That one girl who doesn't mess around about murder mystery parties

If there is one thing about me you need to know is I'm a Pip Fitz-Amboi stan first, human second. It's been a bit under 2 years since I read the book series this prequel novella is based on and I absolutely loved it, I have gone on record saying it is what other teen YA mysteries aspire to be! I love Pip as a character and it was fun to read an earlier version of her knowing where she ends up in the main series. This was nice for what it was, very quick but a nice way to compliment the other books. That being said, the actual mystery at hand in this wasn't very compelling. If this had been starring anybody but Pip I wouldn't have read it but that really wasn't the point, this is just setting the scene, showing us the lady detective's origin story so I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy my reading experience. If anything I wish we had gotten more internal monologue from Pip on things not related to the game at hand, though there were some hints at the unique things about her that become more apparent in a longer book. Overall enjoying this book depends entirely on if you enjoyed the original series, there is not much built on here other than revisiting the main character before the trauma, which is nice, a treat if you will. While I may re-read books 1 and 3 of the original series this isn't something I'd see myself coming back to but it's nice that it exits. Loved the Ravi cameo at the end hehe!

Omg this novella was everything I ever wanted!! I’m such a huge fan of Pip and this was THE perfect introduction to her character. I loved seeing how Pip became Pip and it makes me enjoy the AGGGTM series even more! Also, the theme of this book was so much fun!! A murder mystery party?! How friggen sweet! Now I’m itching to host a party with my friends and channel my inner Pip. 10/10 recommend - it’s a fun, fast paced, and entertaining novella. The perfect book to read in one sitting 😁

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was super cute. I think the US publishing of this is super behind or something just because this is already published in the UK & etc. I really love the main character and I love her in the trilogy I’m so sad it ended. I think a lot of people will enjoy this mainly because it’s short and sweet with a little mystery!

This book was so good! I loved this series and it’s been hard for me to find a book like this since!

This is a short and sweet novella about a group of friends who are getting together for a murder mystery party, they are playing out the game “Kill Joy” (basically like the board game clue). They are each given a character, prompts, secrets and clues to help solve the murder of RR.

This book had my brain working on over drive and I was immersed instantly! Such a great, short, light read! 5⭐️’s!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

While this novella didn't really add a lot to the "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" series, it was a fun additional. It shed a little light on what drew Pip's interest to the Andie Bell/Sal Singh case while showcasing some of her detective and problem solving skills. The biggest result of reading this book is my new desire to play a murder mystery game.

First off I loved the AGGGTM series so I was so excited to read this! I went into it blind, so I initially didn’t realize when in the universe timeline this one took place. Knowing that now makes this one that much more interesting and allows us into the mind of Pip a little more. This really gave me Clue and Knives Out who-dunnit vibes in the form of a murder mystery dinner which is so fun. This is a novella so it’s short and sweet a quick read but I loved it.

I have read the first two books in The Good Girls Guide to Murder series and this is such a cool addition! The entire time I was invested in trying to figure out the murderer alongside Pip, who is just SO smart in her detective skills. I enjoyed all of the references to the other books in the series as well that are sprinkled throughout this book!

I haven't yet read A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (or the series), so I was super excited for this little prequel novella. It was a nice introduction to the characters and a little taste test of the story. Now, I want (and need) to read all of the other books.

This will be a short review as this was a very short but such a fun novella.

I just loved seeing Pip and her friends in this very engaging novella that takes place before the events of the series. She is such a fun character to spend time with and I had forgotten how quirky some of her friends were.

I thought it was really interesting that Pip didn’t really want to attend this murder mystery party, but once she got there and began to think about the clues she really started to get into it. And of course leave it to her to totally read into the clues and make it way more complicated than it is. But I kind of agreed with her, the company’s solution was way too simple given all of the clues. I was totally buying into Pip’s solution to the murder and was just as disappointed in the truth as she was.

This really was a fun, short little story, that I recommend if you have read the series. Even if you haven’t read the series this is a fun story to start with. It sets up the series well and it gives a glimpse of the characters from the series in a more relaxed setting.

Pip is invited by her friends to participate in a murder mystery party. As she gets caught up in the game and the fun of unraveling stories and piecing together clues, she starts to get more and more interested in solving mysteries. Especially the mystery of her hometown and the beloved slain couple that seemed to be wrapped up a little too neatly for Pip's liking.

I have not read any of the other books in this series. I can see where reading this after the series would have been fun so you can get a sense of how Pip's detective skills were shaped, but as a standalone it did not do anything for me. The writing was good, but the story alone was not much to capture my attention. That said, I would still give the first book of the series a shot to see Pip in action with a real mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Good Girl’s Guide Guide to Murder is one of my favorite series and I was so excited to be approved for this ARC. I really enjoyed this prequel to AGGGTM.

This novella was centered around a murder mystery party for one of Pip’s friends, and it was fun to see her love of detective work and skills come to life.

It blows my mind that Holly Jackson can write a story within a story. She is such a talented author.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhousekids for this eARC. You can get this book when it publishes on February 28, 2023.

A great Novella about Pippa! I thought that with it being the prequel, that I could read it before the other books, but then I read reviews about how this should actually be read last. I didn't read the rest of the series (I have been meaning to!) so I wish I would've waited before reading to get the real affect. Overall, it made me excited to read books 1-3!

ｋｉｌｌ
ｊｏｙ
-ᴴᴼᴸᴸᵞ ᴶᴬᶜᴷˢᴼᴺ-
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: 28 ғᴇʙ 2023
ᴀʀᴄ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ɴᴇᴛ ɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ & ʀᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ's
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs:
Pippa Fitz-Amobi is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town, Little Kilton, is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
I really enjoyed seeing “where it all began” for Pip and A Good Girls Guide to Murder. This was a quick enjoyable read that offers some back ground not only to why Pip picked her Capstone Project but also the dynamics of her friends group before her research even began. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, then this is a must read.



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Kill Joy by Holly Jackson is a novella based on the characters portrayed in “A Good Girl's Guide to Murder”. Set before Pip’s initial investigation into Andie Bell’s murder case is her debut as a crime detective: solving a murder at a 1920s themed mystery party.

I really enjoyed reading about where Pip’s true crime obsession comes from. I thought this was a clever prequel by Holly Jackson, explaining a lot about where Pip gets the idea for her school project that solves the Andie Bell murder case. After reading Good Girl, Bad Blood, I had negative feelings towards Ant and Lauren, but loved Pip, Connor and Cara even more!

Kill Joy was a short, fast paced prequel that I would recommend reading before the AAGGTM series, rather than in the order of publishing dates. It is set to release on February 28th! I highly recommend this prequel, and all of the AAGGTM books!

Thank you @netgally and Penguin Random House Children’s for the e-arc of this book!

Oh my goodness, this book was so fun! A mixture of all my favorite mystery tropes, it was very interesting to see the characters before the events of the other books! Makes me want to watch Clue or read some Agatha Christie!

For fans of The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, this is the prequel that started it all. It takes place at a murder mystery themed birthday party that leads Pip into her senior capstone project idea to research the murder that good place 5 years before in their hometown.

This was a quick, interesting read that gave some insight to what led to Pip investigating the murder that would lead into the next books.

This is a fun, quick little murder mystery game played out by some high schoolers. I've been to a few murder mystery dinners and this one was really planned out and I liked how realistic it was to the game, player reactions, and curiosity of the players while sticking to the age. I did wish that there was a bit more action or a twist of some sort, but I also haven't read "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," though I definitely plan to, and with the prior knowledge of that book, as this is a prequel, being able to connect some of the characters may have made it a bit more enjoyable.

This was just the extra little something needed to pull me back into the world of Pip. It also gave a whole different perspective on how Pip ended up doing the investigating she did; as well as the added bonus of when she first really saw Ravi.

Having previously read the "Good Girls Guide to Murder" series, this was an interesting read that dove further into why Pippa Fitz-Amobi got involved in her first investigation that takes place in the first book. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the series and wanted a little more with the characters that we have already know/love. I would not recommend reading this before the series even though it is technically a prequel.

This was definitely a novella, but I enjoyed its quick pace. The story is a bit confusing because you have the main characters and then their murder mystery personas, so there are a LOT of names being tossed around interchangeably.

The story is well thought out and inventive. It makes me want to go to a murder mystery party! I definitely think my 8th graders will enjoy this one.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: trauma, murder, language, alcohol

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the free ARC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**