Book Review - The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Title: The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Young Adult
Published: 2023
 
Description: 18-year-olfd Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her moms’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has not memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and bel wishes everyone would just move on.
 
But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
 
Rachel as an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead.
 
Review: I’m a big fan of Holly Jackson’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series. Her 2023 novel, “Five Survive” was a huge disappointment, but I was still excited to read her 2024 release “The Disappearance of Rachel Price. And even though it took me a while to get into it, I’m glad I read it, because it’s a lot better than “Five Survive’.
 
The story is told entirely from the perspective of Bel, in third person. She was only 2-years-old when her mom Rachel Price went missing. So it’s obvious she has no recollection of what happened that day. The book is more about the plot and the characters and their development is secondary. However, it is immediately apparent that Bel suffers more from the sudden disappearance of her mother than she wants to admit. Bel feels like she and her father are a team, and their life has always been overshadowed by the disappearance of Rachel. And when she returns, it makes life even more difficult. And listening to Rachel’s story about the happenings, Bel evades questions about her mother’s disappearance.
 
It's a pretty big book and it took me a while to get into it. It takes some time for the mystery to become interesting. But when it does, it really does it well. Jackson manages to create a twisty, unpredictable mystery. This family has a lot of secrets. Towards the end, it becomes nail-biting exciting. But this is also the point where some plot twists/ plot points are less credible.
 
“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is an interesting mystery for the most part. You have to push trough at first, but once you do, you’re in for a treat. I’m glad Jackson delivered again.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Title: Five Survive
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Thriller/ Young Adult
Published: 2023
 
Description: Eighteen year olf Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. Ans as the wheels are show out, one by one, the friends realize that this is no accidents. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.
 
A game of cat-and-mouse plays out as the group desperately tries to get help and to work out which member of the group is target. Buried secrets are forced to light in the cramped, claustrophobic setting of the RV, and tensions within the group will reach deadly levels. No everyone will survive the night.
 
Review: A group of six friends, touring in an RV to go spend Spring Break at the beach, strand in the middle of nowhere, when the RV breaks down. When they find out, all the tires have been shot out, they know something is wrong. This is too big of a coincidence. A sniper is keeping them at gunpoint. He knows all of them by name and knows that one of them has a secret that he is willing to kill for. The friends have to figure out which secret it is he wants. Because, everyone has secrets.
 
The setting is great, stranded in the middle of nowhere, just one location, with danger lurking. Cell phones not working and no one around, add to the scary atmosphere. Even though these things are pretty predictable ingredients, I did enjoy that part.
 
We are dealing with teenagers in this book. Aside from Red, you don’t really get to know the characters very well. Some of the are just the siblings and the boyfriend, they have no depth. Red was the only fleshed-out character and you understand her rhyme and reason to everything. Overall, these characters make dumb decisions and I hated Olive.
 
Even though this was a thriller with high stakes for the character, I never felt on the edge of my seat. This book went up and down for me. Some moments I was really into it and loving it, and at times I was just sighing and annoyed by the characters.
 
I was so excited for this book Holly Jackson, I love her “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series. This is her first standalone and it was really disappointing. I do want to continue reading Jackson’s novels, this was the only slight miss, where I have already read 4 hits.
 
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Book Review - Kill Joy by Holly Jackson

Title: Kill Joy
Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (# 0.5)
Author: Holly Jackson
 
Description: Pippa Fitz-Amobi is not in the mood for ther friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920s fancy dress and pretending that their town, Little Kilton, is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.
 
But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind.
 
Find out where it all began for Pip.
 
Review: The “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” trilogy is a favorite series of mine, even though I’m not much of a series reader. “Kill Joy” is a prequel to this book series, telling the story of how Pip got her love for crime solving, finding out she is actually really good at it.
 
Pip is invited to a murder mystery party, which is set in the 1920s and revolves around the rich man Reginald Remy. Each of her friends have been given a role and one of them is a killer.
 
I cannot get enough Pip, I love her. Picking up this prequel felt like a no-brainer and I read it almost in one sitting. Because this story is set before the original trilogy, we will not be reading about Pip solving a real crime, but a fictional one. But that doesn’t make it less fun. You’re still invested and really want to know who did it. As Pip gets clues to her role and her friend’s characters as well, we tag along in this fun whodunnit. Like Pip, you’re totally immersed in the game.
 
“Kill Joy” is a fun and original idea for a prequel to such a popular series. And to find out how Pip got to be who she eventually became in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”. It doesn’t have as much tension and excitement as the other books, because the stakes are not as high, but still “Kill Joy” is such an enjoyable read.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Title: As Good As Dead
Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (# 3)
Author: Holly Jackson
 
Description: Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle... and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears...
 
Review: “As Good As Dead” is the third and final book in the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series by Holly Jackson. So far, I have loved this series. I was really excited to finally read this last one. And it did not disappoint.
 
Pip Fitz-Amobi is used to online threats by now, but there is one that she can’t let go: who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? And the threats are not just online, Pip has a stalker, but of course the police doesn’t take it seriously. So Pip does what Pip does best: she is investigating herself. As she seems to be solving cases more often then the police do. She finds a link between the stalker and a local serial killer, who is behind bars. And Pip suspects that again, the wrong person is being accused of the crime.
 
It's a Young Adult series, very popular, but also very dark. And this is the darkest one yet. It is again a whodunit, but there is a big twist at the halfway point of the book that really blew my mind and turned it upside down. It takes a completely different path, but in this case it was surprisingly good and does not follow the same path as many whodunit’s do. This is the least popular book of the three, and I think that dark twist is the reason for many. If I would have to rank the books, this would also be my number three, but mostly because I missed the mixed media element. It’s still present, don’t get me wrong, but less then the other two. That’s the only reason I didn’t give it a perfect score.
 
The book again deals with themes like friendship, justice, murder, social media, crime. But again, Jackson made everything a lot darker this time. It sometimes doesn’t even feel like a YA novel anymore. But I liked that about this book, while I can understand that fans of the series might see this as a downside. For me it felt like a logical step, because you want to avoid repetition.
 
As for that midway twist, it left me staring at the pages for a moment. I did not expect that at all, but I absolutely loved it. This book eventually plays with morals, what’s the right thing to do, did the character do the right thing? Most choices are controversial, but make this book so much better.
 
“As Good As Dead” is also the biggest book in the series, but you don’t feel it for a second. You just fly through it, it’s an intense ride of emotions. I think Holly Jackson wrote a fantastic trilogy. I’m not a series reader, but I haven’t been this invested in a book series since “The Hunger Games”. Well done Holly Jackson!
 
Rating: 4, 5/ 5

Book Review - Good Girl, Bad Blood

Title: Good Girl, Bad Blood
Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (#2)
Author: Holly Jackson
 
Description: Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening.
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?
 
Review: “Good Girl, Bad Blood” is the sequel to “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”. In this second volume, Pip and Ravi have set up a podcast called “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”. In it, they discuss what happened and how they solved Andie’s  murder. They also closely follow the trial that is underway against Max Hastings, the boy who raped several girls. Pip vowed not to play detective anymore. Solving Andie’s murder cost her dearly. But when one of her best friends, Connor, shows up at her door saying his brother Jamie is missing, Pip can’t help but help her friend. She gets out to find out what happened to Jamie. But the more she discovers, the more questions arise about his disappearance.   
 
This book cannot be read separately from the first book, you have to have read that before starting “Good Girl, Bad Blood”. For example, the trial of Max Hastings plays a big role and events from part one are often referred back to. What this book does do very cleverly is give a brief summary of everything that happened in the first book. This is very nice to refresh your memory a bit, if it’s been a while since you read the first book. I read it last year and it was my second favorite that I read that year. And I already know that this is also going to be one my top list of this year.  
 
Jamie’s disappearance is incredibly mysterious and the more Pip discovers, the more questions are added. And you never expect what eventually is revealed. And you’re not sure about all of it for a very long time. You just want to keep reading this book, even if you get 10 more questions for every answer. With that, Pip is one of the best female characters I have read in a long time.
 
Until the very end, author Holly Jackson manages to keep the reader on their toes and it is almost impossible to predict how things will turn out. I’m an avid thriller reader, but even I didn’t predict any of it. I’m not a big series reader, but I haven’t been this invested in a book series since “The Hunger Games”. And I can’t wait to continue reading these books.
 
Holly Jackson has a very pleasant writing style. The book is very easy to read and  even with 400+ pages, I flew through it, which is perfect for a slow reader like me. The story never has a dull moment in it and, like the first book, I really loved the concept of this. With not only standard storytelling, but also journal entries, transcripts from Pip’s podcast, interviews, news paper clippings. It makes the book super interesting. And you get a glimpse of what goes on in Pip’s head.
 
The unfolding of the mystery is extremely well put together. I really can’t say one bad thing about this book, you really need to read this series!
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Title: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder # 1
Author: Holly Jackson
 
Description: The case is closed. Fiver years ago, schoolgirl Andie bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t sure. When she chooses the case as a topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
 
Review: Everyone in Little Kilton knows the story: the beautiful and popular graduate student Andie bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, after which he committed suicide.
 
Even five years later, Pippa Fitz-Amobi still sees the impact the case has on the town. Pip has always wondered exactly what happened. When she chooses the case as her topic for her final school project, secrets soon surface that someone would have preferred to keep hidden. It seems like that person is working against Pip and she starts to believe more and more that she was right about the fact that Sal didn’t kill Andie.
 
The book starts out like most: a introduction to the characters, the situation is outlined, you learn about the case of Andie Bell and Sal Singh. It’s a nice build-up. The film alternates in ways to get you invested in the story and investigation. Besides the normal storyline, we get to see journal entries for Pip’s log, where she writes down her thoughts on the matter, what she has found out, who she suspects to know more about the case. There are also transcripts of interviews she has with people about Andie and Sal. We also gets some text messages, e-mails and copies of documents. I really loved this format, it kept the story even more interesting and shed a light on the case in many different ways. And it was enjoyable to be a part of Pip’s thoughts.
 
The book has well-developed characters. They all feel very real and believable. The story itself is suspenseful and has many layers of mystery. The many plot twists make for an even better reading experience. And overall “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is a very creative mystery thriller.  It’s the first in a series (and a debut novel as well, which is amazing) and I most definitely will continue in this series.
 
Rating: 5/ 5