Secrets Run Deep in Good Girl, Bad Blood – Book Review

She Asked for the Truth. She Got Blood 

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Author: Holly Jackson

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, YA

Page Count: 416 pages

Spice Level: 🌶️ 0

Trigger Warnings:

• Graphic: Murder, Death, Gun violence

• Moderate: Rape, Sexual Assault, Kidnapping

• Minor: Drug use, Cancer, Child death

Pace: Fast-paced

Sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Good Girl, Bad Blood (followed by As Good As Dead) continues the story of Pip as she unravels another mystery. After the success of her true-crime podcast, Pip becomes a local name. When Jamie Reynolds goes missing and the police refuse to act, his family turns to Pip — not just to help, but to make it public.

With Ravi by her side, Pip begins investigating Jamie’s disappearance and broadcasts the search on Season 2 of her podcast. As the case unfolds, she digs up secrets the town has tried to bury, exposes hidden identities, and is forced to confront the darkest parts of herself. 

Everyone is listening. But will they hear the truth before it's too late — and is Jamie still alive?

This was an amazing sequel to an already amazing book. Pip is taking on another mystery, but this one is not a cold case or even a case that had a clear outcome. I felt like this story had so many twists and turns that it always felt like there was something new in store. It never felt like the story or the plot was boring or becoming mundane. 

The overall writing of this book was on the younger adult side but it felt like there was plenty of substance to the plot and characters. Writing felt like it always had a clear direction and intention when it came to details or dropped hints. The author used her writing to pull readers in from the start, when Jamie first went missing to the very shocking ending. 

The characters had more substance to them in this sequel than we saw in the first book. All of the characters were well developed and all played some well thought-out role. Minor characters were well involved in making the story feel complete and with the pace of the plot. 

The characters' values were more prominent, especially in Pip, who valued taking space from case solving. But ultimately decided that her brother's friend was more important to her. We can see Pip changing as a character into a more complex character than she was previously. Holly shows her as a character facing more complex moral dilemas, unraveling a bit more, and overall seeing her action's affects. 

Ravi did take more of a backseat in this book but it was to take on a more personal role and to fill in a support role. We can see the more personal struggles and tensions that can come about in his relationship with Pip. I did feel that Ravi could have had a bigger role in this book especially in terms of being his own character. I would have liked to see him struggle a bit more and maybe even having a complex relationship with being the support Pip needed. 

Jamie was another character who took a slight backseat ride but we did get a good sense of him. Holly was able to bring Jamie to us in the interviews, his family, and his friends, which created a deep character. As readers, we are able to create a image of how we would see Jamie as a person but also someone with struggles. It can been seen how he was a unique character that got sometimes looked at poorly and maybe that lead to his kidnapping ultimately. 

Plot was giving me a roller coaster ride feel. There were so many different directions you think the plot is going but then it goes a bunch of different directions. The plot did seem to start a bit slower at the beginning before Pip looked into Jamie missing. The plot never seemed like it was unsure of where to go next or if there was even a point to continue. It hooked me from the moment Pip started looking for Jamie and I could not put it down. It was like the chapters never felt boring or long cause the plot was so intense at points. 

SPOILERS WILL BE GIVEN, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ STOP HERE!

I could not believe how this book turned out towards the second half to the end of the book. I did think I knew what happened to Jamie, but it was like I got whiplashed because it was completely different. I also really enjoyed the element of characters having secret identities. I at first believed that Jamie was dead because it seemed as though the author was trying to hint at that. It felt as though this case wouldn't be too different from book 1 in solving a murder case. However, it was different because Jamie was alive, and he was catfished by a "woman" named Layla Mead. I was floored when I found out Charlie Green catfished as Layla Mead to catch child Brunswick. Another thing that had taken me aback was that Charlie Green did shoot Stanley 6 times for what his father had done to his brother. But he also tried to make sure Stanley was dead by setting the farmhouse on fire. However, Pip did manage to pull him out before he was burned to a crisp. But that did not prevent his untimely death, as he died still from the 6 gunshot wounds. 

Favorite Quotes:

• “A quietness settled over the room, a quietness that wasn’t the absence of sound; it was its own living thing, stifling in the spaces between them.” pg- 101 (in this book: 978-1984896438)
• “‘I know how that feels,’ Nat said. ‘That anger. Like you just want to set fire to the world and watch it burn.’” pg- 395 (in this book: 978-1984896438)

Overall, this book was a quick and enjoyable read. I did like the new mystery that it focused on, with a bit more character development. It was a fun Ya mystery that had some romance but there was no spice which was a plus. 

My rating for this book is: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5 stars)

👉 Buy Good Girl, Bad Blood on Amazon