I enjoyed this prequel to the series. It gave us a little more background into our main character and why she likes to solve mysteries. I know teenagers that come to our library will enjoy this one!

I loved the Good Girls Guide to Murder series, but I felt this wasn't needed. It didn't really provide any extra information to the story line that was necessary.
If you are interested in reading this series, I would recommend either skipping this one or reading it later on.

Pip is back at it again. But she doesnt want to go back and be a part of this murder mystery party. Eventually she comes around and decides to come around and starts to enjoy herself. As she gets into the murder mystery, fun and thrill she cant stop thinking about another case.

This was a short book due to it being a novella but it was perfect for the amount of information given. I really like Holly Jackson and how she writes so to have a shorter book with the same punch was really nice. I thought maybe since it was going to be shorter that it wouldnt feel the same as her other books but it was just like her others. I also loved the woven storylines and feeling like I could feel the stress and worry of the characters through the book. Would recommend.

Thanks for the ARC! I love Holly Jackson's novels - the perfect YA thrillers that always have the right amount of suspense.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I’ve been looking forward to reading this prequel!

In this novella, Pip and her friends attend this murder mystery party, and it was SO much fun! The storyline was actually really interesting, and I loved how invested Pip became in it 😂

Things that happen in this story, and the way the storyline of the murder mystery party unraveled is sort of what pushed Pip to dig into the Andie and Sal case in the first place, so that was really cool to see.

This was just a lot of fun, and perfect for this time of year! Even though it doesn’t take place during Halloween, the fact that it was a murder mystery party with roles and costumes gave it a strong Halloween vibe and I loved it!

I love this book! Author had my attention from beginning until the end. I can’t wait for more! Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for chance to review.

I've listened to all the books in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series. I love the whole series. This novella is no exception. It was great!

I loved the murder mystery game they were playing. It set the mood for the whole book. This is a YA book for anyone who isn't familiar. Some of the chapters ended with a cliffhanger, but they were resolved in the next chapter. The ending was a great segway into the first book.

This is another book I read for Arctober. As y'all know, it is my duty to see if I liked the audio better than the written version. In this case, both formats were awesome!

Read this book if
You've read AGGGTM, or if you want to read AGGGTM
You want a short novella between books
You need a YA book to break up spooky season books

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one. The kick off to the "A Good Girls Guide to Murder" series this book introduces our main characters in a fun, cute way. I love Holly Jackson's writing so it was great to have another story by her to read.

My only hiccup was keeping straight what characters were playing what character.

A great quick read for fans of Holly!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. Any and everything that Holly Jackson writes is perfect to me! I don't read thrillers often unless I know the author can write a suspenseful plot, engaging and believable characters, and can keep me engaged throughout all of the novel. Kill Joy is no exception, and I like Jackson's take on a traditional thriller trope.

Ooh, how fun to don one's detective cap and suss out a killer in the midst, all under the guise of a party!

Pip, our favorite teen detective from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, is joining friends for an evening of sleuthing. They're having a murder mystery party set in the 1920s, complete with costumes and accents. And when someone "dies", there are plenty of clues and red herrings to cast suspicion in every which way.

Reading this novella reminds me just how much I loved the original series. Pip is such a smart and spunky heroine, and it's thoroughly entertaining to follow along as she tries to figure out the killer. The way the clues are laid out and the setting of a remote island with a dysfunctional, wealthy family exude so much Agatha Christie vibes.

Since this is just a pretend murder, the stakes are low. It feels more cozy than suspenseful, but the book does a nice job of injecting some dark atmosphere into the mix, so it's still quite riveting. In fact, I had trouble putting it down and breezed through the whole thing in about two hours.

I will say, I don't generally gravitate towards novellas (or short stories, for that matter). It's because I find them to be a bit unsatisfying. Just as you're getting into the whole thing, it's already over. And it felt a bit like that here. I wanted more. More of the murder, more of the solving, more of the explanation. But I suppose it's better to end up wanting more than wanting less, so that's a small complaint.

It was definitely fun to revisit Pip's world. I was a little sad that the series was over, so I'm glad to have this bonus story so I could experience just a bit more of what I loved.

Also, as an aside, is this sort of murder mystery game a real thing? Because I need it in my life pronto.

Loved this book. She did it again. It had my attention the entire time with the turns and twist. Great series

Holly Jackson really wrote this just for us AGGGTM super fans!
What I liked:
-every other page had an easter egg for the series. It was like a scavenger hunt to find subtle references or foreshadowing! That aspect of the novella was very well done.
-got to know characters more
-gave a very strong spooky vibe
-could really get a glimpse into Pippa's mind

What I disliked:
-I wish it was just slightly longer
-there was no actual mystery, which threw me off. The "mystery" was through a dinner theater type game, so it was all pretend

“Mm-hmm,” Cara added. “Sounds exactly like what a murderer would say.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I discovered Kill Joy because it is a prequel novella to the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy, which I've so far read the first two books in. I was a little hesitant to pick this one up after I hated Jackson's most recent standalone (Five Survive), but I decided to trust her performance in AGGGTM and GGBB, and requested a review copy anyway!

Kill Joy follows Pip and her friends before the events of book 1 starts. She is not yet obsessed with a murder case in their town for her senior project, but trying to force herself to have fun at a murder mystery party instead of focusing on how she doesn't know the topic of said future senior project.

I loved seeing the way Pip interacted with her friends before the events of book 1 and book 2 started slowly taking over their lives and causing strife. The characters were still easily recognizable, but less jaded and a little more carefree for the time being. I didn't remember who Lauren and Kit were, though.

This book is mostly filler, but it was entertaining to me, as someone who has loved this series. I laughed several times throughout the audiobook as everyone struggled to play along with the murder mystery correctly. The ending, too? How it drew everything back to the start of book 1? I gasped a little personally!

I would recommend this specifically to people who have already read at least book 1 and loved it. I don't think it would be worth it to anyone who isn't already familiar with the characters and aware of the plot twists in book 1, but it definitely makes me excited to get to book 3!

oh how I miss A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! This was the perfect prequel to the GGGTM series that I absolutely loved! It was fun set up to Pip's storyline and it was nice to see the group dynamics before everything transpired.

3.5

I wish I never read book 3 of this series!!!! Literally has nothing to do with this but just having another platform to say it soothes me

This is a fun precursor to the series. It kind of gives us a look into why Pip actually even chose to begin looking into Sal and Andie's deaths in book 1, and gives us a little character study of a few folks who are in the series. In a dark way, in some ways...

The mystery itself and the way it ends is so Pip which makes it funny. I just can't get past the fact that I wish this was a duology and it's seeping into any AGGGTM media I consume so sorry

This was a fun little prequel- I enjoyed reading it! I always reach for Holly Jackson’s books- it’s fun to get to spend a little more time with the character.

This short novella by Holly Jackson provides great context to why Pip pursues the murder of Andie Bell. There isn't any real danger in this story, but it's atmospheric and sets the stage for the series.

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson takes place before the events of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Pip attends a murder mystery dinner party with some friends and is determined to be the first to solve the case. I had such a fun time reading this. I’ve always wanted to attend a mystery dinner show, so this was perfect for me. I got serious Clue vibes while reading.

Is it necessary for you to read this before starting the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series? No, not at all. Overall, this is a fun prequel that gives fans and new readers alike a bit more insight into Pippa Fitz-Amobi

Such a fun little novella prequel. I loved the mystery and how there were little Easter Eggs to the next books in the series. Holly Jackson is such a fun writer who just makes you want to immerse yourself in her books. I was ready to don some roaring '20s clothes so I could join the party! Overall, such a fun read. I hope she has more books in the pipeline!

Killy Joy is the start of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. This is the prequel to Pip discovering the truth about what truly happened to the two teenagers who lost their lives in her town.

Before A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, came a murder mystery party, thrown by Pippa's friends,. The party is set on a made-up island of Joy and while at first, Pippa has no desire to attend or partake in the murder mystery, she soon feels drawn to it and must figure out who the murderer is Though the case she is working on is fictinal, she starts to think about a true case that has been on her mind for a while. Read along to discover Pippa's draw to discovering the truth.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Kill Joy by Holly Jackson in exchange for my honest review.