Welcome to 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder': a world of closed cases, missing persons and dead girls walking. This trilogy is the creation of Holly Jackson, No.1 New York Times bestselling author and true crime lover. To celebrate the release of her latest novel, stand-alone psychological thriller 'The Reappearance of Rachel Price' in April, I wanted to spend some time writing about why I love her work so much. Warning: this post does contain spoilers, so if you think you might like to read the books first, don't look past the second paragraph until you've completed the trilogy!
The three books follow Pip Fitz-Amobi as she investigates a closed case, in which she believes the wrong person was blamed for the death of local girl Andie Bell. These initial sleuthing acts soon lead on to more when close friend Jamie goes missing in book two and Pip finds a link between her stalker and a serial killer in the heart-in-mouth finale.
I remember when I first picked up a copy of 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'; I'd heard readers exclaiming about just how amazing it was, but I tend to avoid 'popular' fiction, so I hadn't really considered giving it a go until I had a closer look. I was hooked from the start.
The premise of Pip re-investigating a closed case for her EPQ really appealed to me- the narrative felt at once methodical and academic yet was driven by raw human emotion, steering clear of the sanitised crime often portrayed in detective novels. I enjoyed the inclusion of Pip's EPQ production log notes, as it really brought her inner voice to life and cemented her character as the dichotomy of both an ordinary and extraordinary young person.
Pip as a central protagonist was one of the main reasons why the book worked so well for me; she felt like a much more confident, clever and determined version of the sleuth I wanted to be in my head but wasn't! Although at times her pursuit of justice leads her to make some decisions which hurt the people she loves the most, making her at times not the most likeable character, she always felt authentic and real to me as a reader; her almost primal need to get justice and her imperfect approach in doing so made her someone I could really connect with.
I'd read detective novels before, but I don't think I'd ever tried YA crime fiction until I came across 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder', so it immediately felt a lot more gritty than what I was used to. I liked how the narrative refuses to shy away from uncomfortable themes and topics; the raw truth and honesty with which these parts of the plot are written felt so needed and so devastating at the same time. There isn't much light and shade in Holly Jackson's writing, yet her narratives don't feel bleak for the sake of it, which having read a lot of other crime fiction since, seems like a tricky balance to strike.
I was fascinated by reading more about the media's role in portraying true crime cases, and how the power to demonise or acquit those involved in the eyes of the public ultimately lies in their hands. This element of the story really made me think more critically about real life media investigations I have seen, and how the choice to stereotype, blame and sensationalise is often made instead of actively pursuing facts and justice.
The ending of the book felt neatly tied up, but not to the point where it became unrealistic; the book always felt like it was about people, not about solving a puzzle, something that I really respect about the way Holly Jackson tells her stories.
The second instalment in the trilogy, 'Good Girl, Bad Blood' retains everything I loved about the first book, with added layers of meaning which took my breath away.
The second narrative builds on the themes and relationships already established, yet has a very different feel to it, as the plotline is coloured with a layer of urgency due to the case being a live one involving someone close to Pip, as well as exploring how far the characters are willing to go for love.
I initially had reservations about the true crime podcast element of 'Good Girl, Bad Blood', as it wasn't a concept I'd come across in books before, and I'm not a huge fan of anything overly digital, but I ended up loving this aspect of the book. The interview transcripts felt very real, and at times funny in their slightly clunky normality; it really helped me keep track of what was going on the case, as well as what had happened in 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder', giving a great sense of who characters old and new were.
This book also develops the romance between Pip and Ravi further. Although I respect their deep connection to one another, I would have preferred their relationship to be kept platonic, because boys and girls can just be friends! Their banter is well written, but for me the trilogy didn't need a romance element as I'm not usually a fan of this as a secondary theme in crime books.
I found the 'Child Brunswick' case really moving; the character of Stanley epitomises the question of evil, and if it's something you are or something you become. He shows our societal urge to vilify that which we don't understand, and without excusing crime and criminal behaviour, shows us that people in positions such as Stanley's are still just people who have become embroiled and used in situations which are ultimately beyond their control. Stanley is both loveable and hateable, and again is a perfect example of how the media gets to decide the version of the story which gets told.
The final scenes of this book are some of the most heart-breaking pieces of writing I have ever come across; I could barely process just how emotional they were, it was both an overwhelmingly sad and beautiful reading experience.
'As Good As Dead' is one of the most powerful books that I have ever come across; I have never read a book which has made me feel so much, so intensely.
Pip becomes a much more nuanced character in this final instalment, as she is no longer the seemingly invincible student from the first two books; instead, she is a human whose past traumas threaten to swallow her whole, leading her to make some devastating and irrevocable choices. The way that Holly Jackson writes tension and Pip's visceral pain at losing everyone and everything she loves was just breathtaking to read. The story starts with Pip being followed by an anonymous stalker, whom she realises has a connection to a local serial killer. What happens next changes everything.
This book exists in its own genre, but has all the hallmarks of a stunningly crafted thriller, with its page-turning plot and psychologically complex protagonists. I think in many ways Holly Jackson gives power to the powerless in this book, detailing an extreme and yet believable example of how the criminal justice system continually fails to believe, protect and act on the behalf of young women in particular.
The plotline is complex to say the least, yet links back full circle to the other books in the trilogy so effortlessly and realistically that I will always be in awe of Holly Jackson's talent as a writer. I could not stop thinking about all of the ways in which this book just worked so perfectly.
'As Good As Dead' is an uncomfortable read, but it is ultimately a testament to love, and the ways in which our worlds break and stop to allow the worlds of our loved ones to keep on spinning. The narrative beautifully captures the nuance of what it is to be human, and how our belief in our own infallibility ultimately becomes our own undoing.
This book is about what people mean to one another, and the past shadows which haunt us all. 'As Good As Dead' perfectly captures the dichotomy of loving someone so much that you cannot live without them yet needing to let them go for their own protection. It is about the split-second decisions we make when pushed to our limits which irrevocably change everything, ending chapters of our lives that we wish we could hold onto and setting in motion lonely and uncertain beginnings.
This is a book which I wish I could read again for the first time; it is the best conclusion to a trilogy that I have ever come across, and I think that any crime fiction lover would get so much out of this novel.
Reading the 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' trilogy will change the ways you look at love, crime and the media, whilst giving you the opportunity to experience some incredibly crafted thrillers. I cannot recommend these books enough! If you want to read more of Holly Jackson's work, try her stand-alone thrillers, 'Five Survive', which I plan to review in the future, and 'The Reappearance of Rachel Price', publishing on April 2nd 2024. The BBC television adaptation of 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' is set to release in Spring/Summer this year.
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