As Good as Dead: The Finale to a Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Gr 9 Up–This final installment in the series sees Pip about ready to head off to college. The podcast she created after solving the mystery of who murdered a girl at her high school is a phenomenon—one that Pip hadn’t anticipated. She is hoping to leave it all behind when she goes to college but soon realizes someone isn’t ready to let her go. Disturbing messages have become commonplace with the podcast’s popularity, but one keeps appearing: “Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?” When the threats escalate, Pip starts to see similarities to a serial killer who was arrested six years ago. She begins to wonder if the right person is in jail, and the police refuse to help, which forces Pip to take the investigation and her safety into her own hands. The book takes a huge, unexpected turn about halfway through, leaving the rest as an anxiety ridden self-examination by Pip as she struggles to keep it together. Some readers may find the repetitive nature of her inner turmoil difficult as the tone is unlike that of previous books. Readers will enjoy that Bailey Carr is back as the main narrator, and the additional cast of voice actors who read the transcripts of the recorded interviews give the plot a true podcast feel.