By Ananya Sharma, Staff Writer
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (AGGGTM) is the first book in a three-part mystery series by Holly Jackson. AGGGTM has been a popular choice for fans of the YA mystery genre, and in light of BBC Three recently announcing plans to adapt the novel into a TV show, I finally decided to review it.
Despite what its title suggests, AGGGTM isn’t actually a guide on how to murder people. Instead, it is a crime thriller that centers on Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a high schooler who decides to conduct her Senior Capstone project on the disappearance of Andie Bell. Five years prior to the events in the book, Andie, a high school senior, disappeared from town, and a few days later, her boyfriend Sal Singh confessed to murdering her and then committed suicide. Despite never finding Andie’s body, and many gaps existing both in the story and in the police investigation, the town and the press presumed that Sal was the murderer, and to this day his family continues to be seen as town pariahs.
Even though the case has been closed for years, Pippa still believes that something is missing, and she is determined to figure out the truth behind Andie’s disappearance. As she digs deeper, she uncovers more secrets that shift her whole perspective on the case. Was Andie Bell really the tragic victim that the people of the town made her out to be? Was Sal actually the real killer, and if not him, who is to blame for what happened?
While A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is in many aspects the quintessential mystery novel, it still distinguishes itself from other books in its genre because of its unique characters, plot, and writing style. One of the best parts of this book was the way that it was formatted and written. Since this book surrounds Pippa’s Capstone project, it is written through diary entries, email exchanges, and transcripts of phone calls and interviews alongside traditional third-person narration. I liked the way that the story was layered using these different formats and the way the information was revealed.
The characters were another one of the best aspects of the novel. Pippa is a strong main character, who started off as a ‘good girl,’ yet changed a lot as she had to lie and trick others in order to solve the mystery. Early on in the story, she joins forces with Ravi Singh, the younger brother of Sal Singh. Ravi was also another great character, adding a lot to the story through his humor and insight. Pippa and Ravi grew into becoming a great duo, and I loved the small moments they shared together in the middle of solving the case as well as how well they worked with each other. But the most interesting character in the book was probably the victim of the story, Andie Bell. Rather than being the typical one-dimensionally perfect victim, she was a controversial character and her flaws complicated the already complex storyline.
AGGGTM’s plot was one of its strongest aspects. It kept me glued to the book, and I read it all in one sitting. It was a quick and fast paced read, and it concluded with the perfect, unpredictable twist. At one point, I was questioning every single character, but when the actual mystery was revealed, I wasn’t even close to getting it right. Due to its fast paced and intriguing plot, I think it would make a really good TV show, and I’m excited for the adaptation that is currently in the works.
However, one issue I do have with AGGGTM is how easily Pippa was able to get people to tell her their side of the story, especially since she was just a high schooler and not an actual investigative detective. Despite the lack of realism at some points in the story, the book was still very enjoyable.
Sophomore Ranuki Jayalatharachchi commented, “I really liked A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and it’s probably one of my favorite books. The plot was interesting and suspenseful and the characters were well written and complex. I loved that it was a contemporary story with classic mystery elements.”
Overall, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a great book with a thrilling and intriguing plot. AGGGTM is perfect for fans of true crime podcasts and the mystery genre, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, thrilling read, or looking for a gateway into mystery novels.