“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is the first book in a trilogy authored by Holly Jackson. The murder mystery follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a high school senior. It’s centered on Pip’s senior year project, an investigation into the murder of Andie Bell, a popular, seemingly perfect teenager who was murdered five years prior. Her murder shook Little Kilton, Pip’s small town, and Pip has been fascinated with the tragedy ever since.
Pip has always been skeptical of the police reports and investigation since Andie’s case was supposedly straightforward and was quickly resolved. The investigation concluded that Sal Singh, Andie’s boyfriend, was guilty of her murder. All the evidence points to Sal: blood and hairs, and alibis all point to his guilt. In fact, Sal himself admits to the killing in a text to his dad, sent just before he committed suicide.
Still, Pip doesn’t believe that Sal is the murderer. The problem, Pip believes, is that Sal did not commit the murder. She has suspicions about the case and begins digging into it , with the hope of clearing Sal’s name. Her partner in her endeavors is Ravi Singh, Sal’s younger brother. Ravi, who also thinks Sal was incapable of such an act, agrees to help Pip with her project and investigation.
Together, they begin to uncover secrets about places and people in town. As they continue to expose previously unknown information, menacing notes and signs start to appear, threatening Pip and her family if she chooses to continue her investigation. She proceeds with her project and soon finds herself tangled in a web of lies, secrets, and danger. Pip’s loved ones start to become involved and she is faced with a difficult decision: does she continue her quest for justice or protect those closest to her?
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is a story that bears resemblance to the real life tale of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed, two teenagers embroiled in a murder case in Baltimore covered in the podcast “Serial”. The novel also explores society’s expectations, perceptions, and stereotypes. As Pip discovers new events and secrets, she begins to find that the town’s view of the case is based heavily on conventional ideas of gender, family background, race and outward appearance. In an adventure filled with twists and turns, Pip and Ravi will discover the true culprit in Andie Bell’s murder and settle the years-long debate as to what really happened in Little Kilton that night.
