This review of A good girl’s guide to murder is spoiler-free ツ
Secrets, lies, false appearance… There is a little something in small town that makes them the ideal setting for mysterious story. Wisteria Lane (Desperate Housewife), Riverdale, small villages in Agatha Christie’s stories… are good examples. In “a good girl’s guide to murder”, Little Kilton, a small town in England, is no exception.
A good girl’s guide to murder : What is it about ?
Five years ago, Andy Bell was murdered. When her boyfriend, Sal Singh, is found dead, the police and the whole town came to their own conclusion : Sal has killed his girlfriend before committing suicide. Case closed. Years after the tragedy, nobody questions anymore what happens that terrible day. Everyone but Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who, convinced that the case hides more that it seems, decides to make it her project for her last year. Help byRavi (Sal’s brother), Pipa is determined to find out what really happened to Andie Bell that night. Even if she has to dig up some disturbing truths : What if Andie wasn’t the only victim ? Who, beneath the mask of a model citizen is in reality a killer ?
A story that’ll hold your attention to the end.
The secret for a perfect murder mystery ? Everything happens in the final pages, when the real face of the culprit and their mobile are revealed. So, was the wait worth it ? Way before the ending of A good girl‘s guide to murder, I was sure that regardless of the result (whether my suspect was the culprit or not), I wouldn’t be disappointed. And after investigating with Pippa and collecting clues, I can say that the grand finale has pleasantly surprised me! During the different parts of the story (the facts, the investigation, the partial resolution and the final), evidences are skillfully scattered to lead you to the murderer and at the same time drove you away from the truth.
1. The facts :
Everyone is right on one thing : two teenagers are dead. From that “fact”, the investigators have at the time drew to the quick conclusion that Ravi Singh killed Andie after an argument and commit suicide right after his crime. However, for Pipa, the story has too many inconsistencies. Whether it’s how Sal allegedly killed his girlfriend then himself or the events of the famous night Andy died, the details are very unclear and the puzzle is far from being completed.
2. The investigation
Between those who are pleased to help Pippa for her school project and the other one on the defensive, the beginning of the investigation is not about to take off. Everybody’s lies could make the case unfold differently and far from the truth. Soon, it becomes obvious that everyone (friends, classmates, neighbour who knew the victims, or even the local dealer) has something in connection to the night Andie died they would like to bury. Our two investigators, Pippa and Ravi, swim into troubled waters until it becomes clear that they must put aside everything they think they know and look at the case from another angle: who was really Andy Bell?
3. The partial resolution :
I always look forward to that moment when you realized there are too many pages left even though the case is supposed to be solved !
Andy discovers what really happened (well, part of it), and though the truth is already horrible to accept, there is still a missing piece which prevents her conclusion to make sense. This part is one of my favorites : we only ask to be enlightened on what we’ve missed and of course : be surprised.
4. The final
And surprised I was. I was pretty sure that I had uncovered the killer identity when eventually it turned out that I was half way from the truth. But guess what, that’s exactly the reason I give this type of book a solid five star !
Suspense, dread, surprise and incredibly well written is how I would describe this book. If you’re a murder mystery and a thriller amateur, you know what to add next to your TBR !
Incoming.. a tv show !!!.
A good girl’s guide to murder is available on Netflix since july 1st 2024, starring Emma Myers (Wednesday) as Pippa and Zain Iqbal (Why me ?) as Ravi.
In the meantime, A good girl’s guide to murder series is waiting for you !
Bonus : Kill joy is the first book of the series and a short story of 130 pages.
Each book have it’s own plot and can be read separately (though the event of the previous book are mentioned).