For school projects, people usually talk about topics like famine, bullying and climate change. But Pippa Fitz-Amobi had a different idea. She was going to re-investigate her town’s most haunting incident, the murder of Andi Bell. If you are a fan of solving puzzles and fast paced books, then this book is definitely for you!

 Set in Fairview, Connecticut, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson, is a mystery book with new plot twists on every corner. Where to start… The thing I loved most about this book was the fact that reading is like a game – you try to solve the case along with the characters. The more you read, the more details are added to the case, and the closer you get to discovering the truth. 

I also liked how fast-paced the book is. It has a good balance between Pip solving the case, while also being a relatable teenage girl who goes to school and hangs out with her friends. A girl who teases her little brother and gossips with her friends. I love how we get to see those qualities shift as she solves the case. We see the aftermath, and how the case affected Pip and the people around her. It gave a beautiful conclusion to the book.  

Reading this book was really enjoyable, so I read the second one in the series, called Good Girl Bad Blood. I had high expectations for it, but…well it just wasn’t as good. Pip is back to solving mysteries as her friend Connor’s brother goes missing.  Don’t get me wrong, It’s still a great book, but it was just a little boring and slow compared to the first book.

 I haven’t read any other murder mystery books aside from “The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. That book also hooks you into reading as more details are added and the mystery gets bigger and bigger.

As a book intended to entertain, it did an amazing job of this. It was impossible to put down and will have you hooked until the last page. I finished the book pretty fast and it was worth every second. Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to watch the show that is coming out this Summer! In the meantime, you can check out the book from West High’s library.