Let me start by saying that I have not read the AGGGTM series so I have never been introduced to Pip. I really enjoyed the premise of this book: a murder mystery game at home. It has its moments of suspense and thrill. Pip definitely showed off her intellectual and methodical thinking.
The beginning was fun, setting up the storyline and the clues for the game. The ending fell a little short, I was truthfully annoyed with Pip and her need to read too into things and being right. HOWEVER, I am sure that this is important to her problem solving skills in the rest of the series.
Even though I had never read the other three books, I didn't feel lost with the characters or the story. This was a super fast read Novella and would definitely be great for those readers who like the Nancy Drew vibes.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of Kill Joy via NetGalley for an honest review*

You may recognize author Holly Jackson from the A Good Girls Guide to Murder Series (which I read and loved!) Kill Joy is a mini novella/spin-off from the series. I went into this thinking it was a "where are they now" story. Instead this is #0.5 of the series; an inception, if you will.

I had lofty expectations for Kill Joy. Despite being in the teen/young-adult thriller genre, I thoroughly enjoyed these books (likely in part due to the ease of reading since they're teen/YA). Johnson fully delivered. Kill Joy is a super-short, quick read of 5 friends hosting a murder mystery party... and it really sets the tone, and gets inside Pip's head. And to be honest, I looooved the release order. I liked the whole "Sal's a murderer" thing and why Pip is so anti-the-easy-answer in the AGGGTM series! A fun read for fans of the series.

3🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 22/100
💫Genre: Mystery/Thriller (Teens & YA)
📲ARC📲
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
This is the Prequel Novella to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I enjoyed the beginning of this one with the whole Murder Mystery Game theme. The plot was well suited and fun for the set audience, but the ending fell a tad bit short. I wanted a bigger cliffhanger or her witnessing a crime or something.
I loved Pip’s character so much; she doesn’t settle and that mind of hers is too genius for her own good! I absolutely loved AGGGTM Series and this was a fun addition to it.

💫Thank you @netgalley and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press for this amazing and enjoyable read in exchange for an honest review.
💫Pub Date 28 Feb 2023

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I’m going to have to read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder now!
It definitely felt a little slow at the start and some of it was difficult to comprehend while not having much knowledge of the other books but I really enjoyed this!!!

This was a fun novella and could be enjoyed by fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or someone looking to start the series. The story itself was pretty average, but readers do get a sense of Pip's methodical thinking and crime-solving skills.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

This one was tough to know how to rate. Was it entirely necessary as part of the AGGGTM series? Not really. Was it fun to see Pip again? Absolutely. Do I wish the story had a little bit more to offer? Yes. Is it better than the last Holly Jackson book I reviewed (Five Survive)? Also yes.

I liked the idea of a murder mystery party being the setting of an AGGGTM's prequel. It was a fun idea and was a good way to give new readers a glimpse of some of the AGGGTM characters. I do wish there was a bit more depth to the story, but I understand that novellas are usually too short (in my opinion). Maybe that's just because I want more AGGGTM books, if only to attempt to right the wrongs of book 3 (I'm still not over it).

This was such a fun prequel to one of my favorite series, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! I felt right back in Pip's world and right back inside her mind in this fun game of whodunnit.

Pip and her friends spend an evening on the imaginary island of Joy in a murder mystery game to figure out who killed the fictional character, Reginald Remy. It's a locked room mystery with a lighthearted twist, and truly sets the tone for the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed getting back in Pip's mind as she worked through the case - it really sets up her tenacity and intellect prior to the rest of the series! It also helps provide some insight into the characters and their connections, as well as a bit of the setting where it all takes place. The little moments of suspense built into the hum of the mystery were fun, I could totally feel my inner Nancy Drew buzzing with that!

I absolutely loved this series and really enjoyed this quick lead in that helped me escape back into the AGGGTM realm.. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Will post to my IG @manis.and.manuscripts soon!

I. love. Holly. Jackson. She is quickly skyrocketing the list of my favorite author's of all time. I loved this and I love Pip, she is genuinely one of my favorite main characters in a long time.

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson was an entertaining quick read about a murder mystery party. Pip and her friends participate in the murder mystery party and take turns guessing "who dunnit." The results will make you second guess all of your sleuthing skills. Being the prequel for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, I did find that it works as a stand alone as I have not read the series and was able to follow along just fine. An am actually adding the series to my TBR because I'm excited to read more about Pip!

Kill Joy stands out as a murder mystery that is legitimately fun and also legitimately complicated–in a good way! I enjoyed returning to the character of Pip, especially in a lighter scenario where her brains could still pay off. Her interactions with her friends are snappy, making the friendships seem authentic and well-worn– I appreciate how this book doesn’t mess around with long introductions or back stories, making it perfect for fans who want to return to the world and rewarding their previous reading. (I do think you could jump in to this without reading the others, but the characters wouldn’t seem as full.)

The story itself is built around a murder mystery game. There were moments of small tension, but nothing actually scary, making this a nice read for those who want the puzzle without the fear. I don’t know that the answer itself really made sense, but I also sort of skimmed the clues- the rest was much more engaging- and it WORKED really well with the story, leading to a double twist that paid off rewardingly.

~I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing! It was a very quick read but there was so much going on. And how much do I wish this game actually existed!!! I don't think we get murder mystery games as fun as this one sounded.

It was really great to see pip and her friends in a more lighthearted and relaxed way. I loved being able to see how her mind works and how she came up with the idea for her senior project.

I love the fact that this book exists. If you were a fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Or you haven't read the series and are curious if you should pick it up or not. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and @delacortepress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who read the AGGGTM trilogy, I didn’t know what to expect from a prequel. It seemed as though everything was tied up nicely in the novels we already have. However, I was super pleased with what Holly Jackson gave her readers in this short novella!

I was pleased to see the dynamics between the friends before the events of book one. The personalities and conversations between characters were interesting and gave more substance to the trilogy. I also enjoyed the premise of the novella! A murder mystery game night is the perfect “set up” for how Pip discovers her capstone project topic. I also enjoy Pip’s character and how her quick wit and dedication shine.
My only wish was for Pip’s murderer theory to be correct in the game, but that would have made things too neat and tidy and may have not resulted in her interest in the Andie Bell case.

While this novella is not a “have to” read for the main trilogy, I’m glad I picked it up! It definitely satiated my need for another Holly Jackson book!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have heard of Holly Jackson's trilogy, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

This novella is a prequel to the series.

A murder mystery dinner party is an idea that I can get down with, although one that's certainly been done before.

Having read the first book in the series, I was familiar with some of the characters.

Novella's are hard because you don't have a significant amount of time to get to know the characters or develop a story, but it was a quick read and a nice break from my other picks.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Kids for the opportunity to read this book.

Kill Joy is a prequel to the "Good Girl's Guide to Murder" trilogy.
Pip and her friends are gathered together to play a 1920's themed murder mystery game "Kill Joy," and Pip, with her usual intensity, is determined to find the killer and win the game (you can really see hints of who she is in the trilogy here). I loved Pip's theory on how the murder was planned. too... the twisty way her mind works is a little wild.
This was a fun quick intro to Pip and her friends, and there is a mention of the case that inspires Pip's Capstone project for her senior year, the Andie Bell murder, so we see where she got her idea.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re like me and just can’t get enough of The Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series, Then you know I absolutely had to pick up this little prequel Novella. It was so much fun getting to see how Pip got her idea for her senior project and knowing that, that’s how the series started.⁣
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As for the murder mystery game, I absolutely need to play one now! It was so much fun seeing her group of friends put together the clues and figure out who the killer was!⁣
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If you enjoy the series as much as I do then this Novella will be a fun read for you! Kill Joy releases February 28th!

In a prequel novella, Pip and her friends play in a murder mystery party game. Pip has been lost about what to do for her capstone senior project, and time is running out as they are about to start the summer before senior year. However, as she hunts for clues for the game, she finds herself drawn into the mystery.

I really enjoyed this! I loved the first and second Good Girl's book, and felt the third one was ok. However, the Pip I enjoyed so much is back here as she searches for clues!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pippa is not looking forward to a murder mystery party with her friends. She especially doesn’t like the 1920s costumes everyone must wear. Once the game begins, though, she finds that trying to solve the murder is just the distraction she needs. As the clues are slowly revealed, Pip finds her mind wondering about the murder-suicide that was in her town a few years earlier. Readers of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and its sequels will find this prequel novella a nice diversion. We also learn why Pip chose her specific topic as her capstone project. And … there are no spoilers if someone wants to start with this novella first.

As someone who loves the Good Girls Guide to Murder series this was the perfect novella!

This is set before the events of AGGGTM and follows pip and her friends while playing a murder mystery game.

I loved seeing these characters again even her dog gets a mention. While it was mainly a murder mystery game it also sheds light on Pips motivation for her capstone project.

Overall it was a fun quick read for people who enjoyed the original series!

Kill Joy was a fun little novella that just popped up on Netgalley one day. It takes place before the start of the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson—Pippa and her friends have a murder mystery party, which sparks her interest in investigating Andie Bell's murder.

This was a fun and quick read! I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who has read a good girls guide to murder.