A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Books in Order

Little Kilton looks like any other quiet English town, but it is defined by a tragedy that happened five years ago. The community is still haunted by the disappearance of a popular high school senior, Andie Bell. The police quickly pinned the crime on her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who died by apparent suicide days later. Everyone in town accepted the official narrative that Sal killed Andie and then himself, closing the book on a horrific chapter of their history.

Everyone, that is, except for Pippa Fitz-Amobi.

Pip is a bright and intensely focused student who remembers Sal as kind and gentle, not a murderer. When it comes time to choose a topic for her final-year project, she decides to revisit the closed case. On paper, she frames it as a study of investigative journalism and social media. In reality, she intends to prove that the police got it wrong and that the real killer is still walking the streets of her hometown.

What starts as a grade-focused homework assignment quickly morphs into a high-stakes obsession. Pip begins knocking on doors and asking uncomfortable questions, unsettling people who would prefer the past stay buried. She soon finds an ally in Ravi Singh, Sal’s younger brother. Ravi has spent years living as a pariah, ostracized by neighbors who blame his family for Andie’s death. Together, they form an unlikely detective duo, driven by a desperate need to clear Sal’s name and find the truth.

One of the most distinct aspects of reading these books is the format. Rather than just standard prose, the pages are filled with mixed-media elements that mimic Pip’s own investigation files. You get to read through her production logs, transcripts of police interviews, annotated maps, and screenshots of text conversations. It creates an immersive experience where you are sifting through the evidence right alongside the protagonist, spotting inconsistencies at the same time she does.

As the trilogy continues through Good Girl, Bad Blood and As Good As Dead, the tone shifts significantly.

While the first book has the energy of a clever amateur sleuth solving a puzzle, the sequels drag Pip into much darker territory. The consequences of her digging become dangerous and physical. She learns that uncovering the truth often comes at a high personal cost, straining her relationships and her own moral compass. The local legal system she once trusted begins to look less like a shield and more like an obstacle.

By the end of the series, Pip is no longer just a student with a laptop. She evolves into a hardened investigator who understands that justice isn't always something the law provides—sometimes, you have to go out and take it for yourself.