Good Girl, Bad Blood Book Review

📚 Genre: YA Mystery / Thriller

✍️ Author: Holly Jackson

⭐ Rating: 4.6/5

.🚨 Spoilers ahead – clearly marked!

The second book in Holly Jackson’s famous debut trilogy, ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’, is officially my favourite book. After solving the case that rocked her town, the murder of Andie Bell, Pip is trying to return to normal life — documenting her last investigation in a viral podcast instead of chasing down new mysteries. She has started her own podcast to reveal how she solved the case with live recordings of interviews, presenting evidence through photos, videos, connecting the dots and establishing the final timeline.

Pip announced that there will be no season two of the podcast. She wouldn’t be taking up another case. Why though? She feared her dangerous obsession with finding the truth which led her to unknowingly put herself and her family in harm’s way would return. But…Could she possibly refuse one of her closest friends? Her best friend, Connor Reynolds, shows up at her door and says his brother, Jamie, went missing. Pip is initially hesitant to take up the case. She said she put a word in with the police. When the police didn’t take action because Jamie had ran away from home in the past, Pip decides to get involved. This time, she’s not just curious — she feels responsible and she’s not willing to let another injustice be buried.

Ask yourself this: if your best friend’s family member went missing, and no one was doing anything about it, would you let it go? Or would you start asking questions — even if it meant reliving trauma? Pip chooses the second option, and her decision leads us into an even darker, more personal mystery than before. As readers, we’re right there with her as the investigation grows more dangerous and morally complex.

Pip continues to be a compelling, layered protagonist. She’s still clever and resourceful, but now we see the emotional cost of what she’s been through. The trauma of her first case lingers, and she struggles with boundaries — both ethical and personal. She’s no longer just trying to prove someone’s innocence; now she’s trying to protect people she loves. Her partner in the previous investigation, Ravi Singh, does tag along for the ride sometimes but not always. That is when Pip misses Ravi and the way they worked together. They way they used to understand the hidden information without even having to speak. Used to….

Structurally, the novel mirrors the first with podcast transcripts, text threads, and journal entries woven into the narrative. These multimedia elements enhance the realism and urgency, making readers feel like they’re part of the investigation. It’s a smart and engaging technique that keeps the pacing tight and the stakes high.

🚨 Spoiler Warning — Skip the next paragraph if you haven’t read the book. 🚨

As Pip peels back the layers of Jamie’s disappearance, she uncovers secrets that expose the town’s underbelly — from family dysfunction to online radicalization and manipulation. The final reveal is chilling not just because of who is responsible, but why. The ending forces both Pip and the reader to grapple with questions of justice versus vengeance, and whether sometimes the truth hurts more than it helps…

🚨 Spoilers end here. 🚨

What makes Good Girl, Bad Blood so effective is how Holly Jackson deepens the emotional and moral complexity from the first book. The mystery remains gripping, but the real tension lies in Pip’s inner conflict. How much can one person take? What happens when the cost of uncovering the truth becomes too high? The book doesn’t just ask, “What happened to Jamie?” It asks, “What happens to the girl who always finds out?”

In the end, Good Girl, Bad Blood is not just a sequel — it’s a character study, a cautionary tale, and a continued commentary on who gets justice, and who gets ignored. If the first book was about the pursuit of truth, this one is about the consequences of uncovering it.

So what do you think? Is Pip still a hero, or is she losing herself in her search for answers? Did you see the ending coming — and if you were in her place, would you have made the same final choice?