You’ll fall for this thriller
By PHOENIX CARLISLE | Cover courtesy of the publisher
Spooky season is officially upon us, which makes it the perfect time to fill your “To Be Read” with intriguing mysteries and twisted horror. One book that is a requirement on that list is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. This series took BookTok by storm for a surprisingly good reason — this is the perfect, complicated mystery to keep you up on those cozy autumn nights.
Everyone in Fairview knows the story. Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about and still only talks about as the Singh family hides away. Five years later, Pippa Fitz-Amobi sees how the tragedy still haunts her town, but she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day — facts omitted and more than just two people involved. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? Now a senior herself, Pip decides to re-examine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal’s innocence. Through her investigation, the line between past and present begins to blur, and someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, which places own life in danger.
This book is a wild ride. My jaw dropped way more times than I anticipated, which of course is always what you want out of a thriller. The plot progression was perfect for what the story was trying to unravel in the curated timeline. The reader goes with Pip, only knowing what she discovers, which gives the sense you’re solving the mystery with her. Jackson took Pip, a girl who wasn’t involved with any of the events, to create this unreliable narrator because she doesn’t know all the facts. Although this book is meant to be placed in a modern setting, it gave the feel of watching an early 2000s-2010s show. The book was like reading Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) set in the Pretty Little Liars series, and I personally love both of those. The book had a shocking amount of parallels with Liars, meaning if you loved the TV show you may be able to pick up on clues faster like I did.
Andie is extremely similar to Allison, with her perfect blonde hair and her locked-up secrets. As Andie’s friends are dragged into the emotional boat that comes with being friends with the girl everyone wants and wants to be, they aren’t the ones solving the mystery of her death; now it’s homework loving, caffeine consuming Rory … well Pippa. Andie is a beautifully crafted character that Pip discovers isn’t as beautiful under the surface. If you are a lover of those incredibly cheesy storylines, this is perfect for you. Holly Jackson was able to take a simple core plot of “teenage girl solves mystery” and make it a dramatic tale.
This is a book I would 100% read again simply so I could pick up on all the foreshadowing. This is the perfect autumn book for those who love a mystery that sticks to a plot rather than derailing into a cheesy romance. The story progresses from early August to the beginning of December, so there are plenty of autumn scenes to escape to. Normally, I am a romance reader and try my hardest to stay away from massively blown up books on social media because most of the time they aren’t as good, but A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder lives up to the hype. If you’re hesitant like I was, trust me it’s so worth the read. I haven’t read the other two books yet so I can’t guarantee the rest of the series is as amazing. Nor can I vouch for the new Netflix show based on the book.
Between getting back into the school groove and spending time with friends at football games and pumpkin patches, take the time for yourself to dive into a jaw-dropping mystery. See what the hype is all about in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and remember, only two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.
