About The Book
Five years after Andie Bell’s murder, everyone believes her boyfriend, Sal Singh, did it—except Pip Fitz-Amobi. Determined to prove his innocence, Pip digs deeper, risking her safety as she uncovers new truths. If the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to stop her? The six-episode adaptation of *A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder* by Holly Jackson is produced by Moonage Pictures and will premiere on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4dpLk72
My Rating
I’m not going to dive too deep into the plot, since many of you probably already know the basics. If you want a more detailed synopsis, check out my review of the book. Now, onto the show. I apologize in advance if this comes off as a bit of a rant.
First off, Emma Myers’ portrayal of Pip didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Her British accent lacked authenticity, and her interpretation of Pip resembled the character from book three more than from book one. She just didn’t match the image I had of Pip from the book.
The episodes moved at a slow pace, and I felt disappointed that the show omitted the mixed media elements that played such a key role in the book. They also skipped over scenes where Pip interviews various people, which really diminished her investigative drive. Instead, in each episode, Pip contemplated quitting the investigation only to be pulled back in by new developments, which became repetitive.
I didn’t sense any real chemistry between Pip and Ravi, even though their relationship becomes central in the books. They also significantly changed another character, Andie Bell. In the book, she’s a complex figure with a darker side, but in the show, they portrayed her as a more straightforward, sympathetic character, missing a lot of the depth from the source material.
“Nice work, Sarge.”
The series focused more on setting up future seasons rather than delving deeply into the mystery itself. The creators seemed to hint at events from the third book, which suggests they’re planning for multiple seasons. However, they cut out a character from book one who plays a major role in the second book, leaving me curious about how they’ll handle that if the show continues.
I had hoped for a show that mirrored the book’s investigative process, with Pip deeply involved in the case. Instead, the show limited her interactions to just a few characters, had her jump to conclusions, and relied on Instagram for information rather than actual sleuthing. The six-episode format felt too stretched—this might have worked better as a two-hour movie, allowing for more focus on the mystery.
Overall, the adaptation failed to deliver on the mystery or the mixed media aspects and didn’t fully commit to the British setting, as the actress playing the main character struggled with a poorly executed British accent despite appearing in every scene. On the plus side, the location and lighting stood out, probably the best part of the adaptation, along with the adult actors, who delivered strong performances.
In the comments, let me know if you’ve seen the show and your thoughts on it! Do you think it matched the book? Did you prefer the show over the book? Don’t forget to like and share this post. If you want to join my little book-loving community, please press the follow button!
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ follows Belly as she gets caught in a love triangle between two brothers. The book takes place throughout the summer, and not only showcases first love, but heartbreak as well.
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