As Good As Dead picks up shortly before Pippa Fitz-Amobi heads off to college. The previous year’s trauma – murders, suicide, and rape – has deeply impacted Pip. The once bold, crime-solving podcaster now struggles with fear and anger. Still facing a libel lawsuit from Max Hastings, acquitted of rape in Good Girl, Bad Blood, Pip grapples with PTSD and self-medicates with Xanax, avoiding therapy.
Determined to regain control, Pip starts a new podcast season, delving into the unsolved nine-year-old case of a Jane Doe discovered near the Hudson River. This investigation is quickly overshadowed by anonymous, threatening emails asking, “Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?” These are followed by disturbing discoveries: decapitated pigeons in her yard and chalk stick figures with severed heads drawn on her driveway.
Pip initially suspects Max Hastings. However, a search for crimes linked to similar threats reveals a serial killer known as the Duct Tape Killer, currently imprisoned. As Pip explores the possibility of a wrongful conviction, she becomes convinced that the real killer is still free and that she has become his next target. This pushes her into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted.
The book explores several themes. The lasting effects of trauma and how individuals cope with it are central. The novel also questions the justice system, particularly wrongful convictions and the possibility of systemic failures. Additionally, it delves into the dark side of online interactions and the potential for anonymity to embolden harmful behavior. The constant threat Pip faces highlights themes of fear, paranoia, and the lengths one will go to protect themselves and loved ones.
Common Sense Media often provides reviews that consider age appropriateness and potential issues for young readers. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series contains mature themes like violence, murder, sexual assault, and drug use. Parents and educators might find Common Sense Media’s reviews helpful in determining if the books are suitable for their children or students, considering individual maturity levels and sensitivities.
Pip’s journey is intense, filled with twists and turns that examine the psychological impact of violence and the complexities of seeking justice.
