Name: Ariana Morris's review of Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Item: Good Girl, Bad Blood
Rating: 4
Author: Ariana Morris

Holly Jackson

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - 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?

The Sequel to a Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Good Girl, Bad Blood

The highly-anticipated and brilliantly crafted crime-thriller sequel to the no.1 debut of 2019, A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER Pip Fitz-Amobi 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 but 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? Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying, Eva Dolan, C L Taylor, We Were Liars and Riverdale Praise for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: 'A taut, compulsively readable, elegantly plotted thriller' - Guardian 'A fiendishly-plotted mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.' - Laura Purcell, bestselling author of The Silent Companions 'There is a lot to really enjoy in this story and there is great energy to the writing, as well as some fine characterization' - Peter James, award-winning and no.1 bestselling crime thriller author of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series 'Twisty, compulsive and so, so clever' - Savannah Brown, author of The Truth About Keeping Secrets 'That ending! Pure genius' - Yasmin Rahman, author of All the Things We Never Said 'This book was a delight from start to finish. I laughed. I cried. And I very much enjoyed attempting to solve the case with Pip (who I now want to be my best friend). I didn't guess the twist, and I don't think many people will. Holly Jackson has absolutely killed it with her debut!' - Aisha Busby, author of A Pocketful of Stars and contributor to the award-winning A Change is Gonna Come 'Prepare to be murdered by this book. Dark, dangerous and intricately plotted - my heart literally pounded. I haven't been this addicted to anything since Serial. Holly Jackson is the next big thing, I promise' - Laura Stevens, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay 'Twisty and compelling' - Fiona Noble, Bookseller

Izaac Richards

"That's good, keep talking to me," Pip said. "Which name did you like best?" 

"Stanley." He smiled weakly. "Silly name, and he wasn't much, he wasn't always good, but he was the best of them. He was trying." There was a crackling sound from his throat; Pip felt it in her fingers. "I'm still his son, though, whatever my name is. Still that boy that did those things. Still rotten."

"No you aren't," Pip said. "You're better than him. You are better."

"This is exactly what we talked about, Pip. Where the justice system gets it wrong, it's down to people like you and me to step in and set things right. And it doesn't matter if people think we're good or not, because we know we're right. We're the same, you and me. You know it, deep down. You know this is right."

"Can't relate," she said offhandedly, with an over-performed shrug. "Don't we have a stake-out to do? Or are we gonna stand here chit-chatting like lost lemons?"

Joanna breathed out, nodded. Pip slipped on her headphones, securing them around her ears, and guided the on-screen arrow towards the red record button. 

65Wondered whether the moment of no return had already been and gone, or whether this was it, here, right now, hovering above that red button. Either way, going back didn't exist any more, not for her. There was only forward. Only onwards. She straightened up and pressed record.

Lea Labat 

Luoyi

The gun was always there. It lived inside her now.

“This is exactly what we talked about, Pop. Where the justice system gets it wrong, it’s down to people like you and me to step in and set things right. And it doesn’t matter if people think we’re good or not, because we know we’re right. We’re the same, you and me. You know it, deep down. You know this is right.”

“When it was all happening, here where I loved, I looked at what Sal had done, what i thought he’d done, and I saw my dad. I saw a monster like him. And, I don’t know, it seemed a chance to make amends somehow. I was wrong, I was horribly wrong.”

“Great. Cool,” Ravi said. “Really love the new motto, covers all bases. Yep. Cool. This is all fine. Which house is he?”

“Maybe I don’t have to be good, or other people’s versions of good. And maybe I don’t have to be likeable.” She turned to him, her movements quick and light despite her water-heavy clothes. “Fuck likeable. You know who’s likeable? People like Max Hastings who walk into a courtroom with fake glasses and charm their way out. I don’t want to be like that.”

Annika McClintock

And maybe I'm selfish and maybe I'm a liar and maybe I'm reckless and obsessive and I'm OK with doing bad things when it's me doing them and maybe I'm a hypocrite, and maybe none of that is good, but it feels good. It feels like me, and I hope you're OK with all that because...I love you too!"

"It isn't my job, but it feels like my responsibility”

Franzi

Pip sighed: Ravi liked anyone who fed him. 

Ellen Ivey

'Yes, I do. I'm not just doing it for you. I mean, I am doing it for you, I'd do anything for you.'

That’s called love Pip, get used to it.

Alesha Clifford

Why did he enjoy winding her up so much? And why did she like it when he did? It was maddening.

Neyla 

“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”-pip

“When I start digging, it’s possible you’ll learn things you never would have wanted to know”-pip

“ now I have six thousand subscribers who will listen to me and I’m in a position to use that, to help people”-pip

“ some people are really good at hiding so they are

Suze

Fuck likeable. You know who's likeable? People like Max Hastings who walk into a courtroom with fake glasses and charm their way out. I don't want to be like that.

.it’s hard to climb back out of the hole once you’ve dug in your heels.

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

Some people are pretty good at hiding who they really are.

And, finally, to all the girls who’ve ever been doubted or not believed. I know how that feels. These books are for all of you.

But sometimes my mouth starts saying words without checking with my brain first.

Amelia

'I've been thinking,' Pip said, turning to face him. 'All Stanley wanted was a quiet life, to learn to be better, to try do some good with it. And he doesn't get to do that anymore. But we're still here, we're alive.' She paused, meeting Jamie's eyes. 'Can you promise me something? Can you promise me you'll live a good life? A full life, a happy one. Live well, and do it for him, because he can't do it anymore.'

Jamie held her eyes, a quiver in his lower lip. 'I promise,' he said. 'And you too?'

'I'll try,' she nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve just as Jamie did the same. They laughed. 

Ariana Morris

It was a little difficult for me to get into the story at first, since Pip wasn't quite sure if she even wanted to get involved. But I got swept into the story pretty quickly. It was really interesting getting all the different clues about where Jamie went; none of it really added up as to why he would disappear. I love reading from Pip's perspective and seeing her piece it all together. I honestly thought Jamie's dad might've had something to do with it until he got more involved with the investigation. The ending was a total plot twist. Honestly, the Stanley thing kind of made sense but the fact that Charlie turned out to be Layla was crazy. Love this series so far, and I can't wait to see what she does in the last book!

Maggie Hotmer

The twists and turns are all over the place in the best way!!!

Brittany Peterson

Oof this series is so good!!!

The twists and turns are all over the place in the best way!!!



this book definitely keeps the thrills going after a good girl's guide to murder. pip is back, tackling a new mystery-this time about her missing friend and a bunch of secrets that go way deeper than you'd expect. the author does a fantastic job weaving text messages, interviews, and pippa's podcast to keep you hooked page after page. the crime itself might not hit as hard as the first book's, but the twists are constant and will keep you guessing. what really stands out though is the character growth, pip's journey is way more than just solving crimes. you really get to see her struggle with her friendships and personal growth, especially under the spotlight. and can we just talk about pip and ravi for a second? they're perfect together. the way they finish each other's sentences, share inside jokes, and just get each other is honestly goals. it's so nice to see a relationship that's built on trust and genuine support. sure, some might miss the more tight-focus mystery of the first book, but this sequel expands everything in the best way. it'll leave you wanting more, no doubt about it. my favorite book so far (out of the trilogy)

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times 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?

The Sequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

SCREAMINGGG this book was so good!!! the plot twists were so perfect, every single second of this book i could not look away. 

rip stanley, you will be missed ☹️💔

kaii

SCREAMINGGG this book was so good!!! the plot twists were so perfect, every single second of this book i could not look away. 

rip stanley, you will be missed ☹️💔

“What do you do when the things that are supposed to protect you, fail you like that”

Phew these books are an exhilarating read, I've found the first two books so hard to put down and I am thoroughly enjoying this series. I don't read a lot of a crime/thrillers and the mystery I read is usually of the fantasy kind, so I think these have been the perfect introduction for me to the world of realistic crime. You can definitely tell these are YA and sometimes I find myself cringing a bit while I read them, but I think that also adds to the atmosphere of the story - it's really harrowing to think that when the police don't or can't do anything that it takes a bunch of teenagers to solve the crimes. Plus, we've all seen in the news a crime story where the police have not done enough quick enough and ended in tragedy, I've even experienced this myself with a close friend who was being stalked, so this story really hit home. Both books in this series cover serious topics but in a really approachable way, it's still important to always check trigger warnings, but this book especially highlighted some things that struck true to me.

The main things I thought were really well done here was the slow unravelling of Pip's sanity, the court of public opinion and the vigilante feeling that was present in so many of the characters. In the first book, one of the things that frustrated me a bit was Pip's lack of care about safety, she would often run headlong into dangerous situations without worrying about how it might affect the people she loves, and honestly nothing much changed in this book in that regard BUT I do think there was some really good character development here and I think it was handled well. There's no denying I still find Pip's character relatively annoying, but in 

 she really starts to question her motivations, and where she struggled so much to still be seen as "good" in the first book, I liked that her recklessness is now paired with a lack of caring about her "good" image, it gives her more of a rough around the edges feel. There is one scene I thought was so brilliantly feminine rage coded, I was honestly cheering for her the entire time even though the lines between good and bad and right and wrong were definitely blurred there.

I thought the pacing of this book did lack a bit of oomph I was hoping for, the start felt a bit like it was dragging its heels, and I can see why it was done that way, because Pip was so reluctant to fall back into obsessing over a crime like she did with Sal and Andie's case, but it did take me a while to get back into it again. I also think the fact that Jamie was a new character in this story, at least I don't remember him in the first book, made it hard for me to feel the full effect of his disappearance. I felt really bad for Connor but I just didn't feel as attached to his character either, and it really didn't hit me in the feels like it did with Ravi when it was his brother. The storyline was good though, I worked out who a few people were quite early on but I was still shocked with the convoluted intricacies that lead to us getting to the revelation, and when that happened the story went off with a bang. The style of Holly Jackson's writing when she depicts shock and trauma is so jarring and it perfectly fits what is happening in the story, my heart was beating so hard right alongside Pip's.

Overall, this was a great read - I think I just slightly preferred the first one more than this, but honestly only a quarter of a star rating in it for me, and I am very keen to pick up the third book ASAP. I am excited to see if the third book will focus in more on the public involvement and interaction with Pip's podcast and touch on some of the anger she expressed towards close friends who were questioning her validity along the way, and I am a little bit scared to see who the next person in Little Kilton has something terrible happen to them, maybe it will be Pip herself this time...

Genevieve 

“What do you do when the things that are supposed to protect you, fail you like that”

4.25 ⭐

Phew these books are an exhilarating read, I've found the first two books so hard to put down and I am thoroughly enjoying this series. I don't read a lot of a crime/thrillers and the mystery I read is usually of the fantasy kind, so I think these have been the perfect introduction for me to the world of realistic crime. You can definitely tell these are YA and sometimes I find myself cringing a bit while I read them, but I think that also adds to the atmosphere of the story - it's really harrowing to think that when the police don't or can't do anything that it takes a bunch of teenagers to solve the crimes. Plus, we've all seen in the news a crime story where the police have not done enough quick enough and ended in tragedy, I've even experienced this myself with a close friend who was being stalked, so this story really hit home. Both books in this series cover serious topics but in a really approachable way, it's still important to always check trigger warnings, but this book especially highlighted some things that struck true to me.

The main things I thought were really well done here was the slow unravelling of Pip's sanity, the court of public opinion and the vigilante feeling that was present in so many of the characters. In the first book, one of the things that frustrated me a bit was Pip's lack of care about safety, she would often run headlong into dangerous situations without worrying about how it might affect the people she loves, and honestly nothing much changed in this book in that regard BUT I do think there was some really good character development here and I think it was handled well. There's no denying I still find Pip's character relatively annoying, but in Good Girl, Bad Blood she really starts to question her motivations, and where she struggled so much to still be seen as "good" in the first book, I liked that her recklessness is now paired with a lack of caring about her "good" image, it gives her more of a rough around the edges feel. There is one scene I thought was so brilliantly feminine rage coded, I was honestly cheering for her the entire time even though the lines between good and bad and right and wrong were definitely blurred there.

I thought the pacing of this book did lack a bit of oomph I was hoping for, the start felt a bit like it was dragging its heels, and I can see why it was done that way, because Pip was so reluctant to fall back into obsessing over a crime like she did with Sal and Andie's case, but it did take me a while to get back into it again. I also think the fact that Jamie was a new character in this story, at least I don't remember him in the first book, made it hard for me to feel the full effect of his disappearance. I felt really bad for Connor but I just didn't feel as attached to his character either, and it really didn't hit me in the feels like it did with Ravi when it was his brother. The storyline was good though, I worked out who a few people were quite early on but I was still shocked with the convoluted intricacies that lead to us getting to the revelation, and when that happened the story went off with a bang. The style of Holly Jackson's writing when she depicts shock and trauma is so jarring and it perfectly fits what is happening in the story, my heart was beating so hard right alongside Pip's.

Overall, this was a great read - I think I just slightly preferred the first one more than this, but honestly only a quarter of a star rating in it for me, and I am very keen to pick up the third book ASAP. I am excited to see if the third book will focus in more on the public involvement and interaction with Pip's podcast and touch on some of the anger she expressed towards close friends who were questioning her validity along the way, and I am a little bit scared to see who the next person in Little Kilton has something terrible happen to them, maybe it will be Pip herself this time...

I love how much Pip dives into her investigations and that she now did it with help without putting herself 100% at risk. I honestly could not piece together who it would’ve been at the ending and wow. Honestly, he (iykyk) didn’t deserve that 😔 made me so sad but i can also understand the other perspective. 

The part after Stanley is about to get shot is honestly one of my favorites. The way Pip’s thoughts and how every action was described really made me feel that same desperation and shock of everything that she just experienced. 

lily

I love how much Pip dives into her investigations and that she now did it with help without putting herself 100% at risk. I honestly could not piece together who it would’ve been at the ending and wow. Honestly, he (iykyk) didn’t deserve that 😔 made me so sad but i can also understand the other perspective. 

The part after Stanley is about to get shot is honestly one of my favorites. The way Pip’s thoughts and how every action was described really made me feel that same desperation and shock of everything that she just experienced. 

bawled my eyes out😔 he indeed was better

Mharie

I just finished it and oh I am crying! 

It was so heartbreaking 



I feel like a lot was handed to Pip this book instead of investigating herself. I missed Pip’s happy personality and her humour, but her behaviour is logical. If she was happy it would have been weird.

Elin Hakvoort

I feel like a lot was handed to Pip this book instead of investigating herself. I missed Pip’s happy personality and her humour, but her behaviour is logical. If she was happy it would have been weird.

It was a bit predictable.

“stanley forbes. june 7, 1990 — may 1, 2020. you were better.” what if i kms 😓

tink 😵‍💫⭐

wow that is allot of detail she goes into when stanley gets shot in the barn 😀

Payton L

ang 

Holly Jackson's work had me guessing the entire time, trying to piece together evidence while reading. I truly feel like I’m investigating with Pippa and Ravi the whole time they trying to put the evidence into one story. I like the style of writing & since I’m not much of a thriller/mystery girlie I do throughly enjoy this series, I’m hoping the Netflix adaptation of this book series is just as good! On to the third book! 

Edna Aviles

it's rare to find a sequel of a really good first book that is equally good or even better than it and Good Girl, Bad Blood is one of them. this is so good i couldn't put it down. screaming, crying, throwing up is very much applicable.

Jennifer Gosnell

This was everything I wanted it to be, and more. Especially considering it’s the second book in a trilogy. This did NOT have second book syndrome. 

Loved the writing. LOVED listening on audiobook. This is one I’d really recommend listening to — the podcast + interview elements really brought the story to life. 

Excited to see where this story goes in the next one…

Kath

3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this, but not as much as I enjoyed the thrill on the first one. I don't know how to put it, but I can say that it has a great storyline but became dragging towards the end.

Pip needs to seek a professional to help her heal from the trauma. Obviously, everything is getting the best of her. She's changing, and I don't think it will be for the better if she continues living that way.

Maybe I'll still read the third book, but I have to read other books before going back to the AGGGTM series.

Chourouk

That took QUITE A TURN. someone check up on my girl pippa. 

Zoe Katherine Clyde

ploral

love the added visuals in this book!! also the way the vibes escalated from pll to criminal minds 

Kaitlin Slaughter

** spoiler alert **
           Suuuper slow start took me awhile to get into it but whew it really picked up at the end! RIP Stanley :(

So I feel like a broken record at this point, but why did I wait so long to read this series?! This was so freakin good! The plot, the characters, the overall progression of the storyline leading into the third book. Also want to note that the audiobook for this series is phenomenal and is only adding to my reading experience! So if you are like me—which few are—immediately grab this series and read it because they are just so good!

Ariana Morris &
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ariana Morris &Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ariana Morris &
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson