Review: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Author: Holly Jackson
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: March 2021

 Pip is not a detective anymore.
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?

Good Girl, Bad Blood is the sequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.  This one takes place a few months after the events of the first book.  There are major spoilers for the first book, so I would not treat this one as a stand alone book.  You will regret it.  I loved the first book and was so excited to finally dive into the sequel.  I thought this one was a very solid follow up.  I listened to the audio version of the book.  It has a full cast and was a great way to consume the story.

This time around, Pip and Ravi are dealing with the aftermath of all of the secrets that were revealed in the first book.   Pip has hung up her detective hat only to be sucked back into a new mystery by a friend whose brother has gone missing.  Since the police don't seem to take his disappearance seriously,  Pip decides she has no choice but to help.  The mystery was just as good as the first one.  Just when you think all has been revealed, another twist shows up.  I really love how this author writes mysteries.  I love when I am kept guessing until the end. 

One of the things I appreciated was the portrayal of the aftermath of the first book and how it affected the remaining characters.  It came across as realistic and not all peaches and cream.  Even when all of the truth comes out, there is not always closure or relief for everyone. Especially when it came to Pip.  She has shown a lot of growth since the first book and learns even more about herself through this one.  I know there is another book coming, so I can't wait to see what mystery comes Pip's way next.    I highly recommend this one.