An addictive YA crime thriller with endless twists and turns.
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder Summary
The case is closed. Five years ago, a schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
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A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder Review
Ooooh, this was a good’un. Now that is how a YA thriller is done. I have read quite a few and have almost always been disappointed by them (any recommendations? Let me know in the comments below), but this one blew me away. AND it’s a debut. I think Holly Jackson has a big future ahead of her.
I loved the structure of this novel. There are portions that are written as though they’re pages of Pippa’s report, sometimes as interview transcripts or notes. You could really feel Pippa’s personality shining through in these portions – she’s such a likeable character that I connected with right away.
The rest is in third person, which I really enjoyed too. Holly’s writing is beautiful, but not over the top. It’s descriptive and creative without taking away from what is otherwise an addictive and fast-paced plot.
There are lots of characters here, and lots to keep up with, but thanks to Pippa’s report it’s easy to follow nonetheless. That’s why the twists and turns are so unpredictable – there are a huge number of potential suspects and there are more secrets to uncover in every chapter, they just keep unravelling.
I didn’t guess any of the twists in this one at all, which was so refreshing and fun. Even when you think you’ve got it, you probably haven’t!
Ravi is a brilliant character, and seeing how losing his brother in such an unusual and horrible way had affected his life over the last five years was really insightful and thought-provoking. I loved the relationship between Ravi and Pippa right from the start, and that there wasn’t really a romance to interfere with the core storyline that was definitely strong enough to stand on its own.
Without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year so far, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I can’t wait to read more from Holly!
My rating
***** 5/5 stars
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you should read “two can keep a secret”