three Reasons You Should Read Before You Knew My Name:

It was a true mystery. The author kept Alice’s killer under wraps until the end.
The book had a great pace to it. It made reading and keeping track of the different storylines very easy.
The characters were very relatable.
Three Reasons You Shouldn’t Read Before You Knew My Name:

The trigger warnings.
Alice being murdered. I was so angry about that (even though I knew it would happen).
Ruby being a hot mess.
I would recommend Before You Knew My Name to anyone over 21. There is language, nongraphic sexual content, and violence. Also, see my trigger warnings.

Wow, one of my favorite books of the year. After finishing I immediately went to find other books by the author and was amazed to find this is a debut novel! Definitely adding her to a favorite author’s list so I can eagerly wait for her next book.

This is the story of two girls who both arrive in New York, running away from bad relationships, looking for a new future. Ruby and Alice Lee. They never meet in life, but they meet in death, when Ruby stumbles upon the body of Alice Lee, while out running early one morning.

Two unique perspectives in this story is what really sets it apart from me. First of all, Alice Lee is telling the story after she was killed. It’s through her eyes, that we learn the pieces that led up to her death. It’s also how she tries to gently influence Ruby to find out what happened to her. Ruby is not only traumatized by finding the body, but finds it hard to let the dead girl go. Her life is completely changed.

There have been other books written from the perspective of a dead character, so that’s not new, but this one is so well written.

I’ve never read a book that really dwelled on what happens to someone who finds a dead body. How do you feel afterwards, how does it change your life. Really fascinating and interesting.

This book managed to be both sad and uplifting. I received an ARC of the book.

This book was confusing at first to distinguish who was telling the story as it flips between Alice and Ruby in each chapter. And the flow felt off for me.

I would advise checking for trigger warnings prior to reading.

This book is sad, I wasn’t not expecting the tough nature of the subjects discussed in this book.
Alice: she is a young girl who’s mother died tragically and she comes to NYC with cash in hand trying to make a life. Her back story was heartbreaking while she describes the grief of dealing her mothers death. While in NYC she is murdered and becomes another missing Jane Doe

Ruby: comes to NYC to start over after being stuck in a vicious cycle in Australian with a man she loves but won’t have. On a run one day she find Alice’s body and becomes invested in finding out who this Jane Doe body is. They become almost intertwined as she figures out who she is.

Very intense book and intense subject matter. I felt this took a while for me to read just due to the content. Very heavy emotional reading.

This book brought out all kinds of feelings. There are alot of tough topics covered in this one, and I felt the tears coming in many parts while reading this.

Alice is 18 years old and looking for a fresh start, so she heads to NYC with only $600. Within a month, her body is found by Ruby Jones, who went to NYC from Australia. No one can figure out who Alice is, so she's being labeled as Jane Doe. Ruby cannot get this girl out of her mind. She wants to move past this but also wants to find out who this Jane Doe Is, what happened to her, and give her the closure she deserves.

This book was so emotional.i thought this was a really great debut. I'll definitely be e checking out future books by this author. Really well done.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

“Before You Knew My Name” was not at all what I expected upon reading the synopsis. A mystery turned thriller turned feel-good story; I felt so many emotions throughout the time I was reading - tearing up during the final pages.

A tale of two women whose paths cross in New York City as they both flee a man who has broken their heart. The only catch - one of them is dead.

I absolutely loved how Bublitz interweaved Ruby’s and Alice’s voice into one, in a way that you were still able to determine who was speaking. This book provokes so many questions & a lot of deep thinking. An enjoyable choice on a cold night!

This was such an interesting way to tell such a tragic tale. Two women come to New York. One is barely 18 and one is 36. Both of them, fleeing the past and hoping to start again. Sadly one will be discovered by the other and another Jane Doe will be in the news. Who was she? Who killed her? And maybe the most perplexing question , why has no one recognized her?
A heartbreaking story about a young girl who hasn’t had even one break in her short life. Told from the dead girls perspective, we learn who both of these women are (and were )as well as the picture of Jane Doe’s identity as it starts to become clear.
Such a sad sad story that I hoped might somehow end differently (though I didn’t think the author was playing with the truth/outcome). I read this and was this close to tears more than once. The story grabbed me from the first page but beware, I wouldn’t say this was a page flipper (not to me anyway). It was a beautiful but tragic story and I savored each page. I’m fairly certain that this was a debut and what a heartbreaker it was!

This was very promising, I really liked the concept behind how and why it was told but it was not an easy read. This is in no way a feel good book so you have to be in the head place for that. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

New York had always held a fascination for Alice Lee. Her mother’s short-lived career as a model, which ended abruptly when she became pregnant with Alice, brought a kind of glamour to their difficult circumstances back home in Wisconsin. After Alice’s mother committed suicide, Alice’s future was even more uncertain, and a cousin grudgingly agreed to take her in, more for the money from the state than for any real concern about Alice’s well-being. Alice began spending more time with her best friend Tammy, but when that fell through, she ended up with one of her high school teachers, who introduced her to nude modeling. Her brief time with him ended when he learned she was not yet eighteen, and she took her revenge by stealing the camera that had been his mother’s, the only thing he treasured, and left for New York.

Ruby Jones wanted to get as far away from Australia as possible, after learning that Ash, the man she was secretly seeing, was engaged and planning a lavish wedding. New York seemed to be a good place to hide while she decided what to do next, but her connection to Ash was maintained with phone calls and texts. Ruby started jogging again, exploring new sections of the city, running at all hours whenever the studio apartment became claustrophobic. On an early morning run along the river, she saw a young woman, face down on the rocks. When the young woman didn’t move, Ruby, in a panic, called the police, and was shocked to learn she had discovered a body, another anonymous young woman who passed under mysterious circumstances.

I enjoyed this mystery, and appreciated Ruby’s journey of discovery, both for herself and for Alice. Her determination to solve Alice’s murder, to be her voice, made for interesting reading. The excitement and energy in New York City that drew both women in was evident throughout the story, and I liked the way their stories intersected and blended.

I realize my review is about 26 days late from the publication date but I could not get into Before You Knew My Name. The initial synopsis seemed intriguing and Atria books usually publishes books that I find enjoyable to read. That did not happen this time.
I picked this book up several times just to find myself falling asleep a paragraph or so in. At times it was confusing who’s story we were being told (in the beginning). I found the writing style to be unlikable, tedious, drawn out, and disorganized. I know so many unnecessary facts and internal thoughts that were never relevant to the story or character development. After the 50% mark, I found myself skimming pages I hopes or getting the the end quicker or getting to a better part of the story.
I felt there were several important topics/messages the author was trying to drive home but honestly they fell flat for me and was such an injustice to try and take on. I would not recommend this book.

Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of Before You Knew My Name.

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueling Bublitz is a unique story about two young women. One who was murdered and one that found her dead body.

Alice Lee is a young midwestern girl who left her home after a disastrous affair with an artist. She leaves all she knows to move to New York to start anew. Roughly a month or so after she arrives, settles into her home with Noah, an elderly gent who takes her in and is just starting to get her life in order. One day while in a park, she is murdered while taking pictures. It was her desire to be a professional photographer.

The other woman is Ruby Jones, a woman who came across the ocean from Australia to also get away from an unfortunate affair. While jogging one day in the park, she comes across Alice's(still at this time a Jane Doe) body by the river. She had been beaten, raped. So, the book is about these two women, Alice still around to hopefully help Ruby figure out who the murderer is.

Ruby keeps thinking about poor Alice even joins a Death Club whose members all have suffered a loss of some type. It is a group that gets together to talk about what happened to them. One day Ruby is at the river, she often goes back to the scene of the crime, just to try to understand, when a man by the name of Tom starts talking to her. They strike up a sort of friendship, but Ruby is just not so sure about him, not ready to trust him.

This novel in my mind was very intense, the stories of the two women even though there was a 15-year age difference between them there were a lot of similarities. Both of them coming from disastrous affairs. Alice from a rough childhood so much that she is attracted to a man who promises her the moon. Ruby was involved in a man who was going to get married and would not commit to Ruby.

The murder of Alice brought both these women's stories together. Ruby is determined to find out who murdered Alice. I found the novel to be very sad but uplifting at the same time. Each woman has a story to tell, and the author does it beautifully. I really enjoyed it once I got used to the pace of the story.

I definitely give the book 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Before you Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz.

TW: grooming, sexual assault, murder, violence

I can't say that this is the most unique book ever written, but it was written powerfully enough to REALLY pack a punch. I just finished it, and my heart is quaking and heavy. But that doesn't mean that it's a story without redemption or beauty, which is part of why I loved it so much.

Alice Lee is wandering the streets of NYC, but unlike most who walk those streets, Alice is dead. But, her story is one that still desperately needs to be told. After her body was found, she was filed away as another Jane Doe, just a lost female runaway with no loved ones looking for her. But Alice was loved, and she has to help those who found her discover the truth of her.

Through Alice we learn about Ruby, who is also running to NYC to escape her life. On an ill fated job, Ruby is the one who found Alice's body, and is therefore emotionally tethered to knowing more about this poor mysterious girl.

This story got me right in the feels! I loved the connection of these two women with such similar plights, and the unusual love that they held for each other. I was so sympathetic to Ruby and how deeply she wanted to understand and know Alice. I also appreciated the social commentary of what we as society do when a missing girl goes missing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Jacqueline Bublitz - 4.5 stars!

Alice Lee, newly turned 18, and Ruby Jones, 36, both arrive in NYC looking for an escape and fresh starts. But a month later, Alice is dead, the city's newest Jane Doe, and Ruby is the one to find her body. Alice knows that Ruby can reclaim her name and solve the mystery of her death, while Ruby is trying her best to forget what she saw.

I thought this was a beautifully-written story that allows us hear the voice of the dead and forgotten, to name them, and have them count. It's heartbreaking but also full of hope and new beginnings. But dig further and it's a commentary on the fear for their safety that all women live with, where our politeness and fear of hurting someone's feelings overtake our own intuitions. Much to think about in this book - can't wait to read more from this author.

Although well written, I was not able to get through more than a third of this novel after multiple attempts. A fair amount of the content was subject matter that I consider a trigger and hard for me to read about. I really wish there had been more of a warning in the synopsis or a TW in the opening pages, as I would not have requested this book. I hope this book is able to bring some important topics to light, however at this time I was not able to read it.
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this novel.