A Good Girl's Guide to Murder was a smartly written, fast-paced crime thriller that will consume you from beginning to end. With a murder that rocked the town five years ago and a tenacious heroine set on discovering the truth, readers will fall head first into Pip's obsession to prove a killer as innocent and become entangled in her journey as motives blur and lines are crossed. A tight plot and a good mystery made for a truly riveting read.

The characterization of Pip was so well done and I truly enjoyed being in her head from the first page. She was as determined as she was capable, and always led with her heart right beside her brain even if it caused trouble. And her heart was so endearing; willing to see through the stigma to the person underneath while also being willing to make the hard choices. Though this novel had heavy subject matter, it was such fun to watch Pip dig into the details and track down clues while struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. Jackson penned a fantasy mystery for her to unravel and I loved every twist and turn it gave me. Armchair detective or not, this was a poignant story well worth devouring and thinking about long after it ends.

Very well written story that will keep you reading late into the night. Pick up this winner of a book. Happy reading!

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder really was a thrill ride. It's a wonderful young adult crime thriller that reminds me of Veronica Mars in many ways. The formating of the book - switching from documents, files, transcripts, and normal narratives - really make for an interesting way to tell the story, while also setting it apart from others in the genre. If you're familiar at all with investigative podcasts, you can really tell that that genre inspired how the story went down.

I loved the twist and turns it took me on. Pippa's investigation is compelling and thrilling and well written. She quickly became one of my favorite leading ladies in a series. The other characters in this book are layered even in our short moments with them. I believe that is what really brings the story to life.

You will not be disappointed with this one.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review*

What a fun and different mystery. I enjoyed the way the story was woven between Pip's notes and her investigation. Enough twists and turns to keep things moving and interesting. Pip and Ravi are great characters as were the supporting characters. A quick, compelling mystery and a debut novel! I will be eagerly awaiting more

3.5 stars.
this was a pretty fun read! I really liked the project aspect of it, especially considering I'm also working on a criminology capstone project. if you like true crime stuff and DIY detective-type stories you'll probably enjoy this!
you really have to suspend your disbelief on this one. a 17 y/o girl solving multiple crimes? cool story but don't think so, and things were a little too easy for her.
the setting was also off for me. I believe this is supposed to be taking place in Connecticut from the towns being mentioned, but there are a lot of British-isms that made it a little confusing and took me out of the story. this also teetered between being a contemporary and a mystery which was odd - parts about the characters would be focused on that felt out of place in the story, but because the focus was the mystery they weren't entirely fleshed out either.
overall, a fun & enjoyable read but a little unbelievable with some minor issues.

Thrillers are one of my favorite genres and I’ve been reading a lot of them lately, Adult and Young Adult. A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson just made it to my favorites list! It is a complex puzzle of a story with the perfect amount of smoke screens and diversions to keep me turning pages and second guessing myself.

“And though this story does have its monsters, I’ve found that it is not one that can be so easily divided into the good and the bad.”

The characters are so well-layered and personable, it was easy to become emotionally invested in them. Pippa, the main character, is a girl after my own heart and one of my favorite sorts of characters. She is brave and heroic with an incredibly nerdy sarcastic personality. She is an empathetic and ethical voice in the midst of chaos and deceit. The secondary characters are just as well developed and intertwined into the story impeccably.

The story itself is both a crime mystery and a suspenseful thriller, and as I said earlier, it is deliciously complex and I was invested right from the start, partly because the plot, while strongly character driven, also has an irresistible mystery at its heart; I was thoroughly hooked by the second chapter. It is quickly paced and the ending is satisfying and brilliant. To say I thoroughly enjoyed this would be an understatement! 5 stars for this beauty and I cannot wait to see what Holly Jackson does next.

A big thank you to Random House Childrens, Holly Jackson, and NetGalley for providing me with this DARC in exchange for my honest review.

I cannot believe how much I loved <i>A Good Girl's Guide to Murder</i>. I have never really read anything of the mystery/thriller genre before but this book opened up all kinds of new doors. I am telling myself right now that I have way too much on my TBR at the moment to throw myself back into this novel a second time in one day.
It was a complete thrill at every corner. I was never bored with the story nor did I ever feel like it just dragged on. I was so sure at so many different parts that I knew what the ending was going to be and I was dead wrong every time. That is such an amazing feeling. The level of predictability in books and shows nowadays is beyond boring. A good book is the only time I am happy about being completely wrong.
The characters are also made so beautifully. Pip and Ravi were such a fun duo. With Pip being this stubborn, nerdy girl determined to find the truth and Ravi cute, sarcastic, and cheesy in all the best ways. They made a great team and their banter was just too cute.

This was a lot of fun - I loved Pip's tireless hunt for the truth and her sassy humor. The mystery and investigation as a whole came together very naturally, and I never felt like Pip was doing things beyond what a teen could reasonably do in terms of researching a murder.

I also loved her relationships with her friends and family, which were refreshingly loving and uncomplicated. I was a huge Ravi fan, and loved how he met Pip on the battlefield of wits.

The story was told with a mix of entries from Pip's assignment journal, transcriptions of interviews, and 3rd person prose, which I thought worked really well together. The variation in formatting made it a fast read and hard to put to down.

While I did love Pip's funny persona, I felt there were spots when some of the darker issues at play were treated too lightly. The issue of racism is only barely touched on and it would've been nice to dig deeper into that. Finally, Pip's compassion for the perpetrators and her attitude towards them in general felt a bit off after the big reveal of whodunit, and a couple of the twists were a bit farfetched and some of her discoveries far too convenient, but overall it was a satisfying read.

Review: This story is told through standard novel format as well as glimpses into Pippa’s capstone project. I got to say, that choice pays off. I have not wanted to forsake sleep in the name of solving a thriller in awhile the way I had with this one.

So, let’s talk key points!
Atmosphere: I felt completely sucked in by how the small town was reacting to the past case as well as how they reacted to Pippa’s capstone.
Protagonist: Speaking of Pippa, she is clearly a teen! She let’s her own feelings and thoughts influence the case especially when it comes to leads, for better or worse.
Who-Dun-It: Like I said, this review is spoiler free, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ending revelations relating to this factor.
Cons aka Ethics: Pippa isn’t exactly ethical with this project, like ever. An early easy example that happens in the first chapter was that in her guidelines for the project she was told not to speak to the family; however she immediately does so. There are other more spoiler-filled ethical lines crossed later on that seem out of character for Pippa that she does in the name of the case, but without the mental justicifaction. It would have been nice to see her have an internal struggle regarding these choices.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I recommend A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It’s definitely the “fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, can-we-right-wrongs, must-solve” kind of mystery that I enjoy.

<I>I just have to keep chasing, even when the path is resisting me. </I>

We are not playing around with books in this year of 2020. Quite the opposite. The amount of fantastic books I have read so far and it is only FEBRUARY. I am absolutely astounded and delighted. Yes, the world may be crumbling but my nose is buried in my kindle as the walls fall down.

Wow.
Just WOW.

So hey guys, want to solve a five year murder case together? Okay, well this is the book for you.

Right away I could tell this is the book for me. I’m a fan of true crime podcasts, documentaries, books, etc...so I knew this would be right up my alley. What managed to keep me engaged was the fantastic story telling, gripping characters, and twists and turns that I would have never expected. I’m still thinking about it, the cogs are turning in my head. This is one of my favorite books of the year and it will definitely be one of yours too.

Andie Bell, one of the most popular girls at Fairview is missing and presumed dead and although the case was never solved the town and the police have a murderer in mind and that is her boyfriend, Sal Singh. Justice has never been properly served because a day after Andie’s disappearance Sal was found dead in the woods of suicide. Andie’s body was never found. The years went on and Pippa a hopeful future journalist decides to explore the murder as her senior project. She has always believed in Sal’s innocence and wants to bring the truth to light. Is Andie Bell really dead? And if she is who actually killed her? She enlists the help of Sal’s younger brother Ravi and goes on a chase that starts off innocuous enough but grows more dangerous the closer she gets to the truth.

This is a fantastic read. I really can’t praise it enough. Pippa is an amazing protagonist and there are times I truly want to reach through my kindle and shake her because I’m like GIRL PLEASE CHILL and be careful but I do have to admire her tenacity and her need to figure out what is going on.
Her and Ravi’s chemistry is great and they make for a great duo.

This web of suspects kept me on my toes and I am one who reads a lot of mysteries so I almost always know who the culprit is midway but I had no idea at all and I loved it. There are twists and turns everywhere and it pleased my murder obsessed brain so much. The beast has been fed and she is satiated. Bravo. This definitely joins my fave books of 2020.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC.

For her senior Capstone project, Pippa wants to prove that Sal Singh did not kill Andie Bell 5 years ago. She's given strict instructions by her teacher to not involve the families involved, which in the spirit of a feisty teen, she promptly ignores. What unfolds is a mixture of Pippa's entries for her log and story setting as she goes about interviewing people involved.

Pippa had a lot of good, self-reflecting moments on her journey to the truth. I particularly liked when she said: "But sometimes remembering isn't for yourself; sometimes you do it to make someone else smile."I liked the connection that Pippa built with Sal's brother Ravi, who always believed his brother was innocent, but because the town was angry with his whole family, he couldn't do much about it.

There were quite a few elements going on to build this complex story, which slowly unfolded with each person interviewed. Jackson covered topics such as suicide, rape, and self-harm, because there was just so much going on, it worked well in the story. Pippa is strong-willed, and she's not afraid to be a bit of a bully to get people to be honest with her. From start to finish, this was a fun read with excellent characters and an engaging storyline.Thank you Random House Children's Books for sending this along!

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will keep you guessing until the very last page. Pip is a fantastic narrator who isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of Andie Bell's murder, clear Sal's name, and get into her dream school to pursue journalism. I am obsessed with true crime podcasts and this feels like the best of the best. Pip has such a strong voice and I loved watching the mystery unfold through her eyes. Pip gives up a lot to solve this murder and get justice for both Andie and Sal. If you love true crime and kickass female characters, this one is for you.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Delacorte Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Pip is a senior in high school and for her final project she decides to reexamine a murder that took place in her town five years ago. Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. But Pip has some doubts and believes Sal could be innocent. With all this investigating Pip has managed to put herself in danger too, but she may know what happened on that day five years ago.

This story was very fast paced and kept me on my toes. I loved Pip and Ravi’s friendship as well as her relationship with her friends and her Dad (he was a great character!). Anytime I had a theory about what happened I quickly realized I was wrong as new evidence or suspects came to light. There were some clues throughout that Pip didn’t remember until later on and when I realized what they meant I was yelling at her to pay attention! By the end all of my questions were answered and all the loose ends were tied up perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This is going to be a best seller and a highly coveted book in 2020!

Popular and beautiful high schooler, Andie Bell, disappeared five years ago in the middle of the night. She was soon suspected to not only have disappeared, but to be dead, even though a body was never recovered. Andie’s boyfriend, Sal Singh, was the number one suspect in her disappearance… and then he turned up dead. Everyone in the town of Fairview was convinced that he killed Andie, and when the guilt got to be too much, he killed himself. Now, Sal’s younger brother, Ravi, is getting cold stares and nasty comments for simply being the brother of a murderer.

Enter Pippa, a high school senior at Fairview who is dedicating her senior year and capstone project to proving that Sal is innocent. Pip knew Sal when they were younger, and he was always so nice and friendly toward Pip that he couldn’t possibly be the killer…. Could he? She enlists the help of Ravi to start piecing together Andie and Sal’s relationship, along with the relationships of everyone the two interacted with before their untimely demise.

As Pip sets off interviewing and uncovering all the details surrounding the night Andie went missing, she learns that a lot of people in Fairview are keeping secrets and acting rather shady. How many people are involved in the Andie case? Was Andie really the sweet, popular girl everyone says she is? Who would want her gone, and why?

The twists and turns in this book had me turning the pages and second guessing every single theory I had by the end of each chapter. Every time I had it figured out, there was more evidence, or a new story, or a new suspect, and everything I was so sure about 3 pages ago seemed so wrong. I went in circles about 3 times trying to determine what happened to Andie and who was to blame. Ultimately, my gut instinct was right, but I didn’t know why, which made “figuring out” who did it just as exciting as if I was completely wrong.

The writing style was descriptive, but not overbearing. The plot was complete, all the loose ends were tied up by the end, and the characters were lovable and detestable. 5 stars to Holly Jackson on a perfectly delicious thriller with a completely satisfying ending! Highly recommend!

Posted to Goodreads: Everyone in Fairview knows that Andie Bell was killed and that her boyfriend, Sal, was the one that did it. Everyone knows this is true, everyone but Pip. High school senior, Pip remembers Sal as being kind and she can't believe that he killed the girl he loved even five years later. Pip has made it her senior year capstone project to find out what really happened to Andie all those years ago but as she delves deeper into the crime that rocked her hometown she finds herself in danger in a way she never expected.

This book was just really readable, to the point that I couldn't stop. It was a well-plotted fast-paced mystery. Pip's journey into what happened to Andie was filled with twists, turns, and red herrings that worked together perfectly. Jackson did a great job of slowly creating new relationships and unveiling the details of Pip's old relationship which made the characters feel more real. The book felt very much like a classic English murder mystery. The ending was a little far fetched but by that point, I was so invested in the book that I was willing to follow Pip just about anywhere. However, I found all of the British terms being used in a small town in Connecticut to be distracting and I wish the publisher would have adjusted the terminology to fit the setting better. Yet, even with that issue, I plan to read more from this author.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder follows Pippa trying to complete her senior capstone project. However, she picked a more elusive topic, trying to prove the innocence of Sal Singh, a local boy who was accused of murder in their small town. As the story goes on, Pippa enlists the help of Ravi (Sal's brother). Throughout the novel, the readers are introduced to a variety of different characters that all have some sort of connection with Andie, the missing girl in question. Since Andie had been missing for 5 years, Pippa had to work extra hard to follow different leads to prove Sal was innocent and find out the truth about what happened on that night 5 years before. There are plenty of subplots to keep the readers entertained since no one knows what is going to come next. There are big reveals and shocking plot twists that allow for this book to be a successful mystery thriller. Pippa, Ravi, her friends, and her family are all likable characters that allow the readers to root for Pippa and Ravi during their quest. This novel contains various forms of mixed media that I also really enjoyed. There were text messages, lists, transcripts of phone calls, articles and more that kept the plot interesting and exciting. There were also moments where just when you thought Pippa had it figured out or even myself as the reader thought I knew where it was going, it all changed. The ending is also really satisfying to me with the conclusion of the mystery and the wrap up at the end. A Good Girls Guide to Murder is a book rich with interesting plots, mystery, and characters that make it a good mystery thriller for anyone interested. I'm so excited excited to see what is next for this series.

Whoa. Just whoa. I went into this not expecting to hate it but also very much not prepared to shout its merits from the rooftops. Why was this so good? How was this so good? I can barely type. I’m too hyped by this happy coincidence. It was a full on ride from A to Z. Pip is smart and Ravi is book-boyfriend material without being over the top. Pip’s family is the sweetest ever. Like ever ever. The flaws of human nature are explored so genuinely without needing to all be placed as plot thickeners. Sometimes people just suck.
I’m so happy I received this book. It was pure entertainment at-the-edge-of-my-seat material. I am fan-girling. A sequel is coming April 2020. GO READ THIS ASAP!!!

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.***

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Holly Jackson for allowing me to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This story was a RIDE. From the very first page I was intrigued, and had to know who did it. This story has so many twist and turns, I read 50% of the book in the first day, and was convinced everyone was guilty of murder. I went back and forth most of the book if this was a 3 or 4 star read. However, the ending and the cascading event that occurred were amazing, MINDBLOWING, and addictive.

This author really knows how to write a crime story. As someone who is interested in these kind of stories, it was so well written and when I read this story late at night, I was SCARED to go to bed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but be warned there is very little romance within this book. Although I am usually someone that NEEDS romance to love (or even sometimes like) a book, but the lack of romance was fitting, and the high-quality mystery within the story made up for it.

~Thank you to RandomHouse Children's Books for sending me an early copy for review!~

This book left me REELING. From the moment I picked it up I desperately wanted to refrain from putting it down. Naturally though, life got in the way, so it took me three whole days to devour this beast. I honestly could have easily done it in one if I had the time.

YA mystery/thrillers are hard to get right, but Holly Jackson hit the nail on the head with this one. A light use of multimedia, some fun YA contemporary elements to make you like the characters, a thrilling pace, incredible foreshadowing, and a killer ending (literally).

This was originally published in the UK, and that is evident in the book through a few slip-ups (the words "queue" instead of "line," "year" instead of "grade," and "revision" instead of "studying"). There was also one large typo where the wrong character's name was said which made me VERY confused about the plot for a few minutes lol, but I'm sure this will all be cleared up by the time it hits shelves.

I loved that this book was written true-crime style—it truly is a love letter to us weird people who are fascinated by the topic.

Pip was an amazing protagonist, and while her actions did seem extreme at times, none seemed unrealistic. She was clever, but also cautionary. She represents who all of us true-crime lovers secretly wish we could be.

Overall, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder has much more to offer than what may meet the eye. An incredible debut from Holly Jackson. I can't wait to read the next installment.

U.S. RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2020

<b><I>”You go around asking dangerous questions, girl, you’re going to find some dangerous answers.”</I></b>

Man, oh man. Okay. Let’s start with the good. The way Jackson wrote this story in the form of third person and the Mc’s school project log entries was pretty neat. Not something overly done and I appreciate trying something new.

I also kept turning the pages as fast as I could. Couldn’t put it down. Jackson did a stunningly good job keeping you guessing and then second doubting yourself.

UNTIL... and this is a big until.. until the end. It was like all the effort, the struggle, and time and commitment the MC put into solving this murder just landed on the table, like oh here you go. As long as it took to get to that point, I was sorely disappointed at the reveal.

This would have been a solid three stars for me if it weren’t for the fact that I couldn’t put it down. So I bumped it up to four. I’m not satisfied with the choppy ending but all the loose ends were tied up, so I guess that’s enough for me here. I’ll still be reading the next one with high hopes!