Fall is right around the corner, and it’s a perfect time to wind down and relax after school with a good old crime mystery. Whether it’s reading the book or watching the newly released show, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is the perfect mix of thrill, mystery, and romance.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson is a trilogy series originally published on May 2, 2019. In the first book, readers are introduced to Andie Bell, a beloved and popular girl from Fairview, Connecticut who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, before he killed himself. Ever since the murder, Sal’s family had received never-ending hate and threats. However, high school senior Pippa Fitz-Amobi believes that Sal was not responsible for the murder and she intends to prove it by solving the murder case for her senior capstone project. The book series has since been turned into a six-episode TV show, which aired on July 1, 2024, and they changed the setting from America to a town called Little Kilton in England.
Pip’s investigation unravels secrets that challenge everything the town of Little Kilton believed about Andie Bell’s murder. Everyone thought Sal Singh killed Andie because of a confession text he sent before his death, but Pip doubted it from the start. Her courage to knock on Sal’s brother Ravi’s door and ask him for help is one of the things I love most about her character. She doesn’t give up, even when it seems like everyone else has.
The story does a great job showing how messy justice can be. Pip learns that Naomi, Sal’s best friend, lied about his alibi because she and Max Hastings were involved in a hit-and-run the same night Andie disappeared. This twist shocked me because it shows how people will protect themselves, even if it means letting someone innocent take the blame. It really made me think about how easy it is for fear and guilt to twist the truth, and how a simple lie can completely change the course of someone’s life.
The biggest surprise, though, comes when Pip discovers that her own teacher, Elliot Ward, was involved in Andie’s death. He accidentally injured her when she tried to blackmail him for money, and in a panic, he framed Sal for her murder. This moment hit hard because Elliot seemed like someone Pip could trust. It made me realize how people can hide their true selves, even those we think we know. This betrayal added a lot of tension and made the story even more suspenseful.
In the whole series, the biggest plot twist and most chilling moment was when it was revealed that Becca Bell, Andie’s sister, drugged Pip after admitting she was the one who killed Andie. Becca had always seemed like a side character, so her confession was a real twist. “The biggest shock to me was finding out that Becca was the killer,” Kaden Turner (‘25) states.
It was creepy how calm she was about it, which made the scene even more intense. This was a perfect example of how the story makes you suspect everyone, even people you’d least expect. One of the characters that was the most suspected of killing Andie was Max Hastings, and senior Shahd Lubbad says that, “throughout most of the show, I genuinely couldn’t figure out who the murderer was. I suspected Max Hastings because he always seemed like a bad person to me. Other than him, I wasn’t sure who it was or who to suspect.”
What I liked most about the show is how it explores justice and how complicated it can be. Pip proves Sal’s innocence, but she also exposes how many people played a part in what happened, either by lying or hiding the truth. The ending isn’t neat or easy, and I liked that because it felt more real. It shows that sometimes, even when you get to the truth, it’s not as simple as right and wrong.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” stands out as the perfect series for fall. Whether you’re diving into Holly Jackson’s intricate trilogy or experiencing the suspense real-time on screen, the series gets you hooked. However, you might want to get started on the second book, now that I’ve completely spoiled the first.
