HOLLY JACKSON
(Book 1 in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy)
Synopsis:
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.
Content:
Language: a few scattered uses of "s" and maybe five or six uses of "f." A few uses of "b." A few minor swear words used throughout.
Violence: As the title and description suggest, the book is centered around violence. There are death threats, talks and description of a murder and the official murder investigation (as well as Pippa's own investigation), blackmail, some brief discussion of rape, drugging, drug selling, talk of a hit-and-run drunk driving accident, the death of an animal, death of a mother to disease, and murder confessions/explanation of events.
Sex: mentions of drugged rape, dating and allusions to sex, cheating, and one explicit relationship between an adult and a minor. There is also a character with a picture of a (mostly) naked girl. A discussion of someone watching a group of teenagers and "probably touching himself." There is also a small chaste kiss and some developing feelings.
LGBTQ: Not present
My Review: I listened to the audiobook and it was really good! The book is written by an English woman and when it was "translated" for American audiences, some details were changed. I had the American version and it was great, but some people have said that the writing is much better in the original and that the characters make more sense in their original setting of England.