A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

As a reader who developed her book obsession by devouring every Nancy Drew installment in elementary school, I've been an avid enthusiast of YA crime fiction for most of my life. I cannot resist a good mystery, and am always on the hunt for the next "it" book in the genre. I'm a busy mom of two, so it is rare for me to find a book so special that I can finish it in two sittings, but that's exactly what I found with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a true-crime-loving teen who aspires to become a top-notch journalist one day. So naturally, she decides to focus her senior capstone project on her small town's most buzzworthy, unsolved crime: the murder of Andie Bell. What begins as a simple proposal quickly turns into an in-depth investigation full of unexpected twists and turns. After teaming up with the alleged murderer's brother, the pair spiral into a web of danger and obsession, and quickly wonder if they're gotten themselves in too deep.

This debut reads as if you are investigating alongside the main characters, and fans of true crime podcasts will rejoice in the multimedia formatting that so wittily engages the reader from beginning to end. If you enjoy a grounded, engaging mystery that features a diverse cast, discussions surrounding racial injustice, and the importance of found family, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Whether you are aged 13 or 102, this book is for you!

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.