Could a murder case be solved as homework? This was the premise of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” a recent BBC series that adapted the eponymous novel by Holly Jackson, who also served as an executive producer.
The show starred Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi, who also played Enid Sinclair in the Netflix series “Wednesday.” Pip took to solving the murder of high school student Andie Bell, believing the police were wrong about the case five years prior. What began as a school project for her university application soon morphed into a high-stakes investigation.
Highs
The show managed to be faithful to the plot of the novel, making changes that were either necessary for adaptation or made sense. The core mystery from the novel was kept, but the show managed to expand on it in a well-paced way, each episode giving a different section of the case time to shine.
As a matter of fact, the show managed to dig deeper at times than the novel. Exploring more of the character's reactions and involvement in the mystery. This was especially strong in the final episodes that deeply explored how intricate and dark the case was.
The atmosphere of the show fits with the story. The cinematography having been subtly gloomy with a soundtrack of moody pop songs, including the likes of Billie Eilish and The Last Dinner Party.
Lows
The show lacked compelling performances, leading to many of the characters being flat. In particular, Myers was one-note and lacking in charisma, making Pip an unconvincing detective who spent the entire show with high-stress levels even before the stakes were so high.
Lost in translation was the academic angle of the novel. The novel was deeply invested in the mystery as a school journalism project, and although the show preserved this plotline, it was more of an afterthought with the emphasis put on the mystery itself. Part of this was the limits of adaptation as the novel could better show written media such as interview transcripts and written reports. Another part of it was the show just not giving enough time to the scenes in the classroom or showcasing it as homework.
Verdict
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” managed to bring an intriguing, intricate mystery from novel to screen, although some details and plot points were changed, it managed to stay true to the spirit of the book. With strong writing, it needed stronger acting to match.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
