Mysteries & Thrillers
![Holly Jackson - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B07QKBC6JZ.jpg)
Good Girl, Bad Blood: The Sequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD • The highly anticipated sequel to the international bestseller, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! More dark secrets are exposed in this addictive, true-crime fueled mystery.
Pip is not a detective anymore.
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?
Pip is not a detective anymore.
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?
Editorial Reviews
Praise for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder:
"The book pulled me into it so hard that I forgot everything going on around me, I just needed to solve the murder with Pip."-PopSugar
"This is a great, twisty read for fans of YA." -Book Riot
"A taut, compulsively readable, elegantly plotted thriller."-The Guardian
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." --Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A fun, gripping, and skillfully constructed novel of suspense. I loved Pip-her relatable quirks, her inventive investigative approach, and her willingness to step outside of her safe world in search of the truth." -Emily Arsenault, author of All the Pretty Things
"Dark, dangerous and intricately plotted-my heart literally pounded." -Laura Steven, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay
"So so clever." -Savannah Brown, author of The Truth About Keeping Secrets
"Well-executed…. A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense." -Kirkus Reviews
"Legions of fans of true crime podcasts may therefore flock to this one, and they're unlikely to be disappointed." -The Bulletin
"Fans of true crime will be hooked by the hunt for a killer, but there's more to this Guide than just a whodunit. It's a story of families, community and the ways a crisis can turn them against one another in the blink of an eye." -BookPage
"The book pulled me into it so hard that I forgot everything going on around me, I just needed to solve the murder with Pip."-PopSugar
"This is a great, twisty read for fans of YA." -Book Riot
"A taut, compulsively readable, elegantly plotted thriller."-The Guardian
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." --Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A fun, gripping, and skillfully constructed novel of suspense. I loved Pip-her relatable quirks, her inventive investigative approach, and her willingness to step outside of her safe world in search of the truth." -Emily Arsenault, author of All the Pretty Things
"Dark, dangerous and intricately plotted-my heart literally pounded." -Laura Steven, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay
"So so clever." -Savannah Brown, author of The Truth About Keeping Secrets
"Well-executed…. A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense." -Kirkus Reviews
"Legions of fans of true crime podcasts may therefore flock to this one, and they're unlikely to be disappointed." -The Bulletin
"Fans of true crime will be hooked by the hunt for a killer, but there's more to this Guide than just a whodunit. It's a story of families, community and the ways a crisis can turn them against one another in the blink of an eye." -BookPage
Readers Top Reviews
RHSbf90erAli Kennedy
I have to admit, I was hesitant to read this book as the first in the series A Good Girl's Guide to Murder was brilliant, but I didn't really see where the story could go from there. I was so pleasantly surprised, the author handled this transition perfectly and this second instalment was just as enthralling as the first. As someone who has pretty much aged out of the 'Young Adult' category I wasn't sure that these books would be for me, but honestly I absolutely loved them. The emotional maturity of the main characters really helps prevent the story becoming alienated from an older audience and quite frankly I was hooked from start to finish. This book could work as a stand alone, but I would definitely suggest checking out the first book before reading this one as it will give you a deeper appreciation for the characters and the sub-plots. *****
Coral Hammond
If you're here then you've probably already read GGGTM, so I won't go into how good Holly Jackson is as a storyteller because you already know. *no spoilers for book 2. there will be book 1 spoilers* The story picks up not long after the events of book 1, showing how our main characters are healing, or not, from what's happened. I appreciate that our main character Pip wasn't shown to be completely ok after everything that had happened. We are shown her suffering through grief from the death of Barney in book 1, and the after effects of being spiked and attacked by Becca. We're given this new mystery almost immediately in the story, and through Pip and her friends investigation we're taken through many twists and turns, throughout being witness to Pips inner guilt, fear, and apprehension. We also see relationships and friendships between the characters built up, and some begin to crumble away due people's actions and attitudes. Good Girl, Bad Blood included and worked with so many difficult and sensitive subjects, with the final revelation being based on something that would no doubt truly be controversial, with many people on many sides of the argument. The finale was truly heart breaking, and we left Pip without the ultimate happy ending. I am so intrigued to see what book three will hold (please be a book three), I can't wait to read more about Pip, Ravi, and their little band of detectives.
Toni
A good girl’s guide to murder.... wasn’t planning for this one. We join Pip and the others picking up shortly after the first book, when it all takes a whole new twist, and this time we aren’t looking at an old case. I found this story even more on the edge of your seat, because time was important, this was the now. I loved how characters continued to develop, and new characters and old characters make appearances. This book was absolutely hard when we find out a case was going on, a previous character in court and what happens from there. Watching and seeing Pip, I felt like Holly did an amazing job was she made Pip change, she had too, she made it realistic. I also was happy to see a couple pieces pulled in from the first book too. This one I felt more there because it was happening in the moment, I had to know if our missing person would be found, and in what condition. I loved the first book, but this one got even better for me, and I can’t wait for book 3! A perfect five out of five for me 📱📱📱📱📱
Summer
Well, well. Ladies and gentlemen, she’s done it again. In this incredible sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson has brought back the beloved Pip and Ravi and their gang of small town friends, and weaved another jaw-dropping mystery. I wanted to like this book less, as I am particularly hard on sequels, but I can’t- it fully deserves a 5/5 star rating. Among the things I respect most about Good Girl, Bad Blood is the fact that it brings back all the familiarity from the first book, but without being a carbon copy. There’s true growth here, movement and progression masterfully done. New romance notes that give fluttery feelings throughout the novel are subtle but powerful, evoking the feelings we all can relate to. Friendships are shown both as a strength, and a weakness (looking at you, Ant-and-Lauren). Some enemies come around, and some only grow more easy to hate. There is a real ebb and flow in this novel, perfect pacing and enjoyable moments that only add to the story a sense of real life. Admittedly, it might seem a bit odd: A young teenage girl, still in highschool, swept up in situations like Pip gets into. In the last book, she nearly lost it all- and in this one, BAM! It happens again, getting too deep and fighting for normalcy. I loved the aspects of obsession and PTSD within this novel, flawlessly pulled off. Some people might have assumed Pip, in the first novel, to have little personality besides being “the good girl”- but this book blows all that away. She struggles, she fights, she cares, and it shows. The most powerful thing in this novel, as with the last, is not the actual mystery. While that is at the forefront, it is the characters that are so strong. The storytelling is incredible, the emotions you gain for these people are real, and the plot is both riveting and memorable. I loved this read, and I’m diving right into the third and final book: As Good As Dead. Favorite part of this novel? Ravi. What a dream. Least favorite? Max Freaking Hastings.
BookCrazyBlogger
It’s a month after Pippa’s podcast exposing the truth behind Andie Bell’s murder went viral and the fallout is intense. Between the media coverage, the trials and the town’s reception of the podcast, Pippa has to decided to lay as low as she can, enjoy her fledgling relationship with Ravi and focus on smaller updates to the podcast about the trials. She’s definitely done with playing detective-then Jamie Reynolds goes missing at the combined Singh-Ball memorial. As Pippa is drawn into her old friend’s world, a parallel investigation into the possible abduction of an 8 year old ties up law enforcement, leaving it to Pip to investigate. Will more secrets come loose and what Pippa finds will shock her to her core. The direction this book took was darker and more twisted than before. Pip has developed a guilt complex or possible PTSD symptoms, so of course, her behavior becomes more radical. I absolutely loved this book and found the allusions to the Bugler case to be a fascinating little wormhole to go down. However, the only “issue” I have, is that I don’t have the next book in my hot little hands BECAUSE THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH. ARGH. I need it like I need a chocolate Santa Clause to munch on.
Short Excerpt Teaser
One
It was still there, every time she opened the front door. It wasn't real, she knew that, just her mind filling in the absence, bridging the gap. She heard it: dog claws skittering, rushing to welcome her home. But it wasn't, it couldn't be. It was just a memory, the ghost of a sound that had always been there.
"Pip, is that you?" her mom called from the kitchen.
"Hey," Pip replied, dropping her bronze-colored backpack in the hall, textbooks thumping together inside.
Josh was in the living room, sitting on the floor two feet from the TV, fast-forwarding through the ads on the Disney Channel. "You'll get square eyes," Pip remarked as she walked by.
"You'll get a square butt," Josh snapped back with a snort. A terrible retort, objectively speaking, but he was quick for a ten-year-old.
"Hi, darling, how was school?" her mom asked, sipping from a flowery mug as Pip walked into the kitchen and settled on one of the stools at the counter.
"Fine. It was fine." School was always fine now. Not good, not bad. Just fine. She pulled off her shoes, the leather unsticking from her feet and smacking against the tiles.
"Ugh," her mom said. "Do you always have to leave your shoes in the kitchen?"
"Do you always have to catch me doing it?"
"Yes. I'm your mother," she said, whacking Pip's arm lightly with her new cookbook. "Oh, and, Pippa, I need to talk to you about something."
The full name. So much meaning in that extra syllable.
"Am I in trouble?"
Her mom didn't answer the question. "Flora Green called me today. You know she's the new teaching assistant at Josh's school?"
"Yes. . . ." Pip nodded for her mother to continue.
"Joshua got in trouble today, sent to the principal." Her mom's brow knitted. "Apparently Camilla Brown's pencil sharpener went missing, and Josh decided to interrogate his classmates about it, finding evidence and drawing up a persons of interest list. He made four kids cry."
"Oh," Pip said, that pit opening up in her stomach again. Yes, she was in trouble. "OK, OK. Should I talk to him?"
"Yes, I think you should. Now," her mom said, raising her mug and taking a noisy sip.
Pip slid off the stool with a gritted smile and padded back toward the living room.
"Josh," she said lightly, sitting on the floor beside him. She muted the television.
"Hey!"
Pip ignored him. "So, I heard what happened at school today."
"Oh yeah. There's two main suspects." He turned to her, his brown eyes lighting up. "Maybe you can help--"
"Josh, listen to me," Pip said, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. "Being a detective is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact . . . it's a pretty bad thing to be."
"But I--"
"Just listen, OK? Being a detective makes the people around you unhappy. Makes you unhappy . . . ," she said, her voice withering away until she cleared her throat and pulled it back. "Remember Dad told you what happened to Barney, why he got hurt?"
Josh nodded, his eyes growing wide and sad.
"That's what happens when you're a detective. The people around you get hurt. And you hurt people, without meaning to. You have to keep secrets you're not sure you should. That's why I don't do it anymore, and you shouldn't either." The words dropped right into that waiting pit in her gut, where they belonged. "Do you understand?"
"Yes . . ." He nodded, holding on to the s as it grew into the next word. "Sorry."
"Don't be silly." She smiled, folding him into a quick hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for. So no more playing detective?"
"Nope, promise."
Well, that had been easy.
"Done," Pip said, back in the kitchen. "I guess the missing pencil sharpener will forever remain a mystery."
"Ah, maybe not," her mom said with a barely concealed smile. "I bet it was that Alex Davis, the little shit."
Pip snorted.
Her mom kicked Pip's shoes out of her way. "So, have you heard from Ravi yet?"
"Yeah." Pip pulled out her phone. "He said they finished about fifteen minutes ago. He'll be over to record soon."
"OK. How was today?"
"He said it was rough. I wish I could be there." Pip leaned against the counter, dropping her chin onto her knuckles.
"You know you can't, you have school," her mom said. It wasn't a discussion she was prepared to have again; Pip knew that. "And didn't you have enough after Tuesday? I know I did."
Tuesday, the first day of the trial at New Haven Superior Court, Pip had been called as a witness for the prosecution. Dressed in a new...
It was still there, every time she opened the front door. It wasn't real, she knew that, just her mind filling in the absence, bridging the gap. She heard it: dog claws skittering, rushing to welcome her home. But it wasn't, it couldn't be. It was just a memory, the ghost of a sound that had always been there.
"Pip, is that you?" her mom called from the kitchen.
"Hey," Pip replied, dropping her bronze-colored backpack in the hall, textbooks thumping together inside.
Josh was in the living room, sitting on the floor two feet from the TV, fast-forwarding through the ads on the Disney Channel. "You'll get square eyes," Pip remarked as she walked by.
"You'll get a square butt," Josh snapped back with a snort. A terrible retort, objectively speaking, but he was quick for a ten-year-old.
"Hi, darling, how was school?" her mom asked, sipping from a flowery mug as Pip walked into the kitchen and settled on one of the stools at the counter.
"Fine. It was fine." School was always fine now. Not good, not bad. Just fine. She pulled off her shoes, the leather unsticking from her feet and smacking against the tiles.
"Ugh," her mom said. "Do you always have to leave your shoes in the kitchen?"
"Do you always have to catch me doing it?"
"Yes. I'm your mother," she said, whacking Pip's arm lightly with her new cookbook. "Oh, and, Pippa, I need to talk to you about something."
The full name. So much meaning in that extra syllable.
"Am I in trouble?"
Her mom didn't answer the question. "Flora Green called me today. You know she's the new teaching assistant at Josh's school?"
"Yes. . . ." Pip nodded for her mother to continue.
"Joshua got in trouble today, sent to the principal." Her mom's brow knitted. "Apparently Camilla Brown's pencil sharpener went missing, and Josh decided to interrogate his classmates about it, finding evidence and drawing up a persons of interest list. He made four kids cry."
"Oh," Pip said, that pit opening up in her stomach again. Yes, she was in trouble. "OK, OK. Should I talk to him?"
"Yes, I think you should. Now," her mom said, raising her mug and taking a noisy sip.
Pip slid off the stool with a gritted smile and padded back toward the living room.
"Josh," she said lightly, sitting on the floor beside him. She muted the television.
"Hey!"
Pip ignored him. "So, I heard what happened at school today."
"Oh yeah. There's two main suspects." He turned to her, his brown eyes lighting up. "Maybe you can help--"
"Josh, listen to me," Pip said, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. "Being a detective is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact . . . it's a pretty bad thing to be."
"But I--"
"Just listen, OK? Being a detective makes the people around you unhappy. Makes you unhappy . . . ," she said, her voice withering away until she cleared her throat and pulled it back. "Remember Dad told you what happened to Barney, why he got hurt?"
Josh nodded, his eyes growing wide and sad.
"That's what happens when you're a detective. The people around you get hurt. And you hurt people, without meaning to. You have to keep secrets you're not sure you should. That's why I don't do it anymore, and you shouldn't either." The words dropped right into that waiting pit in her gut, where they belonged. "Do you understand?"
"Yes . . ." He nodded, holding on to the s as it grew into the next word. "Sorry."
"Don't be silly." She smiled, folding him into a quick hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for. So no more playing detective?"
"Nope, promise."
Well, that had been easy.
"Done," Pip said, back in the kitchen. "I guess the missing pencil sharpener will forever remain a mystery."
"Ah, maybe not," her mom said with a barely concealed smile. "I bet it was that Alex Davis, the little shit."
Pip snorted.
Her mom kicked Pip's shoes out of her way. "So, have you heard from Ravi yet?"
"Yeah." Pip pulled out her phone. "He said they finished about fifteen minutes ago. He'll be over to record soon."
"OK. How was today?"
"He said it was rough. I wish I could be there." Pip leaned against the counter, dropping her chin onto her knuckles.
"You know you can't, you have school," her mom said. It wasn't a discussion she was prepared to have again; Pip knew that. "And didn't you have enough after Tuesday? I know I did."
Tuesday, the first day of the trial at New Haven Superior Court, Pip had been called as a witness for the prosecution. Dressed in a new...
