15 AWESOME Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

Last Updated on November 12, 2023 by Louisa

I love a good thriller and mystery novel, so when A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was released in 2020, it wasn’t long before it landed on my bookshelf.

This gripping young adult novel follows a high school teen as she unravels a cold murder case for her final year homework.

As she follows the clues, she gets closer to realizing this is much bigger than she thought. And just when you think she’s getting close, more unexpected twists are lurking around the corner.

If you loved Holly Jackson’s suspenseful work of genius, and you want a similar book like it, then you’ll love these books like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

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Quick Answers: 3 Best Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder!

Need a book but don’t have much time? No worries, here are the top three picks!

Summary of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (No Spoilers!)

Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is an award-winning young adult novel about a young girl’s relentless efforts to uncover the truth.

It follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who for her final year project at school decides to follow the clues left behind by a seemingly solved murder case that just keeps on unfurling. 

Andie Bell was a student at the same high school, and her murder was never solved. As Pippa starts unfolding the case, she finds herself in a grand and shocking discovery. 

With relatable characters and unexpected, well-written twists, you’ll be thinking about trying to solve the case even when you’ve set the book down.

Winner of the Children’s Book of the Year British Book Award in 2020 and nominee for the Waterstones Children’s Prize in 2020.

Mystery Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Let’s begin with a list of the most suspenseful mystery books with a similar premise. If you loved A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder for the gripping storyline, then you’ll love these novels.

1. One Of Us Is Lying – Karen McManus 

If you liked A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, then you’re in for a ride with One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus.

Five students from Bayview High have detention on Monday afternoon. This may seem like your typical breakfast club, with the brain, beauty, jock, criminal, and outcast. However, one of these students doesn’t make it out alive.

Simon is the creator of Bayview High’s gossip app, making him the outcast of the group. He had a juicy post ready to publish on Tuesday, which featured secrets from the other 4 students in the group.

When investigators discover his death wasn’t an accident, all four students are the top suspects.

Could one of these students have been pushed to the edge? Or are they the perfect people to frame for someone else who has it out for Simon?

This is a fast-paced book with short chapters which makes for an easy read. I love how the story progresses and after each chapter you suspect someone different, only to be surprised at the end.

Related Reading: Books Like One Of Us Is Lying

2. Kill Joy – Holly Jackson

If you’re looking for more books like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder because you’re a fan of Holly Jackson’s writing, then you should grab a copy of Kill Joy which shares a similar writing style.

This is Jackson’s prequel novel to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder and features the leading character Pippa Fitz-Amobi.

In this new adventure, Pippa gets an invitation to a murder mystery party that she is less than thrilled to attend.

Especially since this game turns the island Little Kilton into a setting called Joy. As Pippa gets a taste for playing detective, she has more than just the fictional murder case on her mind.

3. The Inheritance Games – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you want more fun books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, you should check out some of the work by Jennifer Lynn Barnes who has a similar writing style to Holly Jackson.

One of my favorites is The Inheritance Games. It follows Avery Grambs who is your typical high school student who can’t wait to graduate and get out of her hometown.

While everything is going as planned for Avery, her world is completely shifted when Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves her his billion dollar fortune.

The weird part is, Avery has no idea who Tobias Hawthorne even is. In order to receive her inheritance, Avery must move into the Hawthorne house.

However, this house is occupied by members of the Hawthorne family who believe she’s a con woman.

The grandsons of Tobias are convinced that Avery is their grandfather’s last puzzle for them to solve and they are determined to take her down. 

Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, then a book like The Inheritance Games will have you suspicious of everyone throughout and is packed full of twists and turns you don’t expect.

4. We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

Are you after more mystery books like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder that will keep you hooked until the very last page? You should add We Were Liars by E. Lockhart to your to-read list.

This book centers around the Sinclair family, who are wealthy, beautiful, and well-respected.

However, this family also has their fair share of secrets and lies that they will go to any length to keep hidden.

Every summer, members of the Sinclair family spend time together on a private island. Two years prior, there was a tragedy that left Cadence Sinclair with amnesia.

While she can’t remember a thing about what happened, Cadence is determined to find out the truth behind this mystery.

With themes of lies, deceit, and betrayal, this has a similar plot to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, and yet is different enough to still keep you interested.

Related Reading: Books Like We Were Liars

5. The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides

One of the most compelling books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder is the pyschological thriller novel The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

The story follows Alicia Berenson who seemingly had a perfect life. She was a famous painter who was married to one of the city’s most influential photographers.

They lived together in a beautiful house in one of the nicest neighborhoods in London. Everything was perfect, from the outside.

When Alicia’s husband returns home from work one night, she shoots him 5 times. After that, she doesn’t speak another word. Alicia’s act became one of the biggest mysteries in London.

Psychotherapist Theo Faber is determined to find out the truth about that night, eventually becoming obsessed with uncovering the answers to this mystery.

If you like mystery and suspense novels, this one is going to have you gripping the pages throughout. The ending has a twist you won’t expect.

Related Reading: Books Like The Silent Patient

6. Verity – Colleen Hoover

Another book like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder that uncovers a truth nobody expected is Verity by Colleen Hoover.

This is an exciting suspense novel that will have you glued to the pages.

The story focuses on Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is having a lot of financial difficulties.

Then we have Verity Crawford, a best-selling author who’s suffered from an injury and can’t continue her books. However, she has a popular series and fans are eagerly waiting for the remaining books.

That’s when Verity’s husband Jeremy hires Lowen to finish the series. As Lowen is reading through all the notes Verity has about her series, she finds something she wasn’t prepared for. It’s an unfinished autobiography about Verity’s life.

It even details events from the night of her daughter’s death. The truth is more horrifying than anyone could expect and the worst part is, that Jeremy doesn’t know anything.

If you think this sounds exciting, consider reading these other books like Verity.

Related Reading: Verity by Colleen Hoover Book Review

7. The Girl Who Speaks Bear – Sophie Anderson

The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson is one of the most unique stories on my list, and it’s one that people of all ages can fall in love with.

The story follows Yanka, who is a 12-year-old who’s not like all the other girls in her village.

When she was a baby, she was found abandoned in a bear cave. Even though she has been rescued and raised in the village, she’s still an outcast.

One morning Yanka wakes up to most unusual circumstances. Her legs have transformed into bear legs. This inspires her to go on a journey in the forest and discover who she really is.

Throughout Yanka’s adventure in the forest, she befriends several other outcasts who are just looking for somewhere they belong.

If you enjoy mysteries around outcasts and unusual circumstances, then you’ll love The Girl Who Speaks Bear.

8. Unstoppable – Dan Freedman

If you liked A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, then you will definitely enjoy Unstoppable by Dan Freedman.

This story is about Kaine and Roxy, a set of 14-year-old twins that are extremely talented, but completely despise each other.

Kaine is always getting into trouble, while Roxy always tries to control everything. While neither one wants anything to do with the other, they both want the same thing, success. 

Roxy is one of the best young female tennis players in the district. Kaine has the potential to be in a premier football league.

While they are both working towards their goals, they also have secrets they will take to the grave.

On top of that, their parents are struggling financially and can only afford to financially support one twin’s dream. 

Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, this novel is all about a web of secrets waiting to be untangled.

9. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook – Ellen Marie Wiseman

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is a powerful tale of grief, hope, and courage.

When Sage Winters tragically lost her twin sister at the age of 10 and her mother in a car crash shortly after, she was left to the care of her stepfather.

But then matter take a strange turn when Sage discovers that her beloved sister is not dead, but instead had been sent to the notorious Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, New York – a place that was exposed as a dumping ground for unwanted children during the 70s.

She musters up all her strength and sets out on a daring mission to find Rosemary and uncover her true fate.

This captivating story of mystery and untold secrets will capture readers until the very last page!

Related Reading: Book Club Questions for The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

YA Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

If you’re looking for a young adult book similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder then you’re going to love these novels!

10. They Both Die At The End – Adam Silvera

If you’re looking for more young adult books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, then you should pick up a copy of They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera.

One thing that’s inevitable in life is death. How would you spend your final hours if you knew that today was going to be your last day to live?

Mateo and Rufus are two strangers who both receive a call from Death-Cast shortly after midnight to let them know that they are going to die today. Each one discovers an app called Last Friend, which is how they meet.

Even though death has called for them at a young age, both boys want to have one final day of adventure before they’re gone for good.  

Although the plot is dissimilar to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, the writing style is the same. I also found both books have unpredictable endings and emotive scenes that moved me emotionally.

If you’ve already read They Both Die At The End, then click here for some similar titles.

11. Girl in Pieces – Kathleen Glasgow 

If you want to read more books like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder because the story completely moves you, then you may enjoy Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow which also has thought-provoking themes.

Charlotte Davis is only 17, but she has already lost more than most people she knows. She’s scarred emotionally and physically. 

While Charlotte has become numb to the pain around her, she begins to understand the importance of being kind to herself. This is a very emotional and heavy story that can completely captivate the reader.

Girl in Pieces does cover some very hard issues, but readers will themselves root for Charlotte and her recovery. 

12. Every Last Word – Tamara Ireland Stone

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone is a young adult novel that I couldn’t put down.

This story focuses on Samantha McAllister, a popular high school girl that is struggling with purely obsessional OCD.

She masks this disorder with stylish clothing and perfectly applied makeup. However, underneath it all, Samantha is questioning every move she makes.

While Samantha doesn’t love her group of friends, she feels safe at school knowing that she is one of the popular girls.

However, she knows her friends will drop her if she’s caught doing anything less than cool. When Sam befriends Caroline, she knows her friends won’t approve, but there’s something about this girl that she’s drawn to.

Caroline even introduces her to a Poet’s Corner, a place where Samantha finally feels comfortable as she is. Could this be better than being part of the popular crowd?

Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, Every last Word has a female protagonist who is an outsider in high school.

13. The Fandom Rising – Anna Day

The Fandom Rising by Ann Day is book #1 in The Fandom series. The Gallows Dance is the first book in the series and is set in a dystopian world that Katie, Violet, and Alice left a year ago.

When they find out that Nate has been in a coma ever since they left, Katie and Violet return to help him. Alice didn’t return after a fight that nearly destroyed their friendship.

To add more trouble to the scene, a fan-fiction writer has emerged online. This writer is adding dark and twisted chapters to their world.

All of Alice’s friends are trapped in this insane story, and she is the only one who has the power to save them. 

If you loved A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder because it’s exciting, fast-paced and un-put-downable, then you’ll love this book.

14. Gloves Off – Louisa Reid

Gloves Off by Louisa Reid is a story of hope that centers around a young girl who has been bullied.

Lily feels like she has two different lives.

At school, she is taunted and bullied, a place where it feels like nobody likes her. At home, she has warm and loving parents, but they have their own secrets behind closed doors. 

After a bullying incident that went too far, Lily’s dad introduces her to boxing. He wants to teach her the skills to fight back and defend herself in this world.

Boxing gives Lily a way to overcome some of her challenges. She also meets Rose, who gives her hope that there are people she can connect with in this world.

Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, this story has themes of outcasts, secrets, betrayal and lies.

15. The Boy With The Butterfly Mind – Victoria Williamson 

The Boy With The Butterfly Mind by Victoria Williamson is a sweet story that shows us how an unlikely person can be the missing puzzle piece you really needed.

Jamie has ADHD and his mind is always fluttering like a butterfly.

Sometimes this gets him in trouble and his mom thought the best solution would be for him to stay with his father. Elin strives to be the perfect daughter so her father will return.

However, Jamie’s dad and Elin’s mom end up falling for each other, bringing the two families together.

While Jamie and Elin couldn’t be more different from one another, they find that when they learn to accept each other’s flaws and differences their unordinary family can actually be quite perfect. 

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Final Word on Best Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

So there you have it, my best books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, from the tantalizing mystery and thriller novels to the sweet and heartwarming young adult novels, you’ll be sure to find something you like from this list.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.