| Order | Cover | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series | |||
| 1 |
|
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder | 2019 |
| 2 |
|
Good Girl, Bad Blood | 2020 |
| 3 |
|
Kill Joy | 2021 |
| 4 |
|
As Good as Dead | 2021 |
| Standalone books | |||
| 1 |
|
Five Survive | 2022 |
| 2 |
|
The Reappearance of Rachel Price | 2024 |
| 3 |
|
Not Quite Dead Yet | 2025 |
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series
The A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder books[1] should be read in publication order for the main continuing storyline, while Kill Joy is best treated as a supplementary prequel rather than the first entry. The best starting point is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, since it introduces Pip Fitz-Amobi, Ravi Singh, the Little Kilton case, and the investigative pattern that later books build on.[2-5]
The series is a continuing mystery sequence centered on Pip Fitz-Amobi and the consequences of her investigations. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder establishes the central local case and Pip’s role as an investigator, while Good Girl, Bad Blood and As Good as Dead depend on earlier events, recurring characters, and unresolved personal consequences. Kill Joy takes place before the first novel’s main investigation and works as a supplementary prequel.[2-5]
Publication order
The A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder books must be read in publication order for the main storyline, with the prequel included in its publication position:[6-7]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder | 2019[8] | Introduces Pip, Ravi, and the case that shapes the later books. |
| 2 |
|
Good Girl, Bad Blood | 2020[9-10] | Continues after Pip’s first investigation and podcast. |
| 3 |
|
Kill Joy | 2021[11] | A prequel game-story that is best read after knowing the main setup. |
| 4 |
|
As Good as Dead | 2021[12] | Builds on Pip’s earlier cases, trauma, and enemies. |
Chronological order
The chronological order places Kill Joy before A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, because its events lead into Pip’s decision to investigate the closed Andie Bell and Sal Singh case. The trade-off is that a new reader would begin with a shorter supplementary prequel rather than the book that fully establishes the main investigation, central stakes, and continuing sequence.[2-3]
Alternatively, the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder books may be read in chronological order, by following this sequence:[2-5]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Kill Joy | 2021[11] | Shows Pip before the main investigation begins. |
| 2 |
|
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder | 2019[8] | Opens the main storyline. |
| 3 |
|
Good Girl, Bad Blood | 2020[9-10] | Continues from the first investigation and podcast. |
| 4 |
|
As Good as Dead | 2021[12] | Follows the consequences of the main cases. |
Works in sequence
The core reading experience consists of the main investigative sequence: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Good Girl, Bad Blood, and As Good as Dead. It begins with Pip’s EPQ project and continues through the consequences of her later cases. These books should be read in order because later entries rely on earlier events, relationships, and unresolved fallout.[3-5]
Kill Joy expands the series by showing Pip in an earlier, smaller mystery framework. It adds context and a prequel perspective, but it is not the strongest first step for understanding the main storyline.[2]
1. Kill Joy
Kill Joy (2021)[11] introduces Pip Fitz-Amobi as a student reopening a closed local murder case for her school project. Her investigation into Andie Bell’s disappearance and Sal Singh’s supposed guilt establishes the town, the central investigative partnership with Ravi Singh, and the public consequences of uncovering crimes.[2]
It is the necessary foundation for the series.[2]
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2019)[8] follows Pip after the success of her first true-crime podcast. Although it begins with a new missing-person case, it is tied to the aftermath of the first book, including Pip’s public role, her relationship with Ravi, and the legal and emotional fallout from the earlier investigation.[3]
It moves the series beyond a single solved case.[3]
3. Good Girl, Bad Blood
Good Girl, Bad Blood (2020)[9-10] is a prequel centered on a 1920s-themed murder mystery party attended by Pip and her friends. This book offers a smaller, self-contained puzzle that shows Pip’s deductive habits before the first novel’s main case begins.[4]
It is most useful as supplementary context after the reader already understands the series frame.[4]
4. As Good as Dead
As Good as Dead (2021)[12] continues Pip’s story after the earlier investigations have left personal and legal consequences. This novel returns to unresolved threats, recurring characters, and the damage caused by previous cases, making it dependent on the preceding main books.[5]
It is the culminating book in the series rather than a standalone mystery.[5]
Standalone books
The Holly Jackson standalone books do not need to be read in order, so readers may approach them as self-contained thrillers. Each novel follows a different set of characters, a different setting, and a central mystery, with no connection requiring knowledge of an earlier book.[13-15]
However, the Holly Jackson standalone books may be read in publication order, by following this sequence:[16-18]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Five Survive | 2022[16][19] | Six teenagers are trapped in an RV by a sniper. |
| 2 |
|
The Reappearance of Rachel Price | 2024[17][20-21] | A missing mother returns after sixteen years. |
| 3 |
|
Not Quite Dead Yet | 2025[18][22] | A woman spends her final days investigating her attack. |
Works in sequence
For most readers, Five Survive is the safest default starting point because it offers a clear, self-contained thriller. It opens with an immediate crisis, a limited group of suspects, and a central question that may be followed without outside context.[13]
Readers more interested in family mysteries may instead begin with The Reappearance of Rachel Price, which centers on a returned missing person and the unstable history surrounding her disappearance. Those who prefer a countdown-driven investigation may start with Not Quite Dead Yet, in which the central figure tries to solve the crime committed against her.[14-15]
1. Five Survive
Five Survive (2022)[16][19] is a confined survival thriller built around six teenagers stranded in an RV under attack from a sniper. This story uses an escalating crisis to expose secrets within the group and connect the immediate danger to a larger criminal case.[13]
As a starting point, it offers a compact introduction to the standalone books’ emphasis on pressure, suspicion, and high-stakes revelation.[13]
2. The Reappearance of Rachel Price
The Reappearance of Rachel Price (2024)[17][20-21] shifts to a family mystery framed by a true-crime documentary. Bel Price must reassess the long-disputed disappearance of her mother when Rachel returns with a story that does not fully hold together.[14]
This novel stands apart from Five Survive, but it continues the standalone books’ interest in hidden histories, unreliable explanations, and young protagonists forced into investigation.[14]
3. Not Quite Dead Yet
Not Quite Dead Yet (2025)[18][22] follows Jet Mason after an attack leaves her with only a short time to live. Rather than being a sequel to the earlier books, it presents a separate investigation in which the victim becomes the detective of her own case.[15]
Its place in the sequence is as another standalone thriller, focused on family secrets, local suspicion, and a narrowing deadline.[15]
References
- BOOKS. HarperCollins Publishers.
- Kill Joy. Electric Monkey. ISBN: 9780008560713.
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Electric Monkey. ISBN: 9781405293181.
- Good Girl, Bad Blood. Electric Monkey. ISBN: 9781405297752.
- As Good as Dead. Electric Monkey. ISBN: 9781405298605.
- Kill Joy (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) by Holly Jackson. HarperCollins Publishers UK.
- A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. Penguin Random House.
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. HarperCollins Publishers UK.
- Good Girl, Bad Blood. HarperCollins Publishers UK.
- Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Book 2). HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
- Kill Joy. Electric Monkey. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008560713.
- As Good as Dead: TikTok made me buy it! The final book in the bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy. HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
- Five Survive. Ember. ISBN: 9780593374191.
- The Reappearance of Rachel Price. Delacorte Press. ISBN: 9780593374207.
- Not Quite Dead Yet. Penguin. ISBN: 9781405977029.
- Five Survive by Holly Jackson: 9780593374191. Penguin Random House.
- The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson: 9780593374207. Penguin Random House.
- Not Quite Dead Yet. Penguin Books UK.
- Five Survive by Holly Jackson. Penguin Random House Canada.
- The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson. HarperCollins Publishers UK.
- The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson. Penguin Random House Canada.
- Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson. Penguin Books Australia.