Rebecca’s Pick: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Pippa doesn’t believe that Sal killed Andie.

The police closed the investigation after Sal “admitted” to the crime and then killed himself, presumably out of remorse. But things still didn’t add up (at least in Pippa’s mind) 5 years later. She can’t ignore her gut feeling that Sal is innocent, so she’s determined to uncover new evidence as part of her senior capstone project.

With help from an unlikely friend in Ravi, Sal’s younger brother who believes even more ardently that his brother is innocent, Pippa sets out to investigate what really happened to Andie.

Pippa’s got a knack for looking at the evidence in just a little different way to reveal minor incidents that lead to major discoveries. She also has a knack for getting herself into compromising situations that put herself and others in harm’s way….

I have to say, I really enjoyed this debut novel. I couldn’t put it down. The author had a great way of leaving you with cliffhangers. After each chapter I was convinced I knew what had happened, but then, I was proven wrong, only to be made to think, “no, I was right…” only to be proven wrong again! This was a fun, quick read that had a few twists to keep you guessing.

The format, character and story line reminded me a lot of the TV show Veronica Mars, which is probably why I enjoyed the book so much. I love that show! If you liked “Two Can Keep a Secret” by Karen McManus, or any other teen drama/thrillers, I think you’ll enjoy this one.