“A Good Girl's Guide” is a cozy crime novel

Five years ago, a girl disappeared without a trace. Everyone knew that it was her boyfriend who had killed her – his confession and his body were found in the forest after a guilt-driven suicide. The case is closed. Or is it?

The Netflix drama series “A Good Girl's Guide to Murder,” a six-episode adaptation of Holly Jackson's bestselling novel, is an entertaining mix of exciting twists and heartwarming friendships, despite the series' slow start and the characters' questionable decisions.

The series, which was released on the streaming platform on August 1, stars 22-year-old Emma Myers as Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a schoolgirl in a small English town who decides to do her Extended Project Qualification (an optional research project for British secondary school students) on the solved murder case of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies). Andie disappeared five years ago and investigators claimed her boyfriend Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), who allegedly confessed and committed suicide, was guilty.

However, Pip is not convinced. She teams up with Ravi Singh (Zain Iqbal), Sal's younger brother, and together they discover the truth.

Myers plays the role of Pip impressively: the American actress has a passable British accent and believable acting chops. I sat through the show without wincing at a single exaggerated line, repeated gesture or monotone speech. That may be a low bar, but somehow it's not always met, especially in shows aimed at young adult audiences. Myers mastered Pip's poker face, playing the quirky detective with a perfect balance of wit and clever problem-solving skills.

Yet for all her cleverness, the character Pip often lacked common sense and caution, and repeatedly put herself in risky situations. While this doesn't get her into too much trouble, these obviously unwise decisions keep reminding the viewer that the show is fictional. For example, Pip directly confronts murder suspects alone and gives them all her information up front. Her phone is inconveniently out of sight while she, not very subtly, goes through the murder victim's belongings, causing her to miss important red flags and almost get caught in the act. Furthermore, the distinctive red car she drives during the case is a ridiculous choice while scouting out key locations.

On the other hand, you have to admire Pip's courage and determination. She is still young, and if she had already been a skilled and meticulous detective, the show would have been very boring. Pip's typical curiosity and persistence make the show what it is.

One of the highlights of the show is the genuine friendship between Pip and Cara Ward (Asha Banks), Pip's longtime best friend. Their interactions are natural and reflect how well the characters know each other. Cara is always understanding when Pip needs to go somewhere, and Pip fits in well with the rest of Cara's family. Most importantly, their relationship isn't perfect, which makes it even more realistic. Pip goes against Cara's wishes when she interviews her older sister Naomi, and Cara secretly tracks Pip's whereabouts, even though Pip doesn't share it with anyone. Despite, or because of, these little mishaps, the girls' genuine friendship is adorable to watch and invites the viewer to become more invested in the show.

I also enjoyed watching Pip and Ravi's relationship develop over the course of the series, as the two bond over marshmallows and make quick escapes together from places they're not supposed to be. The two characters are strangers who grow closer over the course of the season, and they make a dynamic duo, even if their connection didn't resonate with me as strongly as Pip and Cara's.

Despite the show's compelling characters, the pace of the plot is rather slow. The first few episodes aren't immediately engaging and I felt like there were missed opportunities for cliffhangers to keep the viewer hooked. Instead of sitting on the edge of my seat, eager to continue watching the rest of the series, I found myself sitting back at the end of each 40-minute episode waiting for something more exciting to happen. Individual scenes sometimes go on too long or become repetitive, which dulled my interest. After reading the book, I was confident that there would be some interesting twists at the end and looked forward to the rest of my family experiencing the shock of learning the truth just as I did. However, the first few episodes didn't offer the level of suspense and mystery I was hoping for.

The best quality of the series is its ending. The twists in the last two episodes in particular are gripping and unexpected and have left me speculating heavily as I try to solve the case.

Overall, the series approaches a pleasant and familiar genre with a little thrill and was good enough to watch in a couple of nights. The series ended well, tying up the final pieces of the case and leaving me excited for the next season.

Editor's Note: This article is a review and contains subjective thoughts, opinions and criticism.