*Disclaimer: The correct order is a good girl's guide to murder (book one), Good Girl, Bad Blood (book two), and As Good As Dead (book three).*
Young adult suspense, mystery books about solving murders? Count me in! This series was talked about all over the book community on Instagram and Tiktok. Bookstagram & Booktok made me buy it is becoming such a popular trend lately and of course, I am a guilty participant in this too! I don't really read series all of the time but since I've heard absolutely nothing but positive opinions and thoughts on these books, I had to see what the hype and discussion were all about. I started this series in January as a New Year's resolution to start the year off by reading a book series for the first time! It did not disappoint and I think this is a new tradition I want to start for every new year. I will review the books individually and discuss my thoughts on the series as a whole so please keep reading if you are interested to see if these books make it to your TBR list!
Book One: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
In the first book of the series, we meet Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a high school girl living in a small town. Five years ago, a murder took place and the case is closed. It has been reported that Andie Bell, another high school girl, has been murdered by Sal Singh, Andie's boyfriend. The police have made their decision on Sal committing the crime, however, Pippa is not so certain this is accurate. Wanting to unravel the truth and prove Sal's innocence, Pippa decides to take matters into her own hands to dig deeper into this case for her final year project and it becomes a true-crime podcast as she updates her audience on her personal investigation.
Review
This book is my favorite out of all of them. The first one in anything always does the best, in my opinion, because it is the start and introduction to the story, its plot, and its characters. I never wanted to put this book down and if I am going through the day thinking about the book, it means I am enjoying it so much! This book did just that for me; thinking about it at work and always reading some pages before going to bed, fighting to stay awake to keep reading! Surprisingly enough, I read this book for a total of seven days, and on the last day, I finished the book in six hours. This is a personal reading record for me as it is my first time accomplishing this goal! I was hooked right from the beginning and Jackson's writing is perfectly detailed, a key factor needed in whodunit stories. I also personally enjoy anything true-crime related so the subject matter itself kept my attention. It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars because of the small-town drama and keeping up with its plot; it is very entertaining. I was coming up with my own theories while reading although it is somewhat predictable. I admire the main character, Pip, in this story because all she truly wants to accomplish is to prove a man's innocence, to help catch the real killer, and her motivation to keep pushing through until justice is served came off as a more important priority than doing this just for a school project. In a way, it became her working alongside the police which I thought was pretty cool. She is extremely knowledgeable in everything crime-related and it becomes a beneficial tool when studying this specific case. I was impressed with how much she knows and how to use this skill every time she received more information. Then, we meet her friend, Ravi, in this book and I enjoyed his character too - funny, charming, and honest. Eventually, they worked together and I also admired the friendship and connection Jackson created and developed between these two characters.
I give book one a five-star rating, I obviously really enjoyed it! It did give me a book hangover and I wanted more so I was excited to read book two! Book one is also sufficient for someone who wants to get into this genre or wants to read a simple, enjoyable mystery book. It has the right amount of mystery to keep the reader hooked and a fast pace to keep turning the pages!
Book Two: Good Girl, Bad Blood
The second book takes on a different case Pip is trying to solve. After solving the case in book one, Pip is asked to help find her friend, Jamie Reynolds, who has suddenly gone missing. Although she wants to put her investigating days to rest, Pip agrees to take the case since the police won't do anything about it. There are other characters involved and recognized from the first story, creating other plots that intertwine and connect with each investigation.
Review
I enjoyed this book, however, I felt that it was a slower pace compared to book one. The plot was intriguing but I guess it was not as engaging as the first book's plot. It did pick up a bit when things got interesting, around 200 pages in and towards the end of the book. At times, I was able to put the book down and take a break from reading it.
Jackson did a great job opening the book with a summary of events from book one for the reader to remember what happened and what to expect in book number two. Pip's character, in my opinion, does grow progressively in this book. Given that Pip is now a popular public figure due to her podcast, she is also going through her own challenges, personal struggles with friends, family, and trauma with those who were involved in the previous case she worked on. Regardless of her podcast and wanting to help, at end of the day, she is still a high school student trying to manage and handle so many things all at once. I admired Pip wanting to step back and take a break from investigating since it affected her mentally and physically, but I also admire her really wanting to help out when she knows the consequences she will inevitably deal with. She is still very knowledgeable about how cases work out and uses her skills to her advantage. It is a great read, just at a slower pace in my opinion. However, I am glad that towards the end, it did pick up, leaving me wanting more because the story does get darker.
I give book number two a 4-star rating. I had another reading hangover from the ending and it did make me want to continue reading the series, but the pace was not as fast as the first book.
Book Number Three: As Good As Dead
The third book is a much darker story. After solving two investigations, everything is tied together and Pip is extremely exhausted, physically and mentally. Instead of trying to solve a brand new case, Pip finds herself in trouble. She is not sleeping well, she is being sneaky, all as a result of the previous book. Additionally, an anonymous person is stalking her and sending her threatening emails, asking her, "Who will look for you when you're the one who disappears". It's an interesting, dark question since Pip is the one to handle and solve investigations so swiftly and well-executed. Now that Pip is the one in danger, she goes to the police for help, and not surprisingly, they do not believe her at all, making her and Ravi once again, take things into their own hands. This book takes a different direction, one I did not expect!
Review
This specific mystery involves a stalker that is appearing as a copycat killer or the person who convicted the same acts years ago is still around. This killer is called the DT killer, which stands for duct tape that is incorporated into the book cover's design. The person who has come forward as the DT killer has been coerced into admitting they are the killer, but alas, it has come to Pip's attention that the person is completely innocent. Pip connects her recent altercations to the DT killer's tactics and it's eerily similar. When Pip gets too close to catching the person, she finds herself in a whole lot of trouble and a much deeper hole than it already is.
WOW, this one is DARK! I know I keep using that word to describe this particular book, but it really is! I was completely shocked at how this book went and everything that happened. I had no predictions or theories of my own, I was just too deep and surprised to even try to come up with anything, and if I did, I would have failed, haha! As dark as the tone of this book is, I also thought it was a pretty emotional read, especially for Pip's character. I sympathized with her so much from how she was dealing with everything that left her in an extremely traumatized and depressing mental state. Jackson does a great job capturing Pip's emotions and thoughts well enough that it can read like a first-person narrative even though the story is told in third-person. It's as if you are in the character's shoes while reading, at least that's how I felt and envisioned. She suddenly becomes unhinged and unpredictable, having to handle situations in her own way that from the reader's perspective, is not new to her character, but could have possibly been avoided. There was a lack of her character from the Pip we first met, but I think seeing her downfall and struggle makes sense since she did go through SO. MUCH. Her knowledge of seeking justice did decline only because of how she had to handle something that was completely out of her character. It seems like the good girl is not good anymore, that is all I will say!
I was worried it would be another slow pace but it picked up pretty quickly and I was hooked. When it became page-turning, I was impressed with how Jackson executed the pace for specific chapters. It appeared as a step-by-step procedure and that's all I can really say without spoiling it, haha! That was the moment I felt the suspense and wanted to keep reading. However, there were moments when I was confused and uncertain about some things that I thought didn't make sense, but overall, I was hooked and intrigued enough to not give up on this series. I enjoyed it well enough to give it a 4.5-star rating.
Overall Thoughts
All in all, is it worth reading? Yes! Give this book a chance and I strongly believe it is a great young adult murder series to recommend! I think readers who enjoy young adult books will like it more than an audience who prefers a more mature murder read. It is a great beginner series to get into this genre and even reading in general! I agree that it is worth the hype with the presence it made all over social media! I would love to see more books by Holly Jackson because I think she writes well; I see her writing a first-person narrative story. She was able to intertwine other plots in the story while focusing on the main objective of the whole series, which is solving murder cases. Jackson was able to leave readers with cliffhangers for another book to cover. I enjoyed them all differently in their own way, it kept me wanting more, but I am satisfied with just the three! I can also see this as a series on Netflix or something, but that's just me, haha!
Check out A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson, I highly recommend it!