For a girl who does not like to read books in her free time, completing a book series consisting of three books was a huge accomplishment for me. I didn’t finish the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book series just to say I did it, though. I did it because once I picked up the first book I couldn’t stop. When I do find it enjoyable to sit down and read for a while, I need it to be a story that draws me in from the very beginning. That’s what this fictional crime/mystery series did for me; here’s my review!
Book 1: A good girl’s guide to murder
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
British Author, Holly Jackson, opens her series with, in my opinion, the best book out of the three. Five years after a murder-suicide took place in her town of Fairview, CT, a determined teenager Pip can’t let go of the case. The book starts out describing the case from five years ago. Throughout the story, the readers investigate the case through Pip’s eyes. While it seemed cut and dry that Andie Bell’s boyfriend, Sal Singh, murdered her and then killed himself, Pip has always had the feeling Sal was innocent. After doing some digging, Pip uncovers some dark secrets that hit close to home, and she makes some enemies along the way.
I really enjoyed this book because it gets into the story right from the start; we are introduced to who Pip is and her interests and then all the mystery surrounding the case. Since Pip is investigating this case as her senior year project, I like how the book shifts between Pip’s point of view and the notes she’s been keeping. It really gets the reader feeling like they are investigating the crime itself and I continuously found myself trying to solve it!
Book 2: Good Girl, bad blood
Overall Rating: 4/5
Without giving away any spoilers, the second book, Good Girl, Bad Blood, continues the story of Pip and some friends she made along the way during the last book. After her investigation and release of a true crime podcast about the murder-suicide case, Pip’s town is shaken up a bit. However, in this book, six years later on the same day that Andie Bell was murdered, one of Pip’s friends goes missing. This book is the story of Pip trying to find her missing friend and once again, uncovering more secrets along the way.
While I still really enjoyed this book, the most exciting part of it for me was at the end. I found this one to be a slightly slower read than the first book, but still found myself second guessing things and investigating in my head. Another thing I also love about how Holly Jackson writes this series is how she always leaves the reader wanting more. By the end of this book, I could not wait to start reading the next.
Book 3: as good as dead
Overall Rating: 3/5
The last book in this series, As Good as Dead, got the lowest rating for me out of the three. Overall, it was still an enjoyable read but the middle felt like it was dragging on whenever I read it. This story focuses on Pip, following her last investigation and legal consequences. Within the book, the readers follow Pip as she does some more work for her true-crime podcast while digging into an older case in her town. However, she realizes this investigation may put her in the most danger out of them all. One thing I think the author does really well in this book, though, is really allowing the reader to feel what Pip is feeling. With all she has been through, this book gives the most insight into battles Pip is fighting in her mind. While the middle can be slow and a bit repetitive, I did enjoy the outcome of the book as a whole, and the series as a whole!
Stay tuned
While the book series may be over, it has recently been announced that Netflix will be releasing an A Good Girls Guide to Murder TV series. Starring Emma Myers as Pip Fitz Amobi, it seems like this series will follow the same storyline as the books, beginning with the investigation of the murder-suicide. It has not been officially announced when the series will air, but it looks like it will be sometime in 2024. If you are a true crime or mystery lover, I would highly recommend you give these books a try. If you’re normally someone like me who prefers the series adaptation, stay tuned for the new series!
