It starts as a school project, but Pippa’s research into the murder-suicide which rocked her town five years before uncovers darker secrets than she ever could have imagined.

 

I’ve been burned by the over-hyped book trend before. So, I’ll admit I’ve avoided A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder largely because of how it was promoted and who was talking about it. 

 

I had an inkling that would be the case because I read and enjoyed Five Survive by the same author last year. In saying that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder isn’t my usual crime/fiction read. It’s not as dark or tense as I would normally appeal to me.

 

The main character Pippa is a bit too Nancy Drew. Her naivety and belief that because she’s acting for the right reasons she’s safe, is a little but frustrating. But, that frustration is in keeping with the character, it’s from a sense that she’s built believably and centred in a believable world. So it’s all to the good in terms of what the author has created. And also let’s face it of everyone acted sensibly in thrillers they would be very short as the case would be handed to the professionals long before there was any real danger.

 

Overall I enjoyed this. The plotting was good, the red herrings kept me guessing, the characters were engaging. Well worth a read despite the hype.