The New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that everyone is talking about!

THE WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS’ CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE 2020

Book blurb

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. 

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the crime, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth . . . ? 

My thoughts

This was our latest ‘A Virtual Crime Book Club’ read. Pippa is a teenager who has her final project to write over a school break. She lives in a town where a murder had taken place some years before, indeed, it is still a difficult memory for some not least the two families involved – the victims and the perpetrators. The murder had been solved the Police, the town believed it. Sal Singh killed Andie Bell. Pippa was not so sure. For one thing a body has never been found and secondly Sal committed suicide seemingly admitting his guilt. It just doesn’t sit well with Pippa and she decides to use this crime as her final project. With some hesitation on her teachers behalf and strict rules she is, nevertheless, allowed to go ahead.

With not much regard to her teachers rules or her own safety, at times she is downright foolish in her actions, she sets about her project with the fervour of a young, somewhat naive but bright teenager.

The book is written through the journal and reports for her project and I thought this was an interesting, different and enjoyable style. As you, the reader, navigate and understand the list of characters and how they relate to the crime, project and each other the book is a very easy read.

Pippa teams up with Sal’s brother who doesn’t believe Sal murdered Andie. Whilst not all the characters we meet are given in depth characterisations, probably because this is written as a project report, I liked both these characters.

There is a darkness to the book whilst it is in no way graphic it does have some sad, tense and distressing moments this is, after all, a crime fiction story so that is to be expected. It’s well handled by the author for the books target audience. Indeed the book is well written, engaging and moves along at a good pace. Pippa puts herself into harms way on more than one occasion not least as she finally resolves the mystery of what happened and wraps up her investigation in a rather dramatic way.

I found this an enjoyable read and would recommend to anyone, regardless of age, who reads or has/is considering reading YA books especially of the crime genre.

Book: Purchased

A Virtual Crime Book Club

The Good Girls Guide to Murder was our latest book club read. For all information about the Virtual Crime Book Club visit The Virtual Crime Book Club where you will find links to our zoom meetings, how to sign up and much more.

The Good Girls Guide to Murder was received by most of the club readers well and an enjoyable read. One or two felt that there were parts of the book which went beyond reality/were not quite believable

The voting for June has closed, the choice was from Spy/spy thriller books and the book for next month is Secret Service by Tom Bradby. Is that right up your reading preference or maybe you are looking for something a little different in the Crime Fiction genre. If so why not join us? The next meeting is 8 pm (UK timezone) Monday 21st June. You will need to be a member of the book club to get your zoom invite so please do join HERE. We’d love to see you!

Information

Published: Electric Monkey (2 May 2019) | Electric Monkey is the teen / YA imprint from Egmont UK now Farshore part of HarperCollins.

Buy: AmazonSmileUK | Your local bookshop | Waterstones

Author: Holly Jackson started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a novel aged fifteen. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys playing video games and watching true crime documentaries so she can pretend to be a detective. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is her first novel.

You can follow Holly on Twitter and Instagram @HoJay92

Books

• 

• 

•