2.03.2022

BOOK REVIEW: Good Girl, Bad Blood: The Sequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson



Besties, I was obsessed with Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder when I first read it a couple of years ago, so I knew I needed to get my hands on Good Girl, Bad Blood: The Sequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and you know what? It let me down. The Pippa Fitz-Amobi I loved in book one seemed different; and the mystery, though intriguing in its own right, felt far too simple to unravel, not to mention a bit overreaching and, dare I say, unfeeling. Nevertheless, I did stick it out to the end; but I'm fairly certain I won't be visiting Pip's world again. Womp womp.

One month has passed since Pippa Fitz-Amobi {aka Pip} released her podcast, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, divulging all of the secrets she unearthed while investigating Andie Bell's murder, to the world. Sal Singh, though deceased, has been exonerated on all charges; his brother, Ravi, who acted as Pip's partner in crime during the investigation, has been upgraded to Pip's boyfriend; and Pip? Well, she's no longer a detective. Yep, you read that right...Pip has hung up her sleuthing hat and bid adieu to solving crimes. Primarily due to the amount of enemies she has made in town due to her snooping and subsequent release of the viral A Good Girl's Guide to Murder; but slightly caused by the sudden onset of PTSD. So when Pip's friend, Connor Reynolds, approaches her to look into the sudden disappearance of his older brother, Jamie, during the town's Singh-Ball Memorial, she finds herself conflicted.

Twenty-four-year-old Jamie Reynolds has a history of disappearing acts; and with a father who refuses to see his latest retreat as anything to take seriously, the police are reluctant to treat Jamie's vanishing as anything sinister. Connor and his mother, however, 100% feel that foul play is a factor; and when the police refuse to investigate, Pip makes the executive decision to put her fears aside, and take on the case to help Connor - and begin A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Season Two. But as she begins investigating, Pip comes to the realization that Jamie is not what he seems. In fact, while combing through his online activity, she finds that Jamie has all the makings of someone leading a double life - the question is, did that double life get him killed, or is he responsible for his own disappearance due to fear?

Pip has changed since book one - and for good reason. She has experienced a lot. That said, the Pip I loved in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is not the same Pip I encountered within these pages. She is hardened, somber, slightly depressed, and not as lovable as her former self. Was it organic growth due to everything that happened with the Andie Bell/Sal Singh investigation coupled with the Max Hastings trial? Most likely yes; but it was a growth that made it feel like I didn't know her anymore - and didn't love her the same way. On top of that, I found myself uninterested in the characters within; and disengaged with the mystery itself, which felt a bit all over the place. I did adore the case notes and Podcast transcripts; but found it very hard to muddle through everything else. It took me over a month to finish this book because I kept needing breaks from it; leading me to the conclusion that my interest in Pip ends here.


Star Rating: ***


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4 comments

ellie said...

I have been thinking about this one. I am so glad you did this review. Thanks for the in-depth look at Pip (I so love the name for a character!) Thanks so much for the review!

Caitlin'nMegan said...

I loved your review. It does give me a lot more to think about this 'maybe' series. Such a great review. Thanks for the insight!

Ivy's Closet said...

Wonderful! Glad you did this. I think it would be hard to keep that consistency through a series. Especially, a mystery series.

R's Rue said...

Thank you for sharing.

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