YA Review: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Title: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Author: Holly Jackson
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

This was a fun read! A Cambridge-bound A-grade student chooses a local news story as the subject of her final school project. For five years, the residents of her small town have believed that a missing local girl was murdered by one of her classmates. The murderer was found dead a few days after her disappearance, so no one was ever put on trial, but it is common knowledge that Sal killed Andie, and no one questions the official account.

When Pip decides to investigate the deaths, she sets out to prove her theory that Sal is innocent, and that the murderer is still in town, hiding behind the accepted story. Despite warnings from her teachers, she approaches friends of the victim and the suspect, and discovers a complex web of deceit connecting an unlikely list of local residents. Before long, Pip is receiving threatening notes. Someone on her list wants to stop her investigation, confirming her theory and pushing her further into danger.

This is an exciting murder mystery story. The clues are in the text, but as each piece of evidence is revealed, the list of suspects keeps growing. Alibis unravel, chance encounters lead to important discoveries, and Pip takes greater and greater risks in her quest to uncover the truth.

Pip is an engaging protagonist. She’s clever enough to ask the right questions, spot the connections in the evidence, and cover her tracks. She’s also brave enough to keep investigating, even when the threats begin, and her bravery leads her into dangerous situations. Her friends are supportive, and even when they don’t know the details of her investigations, they’re on her side. There’s a fascinating cast of characters, from Pip’s supportive parents to the nastiest suspects, and the plot kept me guessing until the end.

If you enjoy the book, there is a sequel, and it’s definitely on my reading list!

Have you read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder? What did you think of the story? Did you put the clues together before the end? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.


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