Book Review of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”

Selling over 2 million copies and winning the 2020 British Book Award, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a Fairview, Connecticut high school student who chose the town’s darkest crime case as her final-year project. The case included a school girl, Andie Bell, who’d been murdered by her boyfriend at the time, Sal Singh. Everyone in Fairview settled with the fact that Singh committed the homicide. However, Pippa and Sal’s grieving brother, Ravi, noticed the inconsistencies of the case and were convinced that there is more to the story than what meets the eye. 

This book is written in a 3rd-person perspective aside from Pippa’s diary log entries. That’s one of the factors that made me really like this book. The log entries, interview transcripts, notes, and newspaper articles made me want to delve deeper into the information to see if I could figure out the mystery before Pippa did. It’s not written in a traditional format and I enjoyed that type of style because it felt more realistic. 

I was also intrigued by the characters incorporated into the book. I kept close attention to detail about each of the characters because as Pippa found inconsistencies, I wanted to find them on my own as well. The supporting characters are well-developed, all with their own stories and secrets. The web of relationships was another factor that kept me engaged throughout the book. 

However, when I finished this mystery, I contemplated the message it conveyed. I am a person that is passionate about justice and this book shed light on that. It revealed the repercussions of prejudice and preconceived notions, explaining the consequences of a judgmental society. It made me ponder my biases and moral compass. I learned that I shouldn’t be quick to judge and that the common consensus among my peers does not obligate me to alter my own beliefs to align with theirs.

This book was recommended to me by my classmate and friend, Kaylin. I was primarily hesitant to pick it up since I assumed it was just another general crime mystery. Yet, I was quickly disproven after finishing the book in 2 days. I highly recommend this book if you’re a person that loves watching or listening to crime mysteries. It also has side plots of romance! In my opinion, this book should be read for ages 14 and up.