A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Score Modern
What it's about
Everyone in Fairview knows the story: five years ago, popular senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. But Pip, now a senior herself, knew Sal as a kind boy and can't believe he was a killer. She reopens the closed case for her final school project, and as she digs, someone in town makes it clear they don't want the truth found.
Why it's worth reading
It has spent more than 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists and is one of the most popular young-adult mysteries of recent years. Told partly through Pip's interview transcripts and notes, it's clever and very hard to put down.
You'll love it if you liked
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Thursday Murder Club or Gone Girl
Good to know
It's the first of a trilogy, but it solves its own mystery. It's written for teens and grows darker than its cheerful cover suggests.
Quick answers
Is A Good Girl's Guide to Murder worth reading?
Yes. It has spent more than 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists and is one of the most popular young-adult mysteries of recent years. It ranks #343 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Good Girl's Guide to Murder about?
Everyone in Fairview knows the story: five years ago, popular senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. But Pip, now a senior herself, knew Sal as a kind boy and can't believe he was a killer. She reopens the closed case for her final school project, and as she digs, someone in town makes it clear they don't want the truth found.
How long does it take to read A Good Girl's Guide to Murder?
About 9 hours (370 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Good Girl's Guide to Murder?
If you liked it, try The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
63 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020.
Where it ranks
- #14 of the 222 young adult books we rank
- #27 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #172 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #343 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- 63 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020
Reads as
Gripping
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