A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a gripping YA mystery novel that combines investigative journalism with thrilling suspense. Holly Jackson crafts a cleverly plotted story following Pippa "Pip" Fitz-Amobi, a determined high school student who takes on a five-year-old murder case for her senior project. What begins as an academic assignment quickly spirals into something much darker, as Pip uncovers secrets the town of Fairview would rather keep buried. Jackson’s novel stands out for its compelling protagonist, layered mystery, and unique narrative style, which blends traditional storytelling with mixed media elements like interview transcripts, case notes, and maps. Five years ago, high school senior Andie Bell went missing and was presumed murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who later died by suicide. The case was closed, but Pip isn’t convinced Sal was guilty. She decides to re-investigate, interviewing key witnesses, analyzing evidence, and piecing together new leads. As she digs deeper, she discovers inconsistencies in the official case and realizes that someone in Fairview may be willing to kill again to keep the truth hidden. The novel’s pacing is tight, with each new discovery raising the stakes. The tension builds gradually, keeping readers engaged until the shocking final revelation, Pippa "Pip" Fitz-Amobi – Pip is an intelligent, determined, and slightly obsessive protagonist. Unlike many YA heroines, she isn’t motivated by personal trauma but by a deep sense of justice. Her methodical approach to solving the mystery—combined with her occasional recklessness—makes her a believable and compelling character. Ravi Singh – Sal’s younger brother, Ravi, is one of the novel’s most well-written characters. He has lived under the shadow of his brother’s alleged crime for years and is deeply invested in Pip’s investigation. His friendship (and eventual romance) with Pip adds warmth to the story while reinforcing the theme of seeking justice. Andie Bell – Though she is absent from the story, Andie remains a central figure in the mystery. As Pip unravels her past, she learns Andie wasn’t the perfect victim the town made her out to be. Supporting Cast – Jackson creates a cast of suspects, each with their own secrets and motivations. From Andie’s controlling parents to her manipulative friends, every character feels real and complex. The story takes place in the seemingly quiet town of Fairview, where everyone knows each other’s business—or so they think. The contrast between Fairview’s picturesque suburban setting and the darkness lurking beneath the surface heightens the novel’s tension. A unique aspect of the novel is the way it unfolds like a real investigation. Readers follow Pip’s research, case notes, and interviews, making them feel like detectives alongside her. Jackson integrates transcripts, maps, text messages, and Pip’s notes into the narrative, making the mystery feel immersive and dynamic. The writing is crisp and engaging, with short chapters that end in cliffhangers, making it nearly impossible to put down. Jackson balances humor, realism, and tension, making Pip feel like a relatable teenager while keeping the story dark and suspenseful. The novel keeps readers guessing, with red herrings and unexpected twists. While the story explores serious themes like murder, false accusations, and abuse, it avoids being overwhelmingly grim by incorporating moments of warmth and humor. The book raises important questions about media bias, privilege, and the consequences of rushed justice. One of the novel’s central themes is the pursuit of justice and how the legal system can sometimes fail. The case of Andie Bell was closed too quickly, with Sal Singh being labeled guilty despite a lack of concrete evidence. Pip’s investigation highlights how biases, media influence, and rushed conclusions can lead to miscarriages of justice. Example: The town of Fairview accepted Sal’s guilt without question, showing how quickly society can turn on someone based on incomplete evidence. The book explores how the media shapes public opinion. Sal Singh was vilified in the press, with no room for doubt or counterarguments. The novel critiques how stories can be manipulated and how public perception often disregards the full truth. Example: Sal’s reputation was destroyed due to sensationalized news stories, and his family was ostracized, even though the case lacked conclusive proof. Throughout the book, Pip uncovers the difference between what people believe to be true and what is actually true. Many characters in Fairview are quick to assume things without seeking proof, leading to lasting consequences. Example: Pip’s refusal to take the original case findings at face value allows her to uncover the truth, proving that critical thinking is crucial in uncovering hidden realities. The novel questions the morality of actions taken to protect oneself or others. Many characters have secrets, and their attempts to cover them up lead to tragic outcomes. The story highlights how hiding the truth can have devastating effects. Example: As Pip digs deeper, she learns that many of the people connected to Andie’s case were hiding key information that, if revealed earlier, could have changed everything. Strengths ✔ A Smart & Determined Protagonist – Pip is resourceful, brave, and refreshingly logical in her approach to solving the mystery. ✔ Engaging Mystery with Surprising Twists – The book keeps readers guessing, with well-placed clues and shocking revelations. ✔ Strong Supporting Cast – Ravi’s dynamic with Pip, along with the layered suspects, adds emotional depth. ✔ Unique Format – The inclusion of interview transcripts and case notes makes the reading experience immersive. ✔ Fast-Paced & Addictive – The short chapters and compelling narrative structure make this a page-turner. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is an expertly crafted YA mystery that blends investigative journalism with a thrilling whodunit. Holly Jackson creates a compelling protagonist in Pip, who is as clever as she is courageous. With its gripping plot, immersive format, and well-developed characters, this book is a must-read for fans of mystery, true crime, and thrillers.

@ReaddrinkandbeMary 𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ½ ✨⭐️ A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER 🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller/mystery 📖 433 pages 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: ✍🏼🚗🗺️💊🔍⛺️🔦🐕💻📌🖨️🎃 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: ◽️ vengeance ◽️ solving mysteries ◽️ police interviews ◽️ school projects 🖤𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🖤 Thank you @prhaudio for the #gifted alc! This book was an absolute delight from start to finish! I had the pleasure of experiencing it both in physical form & as an audiobook, & I can’t recommend the audio version enough—it felt like watching a movie! 👏🏼 The production was top-notch, with multiple narrators & immersive sound effects like text messages, tape recorders, & more, which truly brought the story to life. The physical copy was equally impressive, featuring visually stunning maps & diagrams that added depth to the reading experience. The story was packed with intriguing characters & suspects that kept me hooked. The eerie camping scene, the cracking of codes, & the relentless tension from threatening letters & texts all contributed to an atmosphere of suspense that made it hard to put the book down. The story’s twists & turns, full of red herrings & multiple mysteries, kept me guessing until the very end. This was a thrilling read that I’m so glad I finally picked up. It delivered everything I love in a mystery—suspense, complexity, & a well-crafted narrative that kept me engaged from start to finish! 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Everyone in Fairview knows the story of Andie Bell's murder by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then took his own life. 5 years later, Pip feels there's more to the story. Remembering Sal as a kind person, she can't believe he was a killer. As a high school senior, she decides to investigate the case for her final project. But as she uncovers dark secrets, Pip realizes someone doesn't want the truth to come out, putting her own life at risk.

Normally when a book has been overhyped, I end up not enjoying it because I come to expect too much from them. This book though? This one lived up to the hype and more! I absolutely DEVOURED it and am practically kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I’m so glad I read it as a group buddy read because had I not it would have been even longer before I read it! I say that because I’ve been let down by so many books and I tend to put them to the side because I fear it will happen again. Does anyone else suffer from this? It’s horrible. A Good Girls Guide to Murder is an epic young adult mystery with an amazing cast of characters and a mystery that had me both shocked and intrigued! I love how the MC of this one (Pippa) is using her senior capstone project to solve a murder when she feels the person everyone is convinced did it, actually didn’t do it! She’s smart, quick witted, and clearly has a knack for asking the right questions and talking to people and it is shown through the writing here. I actually loved it so much that I went ahead and bought the next two books because I am downright obsessed with it. Take my word for it, this book is THAT good. It's well written, fast paced, and unputdownable! If you enjoy young adult mysteries, then this is a must read for you. The killer will shock you; the plot will suck you in, and the 400 pages that encompass this story will fly by so quickly that you’ll finish it in a day or two. It’s probably one of the best YA mysteries I’ve read to date to be honest! So read this one if you haven’t already. The blurb doesn’t so the book justice! It’s so much better than described! 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙: • Young Adult Mysteries • Cold Cases/True Crime • Fast Paced Stories 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read some of the reviews for this book before I bought it and dove into it. I was a little cautious, mostly because I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. Let me tell you, it’s pretty dang good! I just finished reading this book and had to come write a little review about it. To start, the author is British(? Pretty sure! Sorry if I’m wrong! UK I suppose. Lol). The book takes place in the US. Some people didn’t like how there wasn’t US wording, instead there was some British ones. Honestly, this didn’t bother me at all. I was too hooked on the book to even care of the wording on things, I knew the meaning to them — just spelt a different way so not a big deal! Also, I can’t even tell you where in the book this happens. That’s how much I didn’t even noticed until I remember reading someone saying that. So seriously, don’t take it as a “oh no!”. I wanted to also mentioned, this didn’t have me.. uhmmm.. on the edge of my seat? But! I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading at all. I wanted to know more, it felt like I was there and I had to keep going! But definitely didn’t have me on the edge of my seat freaking out. I did love though and can’t wait to read the second book! Her writing style is perfect to me, I love when there’s documents from the character. I love seeing it so much. It makes me feel.. more into the story and has me reading more of it in a way. The ending? (None spoiler, I promise!) Perfect. It was everything I wished one of my favorite books ended with. You seen all the prospectives almost. There was an end and didn’t leave you hanging wondering “well what happened to so and so??” I swear, I get so involved with “side” characters and when they just off and leave their story behind, I get really upset! Like come on, tell me what happened to Susan after she stormed out of the room! Goodness! Anywaysssss.. Overall, I did really love this book (I even read the acknowledgment, I never do that LOL!) while I didn’t get the thriller feel of it (I love thrillers and mysteries), it definitely had the mystery feel of it and I wasn’t expecting what happened at the end. It was perfect to me and what I wanted to read. I definitely am a fan of Holly Jackson now! I highly recommend to pick this book up and read it!

Pippa is a high school senior, obsessed with the murder of Andie Bell from five years before. Everyone assumes that Andie's boyfriend, Sal Singh, murdered Andie and then took his own life. All of the evidence pointed to him at the time, but Pippa has always suspected that there might be more to the story. For her senior school project, she goes digging into the old case, with the help of Sal's younger brother, Ravi. The more Pippa interviews people and researches the details, the more she's convinced that Sal didn't commit the killing. The list of potential suspects grows longer as Pippa learns more. I would give the story five stars for the first 80% of the book. Author Holly Jackson kept me guessing the entire time, the true mark of an excellent whodunit story. Some of Pippa's actions, especially in the later part of the book, were irrational, and I didn't think the ending was as strong as the rest of the book because it was a bit far-fetched. This is the first book in a three-part series, and I liked the story enough to consider reading the next one.

This is a fine read. It didn’t click for me, but I am pretty sure I understand why people like it. It’s a young adult mystery (maybe teenager?) toned down in terms of violence, language and harshness. There are layers of mystery and those get slowly peeled, adding to the suspense as we try to figure out what happened 5 years ago. The mc has an interesting personality, though you should not expect any complex motives or something surprising in that area. She is the good, clever persistent mc, who kinda mindlessly throws herself into the fray. Good for us! The rest of the cast is not thoroughly explored, other than the girl whose murder is investigated. There are twists and turns in terms of who is the main suspect, not something spectacular. The story in general is clever, but don’t expect anything mind blowing. I am trying to figure out why I was not impressed as much. Maybe the story was not that deep for me, or maybe the characters were relatively shallow? I also don’t like it when the mc does things / goes somewhere he shouldn’t- it makes me feel nervous and stresses me out. While I enjoyed reading this book, I was not hooked into reading this so much to drop my other activities. I did not lose my sleep. It’s a fine read and I would recommend it for a mild mystery. I am not waiting to start on the next one though right now

It is a perfect book. Good. With great and noble characters that are brave and make you think to be better and fight for what is right.

For Pip's senior year school project, she decides to solve a murder mystery in her home town. Conclusions previously drawn, don't add up. She makes it her mission to find out what really happened. Following her interviews and research from page one, the reader is fully immersed from the start, with the desire to know the end result. Really enjoyed this book!

Bought for my daughter. Delivery took some time but guess it is reasonable since it travelled halfway around the world. Nicely packaged and arrived in perfect condition.

I haven't read a full book willingly for probably over 7 years, this book has changed me completely. The day I got this book I began reading it, I'd heard about it from Stephanie Soo, and as a lover of true crime and mystery myself I thought I'd give it a shot, plus my new year's resolution was to attempt to read more. This book sucked me in! I was excited to read it every night and got to know and feel for each character, found myself guessing along, couldn't put it down on cliffhangers, the chapters flew by, and I finished it in under 2 weeks! I've already begun reading the 2nd book in the saga and am halfway through, I absolutely love this book! Highly recommend!

I thought this was so brilliant. I didn't think of it as a YA but more as a detective story. If you're into true crime stories and you think of yourself as a detective, you're going to love this story. I thought the author did a great job with keeping a constant pace to the plot. You just can't put the book down, so you better have all you're chores done before you start reading this. Also the whole concept of the book, with Pip's Production 's Log entries was so original... Never read anything like this before. Now I can't wait to read the sequel!

Muy entretenido y recomendable.

I received before then I expected! Perfect 😘