Leave The Girls Behind
by Jacqueline Bublitz
(Atria/Emily Bestler Books, October 29, 2024)
Suspense/crime novel
From Jacqueline Bublitz, award-winning author of Before You Knew My Name, hailed a “tour de force of imagination, empathy and righteous fury” (New York Times Book Review; Editors’ Choice), returns with LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND. This new suspense novel follows a woman tormented by a long-dead serial killer’s actions from her childhood, just in time for spooky season!
From her home in Melbourne, Australia, Jacqueline talks with Authorlink’s Doris Booth about publishing her book, writing guidance and resources, and what inspires her to write. How did she develop the story idea? What were her challenges in publishing? How did she endure 48 rejections, and what advice does she have for fellow writers?
“[Bublitz] pushes the boundaries of the genre by adding a supernatural element and a sharp feminist sensibility to this thriller… With empathy and insight, Bublitz examines the scars violence leaves on its victims and refutes the idea that some deaths are more tragic than others. An empathetic psychological thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews
ABOUT THE STORY:
Two decades ago, Ruth-Ann Baker’s childhood friend was murdered by suspected serial killer Ethan Oswald. In the present day, Ruth is reminded of the long-dead Oswald when another young girl goes missing from the same town. When she uncovers new evidence suggesting Oswald did not act alone, she’s determined to find his deadly partner in crime. Embarking on a global investigation, Ruth becomes close to three very different women—one of whom might just hold the key to what happened to the missing girl and her childhood friend, all those years ago.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jacqueline Bublitz is a writer, feminist, and arachnophobe who lives between Melbourne, Australia, and her hometown on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. She is the author of Before You Knew My Name and Leave the Girls Behind. Find out more at JacquelineBublitz.com.
Praise for BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME (2022)
“Before You Knew My Name crackles with life and energy. It is a tour de force of imagination, empathy and righteous fury.” —The New York Times Book Review
*“[P]owerful, heartrending… Alice narrates from beyond the grave, intercutting her and Ruby’s stories to maximize tension, resonance, and drive. Using keenly rendered characters and poignant prose, Bublitz crafts a richly textured, deeply feminist murder mystery that spotlights the victim rather than her killer. Readers will eagerly await Bublitz’s next.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Jacqueline Bublitz’s stunning debut Before You Knew My Name brings empathy, compassion and heart to a story of two women connected by a grizzly murder in New York City… Bublitz crafts a moving story of two women connected through more than an act of violence, but through heart and spirit.” —PopSugar
