Jackson is one of my go to for thrillers. I love how compulsively readable her writing is, and the complex plots that get twisted around. So I can only conclude that someone else wrote this fanfiction like boring diner party. What was the point of this? To show what a bad loser Pip is? Alright, mission accomplished. The best I can say was that it ended much sooner than I thought it would because about a third of this was filler for the rest of the series. I can only hope someone isn’t picking up this one first though because nothing in this will cause them to want to pick up the rest of the books. Skip this one unless you want to see a bunch of teens do a boxed mystery party. With pizza. Wow.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy I. Exchange for an honest review.

When Pip is invited to a 1920s themed murder mystery party she’s less than enthused, but is quickly wrapped up in a world of murder and deception. Only, her mind is frequently drawn to another case. “Kill Joy” is the perfect prequel for “A Good Girls Guide to Murder”, and it flows really nicely from the end of prequel to chapter one of the first book. It’s a quick, light read and it’s very enjoyable.

I rated this book 3 stars because the intensity of the book is low, as if it’s suited for younger reads (age 9-10), but it also has elements that are inappropriate for younger readers (such as language and underage drinking). This book would’ve gotten 4 stars if it the language and drinking was removed to be more suited for a younger audience, OR if it were more thrilling for an older audience. The writing style is really well done as is the mystery. Reading about Pips conclusion was very enjoyable and well worth the read.

TW ⚠️ Underage drinking, language, some minor elements of surprise

I have this series on my TBR and have read and enjoyed her stand alone Five Survive. This prequel novela did not disappoint and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

First of all I would like the thank the publisher for this ARC. Overall I enjoyed this novella because I really liked the inside look into Pip’s mind.

This was a super fun quick short story. I loved this series and can’t get enough of this author. Ill read her grocery list!

I love love love this series. And this novella was the same. I didn’t love it as much as the series, but it was a good prequel that shows what happens before the book we all know and love. We get to see Pip in her detective mode during this, and the motivation for her senior capstone project.

I love books that purposefully mislead you as well and that’s definitely what this one did. Just like Pip, I was following in her footsteps and analyzing all these clues, coming to a conclusion, then boom… a curveball. Recommend this to anyone that misses the series and would love to dive into those familiar characters again.

I missed Pip and Ravi so much. This made me want to reread the series.

School’s out, so Pip is heading to a murder mystery party held at one of her friend’s homes. While she’s not excited at first, she soon finds herself being drawn into her character and the mystery, hoping to be the one to solve it first. As she finds joy in this, she begins to come up with an idea for her senior capstone project. Will Pip be able to solve this mystery correctly?

This novella is a prequel to the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series that can actually be read before the series! It does a fine job at setting up the first work, providing background to why Pip chose the project she did, and giving a little more of an introduction to the characters’ personalities. But aside from that, it doesn’t particularly add much to the series.

Since I’d just read the third book in the series, which was so intense and well written, I found this read to be a little lackluster. I do recommend reading this before reading the rest of the series or maybe just not right after reading the third book, and it was enjoyable overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely loved going back to Pips world!! This was such a fun prequel to set up Pips world & show her love for solving mysteries. Spooky, and funny but a true murder mystery. Not much to say as it is only a novella, but I truly loved this!

I loved this so much! Such a great addition to the other books which I also absolutely adored. I'm so glad I read this!

Holly Jackson is such a great YA author! Another entertaining and quick read. Of course it is YA so you have to keep that in mind and the structure of Kill Joy is very similar to her other reads.

I thoroughly enjoyed it but, it is all extremely similar to her past works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A clever prequel to GGGTM, set against the backdrop of a murder mystery party. I loved seeing the lead up to how Pip became so primed for solving the Andie Bell case, and I thought the party was a clever device to give us a mystery to solve without another (real) murder. I will say, I thought the jump scares were a little unnecessary (so many! None of them real!) but it was still a fun way to pass an afternoon. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early copy.

This was a great little read! I really enjoyed the insight into pre-Good Girl Pip and the little moments that mean a lot when you know what happens in the rest of the series.

I’ve attended two murder mystery parties in my life but none of them were as well-executed as this one! I loved the gruesome murder scene, the dramatics of the music, accents, and table setting, and the gusto in which each character threw themselves into the story and their party characters. Pip’s mind was as analytical as always and it was fun to get back to that after so long.

I loved the final reveal that Pip presented to the group. I could see it as clearly as a movie scene: the detective laying out all the evidence before the suspects a la Agatha Christie’s Poirot. There was a funny twist at the end, and with humor sprinkled throughout the entirety of the novella there was a great balance of levity and problem-solving.

The story is very short but sets up the events of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder nicely. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who have already read the trilogy and those who have it on their tbr. I enjoyed reading this after having finished the trilogy but it can definitely be read before the series. I liked seeing some of the red flags before they’re known to be red flags, but it doesn’t give anything away for those who haven’t read the rest of the books yet. Ultimately, I’m glad to have received an arc of this and was happy to return to Pip’s murder-solving mind!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-book copy. This was fun- I love a good origin story, and while this was a bit slow overall, it is a logical lead-in to the series. We can see the development of Pip’s detecting skills, as well as when the impetus for her capstone project that ushers in the premise for the Good Girl’s Guide series.

Definitely a good choice for fans of the series, or for someone who is considering reading it.

Thanks Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own! The was a bit of a different angle for a Pippa story but I was still drawn it! Pippa’s mind, as always, is extremely fascinating. Prior to Pippa looking into Sal Singh’s apparent suicide she attends a murder mystery party with her friends. They role play that they are on a remote island and their host has been found dead. Through a series of clues they piece together who “murdered” the host. The game gives Pippa her idea to look into Sal and Andie’s deaths. One of my favorite things about the A Good Girls Guide To Murder series is how Pippa’s mind works and how she puts together clues! Kill Joy was no different I loved reading the way she pieced things together sliding everything into place, and the ending to it all was extremely frustrating, Pippa is correct! Even though Pippa was role playing in this one and not solving an actual murder I still felt the intensity of the situation. Pippa had me intrigued by the fictional character and I could wait to read what she figured out! Holly Jackson creates another fascinating Pippa story and takes the readers back before her journey began and what lead her to the events of the first book! It’s fast paced and will draw you in! Highly recommend if your interested in mysteries!

This is a must read for any fan of A Good Girl Guide's to Murder!
This prequel novella gives us a peek into the mind of Pip Fitz-Amobi. When her friends throw a dinner murder mystery party, Pip is a bit distracted at first because she needs to pick her topic for her school capstone project...hmmm. But then she finds herself very invested in solving the murder mystery. Maybe there's more than meets the eye.
This was a cute little read that brings yo back into Pip's orbit. I enjoyed it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's Publishing for an early copy for review.

When I saw there was another Pip book I was so excited, I started this series in quarantine because let’s face it…. Reading always helps a sad situation. Fortunately for me we owned the first book (a gift for teenage daughter) and I was glad to dig In because at the time libraries were closed. This book was the perfect little snippet and tie in to the first book. Also who doesn’t love a murder mystery? I loved how quick and easy a read this was and that it doesn’t need to be the first book to be read in the series. Solid 4 stars

This book serves as an effective prequel to the series we all know and love. This novella shows us Pip, and some of the other books characters, at a murder mystery dinner and we see Pip’s investigative skills come to light. More than anything this books sets the stage for how Pippa decided to use the Andie Bell case for her capstone project and sets the stage for her new detective career.

This book was just what I needed. I loved getting an epilogue to good girls guide to murder, I missed Pip and all of her friends so much. I loved the whole murder mystery game premise and found it to be so much fun. I wish we got to see a story with Ravi but I still really enjoyed getting back into the world of pip Fitz-Amobi.

Such a fun way to really learn how Pippa’s mind works before starting the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder! If you’ve already read the series, still awesome to get another little taste of our sleuth!

Kill Joy takes place before the events in AGGGTM so we get to see where and how Pippa developed the idea of her senior project and what really jump started her whole plan to solve the big crime.

Overall, this this was super fun and obviously a quick read that added some more background to who Pippa is!

This was a super fun, quick read! The stakes are low in a really great, chill way, since the mystery is fictional (even to the characters in this fictional world). The ending is really fun and realistic, and I loved the subtle nods to the future books, since this is a prequel. Totally recommend!