Jacqueline Bublitz

"The story," she says, "always belonged to Alice."

This is a tough story. It's dark and sometimes hard to read, but it dares you to not look away. To wonder what happens when you stay and hear the story.

This is the story of two women that arrive in New York on the same day. But one women ends up murdered, discarded in the rocks. And the other woman finds her and can't stop thinking about her. Who is this murdered woman and what happened to her?

The story is so compelling. Alice is telling us show more her story after she is gone, slowly revealing what lead her to New York and what happened before her death. We also learn Ruby's story and how she ended up here. They are similar, so similar, and yet so different. It's hard to stop reading. You want to know what changed the narrative - how could this happen to Alice? How did it not happen to Ruby? It's so good and so heartbreaking and I loved reading it as much as it broke my heart. Few stories can move me so much and also flare the rage of being so tired of women being murdered. I'll definitely look for more work from this author.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less

This fucking book, my god, so good. I finished it in a day and I have all the feelings. This is THE feminist book of the year, I'm not taking questions. It's not your usual murder mystery, it's kinda like a feminist retelling of the 'pretty dead white girl syndrome' - where the girls are put on trial for whether they are the right kind of victims to feel sorry and then forgotten when the narrative of the men who killed them take over. It follows the story of an 18 year old, Alice Lee, who show more was murdered and how her life, pre and post death, intertwines with Ruby's. The writing is exquisite; I kept taking photos of pages that just made me oof. For example this line about how women have to manage men's attraction to them: "Safety comes from moving with the current until you are free of it, and then, only then, can you turn and swim like hell for the shore." It is so insightful and raw and both heartbreaking and empowering at the same time. The characters are all really endearing and the little friendship group Ruby found while grieving Alice is so precious. "I've come to think that intensity, not time, is what connects us." READ THIS. Also bonus: author is Melbournian show less

The story of two women: Alice, the narrator, who tells us, slowly and in bits and pieces, how she was murdered just a month after moving to NYC, and Ruby, who came to New York on the same day as Alice and who found Alice’s body.

It’s a grim tale, but very well told, with a focus on just how pervasive dangerous men are in women’s lives, how much space they demand for themselves, and how much women give up of themselves on a daily basis just for a small sense of safety. Harsh truths in show more here, folks, but important ones that should be talked about much more than they are. show less

This is the story of a person who discovers a female victim of crime. If you watch the news, listen to true crime podcasts, watch true crime documentaries or read any crime or true crime books (tick, tick, tick, tick and tick) then you'll be familiar with the fact that human remains are most often found by members of the public. People like you or me. Joggers, dog walkers, bushwalkers, beachcombers and those just enjoying the outdoors, can end up discovering a person by sheer accident. In show more this novel, Ruby is one such person.

Author Jacqueline Bublitz takes a unique approach in this novel by focussing on what happens after a member of the public discovers a victim of crime. Presumably their lives are turned upside down, but how do they process the randomness of their discovery and deal with the aftermath? In Before You Knew My Name, Bublitz seeks to find out when Ruby finds the remains of a Jane Doe by the Hudson River in New York. The connection between Ruby and the unidentified murder victim known as Riverside Jane is strengthened and in a unique narrative style, we slowly learn more about Jane's life leading up to the point it was snatched away.

Violence against women and public safety is an important theme in this book, as is the public's obsession with female victims of crime. But don't worry, it doesn't suggest all men are evil and certainly doesn't pretend to have all the answers. This is a story about finding connections in a big city and the generosity of others and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the online sleuths who attempt to solve cases like these; both in the book and in real life.

"These are the men and women who dedicate themselves to solving cold cases, who learn the names of the official investigators assigned to these cases, and don't hesitate to share their theories with both the police and each other. These self-taught criminologists share concerns about under-resourced police departments and clues potentially missed; they are a small army advancing through the nation of the dead. Points are scored if they can pair a recently discovered Jane or John with a known missing person." Page 195

Before You Knew My Name is not a whodunnit or a whydunnit and doesn't focus on the perpetrator at all. Instead, Jacqueline Bublitz offers a refreshingly unique premise that kept me engaged and is recommended for crime and thriller readers - both new and seasoned - looking for a new perspective.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * show less