Critic Reviews
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Overall, there’s a wholesomeness, a sweetness that feels almost daring for the times. The six episodes slide down like a glass of old-fashioned pop on a sunny day.
-
In terms of gripping the viewer and getting them invested in the mystery, the initial setup is rather lackluster, so much so that it's difficult to say whether there’s even a setup at all. .... That said, when the series finally gets into the mystery, it really gets into it, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder knows how to pull off its plot twists.
-
There is very little urgency here, which may be blamed on the fact that the six-part series was adapted from the very popular YA novel by Holly Jackson, who writes in a genre in which even death is not to be taken too seriously, lest one disturb the youth.
-
Even the tiniest and seemingly most insignificant details help put all the moving pieces into their place. Ultimately, as in most mystery series, getting the story right is what ends up being the most important thing here. And despite its shortcomings, "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" is able to do just that in the end.
-
It’s murder-lite but with just enough grit and twists, however contrived, to keep you bingeing through its six episodes. With more stories to plunder in the novel series, this surely won’t be the last we see of the resourceful Pip Fitz-Amobi.
-
There is no time to be bored, to dwell on the plot holes or to do anything other than enjoy yourself. It manages to be a meditation on the trials and tribulations of growing up and on the manifestations of grief. In short, it’s a good good girl’s guide to murder.
-
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is at its best when it leans into being a fast-paced, frothy whodunnit. If you go into it expecting an epic and intricate Wilkie Collins-style thriller, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But if you’re looking for an easy, breezy binge-worthy murder mystery, prepare to be glued to your screen.
-
Although some of these component parts might feel familiar, the story is pacily told and filled with enough twists to make A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder moreish viewing. Think The Famous Five meets Pretty Little Liars, as told by Agatha Christie: it’s a combination that shouldn’t really work on paper, but will have you hooked all the same.
-
The writing, directing, and acting struggle to find a balance, resulting in not a single notable performance (except the suspect uncovered in Episode 5, around the exact time that the show becomes marginally watchable).