Welcome to my review of A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. My Daughter recommended this after listening to the audiobook; we share an account, so I decided to have a listen, and, after a bit of a rocky start, I really enjoyed it. It has a significant plot development and some fantastic characters.
The New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that everyone is talking about!
THE WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARD’S CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE 2020
The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the crime, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth … ?
Holly Jackson started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a novel aged fifteen. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys playing video games and watching true crime documentaries so she can pretend to be a detective. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is her first novel. You can follow Holly on Twitter and Instagram
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has a great plot. Narrated in two styles: both from Pip. One is a current view of her daily life, and the other is in the form of her Logbook. The Logbook has a diary-like feel but also serves to recap where she is with her investigation into what really happened to Andie Bell and Sal Singh. I also liked the murder board Ravi and Pip created; it felt very realistic and helped me try to work out what had happened.
Holly Jackson cleverly makes you feel like you are helping Pip solve the case. This gives a personal feel, especially when listening to the audiobook, and kept me invested. There are plenty of twists and mini climaxes, which also help hold your attention.
The plot takes you through a range of emotions, from tears of sadness to feeling tension, relief, and happiness too. Pip is tenacious, intelligent, and really cares about what happened to Sal and Andy as a by-product. I found myself caring about what had happened, although I had worked out Sal from the beginning but not the details.
Ravi is humorous, which adds entertainment and his relationship with Pip provides a dream team for investigating. I felt that they could solve any mystery and do so well. Both were likeable personalities you could imagine being friends with, which helped form an easy link with the characters. They were all very realistic and well developed as well.
My one very mild criticism was that there were a couple of places where Pippa lacked emotional intelligence. She didn’t consider the feelings of her friends and family. She also put herself in considerable danger without thinking it through. While I think this is probably quite representative of 17-year-olds, it was disappointing to see. In hindsight, perhaps this helps make her more flawed and relatable.
It also felt slightly unbelievable that two young people could so easily solve the case when the police couldn’t. However, I am aware that there are plenty of cases where a simple matter becomes more complicated, or the most straightforward answer is the correct one. Hence, maybe it isn’t too unbelievable after all!
I was surprised to find that this well written and cleverly plotted book was Jackson’s Debut. It’s a Young Adult book, but I didn’t feel too young to read or listen to. The Narrator was good and enhanced the story as well. It was delightful listening while driving and working.
| Title | A Good Girls Guide to Murder |
| Author | Holly Jackson |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | AudioBook |
| Page Count | 347 Pages |
| Genre | YA Thriller |
| Publisher | Electric Monkey |
| Release Date | 2nd May 2019 |
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