Mysterious and gripping. Twists and turns at every corner.
A photograph of ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’ – by Holly Jackson
'' Someone is missing. Nobody’s talking. But this time everyone is listening ''
Unlike book one in a series, the sequel is always surrounded by anticipation and high expectations that are often difficult to live up to. Before its release I find that I have so much time to speculate and conspire about book two that it damages my experience when I finally read it. However, after reading ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’ (and I don’t say this lightly) I think it manages to surpass its predecessor with such triumph its astonishing.
Teenage detective Pip is back for ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’ the sequel to Holly Jackson’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ and she far from disappoints. Both novels are set in a picturesque town called Little Kilton, a place so full of secrets it should really have its own TV show. In book one, we see Pip take on the role as detective for the murder case of school-girl Andie Bell who went missing from Little Kilton 5 years ago but now there is another mystery Pip must investigate. Adamant that her crime solving days are over, Pip must rethink her decision when someone close to her suddenly disappears.
Jackson’s writing style in the first book was undoubtedly spectacular (I was gripped from beginning to end) but somehow she adds even more shocking twists and turns into ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood'. I wondered, by the end, if my jaw could truly drop any further. The book itself is much more vivid and includes more detail than the first which allows us a deeper insight to the aftermath of the traumatic events and how Pip herself is affected.
This was simply an excellent choice. In doing this, Jackson sets the novel apart from any other YA crime story. Too often in YA, the threads that are the most engaging are lost to the endless tropes and clichés authors are convinced we want to read when in reality the book becomes far too formulated.
Therefore, as an avid reader of mystery books, I can honestly say that this is the best YA crime novel I have read. If you haven’t already, you should definitely pick up a copy and delve into the secrets of Little Kilton.
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