Leave The Girls Behind is the second novel by Australian/New Zealand author, Jacqueline Bublitz. The audio version is narrated by Stephanie Cannon. In May 1996, when Ruth-Ann Baker was seven years old, Beth Lovely, also seven and living a few strets over, was taken from a playground in her hometown of Hoben, Connecticut. Her body was found by Hoben PD’s K9 unit, buried in the woods, eleven days later. Thirty-one-year-old Hoben High School’s popular music teacher, Ethan Oswald was charged with her murder and died in prison in 2002.

Ruth-Ann’s parents took her to live in New York City, where she was often visited by Beth; Ruth-Ann stopped telling her therapists about this when they kept trying to cure her of it. The murder set her on a course to become a forensic profiler: could it help explain how to spot such a killer?

In May 2015, Ruth-Ann is working at Sweeney’s Bar when an Amber Alert hits her phone: seven-year-old Coco Wilson has been taken from her front yard in Hoben, Connecticut. It clearly can’t be Ethan, but there are so many similarities to Beth’s abduction, Ruth-Ann is itching to research it. But, after her episode five years earlier, she has promised not to get mixed up in missing girl cases.

Yet that evening, after work, there is Beth again, and soon enough, Rhea, Leila and Lori, the three girls who want Ruth-Ann to prove Ethan killed them, appear. Taking up their case, back in 2010, did not play out well: heresay from ghosts is not evidence. But Ruth-Ann’s eye for detail has them reviewing everything they know, and once again checking the “What Happened To Her” online community forum, where some new information has appeared.

Ruth manages to connect with a woman claiming to be one of Ethan’s victims, and learns things about his history that place him near enough to have murdered the three. When she posts a request for information about young women who knew Ethan Oswald around the time of the murder, discovers a bizarre links to serial killers that gives her the perfect cover for making direct inquiries. These take her to New Zealand and Norway, then back to New York City, and raise a bunch of questions.

Did Ethan have an accomplice? It begins to look like he managed to attract and charm teenaged enablers. Has someone taken over his role? Has she uncovered some sort of murder cult? Does this put her in danger? And will the police take any notice of what she has found?

Bublitz gives the reader a clever, twisty plot that explores, among other things, the hold a charismatic man can have over a needy woman, and the far-reaching effects of a child abduction. Parts of the story are told through the eyes of the seven-year-old girl who was taken and held, shackled in a locked room. There are mentions of the victim from Bublitz’s first novel, but no spoilers. Another enthralling read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Wavesound Audio/ WF Howes

A thought provoking exploration of how patriarchal societies view the female partners of Serial killers and how we unpick the causes of psychopathy when we acknowledge that no man is an island.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and I have been sitting with my thoughts before sharing them. I really loved this authors first book , Before You Knew My Name, it was such an original and memorable read. Leave the Girls Behind is Bublitzs' second novel, perhaps my expectations were to high, and while there were elements that were intriguing , overall, this book just didn't work for me. I thought the premise was strong and the ideas were good but it just didn't come together and was a bit of a disjointed read for me. I can suspend reality for good fiction but the reason why the main character sees dead girls only somewhat made sense towards the mid point of the book, that's a long time to suspend reality. I also felt several times when reading/ listening that I had missed a chapter or section and had to go back and check, I hadn't. The cast of secondary characters were a little unbelievable more so than the dead characters and the plot was just a bit too uneven for me. I really wanted to love this book but overall I was disappointed.

The narration was good, no faults there.

2.5 stars

Somewhat hard to follow but I did like the novel perspective of crime. Characters all fairly unlikeable unfortunately and overall I think this impacted a lot on my enjoyment.

This was such a good listen.
Serial killers are always fascinating, but looking at those that lives were touched by them is an interesting one.
I felt for Ruth, trying to find the truth of what happened to her, and the other girls.
The dead girls. They added an extra element to the story.
Some great characters in here, and a storyline that kept me listening at every moment I could.

I found this title really challenging to get my head around. I understood the precise, appreciated the story and the message around the trauma that Ruth lives with, but in all honesty I struggled to follow the course of events and had to keep skipping back, and then this was going to be a really great review, right up until the end made me feel icky. I don’t really have much more to say. Every trigger warning applies.

Not everything is for everyone, you may love it!

I’m off to read lighter things for a while.

The narration by Stephanie cannon was excellent.

My thanks to Wavesound by W F Howes for this ELC via NetGalley.

Australian thrillers are really hitting the spot and this title is no exception. I listened to the Audi version and found the narration throughout enjoyable. This story is slightly different to most. It doesn’t follow the direct victim if a killer, but explores those whose lives may have touched the person. The killer, Oswald, is dead, but Ruth Ann, whose childhood friend was murdered, suspects he was responsible for other deaths and years on, she starts to investigate.

The story is packed with characters and I wasn’t really drawn to any of them, but that didn’t matter. It’s a twisty tale; I lost track a couple of times part way through as to who was who and what was going on, but after a quick rewind, picked up the narrative again. It has enough turns to keep your interest and overall, I enjoyed this story.

Leave the Girls Behind is an intriguing, thought provoking and twisty thriller. I was pulled in by the storyline, which followed an unusual trajectory and really hooked my interest.

Rather than following the well-worn paths of serial killers or their victims, the novel explores the perspectives of those on the periphery of the crime—individuals who may be unwittingly or deliberately complicit in the events that lead to them. The characters aren’t particularly endearing, but are layered and compelling. I had some difficulty following the initial threads of the story, but as I persisted I found myself immersed, as the pieces came together to a satisfying conclusion.

I was fortunate to enjoy this both as an ebook an audiobook and found each enjoyable. The production value was great, and the narrator navigated the broad cast of characters with aplomb. The Aussie and Kiwi accents sounded a bit variable at times, but overall the narration was highly engaging and enjoyable.

Thank you W.F Howes Ltd for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.