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Before You Knew My Name
This is not just another novel about a dead girl. Two women—one alive, one dead—are brought together in the dark underbelly of New York City to solve a tragic murder.
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.
Meanwhile, Ruby Jones is also trying to reinvent herself. After travelling halfway around the world, she’s lonelier than ever in the Big Apple. Until she stumbles upon a woman’s body by the Hudson River, and suddenly finds herself unbreakably tied to the unknown dead woman.
Alice is sure Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her short life and tragic death. Ruby just wants to forget what she saw…but she can’t seem to stop thinking about the young woman she found. If she keeps looking, can she give this unidentified Jane Doe the ending and closure she deserves?
A “heartbreaking, beautiful, and hugely important novel” (Rosie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author), Before You Knew My Name doesn’t just wonder whodunnit—it also asks who was she? And what did she leave behind?
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.
Meanwhile, Ruby Jones is also trying to reinvent herself. After travelling halfway around the world, she’s lonelier than ever in the Big Apple. Until she stumbles upon a woman’s body by the Hudson River, and suddenly finds herself unbreakably tied to the unknown dead woman.
Alice is sure Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her short life and tragic death. Ruby just wants to forget what she saw…but she can’t seem to stop thinking about the young woman she found. If she keeps looking, can she give this unidentified Jane Doe the ending and closure she deserves?
A “heartbreaking, beautiful, and hugely important novel” (Rosie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author), Before You Knew My Name doesn’t just wonder whodunnit—it also asks who was she? And what did she leave behind?
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,590 reviews
May 21, 2022
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
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
September 19, 2022
A profoundly moving, heart-wrenching story that will have women nodding their heads as they ache with sadness. I felt this story in the depths of my soul.
How do I even begin to explain how brilliantly insightful this novel is?
You know the story: A girl runs away to New York and, not long after, a body turns up. The girl has been raped and murdered and now the cops have to figure out the who, and the why.
But have you ever heard the story told by the dead girl? Or by the jogger who found her? Have you ever stopped asking, 'who did it?' in favour of asking, 'who was she?'
This novel is a lament for all those who have had their futures stolen from them by violence. By getting to know the dead girl, we're forced to confront all that was lost - her hopes and dreams, the connections to others, the impact she would have made on other lives. We get to think - really think - about who she might have become.
It's a powerful exploration of all the things we generally forget to consider in favour of morbid curiosity.
There's also the feminist angle - the stark reality of women all over the world, woven into the narrative. The fragile egos we must carefully manage or risk violent retribution; the unwanted advances that can lead to spiteful words like, 'uptight' or 'tease'; saying yes because the consequence of saying no is terrifying. Walking alone, being out late, wearing specific clothing - all these things and more will have women reading this story nodding along, remembering all the times they, too, have found themselves in similar situations. Just because a situation doesn't end in violence, it doesn't become any less terrifying a situation to experience. This novel explores it all so cleverly, honestly, and with great heart.
There is certainly the mystery associated with who committed the murder and why, but this novel takes great pains to focus instead on the woman whose life was ended, and the woman whose life was altered by finding the body.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and not only do I recommend it, I URGE people to read it. Particularly women, but men also. There is so much here that deserves our attention, and I will be recommending this one to everyone in the hopes that others will be moved as much as I was.
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC
How do I even begin to explain how brilliantly insightful this novel is?
You know the story: A girl runs away to New York and, not long after, a body turns up. The girl has been raped and murdered and now the cops have to figure out the who, and the why.
But have you ever heard the story told by the dead girl? Or by the jogger who found her? Have you ever stopped asking, 'who did it?' in favour of asking, 'who was she?'
This novel is a lament for all those who have had their futures stolen from them by violence. By getting to know the dead girl, we're forced to confront all that was lost - her hopes and dreams, the connections to others, the impact she would have made on other lives. We get to think - really think - about who she might have become.
It's a powerful exploration of all the things we generally forget to consider in favour of morbid curiosity.
There's also the feminist angle - the stark reality of women all over the world, woven into the narrative. The fragile egos we must carefully manage or risk violent retribution; the unwanted advances that can lead to spiteful words like, 'uptight' or 'tease'; saying yes because the consequence of saying no is terrifying. Walking alone, being out late, wearing specific clothing - all these things and more will have women reading this story nodding along, remembering all the times they, too, have found themselves in similar situations. Just because a situation doesn't end in violence, it doesn't become any less terrifying a situation to experience. This novel explores it all so cleverly, honestly, and with great heart.
There is certainly the mystery associated with who committed the murder and why, but this novel takes great pains to focus instead on the woman whose life was ended, and the woman whose life was altered by finding the body.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and not only do I recommend it, I URGE people to read it. Particularly women, but men also. There is so much here that deserves our attention, and I will be recommending this one to everyone in the hopes that others will be moved as much as I was.
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC
November 1, 2022
“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 TOO SLOW of a burn for me-and I was worried. 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. (Very grateful for the gifted copy!)
AVAILABLE NOW!!
It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
A buddy read with DeAnn and Mary Beth-be sure to check out their amazing reviews for additional insights!
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 TOO SLOW of a burn for me-and I was worried. 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. (Very grateful for the gifted copy!)
AVAILABLE NOW!!
It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
A buddy read with DeAnn and Mary Beth-be sure to check out their amazing reviews for additional insights!
July 17, 2022
In a New York Minute… Everything can change… in a New York Minute… 🍎 🎶 I don’t usually run 🏃♀️ right out and write my review as soon as I finish a book… but OMG I had to tell SOMEONE… meaning you all.. 😉 how much I LOVED this book!! ❤️ Thank you @atriabooks for my gorgeous gifted copy!!🥰🥰🥰
She’s dead…we know it…brutally murdered..in a very public spot..in New York City…yet nobody saw a thing… it happened that quick…her name is Jane… River Jane… Jane Doe… to the media….the police 👮♀️…the person that found her body..but someone out there knows her name. 😢
My heart is shattered in a million pieces.. this is heartbreaking 💔 but an absolutely phenomenal debut. As the book description states… this is not just another book about a dead girl.. 👱♀️let me tell you why.. THIS is what sets it apart…
We know right from first sentence.. Alice Lee is dead.. murdered…left in the rain ☔️ for a jogger 🏃♀️ to find her body… the jogger’s name is Ruby.. okay sounds like your normal sad but true story right? Except this entire story is told by the dead girl..😳… Yes this is Alice Lee’s story to tell.. from her POV… after her murder..😧🥺
Everything was absolutely brilliant about this book! I can’t believe this is a debut! It is such an incredibly original take on a sadly common occurrence. The title alone should have you curious.. think about it.. these victims all have names.. the bodies that have yet to be indentified… and someone knows it.
Oh Alice Lee you broke my heart..❤️.. Moving to NYC .. making your dreams come true.. then someone took it all away from you.. 👱♀️🍎💔😭
Guys this book is amazing! It is out in the US November 22nd!! Published by Emily Bestler Books❤️
She’s dead…we know it…brutally murdered..in a very public spot..in New York City…yet nobody saw a thing… it happened that quick…her name is Jane… River Jane… Jane Doe… to the media….the police 👮♀️…the person that found her body..but someone out there knows her name. 😢
My heart is shattered in a million pieces.. this is heartbreaking 💔 but an absolutely phenomenal debut. As the book description states… this is not just another book about a dead girl.. 👱♀️let me tell you why.. THIS is what sets it apart…
We know right from first sentence.. Alice Lee is dead.. murdered…left in the rain ☔️ for a jogger 🏃♀️ to find her body… the jogger’s name is Ruby.. okay sounds like your normal sad but true story right? Except this entire story is told by the dead girl..😳… Yes this is Alice Lee’s story to tell.. from her POV… after her murder..😧🥺
Everything was absolutely brilliant about this book! I can’t believe this is a debut! It is such an incredibly original take on a sadly common occurrence. The title alone should have you curious.. think about it.. these victims all have names.. the bodies that have yet to be indentified… and someone knows it.
Oh Alice Lee you broke my heart..❤️.. Moving to NYC .. making your dreams come true.. then someone took it all away from you.. 👱♀️🍎💔😭
Guys this book is amazing! It is out in the US November 22nd!! Published by Emily Bestler Books❤️
October 30, 2022
How would I describe this debut novel from Jacqueline Bublitz? It’s a sobering, yet illuminating emotional gut punch with hope glimmering around its edges. It’s tragic and beautiful, and it’s raw in a way that may get under your skin and surface all kinds of difficult feelings - especially if you’re female. If you’re looking for escapist fiction - this isn’t it. What it is, though, is a refreshingly unvarnished and thoughtful look at what it feels like to navigate and survive in this world as a woman.
Two women experiencing loneliness and aimlessness in their lives make the decision to abandon their current lives and move to NYC. Alice Lee has just turned eighteen and been rejected by her high school teacher who groomed her into an underage affair. Basically My Dark Vanessa vibes. When Alice answers an ad for a room in the NYC home of a benevolent older gentleman named Noah, she sees the chance to start over. Unfortunately, these new beginnings become her ending soon after.
Ruby Jones is a 36-year-old single Aussie who’s been strung along in an affair with a soon-to-be-married co-worker. She sees NYC as a chance to escape all her married friends and her own hopeless relationship. When she discovers Alice’s body while out jogging one day, she’s immediately drawn into this Jane Doe’s story, determined to find out who she is and what led to her murder. In her effort to find answers, she befriends Lennie, Sue and Josh, who are well-acquainted with death and have formed Death Club to process their ideas about it. It sounds dark, but this was one of my favorite parts of the book and brought some welcome levity.
There’s nothing flashy about this book. Unlike many books in the genre, it’s not out to be clever or shock you with unseen twists. It’s a solid mystery, with Alice narrating her own story from before her death and both hers and Ruby’s stories from the omniscient “beyond”. As the blurb says, the focus is intentionally less on “whodunnit” and more on “who was SHE?” It’s quiet and often somber in tone, but it’s also beautifully written and gives the reader insight, through Alice and Ruby, into the conscious and unconscious ways women speak and behave as they move through their lives. I loved both of these characters and how their stories intertwined.
Is this inherently feminist in its leanings? Yes. What I appreciated is that it doesn’t resort to blatant misandry to make its point. These issues would be and are equally true of ANY relationship in which there’s a power imbalance, regardless of gender.
It wasn’t a fun read, in the traditional sense, but it was a good read, and one whose ideas will stick with me. I’ll definitely be watching for more from this author!
★★★★
Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley and author Jacqueline Bublitz for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. It’s due to be published November 1st, 2022.
Two women experiencing loneliness and aimlessness in their lives make the decision to abandon their current lives and move to NYC. Alice Lee has just turned eighteen and been rejected by her high school teacher who groomed her into an underage affair. Basically My Dark Vanessa vibes. When Alice answers an ad for a room in the NYC home of a benevolent older gentleman named Noah, she sees the chance to start over. Unfortunately, these new beginnings become her ending soon after.
Ruby Jones is a 36-year-old single Aussie who’s been strung along in an affair with a soon-to-be-married co-worker. She sees NYC as a chance to escape all her married friends and her own hopeless relationship. When she discovers Alice’s body while out jogging one day, she’s immediately drawn into this Jane Doe’s story, determined to find out who she is and what led to her murder. In her effort to find answers, she befriends Lennie, Sue and Josh, who are well-acquainted with death and have formed Death Club to process their ideas about it. It sounds dark, but this was one of my favorite parts of the book and brought some welcome levity.
There’s nothing flashy about this book. Unlike many books in the genre, it’s not out to be clever or shock you with unseen twists. It’s a solid mystery, with Alice narrating her own story from before her death and both hers and Ruby’s stories from the omniscient “beyond”. As the blurb says, the focus is intentionally less on “whodunnit” and more on “who was SHE?” It’s quiet and often somber in tone, but it’s also beautifully written and gives the reader insight, through Alice and Ruby, into the conscious and unconscious ways women speak and behave as they move through their lives. I loved both of these characters and how their stories intertwined.
Is this inherently feminist in its leanings? Yes. What I appreciated is that it doesn’t resort to blatant misandry to make its point. These issues would be and are equally true of ANY relationship in which there’s a power imbalance, regardless of gender.
It wasn’t a fun read, in the traditional sense, but it was a good read, and one whose ideas will stick with me. I’ll definitely be watching for more from this author!
★★★★
Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley and author Jacqueline Bublitz for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. It’s due to be published November 1st, 2022.
October 17, 2022
Achingly beautiful.
"No one lives just one life. We start and finish our worlds many times over. And no matter how long or short a time we are here, I'm beginning to realize we all want more than we get."
This is a story that shouldn't have worked for me, but it did. It's the story of two women who come to New York City: Alice, who at age 18 is just embarking on her life after a rough childhood and a series of bad choices, and Ruby, a 36-year-old Australian woman who is looking for a fresh start. We know from the beginning that Alice has died and Ruby finds her body, but we don't know the circumstances or what happens when Ruby decides to try to figure out who Alice was.
This is a gorgeously written novel that encompasses larger themes within the narrative. It's the story of life and death, grief and loss, but it is also about women and choices. It's about consent, about the default action of women to be polite and accommodating even when uncomfortable, about seeking the truth about ourselves even when it's uncomfortable. It's about regrets and missed opportunities, but it's also about diving in and taking chances even when it's difficult.
It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I was absolutely captivated to the point where I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I wanted to know what happened. There's a bit of mystery, yes, but the book is about so much more than that, the mystery really takes a back seat to the emotions and growth of the characters.
This is a stunning debut and I look forward to reading more by this talented writer.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
"No one lives just one life. We start and finish our worlds many times over. And no matter how long or short a time we are here, I'm beginning to realize we all want more than we get."
This is a story that shouldn't have worked for me, but it did. It's the story of two women who come to New York City: Alice, who at age 18 is just embarking on her life after a rough childhood and a series of bad choices, and Ruby, a 36-year-old Australian woman who is looking for a fresh start. We know from the beginning that Alice has died and Ruby finds her body, but we don't know the circumstances or what happens when Ruby decides to try to figure out who Alice was.
This is a gorgeously written novel that encompasses larger themes within the narrative. It's the story of life and death, grief and loss, but it is also about women and choices. It's about consent, about the default action of women to be polite and accommodating even when uncomfortable, about seeking the truth about ourselves even when it's uncomfortable. It's about regrets and missed opportunities, but it's also about diving in and taking chances even when it's difficult.
It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I was absolutely captivated to the point where I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I wanted to know what happened. There's a bit of mystery, yes, but the book is about so much more than that, the mystery really takes a back seat to the emotions and growth of the characters.
This is a stunning debut and I look forward to reading more by this talented writer.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
May 19, 2022
What a heart wrenching story that ripping your heart out, making you feel sad face of the true depression, loneliness and ugly face of abuse, hurt, violence!
Two different women who are running from their tragic lives to make a fresh start choses the exact same day to arrive to Big Apple!One of them is 18 years old Alice Lee, not carrying so much with her, just $60 cash and Leica camera to change her entire life perspective. Other woman is Ruby Jones, in her thirties, leaving her life in Melbourne, Australia behind to start a new life.
Their fates are intercepted at the day when Ruby finds Alice’s corpse during her morning jogging. Nobody knows that girl. She’s another Jane Doe, left in the mortuary stretcher, without past with stolen future.
Throughout your reading adventure, Alice’s spirit accompanies you to tell her own story. Ruby also feels her existence deep in her bones and she’s adamant to find the true identity of this girl. Her investigation takes her to the different places, meeting with new people to form intimate relationships.
This book is definitely intense, emotional, thought provoking, moving! It’s more than a mystery and thriller. Some parts of two women’s stories are truly hard to digest. The violence of men and their mistreatments to the women couldn’t be told so effectively.
This is well written, highly poignant, strong story I highly recommend you not to miss!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Two different women who are running from their tragic lives to make a fresh start choses the exact same day to arrive to Big Apple!One of them is 18 years old Alice Lee, not carrying so much with her, just $60 cash and Leica camera to change her entire life perspective. Other woman is Ruby Jones, in her thirties, leaving her life in Melbourne, Australia behind to start a new life.
Their fates are intercepted at the day when Ruby finds Alice’s corpse during her morning jogging. Nobody knows that girl. She’s another Jane Doe, left in the mortuary stretcher, without past with stolen future.
Throughout your reading adventure, Alice’s spirit accompanies you to tell her own story. Ruby also feels her existence deep in her bones and she’s adamant to find the true identity of this girl. Her investigation takes her to the different places, meeting with new people to form intimate relationships.
This book is definitely intense, emotional, thought provoking, moving! It’s more than a mystery and thriller. Some parts of two women’s stories are truly hard to digest. The violence of men and their mistreatments to the women couldn’t be told so effectively.
This is well written, highly poignant, strong story I highly recommend you not to miss!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
October 28, 2022
Alice Lee arrived in NYC with $600.00 in her pocket on her 18th birthday. She had a stolen camera, a few articles of clothing and a whole lot of hope for a fresh start. Big dreams in a big city which were unfortunately dashed when she became an unidentified murder victim.
Ruby Jones is also looking for a fresh start. She has been in a relationship with a man who is engaged to another. She has come to NYC from Australia hoping get perspective but finds she is so very lonely. She unfortunately finds Alice's dead body while out for a run.
Now Alice and Ruby are connected. Alice wants the truth of her life told and Ruby finds she can't let Alice go. Imagine finding a dead body, especially the body of someone who has been murdered. How does that affect you? Everyone is different, some may be able to shake it off, while others may find discovering a dead body to be very traumatic. Plus, poor Alice, all she wanted was to begin again, to have a fresh start, so young and full of promise.
This was a well written book about two women and their connection. This book evokes emotion while exploring Alice and Ruby's thoughts. While all you want to do is move on, yet there is something holding you in place.
Both Alice and Ruby are likeable characters. I felt for both before and after the murder. I appreciated how the focus was on them and not so much on the killer. So often, we hear a lot about murderers but not their victims. I applaud the author for showing us Alice, and for showing how Ruby was affected by finding Alice's body.
Well written, evoking emotion and gripping.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin, NetGalley, and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Ruby Jones is also looking for a fresh start. She has been in a relationship with a man who is engaged to another. She has come to NYC from Australia hoping get perspective but finds she is so very lonely. She unfortunately finds Alice's dead body while out for a run.
Now Alice and Ruby are connected. Alice wants the truth of her life told and Ruby finds she can't let Alice go. Imagine finding a dead body, especially the body of someone who has been murdered. How does that affect you? Everyone is different, some may be able to shake it off, while others may find discovering a dead body to be very traumatic. Plus, poor Alice, all she wanted was to begin again, to have a fresh start, so young and full of promise.
This was a well written book about two women and their connection. This book evokes emotion while exploring Alice and Ruby's thoughts. While all you want to do is move on, yet there is something holding you in place.
Both Alice and Ruby are likeable characters. I felt for both before and after the murder. I appreciated how the focus was on them and not so much on the killer. So often, we hear a lot about murderers but not their victims. I applaud the author for showing us Alice, and for showing how Ruby was affected by finding Alice's body.
Well written, evoking emotion and gripping.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin, NetGalley, and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
October 24, 2022
Jacqueline Bublitz’s debut novel,
Before You Knew My Name
, is heartbreaking and thought-provoking. At 36, Ruby Jones decides to move to NYC for six months from Australia. She needs to be shaken out of her current state of aloneness and get a fresh start on life. Alice Lee turns eighteen on the day she arrived in New York City (NYC) with $600, a few clothes, and a stolen camera. One month later, Alice is dead, but her story continues. When Ruby finds a woman’s body by the Hudson River, she and Alice are connected. While Ruby wants to forget what she saw, she can’t. Can she solve Alice’s death and give her closure?
The complex characterization is first-rate for Alice and Ruby as well as many of the secondary characters. Their hope, sadness, and loneliness are palpable. Both characters change and grow as they respond to events. I cared about them and they were easy to like.
This novel is unique with it’s narration by Alice after her death. For the majority of the book, others know her only as Jane Doe or Riverside Jane. The story goes beyond who murdered “Jane” to who was “Jane”. Readers learn from Alice about her life before her death, including her month in NYC. They also gain insight into Ruby’s desire for a change in her life.
This book has a solid premise and a mystery, but it’s much more than that. There’s a focus on the victim and the one who found her more than the murder itself. It’s about the ability for all to walk safely on streets. Taking control of your life and the effects of trauma on those who encounter it are explored, including flashbacks, paranoia, and hypervigilance. It’s about finding a murder victim and having a young life full of opportunity cut short. News coverage bias and remembering the victims is explored. Other themes include starting over, safety, freedom, hope, grief, surviving, friendship, trust issues, assault, murder, and deaths. My biggest quibble is the pacing felt slow at times. The story switches between characters frequently.
Overall, this story is gripping, thought-provoking, and emotional, with wonderful characterization and many scenes of heartache and hope. While this is fictional, violence and murder against women is an occurrence that is all too frequent in today’s world. This was a new author for me and I can’t wait to dive into another one of her stories. This incredible novel will be remembered for a long time.
Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Jacqueline Bublitz provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 1, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
---------------------------------------------
My 3.7 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming soon.
The complex characterization is first-rate for Alice and Ruby as well as many of the secondary characters. Their hope, sadness, and loneliness are palpable. Both characters change and grow as they respond to events. I cared about them and they were easy to like.
This novel is unique with it’s narration by Alice after her death. For the majority of the book, others know her only as Jane Doe or Riverside Jane. The story goes beyond who murdered “Jane” to who was “Jane”. Readers learn from Alice about her life before her death, including her month in NYC. They also gain insight into Ruby’s desire for a change in her life.
This book has a solid premise and a mystery, but it’s much more than that. There’s a focus on the victim and the one who found her more than the murder itself. It’s about the ability for all to walk safely on streets. Taking control of your life and the effects of trauma on those who encounter it are explored, including flashbacks, paranoia, and hypervigilance. It’s about finding a murder victim and having a young life full of opportunity cut short. News coverage bias and remembering the victims is explored. Other themes include starting over, safety, freedom, hope, grief, surviving, friendship, trust issues, assault, murder, and deaths. My biggest quibble is the pacing felt slow at times. The story switches between characters frequently.
Overall, this story is gripping, thought-provoking, and emotional, with wonderful characterization and many scenes of heartache and hope. While this is fictional, violence and murder against women is an occurrence that is all too frequent in today’s world. This was a new author for me and I can’t wait to dive into another one of her stories. This incredible novel will be remembered for a long time.
Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Jacqueline Bublitz provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 1, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
---------------------------------------------
My 3.7 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming soon.
November 16, 2022
**Many thanks to Edelweiss, Maudee Genao at Atria, and Jacqueline Bublitz for a DRC in exchange for an honest review! Now available as of 11.1!!**
"Truth is, I can't touch anything, not really. But it makes me feel better to imagine. That it didn't all just disappear because someone else wanted it to. That I am still here. Even if no one can see me. Even if nobody knows my name.
Yet."
Two women with two disparate lives...destined to collide. And one of these women is dead...but her impact on the outside world is FAR from over...
Alice Lee leaves Wisconsin with $600 in her pocket and a Leica camera around her neck, destined for NYC with one goal in mind: a fresh start. After a traumatic experience leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew, the big city seems to hold the promise of a brighter tomorrow. She finds a room and slowly starts to push back the memories that hold her back, from the untimely passing of her mother to her heart-wrenching time in the foster care system.
Fate has other plans for Alice, however, and she is brutally raped and murdered and left in a park as a virtual unknown...a "Riverside Jane Doe."
Enter Ruby Jones, on a journey of self-discovery of her own. Leaving life in Australia behind after a relationship with an engaged man turns sour, she longs for more from life and braves the journey to New York alone. What she finds, however, is the last thing she'd ever expect: a body. Ruby is horrified by the discovery, but becomes even more upset when she realizes that nobody knows quite WHO this woman was...and sadly, she's one of many. Ruby is determined to find out not only her name, but who she was and WHY her life was cut short.
What she doesn't know is that Alice is determined to make herself known...and she's more than happy to tell her story...if you're willing to listen.
I've read a few books narrated by ghosts, and while I usually enjoy this angle there has always been something missing in the writing or something that doesn't feel QUITE right.
What Jacqueline Bublitz does in Before You Knew My Name, however, is nothing short of extraordinary.
This book is as moving and realistic as any memoir...if you were somehow able to write your memoir from beyond the grave, that is. While it took a minute to understand the flow and rhythm of the story (as in, the now vs. then, since much of the book is Alice recounting her murder and the history preceding that event), once I figured out what was happening now vs. what happened in the past, I was fully immersed in Alice's mind.
This is the sort of narration that thrusts you headlong into the character's world, and Bublitz blended just the right amount of ghostly overtones to let you 'see' Alice's impact on Ruby without feeling gimmicky or detracting from the plot. Alice's narration is also neatly butted up against Ruby's POV, and I felt just as invested in one woman as the other. Each was on their own journey, but the stories dovetailed beautifully.
The 'solving of the mystery' is NOT the important part of this book, however. Sure, you'll figure it out, but Alice is less interested in detailing the identity of her murderer and how the events transpired that day than she is in making sure you know EXACTLY who she was. Sure, this begins with her name, but it becomes so much more than that.
WHY are we, as women, so easily displaced and forgotten? What is it about death that frightens AND unites us? It is these sorts of questions that take center stage and make this novel sing. Bublitz's prose is lyrical and profound at times, straightforward and driving at others, leaving the reader with so many thought-provoking questions. Some are answered by the characters, but others are meant to be savored and explored long after you finish turning the pages.
Perhaps one of Bublitz's most poignant moments comes during an explanation of grief, through the eyes of Alice: "To see this grief up close is to look at light passing through a prism, like a rainbow, but so much brighter. It is the most glorious thing, this arc of remembrance, as if the beginning and end of a person was only ever light."
If this powerful, shining debut is any indication, Bublitz's light is not simply a flickering candle, but an INDOMITABLE Eternal Flame! 🔥
4.5 stars
"Truth is, I can't touch anything, not really. But it makes me feel better to imagine. That it didn't all just disappear because someone else wanted it to. That I am still here. Even if no one can see me. Even if nobody knows my name.
Yet."
Two women with two disparate lives...destined to collide. And one of these women is dead...but her impact on the outside world is FAR from over...
Alice Lee leaves Wisconsin with $600 in her pocket and a Leica camera around her neck, destined for NYC with one goal in mind: a fresh start. After a traumatic experience leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew, the big city seems to hold the promise of a brighter tomorrow. She finds a room and slowly starts to push back the memories that hold her back, from the untimely passing of her mother to her heart-wrenching time in the foster care system.
Fate has other plans for Alice, however, and she is brutally raped and murdered and left in a park as a virtual unknown...a "Riverside Jane Doe."
Enter Ruby Jones, on a journey of self-discovery of her own. Leaving life in Australia behind after a relationship with an engaged man turns sour, she longs for more from life and braves the journey to New York alone. What she finds, however, is the last thing she'd ever expect: a body. Ruby is horrified by the discovery, but becomes even more upset when she realizes that nobody knows quite WHO this woman was...and sadly, she's one of many. Ruby is determined to find out not only her name, but who she was and WHY her life was cut short.
What she doesn't know is that Alice is determined to make herself known...and she's more than happy to tell her story...if you're willing to listen.
I've read a few books narrated by ghosts, and while I usually enjoy this angle there has always been something missing in the writing or something that doesn't feel QUITE right.
What Jacqueline Bublitz does in Before You Knew My Name, however, is nothing short of extraordinary.
This book is as moving and realistic as any memoir...if you were somehow able to write your memoir from beyond the grave, that is. While it took a minute to understand the flow and rhythm of the story (as in, the now vs. then, since much of the book is Alice recounting her murder and the history preceding that event), once I figured out what was happening now vs. what happened in the past, I was fully immersed in Alice's mind.
This is the sort of narration that thrusts you headlong into the character's world, and Bublitz blended just the right amount of ghostly overtones to let you 'see' Alice's impact on Ruby without feeling gimmicky or detracting from the plot. Alice's narration is also neatly butted up against Ruby's POV, and I felt just as invested in one woman as the other. Each was on their own journey, but the stories dovetailed beautifully.
The 'solving of the mystery' is NOT the important part of this book, however. Sure, you'll figure it out, but Alice is less interested in detailing the identity of her murderer and how the events transpired that day than she is in making sure you know EXACTLY who she was. Sure, this begins with her name, but it becomes so much more than that.
WHY are we, as women, so easily displaced and forgotten? What is it about death that frightens AND unites us? It is these sorts of questions that take center stage and make this novel sing. Bublitz's prose is lyrical and profound at times, straightforward and driving at others, leaving the reader with so many thought-provoking questions. Some are answered by the characters, but others are meant to be savored and explored long after you finish turning the pages.
Perhaps one of Bublitz's most poignant moments comes during an explanation of grief, through the eyes of Alice: "To see this grief up close is to look at light passing through a prism, like a rainbow, but so much brighter. It is the most glorious thing, this arc of remembrance, as if the beginning and end of a person was only ever light."
If this powerful, shining debut is any indication, Bublitz's light is not simply a flickering candle, but an INDOMITABLE Eternal Flame! 🔥
4.5 stars
July 10, 2022
"You gave me a forever within the numbered days." (John Green, The Fault in Our Stars)
Jacqueline Bublitz's Before You Knew My Name will be loved and will be misunderstood by a vast amount of readers out there. Bublitz delivers a story compressed with the heaviness of grief, of frustration, of missed opportunities and even weaker approaches to life choices. And what is even more apparent is the reality that we have no control over the dark forbidding shadow that steps in and fills the moment with no retreat.
Bublitz introduces us to her two female main characters. Each begins life on different points of the Universe until an intersection takes place in the burgeoning city of New York. Alice Lee has just turned eighteen. She's a product of a troubled dead mother and the subsequent product of the foster care system. Her search for acceptance and love takes her down a path of near emotional destruction. She exchanges life in a small Wisconsin town for the limelight of New York. Hope gives her wings.
Ruby Jones has a bit more mileage on her speedometer. She's a thirty-six year old woman from Australia trying to peel away the clinginess of a long-term affair with a man already promised to another. Ruby wants distance. New York City seems to fit the bill for now. But that hopeless affair has long tentacles that wrap around her heart and her good sense.
Jacqueline Bublitz's writing style is intricate in its telling. She goes deep. Prepare for that. At times it can be rambling and at other times her thoughts are outright profound. She desperately wants you to know the inner workings of these characters and to taste the bitter aftermath of a tragic event that has become, unfortunately, more common place to us everyday. And all of this is wrapped in the constricting materials of tormented relationships, avenues of seeking help and justice, deadly chance encounters, and the grief laid heavily in one's breath of the soul.
The impact of finding the remains of a stranger on the rocks near the Hudson River is at the core of this novel. Ruby must find ways to deal with the impact. Bublitz allows that nugget of compassion to rise to the surface in a world becoming more and more removed from the plight of others. Who mourns for the lost and the obscure? Parts of our being remain and parts of our being having already taken flight beyond this world. Deeply sad, but deeply hopeful, Before You Knew My Name is a glimpse into a step forward for the voiceless and the abandoned.....numbers too high to count.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atria Books and to Jacqueline Bublitz for the opportunity.
Jacqueline Bublitz's Before You Knew My Name will be loved and will be misunderstood by a vast amount of readers out there. Bublitz delivers a story compressed with the heaviness of grief, of frustration, of missed opportunities and even weaker approaches to life choices. And what is even more apparent is the reality that we have no control over the dark forbidding shadow that steps in and fills the moment with no retreat.
Bublitz introduces us to her two female main characters. Each begins life on different points of the Universe until an intersection takes place in the burgeoning city of New York. Alice Lee has just turned eighteen. She's a product of a troubled dead mother and the subsequent product of the foster care system. Her search for acceptance and love takes her down a path of near emotional destruction. She exchanges life in a small Wisconsin town for the limelight of New York. Hope gives her wings.
Ruby Jones has a bit more mileage on her speedometer. She's a thirty-six year old woman from Australia trying to peel away the clinginess of a long-term affair with a man already promised to another. Ruby wants distance. New York City seems to fit the bill for now. But that hopeless affair has long tentacles that wrap around her heart and her good sense.
Jacqueline Bublitz's writing style is intricate in its telling. She goes deep. Prepare for that. At times it can be rambling and at other times her thoughts are outright profound. She desperately wants you to know the inner workings of these characters and to taste the bitter aftermath of a tragic event that has become, unfortunately, more common place to us everyday. And all of this is wrapped in the constricting materials of tormented relationships, avenues of seeking help and justice, deadly chance encounters, and the grief laid heavily in one's breath of the soul.
The impact of finding the remains of a stranger on the rocks near the Hudson River is at the core of this novel. Ruby must find ways to deal with the impact. Bublitz allows that nugget of compassion to rise to the surface in a world becoming more and more removed from the plight of others. Who mourns for the lost and the obscure? Parts of our being remain and parts of our being having already taken flight beyond this world. Deeply sad, but deeply hopeful, Before You Knew My Name is a glimpse into a step forward for the voiceless and the abandoned.....numbers too high to count.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atria Books and to Jacqueline Bublitz for the opportunity.
July 8, 2022
I am not going to write a full review due to my neck issues but this was a haunting beautifully written story that pulled at my heartstrings the characters were superb, heartbreaking at times just wonderful.
September 13, 2022
This was a debut, which again has been my experience of late, there is nothing to say this is written by anyone other than a seasoned writer.
Very clever writing, the narrator speaks from the dead, which is mostly new to me.
Ruby and Alice arrive in New York on the same day. What draws them together is that apart from both running from far from ideal circumstances, they both simply deserve more from life. Alice has $600 in her pocket and a camera, she owns nothing. She is very lucky to stumble across an advertisement that takes her to the door of Noah, and in him she finds the first person to care for her. This is non-sexual and is what she needs.
I love this loving relationship; it is new to Alice. She writes thank you IOU notes on the fridge for her socks, her shoes, her toiletries. She’s intent on repaying Noah for his kindness; he asks for nothing in return.
Ruby is on the run from a bad relationship, arriving from Melbourne. All she seems to be able to manage is buy vodka, drink it, and run. How has it come to this for her? And it is on one of her early morning runs that she finds 18 year old Alice dead, floating in the Hudson River.
She can’t let go of this girl, her life becomes consumed with Alice. Alice becomes Jane. Who is she? The fact she is on the run makes it so hard. Those on the run usually have no ties, it takes so long for anything to be established to being anywhere near close to being solved. And of course, Alice was preyed upon by an older teacher – he is not going to give anything up.
And thus begins a story of kinship between the dead and living, Alice spurs Ruby on from the sidelines and takes us through her past.
A Dewy Decimal System for the dead, Ruby thought, when she first visited the NamUs site. She sat cross-legged on her bed, sipping vodka, as she clicked through this seemingly endless catalogue of the dead and the missing. She was consumed by finding answers and came across some characters whom I adored. From Alice in response to this trawling: She cannot know how much I despise it; I do not wish to be tethered in this way to the place it happened. It…. I am coming to understand that for many, my identity only has meaning in so far as it might help identify him. Him.
So, in this gritty tale of death and despair, we also see the best of human kindness. Ruby was able to help with the search and she was able to process her grief with some like minded people. Alice is always there with her, though it is not at all kitsch as one may assume. It forms a holistic part of the tale. In that time, with some help from me, the four members of Death Club have thought about each other, gone to sleep with fragments of each other’s stories… And though no one is quite sure how it happened, it is Ruby the three original members keep coming back to most of all.
I chose this book initially as I love reading about New York, and assumed it would be a great thriller, or who dunnit. But it was more than this. It crossed themes of misogyny, abuse, poverty, trauma and above all else, love for a fellow human. Alice narrating her story after death would normally be a turn off for me, but Ruby loved her and was able to help her. I found this such an unusual story, I decided on 5 stars.
Very clever writing, the narrator speaks from the dead, which is mostly new to me.
Ruby and Alice arrive in New York on the same day. What draws them together is that apart from both running from far from ideal circumstances, they both simply deserve more from life. Alice has $600 in her pocket and a camera, she owns nothing. She is very lucky to stumble across an advertisement that takes her to the door of Noah, and in him she finds the first person to care for her. This is non-sexual and is what she needs.
I love this loving relationship; it is new to Alice. She writes thank you IOU notes on the fridge for her socks, her shoes, her toiletries. She’s intent on repaying Noah for his kindness; he asks for nothing in return.
Ruby is on the run from a bad relationship, arriving from Melbourne. All she seems to be able to manage is buy vodka, drink it, and run. How has it come to this for her? And it is on one of her early morning runs that she finds 18 year old Alice dead, floating in the Hudson River.
She can’t let go of this girl, her life becomes consumed with Alice. Alice becomes Jane. Who is she? The fact she is on the run makes it so hard. Those on the run usually have no ties, it takes so long for anything to be established to being anywhere near close to being solved. And of course, Alice was preyed upon by an older teacher – he is not going to give anything up.
And thus begins a story of kinship between the dead and living, Alice spurs Ruby on from the sidelines and takes us through her past.
A Dewy Decimal System for the dead, Ruby thought, when she first visited the NamUs site. She sat cross-legged on her bed, sipping vodka, as she clicked through this seemingly endless catalogue of the dead and the missing. She was consumed by finding answers and came across some characters whom I adored. From Alice in response to this trawling: She cannot know how much I despise it; I do not wish to be tethered in this way to the place it happened. It…. I am coming to understand that for many, my identity only has meaning in so far as it might help identify him. Him.
So, in this gritty tale of death and despair, we also see the best of human kindness. Ruby was able to help with the search and she was able to process her grief with some like minded people. Alice is always there with her, though it is not at all kitsch as one may assume. It forms a holistic part of the tale. In that time, with some help from me, the four members of Death Club have thought about each other, gone to sleep with fragments of each other’s stories… And though no one is quite sure how it happened, it is Ruby the three original members keep coming back to most of all.
I chose this book initially as I love reading about New York, and assumed it would be a great thriller, or who dunnit. But it was more than this. It crossed themes of misogyny, abuse, poverty, trauma and above all else, love for a fellow human. Alice narrating her story after death would normally be a turn off for me, but Ruby loved her and was able to help her. I found this such an unusual story, I decided on 5 stars.
October 17, 2022
4.5 Stars
Two women, world's apart, manage to escape the men who both enchant and manipulate them. Their paths cross in the most tragic of ways when one discovers the body of the other. I love that this novel was more about the women and the new chapters they were embarking on rather than the murder itself. The unique point-of-view (the murder victim's spirit) made the story an overwhelmingly intimate experience. However, this POV also made for some uncomfortable moments as we are right there with Alice through some disturbing incidents. Through it all though, is an undercurrent of hope, which seems crazy given we know the outcome. The hope that grows and blossoms through the story is for all women needing to make a fresh start, all women taking control back and writing their own futures, all women who find people to lift them up with love, encouragement and support. A powerful and moving story.
Two women, world's apart, manage to escape the men who both enchant and manipulate them. Their paths cross in the most tragic of ways when one discovers the body of the other. I love that this novel was more about the women and the new chapters they were embarking on rather than the murder itself. The unique point-of-view (the murder victim's spirit) made the story an overwhelmingly intimate experience. However, this POV also made for some uncomfortable moments as we are right there with Alice through some disturbing incidents. Through it all though, is an undercurrent of hope, which seems crazy given we know the outcome. The hope that grows and blossoms through the story is for all women needing to make a fresh start, all women taking control back and writing their own futures, all women who find people to lift them up with love, encouragement and support. A powerful and moving story.
May 15, 2021
As it says on the back cover "This is not just another novel about a dead girl" Before You Knew My Name is Jacqueline Bublitz debut novel and it is incredible. I almost read it in one sitting, so engrossed in the story and needing to see what would happen next.
It is a story of 2 women who arrive in New York on the same day. They are both running away from something, wanting a fresh start in a new place. Alice arrives on her 18th birthday by bus with $600 in cash and her camera and no real plan. Ruby arrives in from Melbourne, again with no real plan, wondering if she has done the right thing. These women are so different and yet so similar. And their lives are about to become entwined forever when Ruby finds Alice's body in the river.
I am not going to say too much about the story as you really need to read it for yourself. What I will say is that this book will bring out all the emotions in you. When Alice is found, nobody know who she is. She is a Jane Doe and that is so very sad. It is a story on finding out who she is in, and in doing so Ruby finds out alot about herself. It is about relationships, how women are treated and how men think they can treat them. I am finding it hard to put into words so just do yourself a favour and read this book.
Released in Australia May 4th, you don't want to miss it.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read.
It is a story of 2 women who arrive in New York on the same day. They are both running away from something, wanting a fresh start in a new place. Alice arrives on her 18th birthday by bus with $600 in cash and her camera and no real plan. Ruby arrives in from Melbourne, again with no real plan, wondering if she has done the right thing. These women are so different and yet so similar. And their lives are about to become entwined forever when Ruby finds Alice's body in the river.
I am not going to say too much about the story as you really need to read it for yourself. What I will say is that this book will bring out all the emotions in you. When Alice is found, nobody know who she is. She is a Jane Doe and that is so very sad. It is a story on finding out who she is in, and in doing so Ruby finds out alot about herself. It is about relationships, how women are treated and how men think they can treat them. I am finding it hard to put into words so just do yourself a favour and read this book.
Released in Australia May 4th, you don't want to miss it.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read.
May 23, 2021
3.5~4★
“You will already have an idea of me.
There are enough of us dead girls out there.
. . .
Just a few weeks from now, when people can’t stop talking about me, this city will give me a while new name. My real name will be a question no one can answer, so they will call me Jane Doe. A dead girl who –
But we are only at the beginning of things tonight.”
Two young women, one on her 18th birthday and one twice as old (still a young 36), arrive in New York City on the same night, both making a break from men who have taken advantage of them. Alice Lee celebrates her birthday on a bus from Wisconsin, while Ruby Jones has flown from Australia.
We know from the first page that Alice isn’t going to make it there or anywhere (as she’d hoped, from the song, 'New York New York'). Although the book opens with this information, Alice wants to make sure she tells her story so we get to know her from her point of view, not someone else’s.
Usually, when a story is from only one person’s point of view, we see other characters from the outside. Not here. Alice is a spirit who seems able to inhabit the minds and dreams of the others. She tries hard to influence events, but is often frustrated that she can barely make a leaf flutter. Still, she tells us all about Ruby, who is missing home.
“No longer a tourist exactly, Ruby spent the last days of my life trying on a different New York, and a different version of herself. Nothing worked, of course; anything she tried felt like a misstep, like she was still running the wrong way. Loneliness is disorienting like that; with Ash as her only lodestar, Ruby continued to feel utterly lost.
(She still has no idea where she is headed, the story that awaits her. But she’s so close now. We’re almost there.)”
Alice’s comments are sometimes parenthetical, as here, and sometimes in slightly separated sections following Ruby’s movements, but we are aware she is watching and listening and aware of everything the others are feeling and thinking.
Ruby is a runner, and early one morning she is jogging in the rain (because she just can’t sit still), and she becomes “the jogger” who discovered “the body”, and that’s as much as the news is interested in her. Nobody is terribly interested in what happens to Ruby.
This is an angry, furious, all too real look at what happens to girls and women and why. The way other characters are drawn in and the story is drawn out is an interesting style and kept me reading. I am guilty of never having considered the impact on “the jogger” of stumbling across a discovery like Ruby’s.
It’s not a diatribe against men – there are some good ones here – but it is certainly a warning about caution and trust.
“‘Your days are numbered.’ Blood-red, leaking down tunnel walls. It felt like a warning, that subway graffiti. A reminder. Before New York, before Noah, I never truly believed I’d be safe.
Do you know how aware we have to be? Girls like me. The man ahead who slows down, who disappears into doorways. The man close behind who walks too fast, his encroachment felt on your skin, creeping. Vans with dark windows and streets with alley ways. A park at dusk, or empty lots, eerie, any old time of the day. The friend’s father whose hand lingers, or the group of boys with beer on their breath. The door closing and the room spinning.”
It’s also a reminder of how quickly we get used to it. We have protest marches and campaigns to make our streets safe. [We tell girls how to be careful and boys how to behave. We forget that we didn’t always follow the rules, so why should they? But I digress.]
“But after a while, the city will go back to its rhythms, it will once again become a place where women walk alone at night, and talk to strangers on the street, and only avoid 'certain' places.
.. . .
Then when it happens again, the city will be tired. No one will march this time, or shout in the streets; their anger will be jaded, quiet. Flowers will be laid, and candles lit, but the death of another bright young girl will come more like a reminder from now on, an alarm clock ringing.
. . .
There is a silence for a time.
And then the alarm sounds out again.”
I remember when a toddler was snatched from a yard across from the primary school when my children were little and how we mums started ringing each other before they left to walk to each other’s houses just a few doors away to play. That lasted maybe a week, I think.
I didn’t feel a particular connection to any of the characters, but I did enjoy the premise and the group of people Ruby eventually surrounded herself with. I think this will be a very popular read, and I thank Allen & Unwin for my preview copy. from which I've quoted.
“You will already have an idea of me.
There are enough of us dead girls out there.
. . .
Just a few weeks from now, when people can’t stop talking about me, this city will give me a while new name. My real name will be a question no one can answer, so they will call me Jane Doe. A dead girl who –
But we are only at the beginning of things tonight.”
Two young women, one on her 18th birthday and one twice as old (still a young 36), arrive in New York City on the same night, both making a break from men who have taken advantage of them. Alice Lee celebrates her birthday on a bus from Wisconsin, while Ruby Jones has flown from Australia.
We know from the first page that Alice isn’t going to make it there or anywhere (as she’d hoped, from the song, 'New York New York'). Although the book opens with this information, Alice wants to make sure she tells her story so we get to know her from her point of view, not someone else’s.
Usually, when a story is from only one person’s point of view, we see other characters from the outside. Not here. Alice is a spirit who seems able to inhabit the minds and dreams of the others. She tries hard to influence events, but is often frustrated that she can barely make a leaf flutter. Still, she tells us all about Ruby, who is missing home.
“No longer a tourist exactly, Ruby spent the last days of my life trying on a different New York, and a different version of herself. Nothing worked, of course; anything she tried felt like a misstep, like she was still running the wrong way. Loneliness is disorienting like that; with Ash as her only lodestar, Ruby continued to feel utterly lost.
(She still has no idea where she is headed, the story that awaits her. But she’s so close now. We’re almost there.)”
Alice’s comments are sometimes parenthetical, as here, and sometimes in slightly separated sections following Ruby’s movements, but we are aware she is watching and listening and aware of everything the others are feeling and thinking.
Ruby is a runner, and early one morning she is jogging in the rain (because she just can’t sit still), and she becomes “the jogger” who discovered “the body”, and that’s as much as the news is interested in her. Nobody is terribly interested in what happens to Ruby.
This is an angry, furious, all too real look at what happens to girls and women and why. The way other characters are drawn in and the story is drawn out is an interesting style and kept me reading. I am guilty of never having considered the impact on “the jogger” of stumbling across a discovery like Ruby’s.
It’s not a diatribe against men – there are some good ones here – but it is certainly a warning about caution and trust.
“‘Your days are numbered.’ Blood-red, leaking down tunnel walls. It felt like a warning, that subway graffiti. A reminder. Before New York, before Noah, I never truly believed I’d be safe.
Do you know how aware we have to be? Girls like me. The man ahead who slows down, who disappears into doorways. The man close behind who walks too fast, his encroachment felt on your skin, creeping. Vans with dark windows and streets with alley ways. A park at dusk, or empty lots, eerie, any old time of the day. The friend’s father whose hand lingers, or the group of boys with beer on their breath. The door closing and the room spinning.”
It’s also a reminder of how quickly we get used to it. We have protest marches and campaigns to make our streets safe. [We tell girls how to be careful and boys how to behave. We forget that we didn’t always follow the rules, so why should they? But I digress.]
“But after a while, the city will go back to its rhythms, it will once again become a place where women walk alone at night, and talk to strangers on the street, and only avoid 'certain' places.
.. . .
Then when it happens again, the city will be tired. No one will march this time, or shout in the streets; their anger will be jaded, quiet. Flowers will be laid, and candles lit, but the death of another bright young girl will come more like a reminder from now on, an alarm clock ringing.
. . .
There is a silence for a time.
And then the alarm sounds out again.”
I remember when a toddler was snatched from a yard across from the primary school when my children were little and how we mums started ringing each other before they left to walk to each other’s houses just a few doors away to play. That lasted maybe a week, I think.
I didn’t feel a particular connection to any of the characters, but I did enjoy the premise and the group of people Ruby eventually surrounded herself with. I think this will be a very popular read, and I thank Allen & Unwin for my preview copy. from which I've quoted.
June 29, 2021
Two young women both arrive in NY on the same day. Both running away from men and looking for a fresh start. Alice Lee, just 18 arrives on a bus from Wisconsin and Ruby Jones, aged 36 flies in from Melbourne. They never met but Alice gets to know Ruby really well. Full of hope and promise, looking forward to a career as a photographer, Alice is raped and murdered on the Manhattan waterfront.
Ruby is the one to find Alice’s body on her morning jog. With no identification on her Alice becomes a Jane Doe, something Ruby finds difficult to live with. She finds herself traumatised by finding Alice’s body – being the unidentified ‘jogger’ in the news, quickly forgotten, except that her pain lingers on and she wants to find out who this beautiful young woman was and what happened to her. She also changes her view of NY, making her fearful, no longer feeling safe, forever watchful and distrustful of men in the streets.
Alice’s spirit lingers on after death, also determined for her identity to be known and her murderer caught. She is the perfect narrator, following Ruby and the police and nudging them to find her killer. However, this beautifully written debut novel is so much more than a murder mystery. It not only highlights the impact that finding a murder victim can have on someone, but also allows us to mourn the victim whose whole life full of possibilities has been extinguished in a moment by a predatory man. Although Ruby will go on to find her own tribe in NY, people she can share her trauma with, she will always carry the tragic loss of Alice from the world with her. It makes for a powerful and thought provoking story and a very compelling read.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for a copy to read
Ruby is the one to find Alice’s body on her morning jog. With no identification on her Alice becomes a Jane Doe, something Ruby finds difficult to live with. She finds herself traumatised by finding Alice’s body – being the unidentified ‘jogger’ in the news, quickly forgotten, except that her pain lingers on and she wants to find out who this beautiful young woman was and what happened to her. She also changes her view of NY, making her fearful, no longer feeling safe, forever watchful and distrustful of men in the streets.
Alice’s spirit lingers on after death, also determined for her identity to be known and her murderer caught. She is the perfect narrator, following Ruby and the police and nudging them to find her killer. However, this beautifully written debut novel is so much more than a murder mystery. It not only highlights the impact that finding a murder victim can have on someone, but also allows us to mourn the victim whose whole life full of possibilities has been extinguished in a moment by a predatory man. Although Ruby will go on to find her own tribe in NY, people she can share her trauma with, she will always carry the tragic loss of Alice from the world with her. It makes for a powerful and thought provoking story and a very compelling read.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for a copy to read
October 1, 2021
Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz
Synopsis /
When she arrived in New York on her 18th 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, an unidentified murder victim.
Ruby Jones is also trying to start over; she travelled halfway around the world only to find herself lonelier than ever. Until she finds Alice's body by the Hudson River.
From this first, devastating encounter, the two women form an unbreakable bond. Alice is sure that Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her life - and death. And Ruby - struggling to forget what she saw that morning - finds herself unable to let Alice go. Not until she is given the ending she deserves.
My Thoughts /
I very rarely, if ever, DNF a book. But in this case, I can’t read any further. Sigh. Pulling the plug at 75%.
Let’s just say that many liked this one much more than I did. And if you were one of the ones that absolutely loved this book, I am very glad that you did. It was, however, not for me.
The short version: Two woman end up in New York, one from Wisconsin, one from Melbourne. The two never actually meet. One dies and the other discovers her body. The story narration goes between the two. It becomes somewhat convoluted at times as to whom is actually narrating.
Long-winded. Whiney. Repetitive. And I skim read HUGE amounts. I did not connect to the writing style. I barely cared about either woman or their stories.
To me it seemed like I was reading the author’s notebook of rambling ideas for a story, not the actual finished product.
I read where one person said “I’m sure this will become a movie”...... I hope not.
I am setting the date finished on this one back so that it won't count in my reading challenge for this year, since I didn't actually finish it.
Synopsis /
When she arrived in New York on her 18th 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, an unidentified murder victim.
Ruby Jones is also trying to start over; she travelled halfway around the world only to find herself lonelier than ever. Until she finds Alice's body by the Hudson River.
From this first, devastating encounter, the two women form an unbreakable bond. Alice is sure that Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her life - and death. And Ruby - struggling to forget what she saw that morning - finds herself unable to let Alice go. Not until she is given the ending she deserves.
My Thoughts /
I very rarely, if ever, DNF a book. But in this case, I can’t read any further. Sigh. Pulling the plug at 75%.
Let’s just say that many liked this one much more than I did. And if you were one of the ones that absolutely loved this book, I am very glad that you did. It was, however, not for me.
The short version: Two woman end up in New York, one from Wisconsin, one from Melbourne. The two never actually meet. One dies and the other discovers her body. The story narration goes between the two. It becomes somewhat convoluted at times as to whom is actually narrating.
Long-winded. Whiney. Repetitive. And I skim read HUGE amounts. I did not connect to the writing style. I barely cared about either woman or their stories.
To me it seemed like I was reading the author’s notebook of rambling ideas for a story, not the actual finished product.
I read where one person said “I’m sure this will become a movie”...... I hope not.
I am setting the date finished on this one back so that it won't count in my reading challenge for this year, since I didn't actually finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2022
How had she not noticed that only some [dead] people are deemed worthy of having their stories told?
I used to be a bit of a ghoul.
Well, still am really, but I no longer trawl through sites like The Charley Project, NCMEC & NamUs, trying to figure out why some missing person cases got so much publicity & others the moderators on these sites would sadly report;
Few details are available in his case.
The cases that seemed to get the most publicity would be young, pretty, blonde girls.
Like Alice Lee.
Alice went to New York to leave a troubled past behind. She had dreams, she had ambitions.
Australian Ruby Jones at 36 is twice Alice's age, but also travels to New York to leave a past that is more unsatisfying than troubled. But in New York she finds she is even lonelier than ever.
But then she discovers Alice's body...
The bare bones of this story don't give any indication of what a satisfying read this was and how beautiful & lyrical Ms Bublitz's use of language is. I was mesmerised - & I'm not normally a fan of or dual points of view.
Recommended.
Recommended to me by real life friend, Cara.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
October 28, 2022
A lonely woman an a lonely dead girl together in New York. Ruby Jones and Alice Lee. Stuck in our tug-of-war between the living and the dead.
Ruby and Alice arrive in NYC on the same day. They explore the city without meeting. Their paths cross a month later when Ruby is jogging and discovers Alice's dead body in the Hudson River. It is not difficult to imagine the trauma that results from discovering a dead body. Ruby seeks help through a group called the Death Club. Alice is there with her, unseen. Throughout the narrative, we view the present timeline from both perspectives. Who took Alice's life on that rainy morning? What did she miss out on by having her life cut so short? What did her friends and family lose? Ruby is also forever changed by the experience and is determined to find out what happened. This reminded me of The Lovely Bones and also Please See Us.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Ruby and Alice arrive in NYC on the same day. They explore the city without meeting. Their paths cross a month later when Ruby is jogging and discovers Alice's dead body in the Hudson River. It is not difficult to imagine the trauma that results from discovering a dead body. Ruby seeks help through a group called the Death Club. Alice is there with her, unseen. Throughout the narrative, we view the present timeline from both perspectives. Who took Alice's life on that rainy morning? What did she miss out on by having her life cut so short? What did her friends and family lose? Ruby is also forever changed by the experience and is determined to find out what happened. This reminded me of The Lovely Bones and also Please See Us.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2022
4.25 Jane Doe stars - now available!
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 book was perfect for a buddy read with Jayme and Mary Beth, check out what they thought!
Thank you to Emily Bestler Books for the copy to read and honestly review.
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 book was perfect for a buddy read with Jayme and Mary Beth, check out what they thought!
Thank you to Emily Bestler Books for the copy to read and honestly review.
April 4, 2023
I admit to being a little wary starting this book as I had read so many great reviews and expected the hype to diminish the experience - NO it did not.
This is a very beautifully crafted story with a brutal and ugly core. It centres on two females, Alice who on her eighteenth birthday arrives in New York desperate for a new life. Her mother is dead, she doesn't know who her father is and she feels that she has no one in the world who cares for her.
Ruby sets off from Melbourne, Australia to New York looking for escape. She is in a relationship with a man who is about to marry the girl of his dreams, but it is not Ruby. She is thirty-six and feels isolated, so heading off to New York where she knows no one, she is looking for a reason to keep getting out of bed.
A murder brings them together, Ruby discovers the body of Alice while out jogging and the 'spirit' of Alice, who is also the narrator of the story, attaches to Ruby. Alice is determined to make Ruby understand and see that she is not alone. That they are connected and Ruby needs to tell Alice's tale as no one else is willing nor able to.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for the paperback ARC that I won. I can highly recommend this book with a warning - it is a brutal story that may be very upsetting for some readers.
This is a very beautifully crafted story with a brutal and ugly core. It centres on two females, Alice who on her eighteenth birthday arrives in New York desperate for a new life. Her mother is dead, she doesn't know who her father is and she feels that she has no one in the world who cares for her.
Ruby sets off from Melbourne, Australia to New York looking for escape. She is in a relationship with a man who is about to marry the girl of his dreams, but it is not Ruby. She is thirty-six and feels isolated, so heading off to New York where she knows no one, she is looking for a reason to keep getting out of bed.
A murder brings them together, Ruby discovers the body of Alice while out jogging and the 'spirit' of Alice, who is also the narrator of the story, attaches to Ruby. Alice is determined to make Ruby understand and see that she is not alone. That they are connected and Ruby needs to tell Alice's tale as no one else is willing nor able to.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for the paperback ARC that I won. I can highly recommend this book with a warning - it is a brutal story that may be very upsetting for some readers.
April 13, 2021
Eighteen year old Alice arrives in New York seeking a new start. With her she has a bit of cash and an old camera. But a month later she is brutally raped and killed. A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or is it more than that? To the public she becomes known as Jane Doe, Riverside Park murder victim. Thirty six year old Aussie Ruby Jones is the jogger who finds the body. Alice, who narrates the story, since her spirit is still hanging around, is convinced Ruby is the key to identifying her real identity and identifying her murderer. And what part does the elderly Noah play in Alice's story?
I’m not one who usually goes in for books told from the dead person's point of view but this one works. Much of the prose is beautiful. New York is depicted so clearly that even though I have never been there it almost felt like I had. Beautiful prose or not, it took a while for this story to really ignite. When it came to the situation between Alice and teacher Mr Jackson and his photographic sessions, I began to wonder why I was bothering to read. Yet, there was something compelling about hearing Alice tell her story of how she arrived at the point of her death. The story definitely does pick up and draws the reader in, so I was glad I persisted.
What is presented in this tale is the vulnerability of women and the treatment meted out by men who treat them as playthings and as victims of violence. However it also presents the other side in one man who is kind and loving. Not a comfortable read but an oddly compelling and thought provoking read, this should appeal to many people. My thanks to betterreading and Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read and review. A different and intriguing read that highlights issues all too real in our society. Though not exactly a light read, recommended as worth reading, despite a few things that didn’t sit comfortably with this reader. But then, that is the point, the book is designed to make you uncomfortable about the treatment of women.
I’m not one who usually goes in for books told from the dead person's point of view but this one works. Much of the prose is beautiful. New York is depicted so clearly that even though I have never been there it almost felt like I had. Beautiful prose or not, it took a while for this story to really ignite. When it came to the situation between Alice and teacher Mr Jackson and his photographic sessions, I began to wonder why I was bothering to read. Yet, there was something compelling about hearing Alice tell her story of how she arrived at the point of her death. The story definitely does pick up and draws the reader in, so I was glad I persisted.
What is presented in this tale is the vulnerability of women and the treatment meted out by men who treat them as playthings and as victims of violence. However it also presents the other side in one man who is kind and loving. Not a comfortable read but an oddly compelling and thought provoking read, this should appeal to many people. My thanks to betterreading and Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read and review. A different and intriguing read that highlights issues all too real in our society. Though not exactly a light read, recommended as worth reading, despite a few things that didn’t sit comfortably with this reader. But then, that is the point, the book is designed to make you uncomfortable about the treatment of women.
November 16, 2022
A sad story that reminds one of the way fate deals with many.
A body is found by the river by a young jogger and once again nothing is know about her and she becomes another one of New York's Jane Doe.
There have been thousands of people who died, who fall under the title Jane or Joe Doe. No one claims them, no one seems to know them, and most disturbing is the no one seems to care.
A young transplant from Australia trying to escape unrequited love, while jogging finds the body f a young woman viciously murdered. This meeting of the two starts a chain of events that unite Alice Lee, the deceased with Ruby Jones.
Ruby feels compelled to find out the story of Alice and the story is told through Alice's need to be recognized and remembered.
This story was sad, not only because Alice is a throwaway, but also having no one to claim this young person's as their own. The story exposes the cruel side of New York living, where crime seems to be running rampant, and a young girl coming to the city with a mere six hundred dollars in her pocket is a deer in the spotlights of predators.
Quite a story that brings to light the fate of many left to wander the city thinking they are well prepared to handle the many evil people they come upon. This is a meeting of two souls, one dead and one alive, who both realize that everyone matters and no one deserves to be an unknown Jane Doe.
A body is found by the river by a young jogger and once again nothing is know about her and she becomes another one of New York's Jane Doe.
There have been thousands of people who died, who fall under the title Jane or Joe Doe. No one claims them, no one seems to know them, and most disturbing is the no one seems to care.
A young transplant from Australia trying to escape unrequited love, while jogging finds the body f a young woman viciously murdered. This meeting of the two starts a chain of events that unite Alice Lee, the deceased with Ruby Jones.
Ruby feels compelled to find out the story of Alice and the story is told through Alice's need to be recognized and remembered.
This story was sad, not only because Alice is a throwaway, but also having no one to claim this young person's as their own. The story exposes the cruel side of New York living, where crime seems to be running rampant, and a young girl coming to the city with a mere six hundred dollars in her pocket is a deer in the spotlights of predators.
Quite a story that brings to light the fate of many left to wander the city thinking they are well prepared to handle the many evil people they come upon. This is a meeting of two souls, one dead and one alive, who both realize that everyone matters and no one deserves to be an unknown Jane Doe.
August 26, 2021
This was an interesting and intriguing read, but in the end I found it just did not sustain it's premise.
Two woman end up in New York, one from Wisconsin, one from Melbourne. Never actually meet, but one dies and the other discovers her body. Narration goes between the two, sometimes convoluted as to whom is actually narrating.
All that ensues is interesting, but in the end hollow.
Lots of hype about this one, but not sustained for me at all, disappointing.
Two woman end up in New York, one from Wisconsin, one from Melbourne. Never actually meet, but one dies and the other discovers her body. Narration goes between the two, sometimes convoluted as to whom is actually narrating.
All that ensues is interesting, but in the end hollow.
Lots of hype about this one, but not sustained for me at all, disappointing.
October 5, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Set in contemporary New York City, this is the tale of two strangers- Alice and Ruby that are immediately connected by one event- Alice is murdered and Ruby is the unfortunate jogger that discovers her. Narrated by Alice, the chapters go back and forth in telling what led the women to the Big Apple and how Ruby searches tirelessly to capture Alice's murderer.
I liked the attachment between Ruby and Alice and I kept flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen. Although I will admit in the very beginning, it was a little slow to get into.
Goodreads Review 04/10/22
Expected Publication Date 01/11/22
Set in contemporary New York City, this is the tale of two strangers- Alice and Ruby that are immediately connected by one event- Alice is murdered and Ruby is the unfortunate jogger that discovers her. Narrated by Alice, the chapters go back and forth in telling what led the women to the Big Apple and how Ruby searches tirelessly to capture Alice's murderer.
I liked the attachment between Ruby and Alice and I kept flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen. Although I will admit in the very beginning, it was a little slow to get into.
Goodreads Review 04/10/22
Expected Publication Date 01/11/22
June 7, 2021
This was an intriguing read for so many reasons!
Firstly, the tagline hooked me in. 'This isn't just another novel about a dead girl." What a line!
I loved the 'dead narrator' device too, a fantastic approach and gave a whole new insight to the story.
The stories of Alice and Ruby sometimes had me a little confused while listening to the audiobook, as they arrived in New York with similar stories and I was confusing Mr Jackson and Noah at the start. God knows why!
There were so many other themes too- feminism, the identifying of Jane Does, the trauma of people who find the bodies, all which made for very powerful reading. The plot was slow paced at times, although I am used to crazy heart pounding reads! This definitely had more substance, but I'm not sure it is as memorable for me as some other addictive thrillers I have loved.
The writing was superb, and astounding for a debut. Well worth a read.
Firstly, the tagline hooked me in. 'This isn't just another novel about a dead girl." What a line!
I loved the 'dead narrator' device too, a fantastic approach and gave a whole new insight to the story.
The stories of Alice and Ruby sometimes had me a little confused while listening to the audiobook, as they arrived in New York with similar stories and I was confusing Mr Jackson and Noah at the start. God knows why!
There were so many other themes too- feminism, the identifying of Jane Does, the trauma of people who find the bodies, all which made for very powerful reading. The plot was slow paced at times, although I am used to crazy heart pounding reads! This definitely had more substance, but I'm not sure it is as memorable for me as some other addictive thrillers I have loved.
The writing was superb, and astounding for a debut. Well worth a read.
May 28, 2022
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
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
October 1, 2021
Alice Lee wants a fresh when she arrives in New York on her eighteenth birthday. One month later she is found raped and murdered and is known as Jane Doe leaving the police with the questions of who and why, but little to go on with they find out who did this.
Ruby Jones is also trying to start over and one morning whilst out jogging, she comes across Alice’s body, but with no identification on her she quickly becomes Jane Doe. Ruby is struggling and is quite traumatized after discovering the young woman’s body and is finding it extremely difficult to forget. Ruby can’t and won’t let it go and she wants to know who this young woman is and who would kill her and most importantly why. As Ruby is in search of answers, she will find out so much more about herself as well as many other things that she would never have imagined.
Before You Knew My Name is a brilliantly written book and it is a book that will remain with you long after you have read it.
Ruby Jones is also trying to start over and one morning whilst out jogging, she comes across Alice’s body, but with no identification on her she quickly becomes Jane Doe. Ruby is struggling and is quite traumatized after discovering the young woman’s body and is finding it extremely difficult to forget. Ruby can’t and won’t let it go and she wants to know who this young woman is and who would kill her and most importantly why. As Ruby is in search of answers, she will find out so much more about herself as well as many other things that she would never have imagined.
Before You Knew My Name is a brilliantly written book and it is a book that will remain with you long after you have read it.
June 7, 2022
A unique and gripping story!
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