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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Book 1 in the series:A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

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In 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' by Holly Jackson, high school senior Pippa Fitz Amobi takes on a cold case to prove the innocence of Sal Singh in the murder of his girlfriend Andie Bell. With a mix of diary entries, interviews, and investigative work, the story unfolds as Pip delves into dark secrets and dangerous truths, blurring the lines between past and present while facing obstacles and threats to her life.

The book is a smart and suspenseful YA mystery where Pip's determination to uncover the truth leads her through twists and turns, uncovering layers of the case that go beyond a simple murder mystery. Through creative storytelling techniques and engaging plot development, the author keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Pip navigates through a complex investigation that challenges her perceptions and puts her in harm's way.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Pippa as a relatable protagonist driven to uncover the truth.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style combines traditional narrative with project logs and interviews, making it engaging and dynamic.

Plot/Storyline:

The story centers on Pippa investigating a closed murder case, revealing secrets and twists along the way.

Setting:

The story unfolds in a small town, providing a realistic backdrop for the mystery and character interactions.

Pacing:

Pacing is generally brisk, with suspenseful moments that keep readers on edge, although some find the conclusion a bit rushed.
Their home was like the town’s own haunted house; people’s footsteps quickened as they walked by and their words strangled and died in their throats. Shrieking children would gather on their walk home...

Notes:

The protagonist, Pippa Fitz Amobi, is a bright and independent high school student.
Pippa investigates a murder case from five years ago for her Senior Capstone Project.
The book explores how social media influences perceptions of crime and justice.
The narrative mixes traditional storytelling with Pippa's project log, interviews, and evidence.
Pippa partners with Ravi Sing, the brother of the accused, to uncover the truth about the murder.
The story highlights themes of racism and societal bias against Sal Singh, the accused murderer.
The plot features multiple twists, keeping readers guessing until the end.
Realistic depictions of modern teenage life are included, like friendships and family dynamics.
Pippa navigates serious issues like bullying, drug abuse, and personal trauma throughout the story.
The book's unique storytelling format creates an immersive detective experience for the reader.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Includes themes of abuse, bullying, drug use, and violence.

From The Publisher:

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!

An addictive must-read mystery with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

And don't miss the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood!

"The perfect nail-biting mystery." -Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Ratings (264)

Incredible (75)
Loved It (104)
Liked It (58)
It Was OK (19)
Did Not Like (4)
Hated It (4)

Reader Stats (474):

Read It (278)
Currently Reading (9)
Want To Read (149)
Did Not Finish (5)
Not Interested (33)

14 comment(s)

It Was OK
1 week

2.5 stars. I've seen many raving reviews of this for a while now and I have been very interested in listening to this myself but sadly I'm one of the few that didn't end up enjoying it. I don't know if it was the audiobook I didn't get with or it just wasn't my kind of murder mystery. Just wasn't engaging enough and didn't connect with the characters at all

 
It Was OK
1 week

I liked it a lot more on a reread and I might continue if my local library has the others. I liked the whole investigation and puzzling around with clues and suspects bot not quite 4 stars. 3.5 stars

 
Incredible
1 week

so so good!!! i absolutely love fast paced books !!!

 
Loved It
1 month

Very clever- I didn’t predict the big twist at the end.

 
Loved It
3 months

No This book would have been a 5 star but I cannot do that because Barney deserved better. The chapters are short, the way it’s written is fabulous and it puts you right into the detective brain of Pippa Fitz-Amobi.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, until 70-75% of the way in when there is **spoilers alert** an animal death (absolutely not for me). I kind of feel like that spoiler is an important one because knowing it, doesn’t really take away from the storyline, for me it could have not been there.

I was unsure whether or not I wanted to continue but I was invested into the story and I needed closure for Sal and Andie. I’m glad I finished the book, and I probably will continue the series as I have been told that there is no more animal deaths in the next books.

I feel like I had the idea of WHO quite early on but there was so many twists and turns I second guessed myself and then I was like “I KNEW IT”

 
Incredible
4 months

I adore this book omg!!

 
Loved It
5 months

I needed something outside of my usual genre of choice (fantasy) to help snap me out of the reading slump I've been in all year, and I'm happy to say

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder did the trick pretty well! At least until I picked up a fantasy book again. I'm finding it's a gradual process to break a book slump.

Pippa was a fun character to follow. She wasn't the Criminal Minds-obsessed MC I'd expected of the book, and seeing her attempt to balance the rest of her life with solving this years-old murder provided a good reminder of how regular of a girl she truly is. On the opposite end of that spectrum, it takes quite a bit of suspension of disbelief to believe that this high school senior managed to get so much information out of the dangerous situations she put herself in.

Something interesting about this book was that, while I felt it was well-paced, it didn't have the whip-around-a-corner, breakneck speed that I usually expect from a thriller/mystery. There weren't any moments that elicited a strong emotional response from me, but I don't necessarily think that's bad. Sure, I would've liked my heart rate to hike a bit, but this was still a good venture into an unfamiliar genre and a fun way to spend a few hours.

 
Loved It
6 months

I really liked this. I thought I would - I'm really enjoying all the true crime inspired cold case type mysteries lately. And it was good.

Pippa was smart and determined and I enjoyed her quirky pun filled sense of humour. She was mostly safety conscious until towards the end when she started to make some really dumb decisions (breaking and entering, following suspects at night alone, blackmailing the possibly dangerous drug dealer, etc).

I liked the progression of the investigation and how Pippa worked to uncover the evidence. Particularly at the start when she was busy compiling the details from the news reports. I also really liked the focus on how the media and the town at large condemned Sal without ever looking at the facts and regardless of the lack of conviction - or charges for the matter. Especially their condemnation of Ravi and his family. The mystery itself was interesting and I was drawn into the drama and speculation of who was guilty and what happened.

I loved her relationship with Ravi. The romance was incidental rather than a main plot line. Pip and Ravi were mainly friends for the majority of the book and whatever happens between them in terms of defining their relationship happens off screen. It was a refreshing change of pace for a young adult read.

It wasn't perfect but it was pretty good. I'll definitely be picking up the next one in the series. Solid 4 stars.

 
Incredible
7 months

Absolutely love!! Second guessed the killer the entire time. Definitely going to reread.

 
It Was OK
7 months

This book has so many rave reviews that I was expecting something spectacular. Unfortunately, I found this story rather average. It was generally okay, but there's nothing really special about it. The writing style didn't seem to work for me, and I had trouble keeping an interest in this story.

Quite often I avoid young adult books because the characters are too childish for me. And with this book I also had such a problem. Pip, who sometimes makes very mature decisions and shows considerable wisdom, acts like a kid at other times. Some of her ill-considered decisions really irritated me, especially those in the last 30 percent of the book. Sometimes I felt the writer didn't know how to finish a book, and forces Pip to make some really stupid decisions just to give the reader a thrill.

Pip, who previously shows considerable cunning and efficiently conducts the investigation, behaves very foolishly about blackmailing her dog's life. Quite idiotic in fact. This was the moment when she finally lost me. Especially since the author did not support this scene with Pip's thoughts on what is more important to her. And that, in my opinion, would add some psychological depth to the story. These scenes and what Pip does next to the end of the book are weak and hackneyed. I've read it in hundreds of books, it irritated me there, and it still annoys me here.

Reading this book, I was not sure exactly how old Pip is. She must be at least sixteen to drive a car, but very often she acts much younger. In many cases, her voice sounded very childish. Then, I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be twelve or so. Her infantile voice often annoyed me.

The ending was really down-to-earth and uninspiring. After all this building up tension, wrong leads and casting suspicions on more and more people, solving the mystery of the girl's disappearance was really boring and uninteresting. My first thought was: that’s all?! Like this?! Oh yes, exactly, that’s all. The answer is quite trivial and it is not something I will remember from this book.

I guess I should still avoid young adult crime novels, because for such a bestseller, reading this book took me an exceptionally long time.

 
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About the Author:

Holly Jackson started writing stories at a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a novel when she was fifteen. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, where she studied literary linguistics and creative writing, with a master's degree…

 
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