Book Review ♡ The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I love, and I really mean it when I say this, mystery novels. Move over Sherlock Holmes, I’m on the case and I’m determined to find the real culprit of the crime before you do. Of course, I only ever get it right 50% of the time, but you win some, you lose some. The Good Girls Guide to Murder was the murder mystery thriller I didn’t even know I needed this year.

This stunning UK Young Adult debut novel tells the tale of Pippa Fitz-Amobi – a determined A-Level student who is hell-bent on proving that Sal Singh did not murder his girlfriend Andie Bell. With a wide list of suspects, there are multiple reasons to follow the story along to the end; with the reveal leaving you reeling.

Pippa is such a feisty protagonist. Though she lacks an overall awareness of the implications of her questioning, she is in no way naive. The girl has mad detective skills, and serious guts to deal with the consequences of reopening the investigation. Jacksoncaptures her characters perfectly through their actions and dialogue. They feel like real people, trapped in between the pages of a book; as if Jackson was writing about real people.

While Pippa was undoubtedly my favourite character in the entire book, I cannot continue the review without mentioning new fictional crush, Ravi Singh. As the older brother of the ‘murderer’ Sal Singh, Ravi has to deal with consequences of his brothers’ actions and suicide. With the town treating him and his family as social pariahs, Pippa’s interest in reviving the case of Andie Bell doesn’t bode down too well with him. It’s really interesting to see the character development and how Ravi interacts with Pippa and the investigation.

I will not sleep on the fact that this book has the perfect mystery factor. There were so many points in this book where I questioned whether Andie really was dead or alive. Until you hit the ending, you don’t even know! Perhaps even more refreshing is that there is absolutely no way you can easily predict the outcome. I’ve read so many mystery novels in my life, and this was undoubtedly gripping.

In no way was this book long and overdrawn. It seemed as if every moment in the story was cleverly placed – each chapter adding something further to the story. When my fingers itched to skip straight to the ending, something else pulled me into the current chapter. I. Was. Hooked. And even better than that, I finished the book within a few hours of buying it. It always makes me happy when I enjoy a book so much I finish it in record time.

I’ll admit that because life has taken over recently, I vary rarely get out to local bookshops anymore. I found this little gem in a little bookshop in Ripon, North Yorkshire when I was visiting my partner. It was great to get back to UKYA after spending so long sticking to mainly American novels. I’m not sure whether it’s just me, but books feel a little more realistic when they’re set in the same country as you.

The gorgeous lady on the left is Holly Jackson, who has absolutely smashed it out the park with her debut novel. The only thing I can add now is that she has to have a strong follow-up novel to top this one – she’s really set the standard high.

So, let’s summarise shall we . . .

Overall rating | 5 out of 5
Characters | 5 out of 5
Plot | 5 out of 5
Tone/Pace | 5 out of 5
Recommend? | Damn straight.
Genre | YA Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller

Title | The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Author | Holly Jackson Release Date | 2 May 2019 (UK) Series? | No Pages | 448 (Paperback) Publisher | Electric Monkey (UK) Buy the book @ Amazon (UK) | Waterstones | Book Depository

The case is closed. Five years ago, 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?