Leave the Girls Behind

Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz is a gripping psychological thriller that deftly intertwines suspense with a poignant exploration of trauma and resilience. This novel takes readers on a journey that spans continents and delves deep into the dark recesses of the human psyche. Nineteen years ago, Ruth-Ann Baker’s idyllic childhood in a quiet town was shattered when her best friend was brutally murdered by the notorious convicted killer Ethan Oswald. Forever haunted by the grisly crime, Ruth has long harboured the belief that Oswald’s horrendous deeds extended beyond her friend, suspecting he had other victims. Yet, despite her persistent efforts, no one has ever taken her theories seriously. Fast forward to the present day, and Ruth’s life is far from ordinary. After an unsuccessful stint at college, she finds herself working as a bartender, suffocated by the shadows of her past. The unresolved mysteries of Oswald’s reign of terror still gnaw at her, and her obsession rekindles when a young girl from her hometown vanishes without a trace. With Oswald now deceased, Ruth suspects the chilling hand of another perpetrator—a possible partner in crime who continues to menace the innocent. Fueled by a desperate need to uncover the truth, Ruth embarks on a relentless quest that takes her from the bustling streets of New York to the serene landscapes of New Zealand. In her pursuit, she confronts buried memories and untapped parts of herself that she hasn’t dared revisit for years. As she unearths the threads that tie her to three disparate women, she grows increasingly convinced that one of them holds the key to the mystery. Each step she takes brings her closer to understanding not only what happened to her childhood friend and the missing girl but also the elusive truths about herself. From the acclaimed author of Before You Knew My Name, which the New York Times Book Review hailed as a 'tour de force', Bublitz offers another masterpiece in Leave the Girls Behind. This novel is a taut, suspenseful thriller overlaid with a moving exploration of how violent crime ricochets through the lives of those left behind. Leave the Girls Behind is more than just a compelling crime novel. It is a deeply emotional meditation on grief, trauma, and the resilience required to face one’s past. Jacqueline Bublitz's narrative prowess shines as she subverts genre tropes, crafting a story that is as thought-provoking as it is heart-wrenching. Acclaim for Jacqueline Bublitz’s Before You Knew My Name:

"The most wonderful book. Unusual, beautiful, feminist, gripping, deserves to win prizes. I loved it so much." - Marian Keyes, author of My Favourite Mistake

"As hopeful and uplifting a book about murder as you're likely to read. On every page there's a perfectly turned phrase or observation as Bublitz takes apart every trope and cliché of crime fiction and subverts them in strange, exhilarating ways. This is an extraordinary, smart, bittersweet novel, compelling and infinitely readable." - Liam Pieper, The Age

"A murder mystery with a difference. Richly descriptive... a confident and courageous entry into the world of fiction and one that will earn Bublitz many fans." - Canberra Times

"Addictive and utterly captivating. I couldn't put it down." - Sarah Bailey, author of Body of Lies

"This astonishing debut subverts the crime genre by asking not whodunit, but rather, who was she?" - Marie Claire

"A remarkable debut that offers readers so many things at once: a feminist reimagining of the traditional crime narrative, a lament for all the dead girls who came before her, and a love letter to New York City. Quietly devastating, achingly beautiful and utterly captivating, Before You Knew My Name marks the arrival of a brilliant new voice in fiction." - Better Reading

"Traversing romance, philosophy, feminism, politics and inequality, Before You Knew My Name is an ambitious debut which sets out to challenge the structure and conventions of the genre - and succeeds." - Zoya Patel, The Guardian

"Beautifully written and soft, but no moment is wasted... Jacqueline Bublitz turns a story of murder into one of hope, in which kindness is a stronger currency than police work. A lyrical story for those looking for the atmosphere of The Lovely Bones and the gratifying slow burn of Aoife Clifford or Anna George." - Books + Publishing

"This astonishing debut turns the traditional crime story on its head ... Darkly funny, deeply insightful and completely heartbreaking." - Petronella McGovern, author of The Last Trace

"A stunning debut, one of the best books I've read this year... a haunting story about grief, limbo, transition and friendship. This literary crime novel reads as a moving meditation on the loss of women to male violence, as well as the resolve it takes to bring about justice." - Readings

"A thoughtful - and thought-provoking effort to fill in some of the spaces that tend to be left blank in our standard narrative about these kinds of crimes... It seeks to make one dead girl less peripheral to the tale of the aftermath of her murder. Before You Knew My Name is a powerful novel that vividly captures the profound sadness and intense anger felt publicly and privately, while also offering a hopeful exploration of grief, trauma and human connection." - The West Australian

"A lyrical, mindful and dramatic story from a fresh voice in contemporary fiction." - Mrs B's Book Reviews

"An engrossing murder mystery, a surprising and surprisingly uplifting debut." - New Zealand Herald

"Novels about violent crime that are this deeply feminist and rooted in the humanity of victims rather than the glamour of evil men, are rare. Thoughtful, gripping, moving and genre-disrupting novels like Before You Knew My Name are rarer still." - The Spinoff