Good Girl, Bad Blood (2020) Pip, after having created a
podcast called ''A Good Girl's Guide To Murder'' based on the events that took place in the previous novel, is being hailed online as an aspiring detective. In spite of this, Pip promises to herself that she will never take on another case after having lost her beloved dog Barney, and so narrowly having avoided death herself, in her prior case. Her friend Connor Reynolds, however, approaches her, asking for an investigation of the case of his missing brother, Jamie Reynolds. Pip initially refuses, instead putting in a word with DI Hawkins, an officer, but when the police take no action, she decides that she will investigate one last case, citing a feeling that Jamie had not simply run away, but rather had been abducted. Pip starts digging into Jamie's past and present, conducting interviews and piecing together clues. As she gets closer to the truth she realizes that Jamie's case is connected to something dark and dangerous. Furthermore, it seems as though somebody is always one step ahead of her and trying to stop her from uncovering the truth. Pip discovers that Jamie was talking to a
catfish going by the alias 'Layla Mead', who used a photo of a schoolmate named Stella Chapman. After extensive research Pip learns that the catfish was after someone referred to as 'Child Brunswick' by the media, the child of Scott Brunswick, who unwillingly assisted his father in multiple child murders. She eventually figures out that Child Brunswick is local Fairview/Little Kilton newspaper worker, Stanley Forbes. She also figures out that Forbes had abducted Jamie after Layla had sent Jamie to murder him if he reacted to the words 'Child Brunswick', along with Luke Eaton, who was Natalie Da Silva's boyfriend at the time, and who was cheating on her with Layla. Pip, Ravi, and Connor set out to get Jamie back, which involves getting Stanley out of his house. Pip pretends to be Layla and leads him out to the old farmhouse, located near the place where Andie Bell's body was dumped in the previous novel. After initially hiding, she is forced to confront him to prevent him from leaving. She reveals to him that she is not Layla and that she knows everything, but isn't there to blackmail him. He talks about his father and his story. Charlie Green, Pip's neighbour, then joins them, and asks for Pip's phone to text his wife. When Pip hands it to him, he places it into his pocket and asks Stanley for his. Stanley is hesitant until Charlie pulls out a gun and threatens him. Charlie shares how he was actually the brother of the youngest victim of Scott Brunswick and how he had hunted Stanley down to end his life. Stanley tries to apologise for helping his father, even though he was forced to. Charlie doesn't accept this and raises his weapon. Pippa begs him to stop, but he doesn't and shoots Stanley. She desperately tries to stop the bleeding and keep him alive before realising that Charlie has set the building on fire. She bravely manages to drags Stanley out of the house, though tragically once outside, finds that he has died. She attempts
CPR, before the emergency services arrive and paramedics step in and ultimately end up declaring him deceased. Pip is taken to the police department for questioning and to rule her out as a suspect in Stanley's murder. Later, a funeral for Stanley is held. Pip tries to make a speech, but is rudely interrupted by a group of individuals protesting against Stanley. This enrages Pip, and she storms over to the protesters, yelling at them and destroying a few of their signs before she's dragged away. The book ends at a barbecue with the Reynolds, which Jamie Reynolds jokes is a ''Surprise! I'm not dead!'' party. It starts to show the effects Stanley's death had on Pip for the first time.
Good Girl, Bad Blood was shortlisted for the 2021
YA Book Prize.
As Good As Dead (2021) Following the events of
Good Girl, Bad Blood, Pip has been left
psychologically traumatised, implied to have
PTSD, and is unable to sleep at night. With her life already at an all-time low, things take a turn for the worse when she becomes the target of a relentless, anonymous stalker. The stalker sends her constant messages, asking her the same question: "''Who will look for you when you're the one that disappears?''" At first Pip tries to brush off the threats, hoping that it's just a
troll, but as the messages become more frequent and the stalker's presence looms closer and closer to her home, she begins to realise that the danger is real, imminent, and inescapable. Despite her pleas, the police refuse to take her seriously, leaving Pip to face the stalker alone. Armed with two past experiences in solving murders and uncovering the truth, Pip starts to dig deeper into the mystery using her own resources and contacts, interviewing people and following leads. But the further she goes, the more she realises that the stalker is someone who is closely tied to her past cases and has a vendetta against her. The stalker seems to know everything about her every move, every thought. She eventually discovers that the stalker is a dangerous serial killer who has been active for years, targeting bright young women like herself. The killer seems to be one step ahead of her at all times, leaving her feeling like she's being constantly watched with no possibility of escape. The stakes are higher than ever, and this time, she's not just trying to solve a case, she's trying to save herself from becoming the killer's next victim.
As Good As Dead received a positive review from
The Guardian, who named the book "a taut, compulsively readable, elegantly plotted thriller."
Kill Joy (2021) Kill Joy is a prequel novella set shortly prior to events of the first book in the series. Pip is invited to a friend's birthday party, set up to be a 1920s themed murder mystery dinner. At first Pip is not excited about the idea of a mock murder investigation and would much rather stay home and work on her school project for the upcoming academic year, but she decides to attend for the sake of her friends. As the night wears on though, Pip finds herself drawn into the investigation surrounding the fictional murder case of Reginald Remy. Using her sharp intellect and keen eye for detail, she pieces together the clues and is soon caught up in this game of intrigue and deception, finding herself becoming more and more invested in the case, and is determined to be the one to crack it open and uncover the truth. As the night comes to a close Pip is left with the realisation that she is unable to resist the pull of the unknown, and that perhaps this game is not just a game but a prelude to a bigger, more important, real-life investigation into a locally infamous tragic murder-suicide that she could perhaps try her hand at solving. ==Adaptation==