Perhaps they would have met anyways, but Alice Lee died before that might have happened and it was Ruby Jones who discovered her body. At that point, no one knew the identity of the young dead woman. As Ruby tries to adjust afterwards, it is Alice who stays by her side. You see, Alice wants the man responsible to be held accountable for his horrific crime and she wants to be remembered. She feels Ruby can make both things possible for her.
The character of Alice narrates BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME, an exquisitely told story by Jacqueline Bublitz, who has skillfully created an intriguing protagonist. Alice had just turned eighteen years old when she came to New York and she was certain she had a promising life ahead of her. However, her murderer didn't care anything about that and had other plans. Ruby came to New York in an attempt to distance herself from a doomed relationship. As the story develops, Ruby becomes obsessed with the murder case and death. Was it fate that their lives intersected? Little by little, details are revealed, discoveries are made, and Alice was there every step of the way.
I found BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME to be an intriguing and unique story in that the author brings to life a narrator who is dead. Her voice and insights are totally believable. Haunting and memorable, this book is well worth reading.
When she arrived in New York on her eighteenth birthday carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe. She may be dead but that doesn’t mean her story is over.
Meanwhile, Ruby Jones is also trying to reinvent herself. After travelling halfway around the world, she’s lonelier than ever in the Big Apple. Until she stumbles upon a woman’s body by the Hudson River, and suddenly finds herself unbreakably tied to the unknown dead woman.
Alice is sure Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her short life and tragic death. Ruby just wants to forget what she saw…but she can’t seem to stop thinking about the young woman she found. If she keeps looking, can she give this unidentified Jane Doe the ending and closure she deserves?