A Good Girl's Guide To Murder - Holly Jackson

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

Oh. My. Goodness. Everybody knows how much I like my YA thrillers and I've read a lot of them over the past couple of years as they've gained in popularity but A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (GGG from here on out!) is one of the best. It's also a debut which makes its 'grab you by the throat and don't let go'-ness even more astounding! I've been incredibly lucky with my reading recently in that everything I've picked up has been good and I've read it in one go. GGG was no exception, I picked it up at about 9pm and finished it at 1.30am - that's how good it is! I literally could not put it down.

I was desperate to know who did it, was it really Salil 'Sal' Singh, the boyfriend? He confessed by text message shortly before killing himself so everyone has accepted that as the universal truth, if in doubt it's the boyfriend. Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't convinced though so chooses this as her EPQ (Extended Project Qualification - equivalent to half an A Level) and sets about trying to discover what really happened to Andie Bell. Is it just me or does everyone immediately think of Erasure or Oasis when reading the name Andie Bell? Nope? Just me then...

Going against her advisor's warning not to contact the families involved Pip contacts Ravi Singh, Sal's younger brother, who is only too happy to help Pip with her investigation when he discovers that she thinks Sal might be innocent. Pip's best friend's sister was best friends with Sal so Pip feels invested in finding the truth if only to help Sal's family but there's definitely more to this case than meets the eye. Pip and Ravi are soon totally immersed in chasing down leads, interviewing people, and generally sticking their noses into places where they really shouldn't. Pip starts to receive threats by text message telling her to drop the investigation but of course, she's not going to. It's only when tragedy strikes that she stops what she's doing to try and keep her family and friends safe.

GGG is a rollercoaster of a thriller and I tell you now, there's no point trying to guess who did it if Sal didn't. There's misdirection on every page and you're never quite sure who's telling the truth and who's not. Pip starts to doubt everything and everybody, especially as her investigation starts leading her down a dangerous path. The story switches between third person and Pip's coursework documenting her finds. There are EPQ forms, maps, drawings, and interviews with people Pip thinks know the truth, all of which add to the page-turning power of GGG and make it an even more compulsive read. It has the perfect amount of moments that will make you gasp and at times you will want to yell at Pip for putting herself in danger, it will make you laugh out loud, and it will make you cry - well, it made me cry anyway...

If you're a fan of Serial, Veronica Mars and YA thrillers then A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is well worth investing your time in. My only doubt about it is, if GGG is this good as a debut then how on earth is Holly Jackson going to improve in her next novel?

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder - Holly Jackson

ISBN - 9781405293181

Publisher - Electric Monkey

Release date - May 2nd, 2019

Source - bought in bookshop

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository | Hive UK

Guest Post & Giveaway: My Top Ten UKYA Books by Louisa Reid

Top Ten UKYA books

There is so much happening in the UKYA world right now and it’s a very exciting place to be for new writers (and old!), but with so many new books coming out all the time, it’s also hard to keep up with the reading. Frankly, I don’t know how bloggers do it. Here are ten of the UKYA books I’ve read and loved in the past few years, all of which I really wish I’d written. There’s a brilliant tradition of YA writing which we’re so lucky to have in the UK and which only seems to get better. I’m in awe of all of these writers: the tightness of their plots and prose and their characters who have you utterly rooting for them.

1. Maggot Moon: Sally Gardner This book will always be at the top of a ‘best of’ list for me because of the way it made me weep. It is so heart-breaking, so frightening and so full of love that it’s an absolute must-read.
2. Cuckoo Song: Frances Hardinge I love the magical, fairytale quality of this story. It manages to be truly frightening and mind-bendingly clever at the same time.  But what really sets Frances Hardinge apart is the quality of her writing. Every single sentence is a joy. The doubling in the story is another thing that draws me to this one. Anything which is features this motif is always a hit with me.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Bunker Diary: Kevin Brooks This book caused so much controversy that I don’t think I need to say too much about it, other than it is harsh, completely brutal and utterly gripping. But it is a story that is not without love and not without hope and all the more devastating because of this. The main character is beautifully humane and I loved the relationships he builds with other captives, despite their horrendous circumstances.
4. A Song For Ella Grey: David Almond  I am in awe of David Almond’s writing and this book is pure poetry. I love the depiction of female friendship and the intensity of feelings that he portrays in this magical, dreamy story. It grabbed my imagination from the outset and the evocation of the north-east of England is irresistible. I’ll be getting my husband, who’s a Sunderland chap, to read it too. We’re both David Almond fans.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Before I Die: Jenny Downham Another weepy. A fantastically written story that I never hear mentioned these days. The ending has stayed with me ever since I first read the book about five years ago -  it’s just so powerful and had me in floods of tears. I can’t wait to read her new book, which I believe is coming soon.
6. Looking for JJ: Anne Cassidy A fascinating and gripping story with a tragic premise. This is a YA must-read. I could not put it down.

7. Code Name Verity: Elizabeth Wein A very clever WWII story with a big feminist message. It’s beautifully written too, and really gripping.

8. A Swift Pure Cry: Siobhan Dowd Grief, love and growing up are dealt with in this novel so sensitively and beautifully that it’s irresistible.

9. The Weight of Water: Sarah Crossan Such a quick and gripping read, made extra special by the really interesting stylistic choice of writing a novel as a prose poem. I think she deals brilliantly with bullying and the frustration and alienation felt by immigrants. It’s an important book, I think, for our times.

10. Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne A wonderful premise, brilliantly executed. Tanya’s writing is so punchy and vivid and her narrator is fabulously twisty. I can’t wait for For Holly, coming this summer, I believe!

 About the Author

Louisa Reid is a writer and teacher living on the Fen Edge. Her debut novel, BLACK HEART BLUE was published in 2012 by Penguin and was shortlisted for the North East Teen Book Award and longlisted for the Carnegie and Branford Boase awards. Her second novel, LIES LIKE LOVE was published in July 2014 by Penguin.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Giveaway

Prizes include

• One signed copy of Lies Like Love
• One signed copy of Black Heart Blue
• One Bundle of swag

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Book Blogger UKYA Awards - Genres

Hey Guys! Today I am here with VERY exciting news! It is the shortlist of the Book Blogger UKYA Awards! This is the time for YOU to vote for your favourite from the list! Voting is open until 21st September. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Voting will also be happening a little differently than the nominations. On this blog you will be voting for:

Best Horror, Best Sci-fi/Fantasy, Best Paranormal, Best Adventure

And then you will hop along to the next blog to vote for more awards! There are five different awards to jump to (and five/six bloggers hosting each group, but you only need to visit five blogs!). This doesn’t have to happen all at once, it gives you the chance to vote in your leisure – but make sure you do so before 21st September.

Choose which blog you'd like to visit to vote in the other categories!

Best Contemporary, Best Historical, Best Crime/Mystery and Best LGBT

Big Book Little Book

Fabulous Book Fiend

Feeling Fictional

It Takes A Woman

The YA's Nightstand

Funniest Book, Most Heartbreaking Book, Best First Sentence, Best Ending

YA Yeah Yeah

Cicely Loves Books

Challot

Queen of Contemporary

Luna's Little Library

Best Protagonist, Best Couple, Best Friendship, Best Villain

Snuggling on the Sofa

Much Loved Books

Hush Hush Revealings

The Pewter Wolf

The Little Munchkin Reader

Best Self-Published, Most Social Author (Online), Most Social Author (Offline), Author Whose Mind You Wish Was Yours

A Daydreamer's Thoughts

This Fleeting Dream

Bookish Treasures

Escapism From Reality

Book to Basics