A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson Summary

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder follows 17-year-old Pippa Fitz-Amobi as she investigates a five-year-old murder case in her small town of Little Kilton. Popular student Andie Bell was murdered and her boyfriend Sal Singh was blamed before dying by apparent suicide. Pip believes Sal was innocent and reopens the case as her senior capstone project, uncovering dangerous secrets involving drugs, assault, and multiple suspects who all played roles in the tragedy.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is perfect for young adult readers and true crime enthusiasts who enjoy fast-paced mystery thrillers. Fans of Serial podcast-style investigations and books like One of Us Is Lying will appreciate the detailed evidence files, interrogation transcripts, and plot twists. While some adult readers note they must suspend disbelief regarding the protagonist's dangerous choices, it remains highly entertaining for anyone seeking an engaging murder mystery with strong pacing.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is worth reading for fans of YA mysteries despite some implausibilities. With over 1.6 million ratings and a 4.29 average on Goodreads, it delivers excellent pacing, tension, and compelling plot twists that keep readers engaged. Reviewers praise its mature handling of disturbing themes and realistic family dynamics, though some critique the protagonist's risky decisions and the concentration of multiple crimes in one case. The book's entertainment value outweighs its occasional far-fetched elements.

Holly Jackson is a British author known for writing young adult mystery thrillers. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder launched her successful career and became the first book in a trilogy featuring protagonist Pippa Fitz-Amobi. The series continues with two sequels that follow Pip through additional investigations. Jackson's work is characterized by intricate plotting, fast pacing, and complex mysteries that incorporate serious themes like assault, drug dealing, and wrongful conviction into engaging narratives.

At the end of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Pip discovers that multiple people contributed to the tragedy. History teacher Elliot Ward killed Sal Singh and framed him because Ward mistakenly believed he'd killed Andie after pushing her. However, Andie's sister Becca actually killed Andie by pushing her during a confrontation about the rape drugs Andie sold to Max Hastings. Becca hid Andie's body in a septic tank and later attempts to murder Pip when confronted, but Pip is rescued by Ravi and her father.

Becca Bell, Andie's younger sister, killed her in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. After Max Hastings drugged and raped Becca with Rohypnol he purchased from Andie, Becca confronted her sister. When Andie dismissed Becca's trauma and refused accountability for selling the drugs, Becca pushed her. Already injured from teacher Elliot Ward's earlier assault, Andie fell, convulsed, vomited, and choked to death. Becca then hid her body in an abandoned farmhouse septic tank near Pip's home.

Yes, Sal Singh is completely innocent in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Pip's investigation proves that Sal neither murdered Andie Bell nor committed suicide. History teacher Elliot Ward, believing he had accidentally killed Andie after pushing her in anger, murdered Sal and staged it as a suicide to frame him. The confession text supposedly sent by Sal was fabricated as part of Ward's cover-up. After Pip exposes the truth, police officially declare Sal innocent of all charges.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder addresses serious themes including sexual assault, drug dealing, domestic abuse, and wrongful conviction. The story explores how Max Hastings used Rohypnol to rape Becca Bell, Andie's involvement in selling dangerous drugs to students, and Jason Bell's abusive treatment of his family. Reviewers note that while the concentration of multiple crimes feels far-fetched, Holly Jackson handles these disturbing topics with maturity, creating a thriller that's more sophisticated than typical young adult mystery novels.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder uses an investigative journalism format that includes detailed evidence files, interview transcripts, and production logs. Pip conducts her investigation under the guise of a senior capstone project, documenting suspects, alibis, and clues throughout her research. This structure gives the book Serial podcast vibes, with readers experiencing the mystery through Pip's organized case notes and interrogations. The format makes readers feel like active participants in solving the five-year-old cold case alongside Pip.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying both feature high school students investigating murders in their communities, but Jackson's book takes a cold case approach. While One of Us Is Lying focuses on present-day suspects clearing their names, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder follows Pip reopening a closed five-year-old case. Both books appeal to young adult mystery fans, but Jackson's novel incorporates more investigative journalism elements with evidence files and detailed suspect research, creating a true crime podcast atmosphere that differentiates it from McManus's multiple-perspective thriller.

Common criticisms of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder focus on its implausibility and YA genre conventions. Adult readers note that Pip recklessly meets with potential murderers and drug dealers alone, making dangerous decisions that strain believability. Critics also point out that suspects reveal personal information too easily and that cramming multiple serious crimes—murder, rape, drug dealing, kidnapping—into one case feels far-fetched. Some readers find the protagonist's catchphrases like "holy pepperoni" too juvenile, though these elements don't diminish the book's entertainment value for target audiences.

Yes, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is the first book in a trilogy by Holly Jackson featuring protagonist Pippa Fitz-Amobi. The series follows Pip through multiple investigations beyond her initial cold case. Readers who enjoy the first book can continue with the sequels to follow Pip's ongoing detective work. Many reviewers express excitement about reading the entire series despite the first book's flaws, indicating that Jackson successfully created a compelling character and format worth revisiting across multiple mysteries.