BOOK REVIEW: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Publication Date: May 2^nd, 2019 [UK]

So, even though this book has been out almost a year, US readers only got their hands on it in February. Since then it’s been all over my Goodreads feed and even I have started pushing it on to my friend’s TBRs. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is what I like to call a contemporary mystery. The crime has happened in the past, but the MC is investigating it in the present. (If there’s an actual term for this, please let me know!) The only other example of this that I’ve read is the Truly Devious trilogy, which I also recommended BTW.

So, 5 years ago the community of Fairview was rocked by the murder-suicide of high school senior couple, Andie Bell and Sal Singh. The town has been haunted by the tragic event ever since. Pip, having grown up around Sal, has never been convinced by the police’s version of the story. So, when presented with a chance to re-investigate the case under the guise of her senior project, she jumps on it. Along the way Ravi, Sal’s little brother, gets pulled into the mix and their investigative duo is cemented. With so many twists, turns, and false leads, this story makes quite a good mystery.

What I Liked:

Okay, so I managed to snag my library’s copy of the audiobook, and it was honestly the best reading decision I’ve made in a while. The production value of audiobook is amazing. They added a lot of extra background noises, like sirens, barking, and the tape recorder(!!), that really help build the story.
- I could go into an entire rant about the tape recorder alone, but I’ll keep it short for y’alls sakes. Basically, I love that they went through the extra effort to make the recordings of Pip’s interviews sound like they’re actual recordings, even though technically, the entire audiobook is a recording.
Also, there’s a huge cast of characters in this book, and they’re all voiced by different people. It’s almost like an audio-only movie. *chef’s kiss*
Speaking of the cast, it’s filled with quite colorful and diverse characters. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Pip adjust her investigative style depending on who she was interacting with.
The mystery! Ugh, so good! Alas, no spoilers here.
Lastly, I loved that Pip and Ravi assemble an actual murder board in the book. I can just picture them with yarn, pins, and clues strewn about in a big mess.

What I Didn’t Like:

My only complaint is that the sequel won’t release in the US until (probably) 2021.

Recap:

Between the expansive cast, fantastic mystery, and lovable main characters, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a win-win in my book (haha). Basically, this is me telling y’all to add it to your TBR, stat. And since I couldn’t help but recommend this book to Tree, here is her comment upon finishing it just last night.