Book Review: A Good Girls Guide to Murder

One of my favorite murder mysteries that I’ve ever read is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. The book follows Pip, a seventeen year old high school girl who is obsessed with true crime. For a school project, she decides to investigate the murder of cheerleader who died in her town a few years back. The police concluded that the girl’s boyfriend killed her, and then killed himself and the case was closed. But Pip doesn’t believe this story, and she is determined to find the truth.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. While some murder mysteries can be predictable, this one had me guessing until the very end. The mystery is very well crafted and it keeps the reader on their toes, never knowing what will happen next. My favorite types of mysteries are the ones where the reveal of the killer is completely shocking, and with this book I got that.

Not only is the mystery great, but so are the characters. In mysteries, it is sometimes hard to have well developed and not one dimensional characters, since the story is so focused on figuring out who committed the murder. However, all of the characters in the book are multidimensional and undergo serious character development. Especially Pip, who faces many physical and mental challenges when investigating the murder.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a well written and suspenseful mystery book. While it has many of the classic mystery elements that we all know and love, the author also sprinkles in a bit of comedic moments that give the book a less heavy and lighter tone. All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an easy and exciting roller coaster of a read.