Pretty and popular high school student Andie Bell was murdered in the town of Little Kilton, and after her boyfriend Sal died by suicide, most residents in town were content with their assumption that he was responsible for her death. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder came out on August 1st in the United States on Netflix. The six episode show takes place five years after Andie Bell was murdered. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an ambitious girl living in Little Kilton, decided to investigate the case herself. With the help of Sal’s younger brother Ravi, Pip slowly uncovers the truth about what happened to Andie. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is based on the first book of a mystery novel trilogy written by Holly Jackson. The series roughly follows the main idea of the book, but there is definitely some variation between the two.
Mystery lovers alike are sure to be captivated by the hooking thriller that is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The unpredictability of the story really helps in keeping the show entertaining. Each episode provides just enough information to keep viewers engaged in trying to solve the murder while also leaving them completely dumbfounded as to who the culprit is. Pip and all of the other book characters were depicted flawlessly. The music choices added the perfect amount of emotion in each scene. The changes in setting provided varying atmospheres ideal for a both mysterious and heartwarming show. Although A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has many great qualities, it’s gotten criticism from fans of the book trilogy.
The plot of the show went in the general direction that it did in the book, but there were still some major differences. Many important details the books were not included in the show. This is most likely due to the fact that the producers had to fit the whole story into six episodes. Entire characters were completely left out of the series that play a major role in the book trilogy, leaving fans confused as to how the producers will introduce these characters later if more seasons are made. This lack of significant details and characters could also make the show slightly confusing for viewers who haven’t read the series, but that’s not to say they would be unable to comprehend the main plot. These issues most likely could have been resolved if the story was stretched out into more episodes instead of being crammed into just a few.
Despite the criticism it has received, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has been fairly succesful. It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the show doesn’t precisely follow the book it’s based off of. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is still great in its own way, and the suspenseful murder of Andie Bell is sure to leave viewers addicted to the series.
