I really enjoyed this Debut Book by the author and look forward to reading more from the author
This Book Tells the story of Alice who is 18 and has run away from home to New York
what follows is amazing, gripping story that you will love
with thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review

A thought provoking book - Ruby and Alice arrive in New York on the same day, determined to start new adventures. But within weeks Alice is dead and Ruby finds her body. The story follows the two of them; despite her death, Alice's spirit is still around. And the book is the tale of who they both are as young women, what shapes them and their decisions. societal effects and so on.
Lots to unpick in their, not your usual murder mystery by any means

Before You knew My Name follows the lives of Alice and Ruby. Alice has been murdered and Ruby found her body. It is interesting to see that although complete strangers, there are many similarities in their lives.

This book is not your usual who done it, but is thoughtfully put together. Ruby and Alice are well written and believable.

Beautifully written, I think this book is going to stay with me for a long time not so much a whodunnit as a who was she? A brilliant way to flip the classic murder mystery into a more humane and heartfelt book- looking at who Alice was a person. Within a month of arriving in New York she is dead. A brilliantly detailed read

This is a story written from the perspective of Alice and Ruby. Alice has been found murdered, (although she is not known to be Alice until much later on) and Ruby is fascinated by the crime and starts her own investigation to find who this young victim is.

This was an interesting read and although there was nothing truly awful about it, I did feel that I had read this before, as it gives off the vibes similar to others in it's category, previously reviewed. The plot was a little slow paced for my personal preferences, but I am sure others will like this about the book. I did read some reviews before reading this, and perhaps this is why I am left a little disappointed. I was expecting something majorly phenomenal but unfortunately this was not the case for me.

This review is based on my personal preferences only, so please do not be put off reading this book. There have been many who have thoroughly enjoyed this and have nothing but praise for the story. Unfortunately for me this was good, but not great!

There were many many things I loved about this book. I liked both main characters even though one was dead! I loved Noah and would have loved more involving him and the Death Club was fascinating - could definitely have heard more from them

It didn’t really feel like a thriller and I hated Mr Jackson (I know I should!) and the fact that nobody even noticed Alice was missing, let alone dead, made me really sad

Thought provoking read

The most beautiful book and the best I have read this year. This is not a story about a dead girl, this is a story of two women who both arrived in New York on the same day. Both running from the past for a fresh start, both lonely, both putting their trust in strangers. Themes of feminism, male entitlement, victim blaming, friendship, fate and death are so beautifully written I had to re-read parts to really take them in #hernameisAliceLee superb debut

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.

Beautifully written high concept fiction about two women. One dead. One alive and trying to piece together the tale of a life tragically lost. High recommended.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced story with strong characters and a twist which leaves you wanting to join a book group so you can discuss it with others.
It is a moving portrait of the connection between a murdered young woman and the older woman who finds her body. Had some similarities to lovely bones another book I adored. It’s a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From me.

Before You Knew My Name is an interesting and important story that examines women as victims of men's control and violence. Alice Lee is our protaganist and it's interesting because right from the start she informs us that she is dead, victim of a violent assault and murder. But she refuses to be forgotten, refuses only to be another Jane Doe. Alice is 18 and has run away to New York. Here she finds Noah, an older man who shows her incredible kindness. After a difficult childhood and a toxic relationship, she finally feels happy and is looking forward to the future. Until a stranger snuffs out her life for no other reason than he can.

At the same time Ruby arrives in New York, escaping her own messed up relationship with an unavailable man. She is the jogger who finds Alice's body. Unable to forget what she's seen, Ruby is determined to find out who this young woman is and meeting some amazing people, she is able to piece together more information that eventually leads to the arrest of the perpetrator.

This story is important because it asks questions about why women are so easily made into victims of men's violence. Why women are told to be vigilant and avoid certain places, when it is surely men who should be told not to rape and murder, to have stricter sentences for these monsters to send a message that it's not acceptable to put the onus on women.

It is also a story about self-examination, about why some of us accept less than we deserve. And the power of finding your tribe, people who accept and uplift.

A brilliantly engaging story with plenty of food for thought.

This book intrigued me with its unusual take on 'mystery girl dies in the river' genre. We follow 2 girls' stories as they come to New York to start a new life. The descriptions of New York from through the girls' eyes is beautifully written so you truly get a flavour of New York.
But this story just didn't grip me to continue reading to the end, which is unusual for me as I hate not reading all of it. I found that I just didn't care about them to find out what happened.

"Before You Knew My Name" is a deeply moving account of two women bound by death in New York City. Jacqueline Bublitz touches on so many issues concerning violence against women and girls, her exploration sensitive and timely. I was stricken by the observation that "It is never just one life these men destroy." How true? How unutterably sad?

The book is narrated by Alice Lee. I really felt I was seeing the city through her eyes, as she navigates new territory. Themes include taking up space, exploitation, right and wrong kinds of victims and how we often focus on perpetrators instead of those they destroy. Bublitz beautifully illustrates the impact of tragedy and trauma. She also effectively demonstrates the power of friendship. I found it to be a poignant but also comforting read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was cleverly written and definitely didn't go to the places I expected it to.

I think it may get compared to the Lovely Bones but I'm not sure that's the right comparison to make, this just felt more real, more relatable and whilst the subject matter is hard to deal with, I didn't come away from this book feeling devastated, I felt hopeful.

Imagine bottling what it is to be female and then weaving that together with the most beautiful, brutal, agonising and tender words to make a novel. That’s #BeforeYouKnewMyName ❤️ (More to follow once I’ve collected my thoughts)

A great refreshing take on crime / mystery fiction.
Alice and Ruby are both in New York for the first time in their lives. Alice at 18 has left her small town country life, where she has no family left, and has woken up to what her old male teacher really wants from her .... Ruby has left Australia realising the man she has been having an affair with has no intention of leaving his fiancé.... the two women meet for the first time when Ruby finds Alice’s body after she has been murdered. Left traumatised by the event, Ruby réalises that she might be the only person who can piece together the clues to what happened to this young girl.
Great characters, and uniquely told. This is something really different and stands out from the crowd. Really enjoyed it.

Ruby Jones has moved to New York in search of a new life when she finds Alice Lee's body down by the Hudson River. The book flashes between Alice's life before she was murdered and Ruby's life both before and after the event. I thought it was an interesting approach to the crime/thriller genre and it definitely humanised the characters which doesn't typically happen in this sort of book. I read it quite quickly and it held my interest throughout.

This was a really good read.

The story is set in New York and tells the story of how 18th Alice Lee and 35 year old Ruby Jones found themselves there.. Alice's experience with Mr Jackson was sensitively handled. I really felt for Ruby, who was a mistress to a man engaged to someone else. Both women have been badly treated by men in very different ways.

I felt engaged throughout and invested in the journey of both girls. I also felt drawn to Noah, who rents a room to Alice and treats her so nicely.

The author does a great job of slipping seamlessly between viewpoints and bringing the stories of both women together. I found this read very thought-provoking. It made me contemplate death. How horrible to be a Jane Doe in a city where no-one knows you? Can the dead really communicate with the living? The idea of ' 'the death club' was an interesting concept. This would have made an interesting novel in itself.

Essentially, the novel was a mystery. A dead woman's body found in the river. Who did it? but it was so much more than that. Full of flowing, descriptive prose and inviting the reader to help solve the crime.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I would thoroughly recommend this read and will definitely look out for more by this talented author.

An astonishing novel about life and death made sublime by its accomplished writing and feminist themes. Haunting and heartbreaking, its brutal prose explores loneliness, friendship and the subtle nuances that women employ to keep themselves safe from toxic men.
A stunning debut. Highly recommended.

A moving portrait of the connection between a murdered young woman and the older woman who finds her body.
This book also has some great discussions around the media fascination with dead young white girls.It also eviscerates toxic masculinity.
It's so rare to find a crime novel that treats its victim with such tenderness and as a result this book is really moving and thought provoking.