Title of the Book: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Young Adult Mystery/Thriller
Star Rating (Out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summary:
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?
Overview:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a book series by Holly Jackson. It is in the small town of Fairview, where everyone believes that high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then took his own life five years ago. The case was closed, but Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi, a determined student, isn’t convinced. For her school’s senior capstone project, she decides to investigate the case herself, uncovering secrets that challenge everything the town thought it knew. As Pip digs deeper, she realizes that someone doesn’t want her searching for the truth—and she may be in danger.
Analysis:
Holly Jackson crafts a great novel with a great protagonist. Pip’s sharp intelligence and determination make her a perfect book heroine. The visual elements, i.e. text messages, case notes, audio recordings, photos add a more immersive experience to the novel. Jackson also explores many themes related to justice, inequality and bias in law, and the importance of the truth.
Personal Opinion:
I really enjoyed this book, it was one of the first few murder mystery novels I read and the characters are really relatable. It explores the importance of the truth and what to stand up for. It does contain some mature themes such as drinking and drug abuse. It has many plot twists which keep the reader engaged as Pip explores for the truth about a case that happened five years ago. The ending ends on an unexpected note, allowing readers to yearn for the next book, “Good Girl, Bad Blood.”