Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson – Summary
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson, the second installment in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. Let's first dive into the story, then we’ll discuss the book overall. So let’s begin!
The second book picks up right where the first left off — at Sal Singh’s memorial. The entire town has gathered, but Jamie Reynolds, a close friend of Sal, is noticeably missing. Jamie’s younger brother, Connor, is friends and classmates with Pippa (Pip), our protagonist. Since Pip had recently solved the murder case of Andie Bell, Connor turns to her for help in finding Jamie.
Although Pip had vowed never to involve herself in such investigations again — after nearly losing her life, her dog being killed, and experiencing several traumatic events — she finds it hard to refuse Connor, who is clearly devastated. Pip initially tries to help by speaking to a policeman she knows, but the police dismiss the case, claiming that missing adults often return on their own.
Disheartened, Pip receives a call from her boyfriend Ravi, who encourages her to trust her instincts and do what she believes is right. Motivated by his support, Pip visits Connor’s house to speak with him and his mother, Joanna. During their conversation, she learns that Jamie had been talking to Nat Da Silva — a girl who was previously bullied by Andie Bell and had a viral video leaked of her. Jamie’s behavior had recently become erratic, and his family was concerned.
Pip and Connor search Jamie’s room, hoping to find clues on his laptop, but they’re unable to unlock it. Pip encourages them to keep trying and continues her investigation. She visits Nat Da Silva, who is cold and unhelpful. There, Pip also encounters Nat’s boyfriend, Luke. He reveals that Jamie had seen someone suspicious at the memorial and had planned to meet Nat afterward — but never showed up.
Pip then visits Stanley Forbes, a journalist from Kilton Mail, and asks him to publish an article about Jamie’s disappearance. He agrees. Later, Pip’s friend Cara tells her that she saw Jamie at a house party on the night of the memorial. Excited by this lead, Pip starts asking around. Some people confirm having seen Jamie, and eventually, Pip finds a video from the party in which Jamie appears to be talking to a girl.
At school, Pip confronts the girl in the video, who reveals something strange: she didn’t know Jamie, but he kept calling her “Laila” and seemed upset that she was ignoring him. This leads Pip to suspect that Jamie had been talking to someone online under a fake identity. After many failed attempts, Connor and his mother finally unlock Jamie’s laptop, and Pip finds several chat logs.
It turns out Jamie had created a fake persona to talk to someone named “Laila,” pretending to be a 29-year-old finance worker. Later, he admitted the truth — he was 24 and working part-time. Despite the lies, he became emotionally attached and was desperate for Laila’s attention. Pip discovers that the Laila account was fake too and begins tracking the account’s followers.
Among the people Laila follows are Luke, Nat’s boyfriend; Daniel Da Silva, Nat’s brother and a police officer; a local history teacher; and Stanley Forbes — all 29 years old and recently married. Pip starts questioning these people to figure out who might be behind the Laila persona.
Eventually, Luke admits that Jamie had asked him for a large sum of money — £900 — which he hadn’t repaid. Jamie had spoken in strange code words like “child brunsick,” which confused Luke. Later, Jamie ran away. Pip investigates “child brunsick” and learns it refers to a serial killer whose son helped him with the murders. That son later disappeared and was rumored to be living in Little Kilton.
While researching, Pip remembers seeing a familiar face in an old case photo: Stanley Forbes. She realizes Stanley is the son of the child killer. She believes Jamie may be with Stanley and sends Ravi and Connor to his house to investigate, while she lures Stanley to a farmhouse by pretending to be Laila.
At the same time, Ravi and Connor find Jamie safe at Stanley’s house. Stanley confesses everything to Pip — he is indeed the son of the serial killer, but he never wanted to be like his father. He had moved to Little Kilton to start fresh and live a normal life. He says Jamie had discovered his identity and was one of several people trying to blackmail or expose him. Stanley, fearing for his life, locked Jamie up to protect himself.
Suddenly, a man named Charlie Green appears. He and his wife had recently moved to Little Kilton. Charlie, it turns out, had a personal vendetta: his sister was kidnapped and murdered by Stanley’s father. Recognizing Pip as Laila, he confronts Stanley and kills him in a fit of rage. He then sets the farmhouse on fire. Pip tries to save Stanley, but it’s too late — he dies in the fire.
The police arrive and take everyone to safety. Pip is reunited with Ravi, Connor, and her family. Though shaken, she’s relieved that Jamie is safe. The story ends here.
Good Girl, Bad Blood is an incredibly engaging and suspenseful mystery. Despite lacking romance or "spice," it keeps readers hooked with its intense plot and unexpected twists. I absolutely love this series, and though there’s still one book left, I have high hopes it’ll be just as great.
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