Book Review- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

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Someone please pinch my cheeks or stretch them to stop me from smiling!

This book brought me so much joy, and I really enjoyed reading it. I went in with great expectations after seeing the 4-star reviews, and wow, it really did live up to them!

The story basically revolves around a teenage girl, Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who chooses a five-year-old murder case that took place in her small town, for her final year project. The case that was closed years ago concluded that Sal Singh murdered Andie Bell, a schoolgirl when she was Pippa’s age. The whole town believes he killed her. But Pippa is not so sure about that. While working on this project she uncovers some shocking 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?

As a murder mystery, it was satisfying in so many aspects.

1) Writing: I loved the writing and pacing of this story. It could have easily turned into a boring and unrealistic murder mystery but the author kept the balance. I love how there is some investigation going on, continuously. The only time we take a break is when Pippa & her family have some quirky moments or when she’s with Ravi (Sal Singh, the murder suspect’s brother who’s helping Pippa with the investigation).

Other than that it’s well-paced. You won’t be bored at all. There is always something happening in the book that’s part of the investigation. And the humorous exchange in between some characters made it so much more entertaining to read (I was not expecting that). The Production log entries written by Pippa, for her project, were my favorite parts.

2) Plot & Characters: The plot was pretty solid. You know a book is great when the author manages to convince you that the person you keep suspecting is innocent every. single. time. And you’re left thinking, “If not that character, then who?” 

There were numerous suspects to look for in this book. I liked it because it was so much fun to unearth new pieces of evidence with Pippa. I would have complained about the killer’s lack of a strong motive, but in this plot, it makes sense, “Why did things happen the way they did?” 

It was intriguing to learn the backstories of the supporting characters, and the attention to detail made it even better.

Let’s talk about Pippa, our savage queen, who is brave, intelligent, attentive, and reckless *shaking my head* (you’ll know what I mean. This girl literally doesn’t stop even when threatened, even though she should, I was so scared for her!).What I loved about Pippa’s character was that she wasn’t afraid to call people out for their disgusting and inhumane actions (yes, I’m talking about you, Stanley and M…let’s not even say his name sigh). She genuinely cared about her best friend’s feelings (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve read it, lol), and she never gave up, even when she was being threatened. Sure, it was a bit reckless, but you’ve got to admire her courage. Also, I loved that she always kept backups of her projects, just like me, for safety… hehe.

She didn’t treat Ravi like the rest of the town did, and even her family welcomed him with kindness, which I really appreciated.

Now, about her family… I get that she didn’t want to tell her parents about her project turning into a dangerous investigation, probably to protect them. But still, someone should’ve picked up on her behavior. Like, couldn’t they have noticed something was off? Checked in? Wondered what kind of texts she was getting or what she was really working on?

She seemed pretty close and chill with her family, so I expected them to be more involved. They felt way too unaware of everything going on.
(I really don’t like it when no adult in the story has any clue that their teenager is running around solving dangerous cases and taking on scary missions.)

And Ravi was a nice addition to the story, her partner in crime or should I say her-partner-in-solving-a-crime.

I didn’t like him at first, but as the story progressed and we got to know him better, I started to find him really interesting. His chemistry with Pippa was great, they were honestly so cute together, and I wasn’t expecting that at all.

I couldn’t help but highlight every single conversation between them. Total iconic duo energy<3

Honestly, they had more chemistry than a lot of YA romance couples out there, and I’m not even exaggerating! They were hilarious together and worked really well as a team, though to be fair, Pippa did most of the work since she could interview people under the cover of her school project. With Ravi’s reputation, it made certain things more difficult, so that’s understandable. But he was there for her as much as he could be. I just wish Ravi had also told an adult. I think he mentioned it to his parents? Maybe, but things hadn’t gotten too serious at that point.

The side characters and suspects were also really interesting. They added so much depth to the murder mystery.

I liked the ending, the way everything was wrapped up felt satisfying. And I appreciated that Pippa wasn’t portrayed as completely untouchable or always able to talk to whoever she wanted. There was real tension and risk involved.

And, why she wasn’t hurt or threatened earlier in the story is also understood after you finish reading. (I gave you a clue now, think about it while you are trying to figure out who’s the killer)

In conclusion, if you are looking for a murder mystery set in a small town with savage teenage detectives determined on uncovering the truth, then what are you waiting for?
A Good girl’s guide to murder is the best choice!