Good Girl, Bad Blood

Gr 7 Up--Jackson's latest picks right up where The Good Girl's Guide to Murder left off. Max Hastings is on trial, and Pippa and Ravi are diligently keeping the listeners of Pip's true crime podcast up-to-date with what happens in court. Then Pip discovers another close friend is missing, and against her better instincts, she gets drawn into another case. This new case takes a while to unfold, asking patience of its audience, but once it starts listeners are thrown headlong into it. Pip adeptly uses her vast social media and research skills to investigate, and listeners will be figuring out the mystery along with Pip as clues are revealed. Bailey Carr does the bulk of the narration and conveys Pip's angst while she recovers from the previous case as well as her tenacity as she works to solve the current one. Complete with sound effects, the richness of a full-cast audio is captured by Bailey and the 10 additional narrators: MacLeod Andrews, Donte Bonner, James Fouhey, Neil Hellegers, Cary Hite, Amy Landon, Raymond J. Lee, Keylor Leigh, Maggi-Meg Reed, and Shezi Sardar, who voice the parts of newspaper journalists and podcast participants and fans. VERDICT Suspenseful, intricately plotted, relevant, and engaging, this audiobook will appeal to fans of mysteries and stories involving social media.--Julie Paladino, formerly with East Chapel Hill H.S., NC

In this suspenseful follow-up to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2020), Pippa Fitz-Amobi breaks her promise to give up sleuthing when a friend goes missing. Pip's viral true-crime podcast detailing her successful investigation into the murder of Andie Bell has earned her both fans and detractors and cemented her reputation as a notable young detective. She remains close to Ravi Singh, whose older brother was under suspicion in that case. When her friend Connor Reynolds begs for her help because his older brother, Jamie, has disappeared, she declines to investigate but offers to speak to the police about it. College dropout Jamie, 24, has a history of leaving home without notice, so the police write off his case, compelling Pippa to take matters into her own hands despite her promise to her parents that she would be more careful. From his strange internet search history to his private conversations with a catfish, the truth behind Jamie's disappearance is darker than anyone expected. Pip is haunted by the repercussions of her first case--including the ongoing trial of a serial rapist--and undergoes an identity crisis that challenges her beliefs about what makes a person good. Podcast transcripts, Instagram messages, and news articles with time stamps marking the growing length of Jamie's absence piece together a thrilling puzzle that will keep readers asking questions even after the story's end. Most main characters are White. Psychologically stirring and truly modern. (Mystery. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.