The book reviews for January were mainly focused on books that presented different loves stories and deep-rooted issues inside our society in the background. Now, to start February, I wanted to read a different genre. That’s why I choose “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder.” I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book before, but I was really convinced when I got the opportunity to partner up and read it with another bookstagrammer.
Without giving too much away, I want to say in the past I’ve read many mystery books, and this is one of my favourites. The story is intricate, and after a while, there is no way to stop. Descriptive to the point as a reader, you feel you are solving the mystery with Pip.
Author
Holly Jackson is a young British author, and her debut novel is “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder.” As one will assume after reading this book, she likes watching true-crime documentaries. Further, she also enjoys playing video games. Jackson studied literary linguistics and creative writing at the University of Nottingham. Plus, she also has an English master’s degree.
Overview
When I started reading this book, I had high expectations because a lot of people had recommended it. However, at the same time, I also fear that the story will disappoint me since sometimes books with a lot of hype don’t have new things to offer. But, luckily, that was not the case. Before saying anything else, here is a quick overview of the story.
Pip is a normal secondary student who lives in a town full of mysteries, Fairview, Connecticut. One of them is the murder of Andie Bell by her boyfriend Sal Singh. That’s why, for her senior capstone project, Pip has decided to dive into this crime that is filled with holes. The reason? She believes Sal is innocent.
Through the first few chapters, we see how Pip tries to investigate the main story behind the murder, the evidence, detectives, friends and family involved. Quickly we learn that Sal could very well not be the only suspect and that Andie has more enemies than she ever imagined. A girl that is portrayed as a victim angel was actually someone completely different.
With every step Pip takes, she gets closer to the truth, but there is someone who wants her to stop. Someone who wants this murder to remain a mystery. Without backing away from this challenge, Pip continues with the help of Sal’s little brother Ravi. Chapter after chapter, new details about the people who live at Fairview come out, and the stories circle back to one person, Andie Bell.
Is Sal really innocent? Well, it will be easier to ask him, but just when his warrant arrest was getting ready, he killed himself swallowing a bottle of pills in the middle of the woods.
Who is the true criminal mind behind this crime? This is a question that our readers will have to answer in those last chapters of the book.
A true-crime story, in which you feel the truth is almost staring back at you and at the same time is too far away to grasp. An incredible work of the author guiding us through this town full of secrets. All I have to say to Jackson is, Bravo!!!
Personal Thoughts
Let me say something first. The reason I don’t like to read many mystery novels is that I often feel that there are plot holes. Small things that, in the end, never seem to be complete and destroy the entire narrative. The ones I read in the past always had grown-up characters, such as detectives. That’s why I was a little skeptical when I found out Pip was just a high school student. But, she absolutely proved me wrong, and as a good journalist, Pip showed how any story can be uncovered if you ask the right questions.
I was such a fan of this story that in those last few chapters I was reading so fast my eyes will get tired. Pip’s passion to uncover this mystery reminded me why I fell in love with journalism during college. Because in the end is not about chasing a story or having an exclusive. Everything comes down to the truth, finding it and reporting it. Make sure no innocent names are trashed. Gatekeeping the information and opening boxes full of secrets until everything is on the table. And that’s exactly what Pip did. So thank you for reminding me of a lost love I once had.
Plot & Structure 10/10
I truly cannot think about one person who won’t give the plot of this book a 10/10. The story moves at a steady pace, but it keeps you on your toes the whole time. There are so many details that sometimes it was hard to keep up, but I appreciate the author giving us so many clues to work with.
For the structure, I have to say that the way it travels between the past, and the present is clear and impeccable. There is no point in which the reader can get lost or misunderstand a detail. I believe it was extremely clever for Jackson to give almost a complete summary of the story after each chapter through the log entries for Pip’s capstone project.
Character Development 8/10
It is clear that the main character throughout the whole story is Pip, and even though Ravi is always helping her out, she is the one who solves the mystery. She is the one we truly get to know more about during the development of the story. Even though the author does a marvellous job with her, I can’t say the same for other characters. For instance, Lauren, one of Pip’s best friends, is almost inexistent in the last half of the book.
This is something that also happens with other friends of Pip. I can see how their development was not absolutely necessary, but as a reader, I must say that something I don’t like is being introduced to a character but never getting to know him/her.
Further, I will have also like to get more details for Andie’s and Pip’s mom. I believe those characters could have given an interesting perspective into the main female characters of the book. However, these are just some flaws I had to work hard to notice. Plus, without them, the reader still gets to understand the story.
Dialogue 7/10
As I have stated many times throughout this book review, the plot of the story is the best part, as well as the log entries. But when it comes to the dialogue, I feel like we only get information as if the characters are in an interview. Sometimes their personalities don’t shine through the words. But, by the time the reader figures that out, the story is so good you can’t stop.
Could the dialogue be better? Yes, but the truth is that when it comes to books, there are always new things to edit and improve. Plus, this is only the debut novel of Jackson, and I think we can all confidently say that she is off to a good start.
Unanswered Questions 9/10
This mystery book is one of the few ones I can proudly say that has no plot holes. When it comes to the crime presented to the readers, all the questions are answered in the end, and when Pip uncovers the truth, we can all finally breathe. However, there is something that bothered me. Pip and Ravi’s love story. Yes, I was expecting it because it was very clear from the beginning, but I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.
Voice 10/10
All I need to say in this regard is that I am thankful for Jackson. This young author has proved that our generation can continue producing great literary works in the middle of an age where everybody is focused on screens and technology. Stories like this one will keep the publishing industry up and running for a long time.
Personal Note
On this personal note, I could include a thousand thoughts about this book and how awesome it is, but the only one that matters is this. Give this story a chance, you won’t regret it. Chase clues, solve murders, find the truth and remember nothing is ever what it seems.
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