A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (AGGGTM) by Holly Jackson is a thrilling young adult crime novel that made the New York Times bestseller list and BookTok. It stars “good girl” Pippa (Pip) Fitz-Amobi as she tries to solve a five-year-old murder case. In the small town of Little Kilton (or Fairview, if you’re reading the US version), high school student Andie Bell disappears and her then-boyfriend Sal Sign is accused of her murder. Just days after her murder, Sal is found dead. Apparently he confessed and killed himself. But Pip is convinced of Sal’s innocence. Fans of the books raved about the unexpected twists and the heartwarming high school romance that blossoms between Pip and Ravi, Sal’s younger brother.

Three years after its release, a series adaptation was announced. Readers speculated about what the series would be like, nervously biting their nails and pleading that they not screw up the popular crime thriller. And while some readers took to social media to express their disappointment at the departure from the book, the series adaptation retains almost all of the series’ major plot points and clues, making it an entertaining experience whether you’ve read the books or not.

The series is only six episodes long, so of course it leaves out a lot – small clues as well as big red herrings. Pip, played by Emma Meyers, even discovers the same clues in different ways; she confronts drug dealer Howie (Thomas Gray) alone at a party rather than with Ravi (Zain Iqbal) in his house. But since Pip spends most of the book walking around and talking to people, the changes to the series make sense. While Pip’s walks down Murder Street to prove Sal’s innocence make for compelling reading because of her internal monologue, watching a teenager walk around a small British town for 40 minutes wouldn’t be nearly as exciting on screen.

The series’ soundtrack is masterfully chosen – it manages to perfectly capture the tense atmosphere of the series every time. The series’ soundtrack is peppered with big hits and classics alike, from AWOLNATION’s “Sail” to Billie Eillish’s “You Should See Me In A Crown.” Each song heightens the emotional tension of the scene. Opening the first episode with The Last Dinner Party’s “The Feminine Urge” is the perfect introduction to Pip, reckless, and willing to commit crimes in the name of justice, while also being a musical nod to the trilogy’s feminist themes. Gil Scott-Heron’s “Me and The Devil” sets a key scene involving Max Hastings (Henry Ashton) and Pip, another great musical nod – this time to one of the series’ devils.

Speaking of the devil, Ashton delivers an incredible portrayal of the world’s most beatable man. From the moment he appears on screen as Max Hastings, you can’t help but hate him. With his casual misogyny and predatory behavior, Ashton perfectly captures the character’s condescension and sense of entitlement as he mockingly calls Pip a “good girl” and a “hysterical avenging virgin.”

The series makes some additional changes, such as more tension (and disrespect on Pip’s part) between Pip and her mother, who is a largely unremarkable character in the books and mostly only appears to support Pip or express concern for her well-being. While this doesn’t necessarily detract from the story, it doesn’t add anything to it either.

Still, there was one character I didn’t miss – Stanley Forbes. The spiteful reporter is a minor antagonist of the books, fueling the racist hatred and ostracism of the Singh family in the first book. In the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood, Stanley becomes a major character, leaving the series with fewer storylines for the next season. And if this season’s references are any indication, the series is trying to gear up for three seasons, one for each book.

When someone is guilty of murder, the industry standard is to compress entire books with complex storylines into six to eight episodes. This format inevitably loses some of the subplots, structure, and nuance of the book, leaving the audience wanting more.

Despite the compressed story, Meyers perfectly translates Pip’s awkwardness from the page to the screen, creating a lovable (if uptight) teenager who becomes obsessed with a case everyone else thought was closed. The series uses this as an opportunity to inject a sense of humor into the series that is missing from the books. Pip and her friends put their youthful idiocy and penchant for mischief on full display, providing moments of genuine laughter and love for both the audience and the characters, giving the otherwise intense story a much-needed lift.

The development of Ravi and Pip’s relationship is sweet and authentic, capturing the semi-slow-paced tension of the first book as the two detectives work side by side to solve the crime. While readers waiting for the iconic “Real men wear flowers when they trespass” quote might be disappointed, their banter between Sherlock and Watson is still a highlight of the show.

Whether you’re a first-time fan or a long-time fan, the AGGTM show is a must-watch. The show executes the plot twists so well that I found myself clicking to the next episode as soon as possible even though I knew how the story ended. If you’re looking for a good (if not entirely accurate) book adaptation or a heart-wrenching, mind-blowing crime thriller with a mood playlist to match, the AGGTM show should be your prime suspect.