Book Talk: Jackson, ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’

For her Capstone Project, high-school senior Pippa Fitz-Amobi has chosen to research the missing-person’s report of Andie Bell. It is believed that Salil Singh was somehow implicated in her disappearance and death, and — as a result — Sal committed suicide. She is warned by her advisor that this is a very sensitive issue in their otherwise quiet and peaceful Connecticut city of Fairview.

Pippa discovers just how sensitive it is when she decides to interview Sal’s brother Ravi, who gets angry and asks why she is reopening an investigation that was ruled a closed case five years ago. She tells him, “Because I don’t think your brother did it — and I’m going to try to prove it.”

Holly Jackson’s well-written and entertaining book, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” (2019, 389 pages in paperback format), is classified as YA (Young Adult), but as I’ve said of other books in this genre, that’s probably because the characters are mostly young people, usually older teens. I have no hesitation recommending many of them, including this one, to adults of any age.