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.

This was a fun short read! I loved reading more about Pip from the others in this series! It’s a great short mystery story that brings you back into the world of this series, and I’m sad it’s over!

This was very fun and very clever and I have never related more to a main character in such a brief window. I desperately need there to be interactive Murder mystery nights that allow me to collect clues, solve puzzles, and solve a mystery like an escape room, but in my house with my friends and in costume. I need this. And I will get it right. Mark my words.

A delightful little novella about Pippa before she got into podcasts and solving crime.

This prequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder was nothing like what I had expected and that made it even a better reading experience for me. Pipp and her friends have a murder mystery dinner party, where each of them plays a different character and they collect clues to find out who the killer is.

The mystery itself was fun and thrilling and the way it was all put together was quite brilliant. The best part for me was when Pipp reveals her suspect and motive. I loved seeing again how her mind works.

A nice addition to the series

This is a novella by Holly Jackson. Her books are a must read for me. and this one didn't disappoint. it's a super fast read. it's a prequel to "A Good Girl's Guide" series. I highly recommend reading this and the whole series if you haven't already. You won't able to put it down.

this was a super quick and easy to read novella that’s also a prequel to the “a good girl’s guide” series.

this novella features pippa, and her gang of friends, playing a murder mystery game. each character puts on a persona and they all try to figure out which one of them murdered the “victim” by following clues. through this “murder” we get to see how pip’s mind works once again. and the mystery of the investigation leads pip to figure out what her project’s topic should be.

revisiting these characters after a while was such a joy! of course, the regular friend group was fun to revisit. it was especially interesting to see their dynamic while knowing what comes later on in the series. i also liked seeing jaime, i feel like we got to know his character a bit more in this book which would’ve been good to know when reading the second installment in the series!

for a novella, this was pretty good! i read it in one sitting and it was fun to see everything unravel (even if i may be biased because this series means the world to me and i have background knowledge that first time readers would not). the mini plot twist also surprised me a bit too!

for anyone judging the series based on this novella, i recommend you continue to stick it out! even if this wasn’t your favorite!

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of Kill Joy by Holly Jackson. I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think it lived up to the hype of her other books, but it was a quick fun read that I would recommend.

Really enjoyed the series and absolutely loved the prequel. While reading this short story, I was able to get a feel for how Pippa's detective character grew. It was interesting seeing how her goal of solving a mystery started and how she took on the final project/case.

Overall, the writing drew me in and I enjoyed all the characters in the book.
I would recommend reading the series prior to the prequel.

Thank you NetGally for this advanced copy of Kill Joy.

I loved this peek into Pip's brain!

In this prequel, the gang throws a murder mystery party and things go a bit awry.

While I would have loved higher stakes, I did love to see Pip's character, sense of justice, and knack for digging (a bit obsessively) come to light.

Thanks to the author and publisher for an advanced e-reader in exchange for an honest review.