Ruth-Ann Baker is a bartender in New York City who dropped out of college years ago. Instead of attending classes, she now “investigates” stories of children who have been abducted.

"There’s a major twist near the end of the book that I didn’t see coming. It gives a whole new dimension to the tale and is why LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND is one of my favorite books of 2024."

When she was only seven years old (which was almost two decades ago), Ruth’s best friend, Beth Lovely, was kidnapped and murdered by Ethan Oswald, an alleged serial killer. Ethan was never charged with any other crimes, even though he was suspected of snatching other young girls. He went to prison for Beth’s murder and died while still incarcerated.

Every time Ruth learns of another child being abducted, it brings back memories of her dear friend. One day she receives an Amber Alert on her phone, showing that a seven-year-old girl has been taken by a man from the same town where Beth disappeared. Although the authorities undoubtedly will be on the case immediately, Ruth can’t help herself. She plunges into an investigation of her own.

LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND is told from multiple points of view, which, for the most part, help to flesh out the intricacies of the plot. These different perspectives provide additional insights into other characters in the book and how they are interrelated.

Jacqueline Bublitz, the acclaimed author of BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME, tells a compelling story with plenty of interesting characters and somewhat unusual situations. What starts out as an account of someone who is drawn to finding missing children turns into something else altogether.

There’s a major twist near the end of the book that I didn’t see coming. It gives a whole new dimension to the tale and is why LEAVE THE GIRLS BEHIND is one of my favorite books of 2024.