Good Girl, Bad Blood

I loved 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' for Pippa's energy and discipline, for the twisty, surprising but credible plot, for the accurate contemporary setting and for the clever use of a school project format to tell the story. It was pretty much perfect, except for the last chapter. In my review at the time, I said:

My only criticism of the book is the final chapter. It’s one of those “Three Month’s Later” things. It’s well-written but, to me, it seemed too neat and too preachy. The rest of the book convinced me, even when it surprised me, but this seemed too simple.

Well, the sequel really makes up for that. It deals with the aftermath of Pippa's revelations, including the ongoing rape trial. Pippa has grown up in the show more intervening months. She's had time to count the cost to her and to others of her neat little investigation. She's had time to think about the person she became when her search for the truth became an obsession and she's starting to have regrets, to repudiate the person she'd been then, to promise not to be that person again.

Even so, she's turned her project into a successful podcast, serving up the story of her investigation and keeping current with the rape trial. When the trial is done, she'll put it all behind her, go back to being a Good Girl, focused on getting into Cambridge. Be herself again.

Of course, that doesn't happen. None of us gets to be the person we were before we did the things that define who we are now. Pip knows this. She's guilty about it. She's determined to deny it. Until the brother of one of her friends goes missing and Pip has to push the Good Girl to one side and let her chase-the-truth-until-you're-shaking-it-in-your-jaws self loose again.

I enjoyed 'Good Girl, Bad Blood' just as much as its predecessor but for different reasons. Holly Jackson wisely avoided writing another version of the first book but with a different puzzle to solve. She kept the same characters in the same location but she let them grow. Made them grow, actually. She replaced the school project format with a podcast format and the use of Social Media. I thought this worked well but it was never meant to be the main event. This story isn't really about solving a Missing Person case. It's about Pip learning that 'solving' isn't what it seems, that the world is darker and less amenable to relentless logic than she thought and that she, not her Good Girl uniform but the real her, the one who hunts and avenges obsessively, is strong enough to take on that darkness as long as she's willing to pay the price and as long as she knows she won't always win.

I thought 'Good Girl, Bad Blood' was a remarkable book and I think it confirms Holly Jackson as a remarkable writer. I've already ordered the third book in the series, 'As Good As Dead'. It comes out in August and I'm looking forward to making it a favourite summer read.

I recommend 'Good Girl, Bad Blood' to you, but don't start there. Go back to 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' so that you can see Pip change. show less

“But justice doesn’t exist, and the truth doesn’t matter, not in the real world.”

6/5 ⭐

Wow. I don't even know where to start with this book. This has to be my new favorite book of all time.
I borrowed the first book from a friend of mine and loved it so much. I was too impatient to wait till I met her again, so I got a digital copy of the second book and started reading right away. And I'm not kidding when I say that I could not keep my eyes off till the end. I finished the whole thing in a few hours or so.
I was reading it at home when there was a sudden change of plans and we had to go outside. But I was wayyyy too into the book to stop there, so the whole ride there and in the store I was reading. Passer-bys probably thought show more I was some phone addict.

Moving on... My mood instantly brightened when I started reading and saw Pip and Ravi together again. They're so cute.
Now, what was this book about? After solving the disappearance of Andie Bell, Pip is determined to never play detective again. She decided to share her experience by starting a true crime podcast (which hit off) alongside her boyfriend Ravi Singh. Even though she swore off solving any more cases after she almost died during the last one, she decides to do it one last time to help with the case of Connor's brother, Jamie's disappearance. And oh my god, so much happens after that. She unravels secrets about Jamie that she probably shouldn't have known. It turns into a dangerous game that's potentially life-threatening.

Anyway, the book had me go crazy. The whole Layla Mead situation was so good. Like "she" ended up being a catfish and the catfish was the neighbor??? I was always suspicious of the neighbors since they were introduced for some reason but because of Charlie's speech to Pip, I got rid of those suspicions. But no, he ended up murdering poor Stanley Forbes. Let me tell you, I was close to crying in the middle of the store but I controlled myself.
Honestly, the whole Child Brunswick plot is probably my favorite part of the book. I was glued to my screen trying to figure out who he was.
The whole ending sequence traumatized me. I actually got nightmares after that. But like the last book, I had an ounce of sympathy for Charlie Green (Stanley did assist in killing his sister although he was just a kid) but that was only weeks after reading. I was too upset at first. The fact that Stanley died hated by everyone. I feel tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
I think that's one thing Holly Jackson does really well. Creating complex, morally gray characters. It makes me ponder more on the book (and contemplate my moral values) after reading it.

Also, I hate Ant & Lauren so much. And I DESPISE Max. I wanted to reach my hand through the screen somehow and punch his face.

Anyway, I loved this book so much and I will recommend this series to everyone I meet. I'm writing this after reading the whole series and I will admit, this one's my favorite. I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion.
All I have left to say is - Holly Jackson is a genius. show less

**spoiler alert** I absolutely loved this book. I found it even better than the first one in this series. The mystery is SO well written, and the web that Jackson weaves with the narration, Pip’s podcast, interview transcripts, and evidence is incredible. The twists are amazing and the one at the end is impossible to predict.

I felt so much while reading this book. I felt angry when Ant and Lauren didn’t help with Jamie’s search party and when they called Pip out for staging this missing person situation I felt FURIOUS. When we found out that Stanley Forbes was Child Brunswick I was shocked to my literal core. Since this is the second book, we’ve been following these characters for a while so learning that he’s the son of a show more convicted killer who had helped his father commit those crimes when he was 10 was crazy to me. On top of that, Pip’s seemingly straight-laced neighbors who were actively searching for Child Brunswick and Henry who actually shot him - amazingly written. The formatting style (I’m sure there’s a better Lit term for this) at the end was incredible and I felt like I was living through the gunshots and Pip’s shock in real time.

I’m still reeling with shock and torn up about Stanley’s murder. Once I got into the mystery, I could not put this book down and all of my waking moments were spent thinking about Jamie Reynolds and what had happened to him. Amazing. show less

Honestly, this is one of the best mystery series I’ve ever read. A spectacular thriller!

If A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was an easy 5-star read, this sequel absolutely lives up to it — maybe even surpasses it in some ways. Holly Jackson is simply a genius.

Although this is technically a standalone case, readers familiar with the first book will be rewarded — there are so many subtle callbacks and clues that connect perfectly. Random moments from book one that seemed irrelevant suddenly become so meaningful. It’s incredible how Jackson set things up without us even realizing.

This time, Pip doesn’t want to investigate. After what happened in book one, she’s traumatized and hesitant. But what I love about Pip is that show more when it comes down to it, she always gives everything. She doesn’t care what others think; she’s relentless in her pursuit of the truth.

The mystery initially feels straightforward, but it gets more and more complex as the story unfolds. You think you know what’s going on, but the author is constantly one step ahead, weaving it into something bigger, darker, and far more shocking.

Stylistically, this book is brilliant. The multimedia format (interviews, podcasts, real photographs, maps) makes the reading experience feel incredibly immersive — like you’re part of the investigation.

As for the ending… at first, I wasn’t sure about the direction, but when I realized how cleverly the author had planted the seeds way back in book one, I was blown away. Not only does the story solve the central mystery, but it also sets up crucial elements for the next book.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes show less

I think this mystery may have been better than the first. Not nearly as many red herrings as I had no idea where the case was even going until it’s final chapters. Instead, we watch Pip try to piece together a missing persons case with very little to go on. The consequences Pip faced in this book are startlingly apt, especially considering the way true crime and social media have begun to overlap as everyone tries to play detective from home with sensationalized cases. That’s not what Pip is doing but it’s something her followers definitely are, so it’s a conversation worth having. It will be interesting to see how Pip moves forward from this case into the final book. I continue to enjoy how three dimensional every character is, show more our main cast only grew into more fleshed out versions of themselves this book and Pip rarely stayed in her own head with things, instead choosing to share the mysteries she was uncovering with Ravi, Connor, Cara and others.

God I just loved when characters TALK to each other. You have no idea how rare that actually is in a lot of fiction, so I really appreciate it when I see it. show less

Pip's turned from investigation to a podcast. And it's a 'real time' mystery now. An older brother of a friend is missing. She was there when he was last seen. The police won't search for an adult with a history of staying away a few days. They ask Pip to help raise awareness - ask her many follows to look, to search, to share if they've seen him. But Pip isn't the Pip from last time. She's quick to warn - if they really want her to try to find him, they can't fight her, they can't get mad if they hear or learn things they don't like. Pip is quick to make people agree to be recorded. And she tries, she really tries, to say no.

I found the mystery so well done. It was perfectly timed to present each layer to it at the perfect tipping show more point. Each new clue leads to another and each new witness spins the search on its head. Pip in her true fashion is pushy and obsessed and a little reckless. I love every chapter as I wondered and tried to figure out what was going on. It was easier to just flip the pages and go along for the ride. It did not disappoint.

Now I can't wait to read book 3. where on earth can it go from here? And who will Pip be by the time we get there? show less

After solving the murder of Andie Bell and Sal Singh, Pip has sworn off investigating crime. She realizes that she lost herself in the previous case and has sworn never to do that again. She has a successful podcast and Max Hastings is on trial for multiple rapes.

Pip and Rav attend the memorial for Andie and Sal and finally heal with their community. When Pip returns home, Connor Reynolds appears on her doorstep begging for her investigative help - his brother Jamie has gone missing and the police will not help. She says that she will go to the police and see if she can use her influence to implore the police to take his disappearance seriously. When it doesn't work she agrees to help the family as they truly believe that something has show more happened to Jamie and he has not just disappeared.

As the days go on and Jamie remains missing, Pip and Rav start to realize that there is one name that keeps popping up…Layla, a catfish who appears to be looking for a very specific person based on the men she has connected with. As Pip gets closer and closer to discovering who Layla is, she knows that she is closer to finding Jamie. With the help of Rav and Conner, Pip discovers Layla's identity in a dark clearing where everything seems to go wrong.

The follow-up to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is fantastically done. With threads of the original story sewn into this wonderful new plot line, it was a book that was well worth my reading time. Jackson's books are always quick reads despite the size of them. I found myself getting involved in the storyline and wondering what would happen next. I am very much looking forward to the final book in this trilogy. show less