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 … ?
Finally understanding the hype
I have heard of this book for years now but never made an actual effort to get it into my hands. I came particularly close as I saw an astonishing hardcover edition in Dutch book shops, eventually not buying it though as I was moving around quite a bit. Fate brought this story to me in the end, as my sister had a paperback copy lying around. She was one of the people recommending it to me repeatedly. So, a week ago, I finally started reading it. And finished it within a few days despite being busy and all over the place.
A Cold Case…
The author caught my attention within the first chapters, not letting go of it for the rest of the book. With Pippa, we started with a few clues and ideas on how to approach this case from five years ago. With her, we learn about more and more people engaged with the victim(s) and potentially also involved in what happened to Andie. The log entries are just as enticing as the third-person narratives of Pippa’s doing in between. The author lets us read Pippa’s smart and clear conclusions, not hard to comprehend but nonetheless impressive. It was tense and exciting to follow her deduction skills and how she figured out different connections. It certainly made me fly through the pages that I wanted to know where those clues would lead.
… that turns way too hot too quickly
Re-opening this (c)old case, Pippa inevitably puts herself in a dangerous position, hunting down a killer while holding back a lot of information from the people in her surroundings. Thankfully, she is not completely on her own, but supported by one of the dead people’s brother, Ravi, who hopes to prove the innocence of his brother. Together, they are an entertaining, charming, and heart-warming team. That there eventually is more than gratefulness for the requited support is a wonderful addition to this young adult novel. With all the epic twists and turns in this story, seeing their romantic engagement coming was balm for my soul.
In conclusion,
What a phenomenal debut of author Holly Jackson. With every new suspect, the net of interconnections and potential motifs became more entangled. It is masterwork to keep everything in sight but nonetheless so well hidden from us as readers. I loved every chapter and hour of reading!
The 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 Source