A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Pip has decided that her senior project will be delving into the death of Andie Bell by her boyfriend Sal, who later killed himself, that occurred five years earlier. Pip has always believed that the case wrapped up too easily, too cleanly, because Sal was nothing but nice to everyone. She starts by talking to Andie’s friends and researching police procedure and news articles. When she contacts Sal’s brother, she finds a comrade-in-arms, someone who wants to find the truth even more than she does, and who will follow her into dangerous situations. Together, they discover that many people have hidden secrets they don’t want to come out and will stop at nothing to make sure those secrets stay secret.

This debut novel has more twists than a candy cane. This is a mystery novel through and through, and one that matches One of Us is Lying and Come Find Me in style. Pip is a caring, determined heroine, always a good find in YA literature. The romance is light and sweet and develops through the book, but takes a backseat to the unfolding plot. Excellent news: this is the first in a series of four.