A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Review by AJ

In this teen detective drama, Wednesday’s Emma Myers plays an intrepid secondary school girl who is investigating an unsolved murder case as part of a school project. Adapted from a bestselling YA novel by Holly Jackson, this is decidedly on the milder end of the spectrum for murder mysteries. Think of it as Veronica Mars meets Mare of Easttown for tweens.

The series follows Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi (Myers), a final year secondary student who tries to solve the mysterious death and disappearance of two local teens for her EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). Five years ago, popular student Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies) went missing while going home from a party. Her body was never found. Shortly after, Andie’s boyfriend Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni) admitted to her murder before killing himself. The suspicious nature of how the case ended haunts Pip, prompting her to take matters into her own hands. She goes around town interviewing people related to Andie and Sal, but it quickly turns dangerous when an unknown figure begins warning Pip to stop digging. 

Joining a long list of plucky teenage sleuths, Pip is an instantly likable heroine. Her dogged pursuit for truth often gets her in trouble, but she always bounces back with resilience. And yet, Myers’ petite frame and Bambi-eyed vulnerability still gives Pip some sort of down-to-earth quality. (To Myers’ credit, it is her charming screen presence that really carries Pip.) It’s also nice to see a teen detective with a life outside of her investigation. Pip has a relatively normal family, a solid friend group, and a goal to attend Cambridge. Her life feels so wholesome, which adds to the mystery of why she is so engrossed by the case when everyone else has moved on.

Part of the fun in small-town murder mysteries is getting to know the cast of characters, each one a potential culprit. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is no different in that aspect. Every episode introduces you to a new suspect, a new breadcrumb to follow, and a new revelation about what went down during the incident. Admittedly, these supporting characters feel a bit too cookie cutter. They are prettily cast and fill their roles well, but none of them really gets any interesting backstory that we’ve never seen before. There is one who sort of stands out, Sal’s older brother Ravi (Zain Iqbal), an effortlessly charming older guy whom Pip becomes close with through the investigation, but that’s about it. Occasionally, though, other characters would exhibit surprising depth in their dialogues or their actions before reverting back to their default mode. If only those were more consistent… 

To make up for it, the 6-episode first season is compact and breezily paced. Although the mystery is quite lite in tone, it still grabs you with a well-written plot and compelling emotional beats in between. The cracking of the case is in line with Pip still being wet behind the ears. It is messy, amateurish, and rather restrained exactly because she is that. It is best enjoyed the way Pip treats the case, as an after-school programme with just enough to satisfy your craving for true crime stuff.