A New Fave!

TITLE: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
AUTHOR: Holly Jackson
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
PUBLISHING DATE: May 2, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: 

For readers of Kara Thomas and Karen McManus, an addictive, twisty crime thriller with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about a closed local murder case that doesn't add up, and a girl who's determined to find the real killer--but not everyone wants her meddling in the past. 

Everyone in Fairview knows the story. 

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? 

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger. 

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect. 

MY THOUGHTS: I utterly devoured this book.  I started it on one day, hard a hard time putting it down, and then finished it by noon the following day.  I couldn't read fast enough and was truly invested in the story.  So much so that I've already ordered the sequel, which is only available in the UK right now, from Book Depository and it can't come soon enough.

Pip is working on her senior project and has decided to do right something she thinks the police in her town got wrong five years ago.  Andie Bell mysteriously went missing one night and despite a body ever being found, her boyfriend, Sal Singh was initially a suspect until a few days later when he took his own life.  The police, as well as the town, was all too happy to believe Sal killed Andie and then offed himself due to guilt.  Now his family lives quietly in a town where they are considered pariahs.  But Pip knew Sal and doesn't believe he could have killed Andie.  So she takes it upon herself to reopen the investigation and with the help of Sal's brother, Ravi, hopes to figure out what really happened to Andie and hopefully clear Sal's name in the process.

So first of all, you kind of have to suspend belief somewhat because for a high school senior, Pip takes a lot of risks.  And amazingly, she gets a lot of people to cooperate with her investigation when honestly I just don't think that would happen.  However, the story is solid and Pip is an extremely likable character.  I loved her relationship with her family - yes, parents are actually present in this YA novel, and her budding friendship with Ravi was a relationship I could get behind (no insta-love here).  It never ceases to amaze me the way the lives of teens are portrayed nowadays which makes me grateful for my somewhat boring and very mediocre high school years.

Another plus in the book is the format.  Told in narratives from both several perspectives and incorporating texts, police transcripts, maps and interviews, this book keeps the reader on edge and assures that the story rarely experiences a lull.  The ending was satisfying and I have to admit, I it had me guessing up until the conclusion.  And even once the perpetrator is actually revealed, Jackson throws one more curve at the audience.

Needless to say, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries and strong characters.  I can definitely see it making my favorites list at the end of the year.

RATING: 5 PAWS

ANIMAL ABUSE SPOILER WARNING:  The dog dies!  I knew this going into the book and admit I almost didn't read it.  However, I will say that knowing about it helped and it wasn't really a gruesome, graphic death.