This was definitely a wild ride. I honestly wasn't sure where it was going most of the time. I really liked the paranormal aspect but I wish it had been more the focus of the book rather than an aside. The characters were likable but not developed enough in my opinion. I needed more from Ruth and Juno especially.

Ruth Ann sees dead people. Dead little girls to be exact. All were murdered. One of them is Beth Lovely, Ruth's friend as a child. With some underlying allegiance to Beth? Ruth goes searching for answers. Her journey takes her half way around the globe.

I enjoyed this book and the many tropes it had going. I'd say it was a bit confusing and at times I had trouble keeping the characters separate. I enjoyed the writing style and would read from this author. 3.5⭐️

This book had so much potential; the premise was chef’s kiss 👩‍🍳💋

Unfortunately this one didn’t meet my expectations.
I had such a hard time following all the characters and that left me confused more than ever.

Thank you to Netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

For those touched by crime, even when the perpetrator is arrested or dead, how can they move past it? That is the question at the heart of Leave the Girls Behind. Ruthie can't move past the the actions of a serial killer from her childhood, and her life is stalled. She sees the ghosts of his victims and wants justice for them, more than she believes they got. When a little girl goes missing in her home town, in a way that seems so similar to the events from that time, she wonders if it is all connected. In an investigation that takes her all around the globe, Ruthie tracks down women who knew or helped the killer from her youth, in an attempt to connect everything and uncover a conspiracy. What seems like a straightforward plot offers some genuine twists that turn the story around for the reader, though the ending is somewhat unsatisfying, it delivers on the promises it sets.

This one has so much potential with a woman seeing the ghosts of missing girls. With an unreliable narrator, it is hard to know what is true but I was so lost by the end of this. I did like the characters who were written well. Bublitz focuses on victims throughout and I think she did a good job highlighting their struggle. The jetsetting seemed to take a bit away from the overall story as I assumed more would be put into the newest missing child.

Ruth Ann is an interesting character with a traumatic backstory and a need to unravel it all. She can't let go of her murdered childhood best friend, or her murderer, who she is convinced is responsible for more unsolved murders. She travels down the rabbit hole of true crime so far, that it dominates her every thought. Her journey to solving the mystery of a potentially unknown accomplice is entertaining, as is her path to learning to move on from her dark past.

Thank you for an advance copy of this title...Ruth is a college dropout and bartender who just loves to be a detective on the side. This gets her into trouble as she begins investigating a missing girl that could have connections to the murder of a friend of hers 19 years ago.. This was a decent thriller that did drag at parts and also had some parts I really had to suspend belief. The characters were the best part for me..interesting and well developed. Just felt like the story wrapped up way to cleanly and easily.

Thank you to Atria Books publishing for providing me an ARC copy via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

Well, I am struggling with my review on this one. I thought the plot sounded fun and exciting. Overall I thought the book was okay, not amazing, not terrible, but just okay. Throughout the book there are so many different names and characters, many of which have very similar names, Ruth, Rose, Beth, ect. So it was super difficult for me to follow all the names and characters which left me confused for almost the entire book. There were so many different things trying to be pieced together that didn't really come together? Such as the ghosts, the serial killer, and everyone involved. I would stop reading and put the book down and barely remember what I just read. For some reason things just did not fit together for me or make sense in the end and it was a slightly lackluster ending also. I'm still confused. I am surprised I made it through the whole thing, but I'm glad I did. It still kept me interested and did have some good, interesting, stories within it.

DNF - I think I may have just not been the right reader for this book. I found it to be a bit slow and hard to get into. I am only leaving feedback as required by Netgalley. I have seen a lot of people love this book, which is why I think it’s just me!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

It was a DNF at 20%. I wanted to like the book, but the pacing felt off, and I struggled to connect to the characters. Nothing about the mystery appealed to me despite the blurb sounding interesting. I don't think I was the target audience for this.

It took me a while to get into this but in the end it was a passable read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I recently finished Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz, and I am struggling with putting my thoughts together for a review. Ruth-Ann was abducted while playing in her front yard in the community of Hoben, CT. 10 days before that another little girl, Beth Lovely had been abducted from the school playground; she was murdered by Ethan Oswald, a music teacher at the local High School.
Nineteen years later, on the very same date that Ruth was snatched ,which happens to be National Missing Children's Day, another little girl named Coco Wilson was abducted from Hoben. Ruth's life was forever altered by the abduction and Coco's abduction reignited all of the unresolved feelings and thoughts Ruth tried to contain for years.The story is definitely intriguing, yet somewhat convoluted; it was challenging for me to follow at times. The storyline is quite intricate; at times I was confused. A mark of a good story for me though is when I am still thinking about it a day or two after finishing it, and I definitely am continuing that in this case. Thank you to NetGalley. Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of Leave the Girls Behind; this review reflects my honest opinion .3.5 stars

Ruth-Ann Baker is a college dropout, a bartender—and an amateur detective who just can’t stay away from true crime. Nineteen years ago, her childhood friend was murdered by suspected serial killer Ethan Oswald. Still tormented by the case, Ruth can’t help but think of the long-dead Oswald when another young girl goes missing from the same town. And when she uncovers startling new evidence that suggests Oswald did not act alone, she is determined to find his deadly partner in crime.

This is a spooky, suspenseful, supernatural story that reads like true crime. Ruth is a compelling FMC, traumatized but tenacious, and a little bit unreliable (you know, since she sees dead people). I found the story got increasingly chaotic as Ruth travels the globe, but it works because Ruth is starting to unravel as her investigation goes on and the reader gets to go along for the ride as she spirals out of control. It’s a tense, twisted, and atmospheric tale that packs some big twists and some keen feminist social commentary.

this book was one of those where it sounded great in theory but the execution… not so much. 🫠

i found myself incredibly bored almost the entire time, i actually had my phone start reading it to me because i was in it just enough to wonder what will go down and didnt wanna dnf just yet and was honestly bewildered when i had opened my phone to see that i still had another 30% to go till the end of the book when i had thought things were about to start wrapping up 😂

i find that it may be partly my fault with not enjoying this as much as i did go into it heavily assuming it would be a thriller, but in my opinion it was more mystery/sleuthing on account of survivors guilt??? the paranormal “i see dead girls” part was also very underwhelming, the whole book was but mostly this part for me.

overall the story was too all over the place, none of the characters had much depth to them, i dont understand why her parents are so stand offish either… one would think given everything that happened they’d be very active in her life? one of my favorite relationships in this was between ruth and officer canton, i loved that he always believed her and supported her where others didnt. special shout out to joe, gideon and owen because you could also tell these three really cared about ruth, i wish we would have seen them more tbh.

i dont feel like there was much of a conclusion to this entire book as a semi abrupt ending & a chapter of utter nonsense, maybe im just stupid and lacking the correct critical thinking skills for said chapter but it made no sense for me lol, i truly dont see the purpose in including it but to each their own

Leave the Girls Behind had so much promise, especially for spooky season reading, but, ultimately it fell a little flat for me. At times, I struggled to keep track of who was who and to pull the threads together, but I was intrigued enough to finish. After loving Before You Knew My Name, this one didn't quite reach that level for me, but I will still be anxiously awaiting Jacqueline Bublitz's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

What a twisty ride! I really enjoyed this book and Ruth-Ann our FMC. She is still unwell over her childhood bff murder and who can blame her. When she sets out to solve it, things get really wild.

Ruth has just discovered that another child from her hometown has disappeared. Ruth’s childhood friend went missing when they were very young. And this has made a huge imprint on her life. She has never let this case go. So, when this young girl comes up missing, Ruth starts to investigate and she discovers that the man accused of harming her friend may have had an accomplice.

Boy! Ruth is a bit damaged. And this endears me to her. But you see the train wreck coming…or at least you think you do!

I love when a story has me all over the globe and Ruth does not give up. She ends up in Australia and then Oslo. She is bound and determined to find out what she needs to know.

Well! This tale has a few twists and turns. It is a bit of a slow burn but that just enhances the drama!

Need a story which will have you wondering who did what…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Internationally bestselling author Jacqueline Bublitz returns with her latest riveting thriller, LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND —a woman is traumatized and haunted by a serial killer and the ghosts he left behind.

About...

Nineteen years after the murder of her childhood friend, Ruth-Ann Baker wants to know the truth.

Ruth-Ann is a 26-year-old New York bartender. Back in 2010, she was a 21-year-old college dropout. She had been studying forensics and wanted to become a criminal profiler. But all that changed before the episode.

In 1996, Beth Lovely disappeared from the children's playground across from the high school in Connecticut. Her dead body was found eleven days later buried in a shallow grave in the woods six miles away. She was only seven and a half years old. Her friend.

Ethan Oswald, a 31-year-old popular music teacher, murdered her and was arrested the same day. He also led the choir at the town's largest church. The parents of Beth attended the church.

He has been dead since 2002. So this means he cannot be responsible for the disappearance of another little Hobel girl (Coco Wilson) all these years later, in 2015.

After two decades of wondering, the disappearance of another girl from her hometown sparks Ruth's mission to uncover the killer's unknown partner and three different women. She thinks one of them may hold the answers she is searching for. Ruth intends to find everything she can about the Connecticut cold cases.

My thoughts...

LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND cleverly blends psychological, crime, suspense, and thriller with a supernatural element with an amateur detective haunted by murdered girls (Beth and the others).

Ruth is an unreliable narrator and amateur sleuth who embarks on an investigation that takes her worldwide and into the lives of three women with connections to Oswald.

Psychologically rich, dark, and disturbing, the author explores the scars, traumas, and the aftereffects violence leaves on its victims.

Recs...

For fans of true crime and authors Alafair Burke, Megan Collins, J.P. Pomare, Megan Goldin, Hannah Morrissey, Jean Hanff Korelitz, and Katherine Greene.

Thanks to Atria Books for a digital advanced review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 29, 2024
Oct 2024 Must-Read Books
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Thriller • True Crime • Paranormal
Pub Date • 29 October 2024

Thank you @atriathrillers & @atriabooks for the ARC!

This book was disturbing and unsettling in the way that I was craving during the month of Spooktober. It’s the story of the lost and forgotten girls, murdered by deranged men, but this time the focus will be on the families they left behind.

Ruth-Ann is a college dropout, a bartender, and an amateur detective who can’t stay away from true crime. She also sees dead people. Most prominently she sees the girls who were killed, like Beth, her 7 year old former friend.

It’s been almost 2 decades since then, and now there’s been another abduction with too many coincidences — but Beth’s killer, Ethan Oswald, died while serving a life sentence... so why is the MO so familiar?

Ruth-Ann should walk away, but she can’t. No one would believe a girl who sees dead people anyway. Like a lot of women, Ruth-Ann is used to not being believed.

The ending of this book was a mind bender. The scenes were atmospheric, with the midsection a bit slower than the pacing at the outset and the ending. If you love an unreliable narrator, or are a true crime junkie, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for my #gifted copy of Leave The Girls Behind! #AtriaPartner #atriabooks #EmilyBestlerBooks #LeaveTheGirlsBehind

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐳
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Leave The Girls behind had such a promising and unique premise. I’m always up for a book with an amateur detective. While I did enjoy the flawed character aspect and unreliable narrator, I just had a really hard time getting into this one. I didn’t dislike the book, it just didn’t really stand out to me. I enjoyed the characters more than I did the plot, and found it a little difficult to stay engaged. I did find the overall writing to be enjoyable. With all of that said, I have heard amazing things about the authors debut novel, Before You Knew My Name, and I definitely still plan on giving that novel a try. I think maybe I just read this one at the wrong time. If you enjoy suspense novels, give this one a try.

Posted on Goodreads on October 28, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 29, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 29, 2024
**-will post on designated date

This is suffused with melancholy, which is appropriate given the subject matter but it wears. Ruth Ann lives her life in a limited fashion, constrained by the murder of her best friend Beth when they were seven and her own trauma. Now, twenty years later, Beth comes to her as a ghost and another little girl-Coco- has gone missing in their small town which sets her off on a quest. Ruth Ann believes she can tie a series of women to the murder of Beth and other girls whose bodies have not yet be found so she sets up interviews and then travels around the world (literally- first to New Zealand) to interview them. Her search for answers leads her into more darkness. There are some sharp characters here (I liked her uncle and his husband) and good atmospherics but know that the paranormal aspects do wax and wane. It also struck me as remarkably unrealistic that she could track down the women and that they would agree to be interviewed for her (pretend) podcast. And there's one more - no spoilers- aspect I found forced. That said I kept reading because I wanted answers , especially about the fate of Coco (who is forgotten for much of the novel). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I was a huge fan of Before I Knew Your Name so I was eager for this. While it didn't live up to her first novel, Bublitz has good storytelling chops.