Great quick read! Love the insight into the characters and story!! Wish it was longer but I know it’s a novella

Kill Joy did the trick in giving me reunion with a character I once loved, but thought was done: Pippa Fitz-Amobi. The best aspect of the story was that in it, Pippa was pre-podcast-career, so she was not yet hurt or jaded by the events of the murders and crimes she would eventually document. I am sure I am not alone in being disappointed by the ending and underwhelmed by the mystery itself. I mean, it sounded fun to go along with Pippa to a Murder Mystery dinner, but it was not a very compelling story. That said, I did enjoy the novella and would always be welcome to spending time with Pippa again. As a die-hard fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Kill Joy was pretty tame, but enjoyable.

I just finished ‘Kill Joy’, a short ‘prequel’ to ‘A Good Girls’ Guide to Murder’. This novella takes place over one night, as Pip (the main character from AGGGTM) participates in a murder mystery dinner party with her friends.

I found this novella to be distinctly okay. It was a straightforward, quick read, but in my opinion, it’s probably only worth picking up if you were super obsessed with AGGGTM and only care about getting some extra content involving the characters. As someone who just enjoyed AGGGTM a medium amount, I was fairly underwhelmed. The main problem IMO was that the story seemed to lack any real stakes (unlike AGGGTM). I expected it to be a little more exciting, given that it's being marketed as a thriller/mystery, but the only real excitement here came in the form of bait-and-switches like: “Pip was scared! There was a man’s shadow in the window!…But it was just her friend”. In sum: I don’t regret having read this novella, but it’s not one that will stick with me.

Though I loved the good girls guide to murder series this novella just didn’t hit the same. It felt slow which was odd for a short book. I’m dnfing for now

3.2 /5
Anxiety .5/5
Spice 0/5
Borrow (buy bargain borrow or burn)

Up until the end this was a solid 2.5 for me
If it wasn’t so short, I would’ve totally DNFd.
It just felt bland, boring, and unnecessary. I might have read the out of order (this is the first book I’ve read in the series) so maybe that’s it?
Idk I’m still planning on reading the rest of the series though.

Yes, yes, yes!!!!! I absolutely adored this book. She really can tell a story. I love the way this one keeps you excited- you just want to keep turning pages.

I really enjoy Holly Jackson's fast-paced Good Girls series. I have recommended it to my highs chool students. and all have really enjoyes it, as well. I plan to recommend this title to them, too. I will purchase a copy for the classroom library.

i love any chance i get to see queen pip and the gang but this just didn’t feel very necessary to me. i think going back in time before pip is the girl we know now was cool since we got to see how her magical brain works!! the mystery was fun to follow but ultimately a bit hollow. not a must-read, but if you want something quick and familiar this is here!

LOVE this series and loved getting a peek behind the curtain at how everything began. I wish we had a novella to tell us how the story ended though!!! I want an epilogue about Pip and Ravi.

Quick and entertaining read! Loved getting a backstory on Pip and how she came to choose her project. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a murder mystery game and this just made me wanna do it more. Even though nothing happened, I was still really on the edge of my seat and am definitely sleeping with a night light on because the scene in the basement creeped me out justttttt a bit 😂 so jealous of people that get to read this before the series now but thank you Holly for a last slice of Pip!

This was a fun little prequel novella and gave us a chance to see where Pip's mystery solving mind started. It was fun to revisit the characters and know where their lives were going before they did, but without any stakes of a real murder. I would definitely recommend for fans of the series.

Definitely not my favorite book in the series, but still just so fun to reunite with these characters and see where the idea for the podcast started. I didn’t like all the fake jump scares, but enjoyed all the chatter from the secondary characters.

Loved this one!!! Probably one of my favorites from this author, after reading AGGGTM. I loved the plot idea and find it very original. The writing is easy and not difficult to read

I was so excited to read the Good Girl's novella Kill Joy by Holly Jackson - my eighth grade girls passed around the series all year (I needed to buy another copy of As Good As Dead to keep up with everyone). Kill Joy sticks to the spirit of the trilogy but it also works as a standalone, as a reader wouldn't need to know all the relationships to have the story - a murder mystery party - make sense. It was a quick read and will work for people invested in the story as well as reluctant readers! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #KillJoy by Holly Jackson. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to her next release!

Synopsis:
"You're invited to the murder mystery party of the year! Fans of the hit series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will love Pip’s final detective case in this mystery novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Jackson.
Six suspects. Three hours. One murder…
Pip is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.
But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind …"

My Thoughts:
Whether you've read A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or not, this is a great read. It gives a fantastic look into Pip's character, how she thinks, what inspires her, her quirks, etc. As the night of the murder mystery party progressed I began to suspect everyone. But at the final reveal Pip is left unsatisfied, feeling like the mysteries progression and clues didn't match the conclusion. As a result she was feeling frustrated. On her way home she is reminded of the murder of Andie Bell and, with her freshly flexed mystery solving skills, A Good Girls Guide to Murder begins.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and cannot wait to dig into the series now..... and throw a murder mystery party with my friends.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the gifted copy of this book.

It's nice to see how Pip first gets intrigued and starts off on her journey in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. This was a fun little romp and made me want to host my own murder mystery party!

Thoroughly enjoyed, I recommend it for lovers of the original series.

I always enjoy this authors smart and fun mysteries. She is talented and has created a really lovable heroine.

I’ve done a murder mystery party before, albeit years ago, and I’d like to hope that my brain is somewhere near as sharp as Pip’s. So as well as watching her following the steps of the game, I was thinking about what I would do next if I was the one playing along. This little backstory was brilliant to see as a starting point for Pip’s decision to investigate the murder as she does in AGGGTM, and her frustration with police work – fictional and not – was evident throughout.

It was really interesting to have a bit more insight to Pip, and also to her little circle of friends, who become features in the main books. Watching her brain at work, her competitive streak showing, and her love of puzzle solving, all underlined by a slight constant discomfort with the Andie Bell case at the back of her mind.

This fantastic little prequel is just what mystery lovers need, at whatever point they are at in the series. Now I’m off to find time to reread A Good Girl’s Guide and Good Girl, Bad Blood.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holly Jackson for the e-arc of Kill Joy.

I really enjoyed this prequel novella! It was a cute spin on a YA suspense, giving Knives Out vibes, while also giving background into Pip's decision to choose the Andie Bell case for her research project.

A novella that takes place before Pip starts a blog on the murders in her town.
Takes place during a murder dinner party. Pip realizes she's really good at reading the room and figuring out clues.