Well I honestly did not expect that and I am so mad and frustrated. This book completely ruined the series for me.

The first half of the book was slow and repetitive as Pip struggled with PTSD. I kept growing annoyed at her thoughts and actions but reminded myself I was in her shoes not too long ago so at least the PTSD element was expressed correctly. There are a few things that should be cleaned up: Pip taking illegal Xanax to sleep though every day she complained that she didn't sleep so she spends weeks without sleeping somehow, and the climate of Connecticut was described as a fall/winter environment despite the book taking place in July/August.

The second half started with a twist that I can't explain without going into spoilers. I had to stop reading for a while because the anger and irritation was flashing red. Like someone else said in their review, Jackson could have written this book 100 different ways and yet she chose this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Pip is out to solve another murder for her podcast in As Good as Dead, but will this be the one that does her in? Pip is struggling with PTSD after season 2 of her podcast. While she should be looking forward to college there are things in Fairview that keep her there. Another murder happens and Pip is right in the middle of the investigation. The relationship between Pip and her friends is strong. They are all willing to help her because they know she would and have done the same for her. The relationship between Ravi and Pip is just as strong as ever in this book.

The emotional rollercoaster this book took me on left me feeling all the feels. It's sad and loving and everything we have come to expect for Jackson in this trilogy. There are so many plot twists and real-life issues that are dealt with. I can't believe the story is over. I need more Pip and Ravi in my life.

As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is one of my favorite thrillers - it reads far more mature than YA and is so brilliantly done. I really liked Good Girl, Bad Blood, and was SO excited to read the third and final in the series. For anyone new to the series, you cannot read this as a standalone, you will get confused and not understand key pieces from the first two.

For me there is no better detective out there than Pip, but Pip seems like a much different character. As a result of where things ended in the second book, Pip seems more reckless and resolute in her thought processing. While she is slightly older than when the series started, she is still in the mentality where she needs to take charge of fixing everything without the help of any adults or authority. She made it tough to root for at times in some of her decisions. I also felt like you hit the climax about 50% in and the rest dragged on.

This last one reads darker than the other two and it feels different overall. The detective / mystery is completely flipped. This story relies heavily on past book references and if the first book isn't fresh, it may take a minute to get acquainted with some of the characters and plot points again.

Similar to the first two, I'm not sure why they translated some pieces from UK to US - some of the location pieces felt a bit choppy and couldn't fully discern the sense of place.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy. My opinions are completely my own,. I am struggling with putting my thoughts down without giving away spoilers to this novel.

I knew that this was not going to be average murder mystery book when the DT killer was revealed at 60%. There was going to be more to Pip and Ravi's story or rather conclusion. The first 25-30% of the book, I was disappointed and kept reminding me of the Katniss in Mockingjay. Katniss and Pip both were not acting like the kick butt take name heroine that I had come to adore but instead are anxiety was over taking their every thought. Both novel storylines took awhile to get started which made it difficult to continue. At one point, I even questioned do I want to finish this novel or just give up.? I was surprised that Ms. Jackson decided to have Pip's family fade into the background. I missed her dad's dad jokes sprinkled throughout the novel. It just seemed like they just let her come and go with really any parental oversight. It seemed like plot points were brought up but then forgotten throughout the novel. For example, Billy Karras's case or even her lawyer pushing her for definite mediation decision. Without giving away spoilers, I know that Ms. Jackson would say with what Pip was going through in that one weekend and the days leading up to that weekend, anyone would forget about these two but still.. After reading this book, I know that I will always shudder when my eyes will land on a roll of grey duct tape for the rest of my life. From a writing a conclusion stand point, I have to say it was a perfect conclusion. It is only 2 full complete sentences and symbol but it is the perfect way to conclude Pip and Ravi's story. I don't think I would have wanted it any other way. It put a smile of my face when I read it even thought it is not complete.

If I were to give this book a grade, I would say B-. Bottomline: I was always be the first in line to read a Holly Jackson YA novel.

HOLY CRAP!!

OH MY GOSH!!!
WHAT.A.RIDE!!!

I have loved this series from the beginning. While I am sad it is ending, this conclusion was mind blowing!! Each of the books in the series took me on a journey. Now this one took me on a journey that had me screaming, crying, and holding my breath for so long that I would forget to breathe!!!

The epic conclusion to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the cherry on top of the YA Thriller/Mystery genre! Could not recommend it more!!

Bravo Holly Jackson!! I can’t wait to see what is next for us!!

As Batman says, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”, and that is the perfect quote for As Good As Dead. Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for my ARC of this book that comes out September 28. It is the third book in Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and wraps up the story of Pip Fitz- Amobi.

Pip has been getting plenty of online death threats since season two of her podcast came out, but she starts to receive specific messages asking who will look for her when she dies. She also begins finding dead pigeons outside her house and weird chalk drawings that eventually lead her to discover she may be dealing with a serial killer- one that has been behind bars for the past six years. Now Pip has a very good reason to investigate because her life may be at stake.

Thoughts: I love the way Holly Jackson can suck a reader into the story immediately. I have grown to love Pip more and more over the past two books, but this book made me realize she is now an older and jaded college student. She still has the tendency of a teenager to take everything into her own hands and the need to fix everything without help from her boyfriend, her family, or the police. I found this to be an annoying trait that could have solved many problems.

It was hard to see a character that I love break down and change before my eyes. It seemed like her entire personality and core beliefs changed, which was very disappointing. She became the kind of person I would stay away from and it was hard to root for her with some choices she made. I felt that Ravi was almost too complicit and the story just kept getting more and more hard to believe. I kept thinking there would be some sort of satisfying change of storyline, but sadly this was not the case.

In many cases, this book felt a lot more YA than the first two in the series. I felt that things were explained away a little too easily and some things were not addressed at all. I love Jackson’s writing style and the premise of this series, but ultimately finished this book feeling unsatisfied. 2.5 stars.

I got the ARC off of Netgalley, these opinions are my own. I have loved each of the A Good Girls Guide to Murder books! I was really excited when I found out Holly Jackson was coming out with another one this year, though sad that it was the last of Pip’s story! Holly did not disappoint with this story, it comes full circle when, as a reader, you didn’t even realize that it needed to! That’s one of the things I like best about these books all the clues that connect them to one another that you don’t fully pay attention to until Pip realizes them! Makes you really feel like you’re part of the story! As Good As Dead is just like the others with the mystery but with a twist… a twist I didn’t see coming and at first I wasn’t sure how I felt about it but it actually adds a really interesting component to the book! The books wouldn’t be complete without Ravi and the gang, though they aren’t in this book as much. I did miss them but I also think it was necessary to really tell Pip’s story! And Pip goes through so much in this book and the ending is so wrenching! I finished it at night and it took me awhile to go to sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about all she’d had to endure. I can’t wait for this one to come out!

In the final installment of AGGGTM, Pip is looking for one last case to end her sleuthing career. When Pip finds strange chalk drawings and dead birds in her drive after someone keeps messaging her "Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?" she is convinced she's being stalked. She sees this as the perfect crime to investigate, one that will only affect her. Will she be able to uncover the identity of the perpetrator, or will they get her first?

I was VERY excited to read this book because I've loved the series so far and recommend it to my murder mystery lovers all the time. Unfortunately, this finale was a huge disappointment. The conclusion itself was fine, but I found the book to be too meticulously written and honestly, kind of boring. Pip is suffering from PTSD, which makes sense after what happened in the last book, but if you cut out the flashbacks, the book would likely be 100 pages shorter. The first half of the novel is fast paced and follows the same set up as the first two books, but you hit the climax of action before you're 50% through the book and the rest is really dragged out. It was a miss for me, but I will continue recommending the first two books. Maybe we don't need to know what happens to Pip in the end after all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my opinion.

As Good As Dead is the last book in the the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson. Pip has already become a town legend after solving a murder and kidnapping but she is having a hard time coping with those events and is starting to feel that she is finding patterns in things that could be nothing. She believes she is being stalked, and she believes that its by a serial killer. Unfortunately everyone else thinks that the real serial killer has been caught and sitting in prison. Desperate for sleep and concerned for her own safety Pip takes matters into her own hands.

I loved the first two books of this series and I like part 1 of this book. However it was when I read part 2 that this book quickly spirals downhill for me. I am all about not doing the typical ya ending to a teen mystery book so bravo for that. However I think this ending has completely missed the mark. It felt unbelievable considering how many people Pip had to convince to do something without knowing why they were doing it and why none of these people who supposedly cared for her never went to the police...

I am disappointed. After reading books 1 and 2 in this series I was thrilled to read the 3rd book. Another mystery, and lovable characters, what else could you ask for? Earlier on Pip was portrayed as an intelligent, kind girl ,and I feel this book didn't do her justice. Although her PTSD affected her mentally and physically all aspects of the story seemed forced from her point of view. I will give it to Holly Jackson though, for beautifully crafting once again another mystery. Clues, Characters, and secrets again made this book a page turner. Over all I think this book can be skipped as an installment to the series. Thank you Netgalley for sending me a copy!

The perfect ending for this series… Posed a lot of questions of right and wrong. I laughed and cried (mostly cried) and tried to guess the plot twists (without success, per usual). Holly Jackson is masterful with her plot lines and word choice, and I enjoy her writing so much!

This was the perfect end to Pip's journey. This book was nothing that expected it to be, but it was absolutely genius. I will very much miss the world of this series. The entire trilogy is worth reading over and over!

I was looking forward to reading this book having loved the other two in this series. But, what on earth happened? When I got halfway through, and saw that I was only halfway through, I thought, What else can happen in this book? And then it took a turn for the crazy and unbelievable. I have to say that I did not like this Pip. In the beginning, it was a struggle to read because of all the pain she was going through, but then in the second half.... it just didn't ring true. The last 20% of the book was rough to try to get through, but I just wanted to see how it ended. I'm very mixed because it is a well written book, but it just doesn't make sense or fit with the other two in the series.

“Save herself to save herself.” This is Pip’s mantra throughout As Good As Dead, Holly Jackson’s latest thrill ride installment of the AGGGTM trilogy. Pip isn’t dealing well with the post-traumatic stress left over from her brush with death in Good Girl, Bad Blood, so she attempts to solve one last case, one that will restore her faith in good vs evil and help her get past the anger, fear, and anxiety that Stanley Forbes, Charlie Green, and Max Hastings have left in their wake. However, saving herself gets a bit more complicated when a serial killer becomes preoccupied with her; soon, she’s racing not only to save her faith in humanity but her life as well.

For the first third of this book, I was mesmerized; I read far later into the night than I ever intended (and even had to get up to check the locks once or twice). Jackson weaves in such creepy details, such as the slowly-inching chalk figures, and succeeds at resurrecting facts from Pip’s previous two cases to make readers suspect everyone. However, once Pip’s journey took its sharp left turn, I found myself slogging through the details instead of turning the pages as fast as I could. I liked Pip best when I was putting the pieces together beside her, trying to make my brain run as quickly as hers and solve the case; while there was definitely plenty of suspense in the second third of the novel, it lacked that just-around-the-bend mystery element that had captivated me in the last two installments. The final third of the novel also didn’t fully click for me; while I understood Pip’s choices, her brand of vigilante justice felt like a departure from the character I had grown to love, and I honestly left the book worried how she would fare in the future.

In the end, the smart dialogue, attention to detail, and true crime feel make this a must-purchase for school libraries; while readers might agree that this wasn’t the strongest installment in the AGGGTM series, they will appreciate Pip’s strength in tying up so many loose ends. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well that was unexpected. I hurried through this book because I couldn’t wait to finish it. I really enjoyed it and kept looking for opportunities to pick it up. I figured it would be a fun mystery to close out the series but now think it was the best of the three. It ties in bits from the first two books but takes a really unexpected turn- it makes the book feel different than the others.. Definitely worth the read! I think everyone who read the first two should consider this one a requirement.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy! So excited to get this book!

I don’t think I liked this book at all. In fact, I’m pretty confused by it and very disappointed in it.

To start, I really enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Pip, while flawed, was intelligent, resourceful, strong, and developed a good support system. I easily gave Book 1 five stars. I had high expectations for Good Girl, Bad Blood. It didn’t quite meet the level of the first, but I have it a solid four stars. What stood out in both of these was Pip’s character, her adherence to finding the truth and providing closure for whomever needed it.

This book, though? What the heck. As Good as Dead took all that had been built and tore it down. And I get where it’s coming from, which might be the most difficult part to accept. The things Pip has gone through in books 1 and 2… they mess people up. But this book had the opportunity to take a character known for strength, intelligence, perseverance, bravery, and a diligent search for the truth and make her even more - it could have shown the struggle and successful climb out of that hellish mental and emotional hole Pip was in. Instead, it took the cheap way out and made her a monster. Instead of showing a character getting help, using her support system, and finishing this journey in the right way, Pip lost herself and became someone else. The book discussed coming full circle, with all the events Pip had gone through tied together in this finale. While it did tue everything together, I’m just so incredibly disappointed in the way it chose to go about it. Pip could have saved herself in a different way, and the author had made me think that this girl she’d created was capable of that.

Here’s a little more on various other aspects, in my opinion. In terms of the story, it’s okay. The loose endings are all tied up. The pacing was ridiculously slow through the first 3/4 of the book. I would not market it for 14+, as it’s much more appropriate for an older audience. The cast of charters that had shown in previous books weren’t really highlighted here, except for Ravi, who was great until his completely out of character second half of the book. The conclusion was okay, I guess, considering everything else. This was much more a psychological thriller than anything else. On that, it did deliver, even if it got a little repetitive.

Overall, my rating is 2 stars. Those are really just for the writing itself and the overall connection as part of the trilogy. If you enjoyed books 1 and 2, maybe skip this and let the story end there. I read that advice in another review and wish I’d followed it, to be honest. I don’t think many people will enjoy where this book goes, and especially what Pip becomes.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book…wow. I enjoyed the first two books in this series immensely, and was very curious to see where number three would bring us. Ravi and Pip’s relationship—their steadfastness and trust, devotion—was my favorite part of the entire series. Pip’s friendships, too, with Cara and Connor and his brother, I really enjoyed that dynamic.

This book. Where to begin? It was twisty, dramatic and gave me claustrophobia. No spoilers, but I had to pause reading about halfway through to collect myself. The depictions of the “action scenes” were so vivid. I was there, in the room, it was happening to me. I had a feeling about the case in the story—who it would lead us to, the clues were all there even from book one—but the WAY the story unfolded was such a twist.

Highly recommend!

As sad as I am to see this trilogy end, this was a wonderful conclusion. Holly Jackson has knocked it out of the park.

If you're reading As Good as Dead, it's because you loved the first two books in Holly Jackson's GGGTM series; I have good news and bad news. The good news is that everything you loved about those first two books is in the third - murder, mystery, suspense, Pip's personality, the relationship between Pip and Ravi, plus CSI elements. The bad news? The portions are a bit off. I can imagine that unraveling mysteries and murders in the first two books would take a toll on a young woman, so Pip is entitled to be frazzled in the third, but too many paragraphs - too many pages - are spent on her inner dialogue. That being said, when it isn't Pip freaking out, this book is what GGGTM fans have come to love, and I can't help but hope we will hear from Pip again.!

3.7, rounded. My feelings are mixed here. In many ways this is the direction the series was probably always headed, it's darker and it's not satisfied with the criminal justice system in general (which I can get down with), but it's also...there were several times, especially in the first half, I just wanted to shake Pip and her general disregard for her own personal safety. Also her parents were exceptionally oblivious, to the extent that it was distracting.