Zain Iqbal and Emma Myers. Courtesy of Sally Mais/Netflix
Netflix’s upcoming series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the perfect watch for fans of mystery.
The six-part adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Holly Jackson. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder centers around a teenager named Pip (Emma Myers) who takes it upon herself to solve a case where a local school was seemingly murdered by her boyfriend before he died by suicide. Pip’s interest in true crime guides her — as does the brother of the alleged killer.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is like a mashup of Booksmart, Veronica Mars and the podcast “Serial.” It’s a proper whodunit, with a brilliant mystery at its heart but it’s also a mixture of genres,” screenwriter Poppy Cogan told BBC in June 2024 about the show. “There’s lightness and comedy, but as the series progresses, it cranks up to an exciting thriller, there are even flashes of horror. It’s got a bit of everything.”
Cogan admitted that there were challenges when creating the show, adding, “Part of the charm of the book is that it is written in quite a graphic style. It has interview transcripts, typed up notes, handwritten post-its, which give the book a fun visual feel. Of course, we needed to find a different way to get the information across on the screen, everything needed to come to life. Another big challenge was working out what we should leave out.”
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Jackson also weighed in on the work that went into adapting her book.
“What has always been most important to me throughout this adaptation process is to stay loyal to the source material and make sure it adheres to the spirit of the book, as I know that that’s what readers truly want to see,” she told the outlet. “I’m really excited for everyone to see the characters and scenes they already love, and some new surprises too.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Netflix’s mystery series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder:
When Is the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ Being Released?
The first season was released on BBC iPlayer in July 2024. The series will be available via Netflix in the U.S. starting August 1, 2024.
What Is the Show Based On?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is based on a book series written by Jackson, who was involved with the show as an executive producer.
“I think the reason that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder lends itself so well to a TV show is because the book is cinematic. I don’t start writing until I know every single beat and scene and can run the plot like a movie in my head. I think that’s why so many readers have been clamoring for an adaptation since the start,” Jackson told BBC in July 2024. “So, in a way, it felt like quite a natural translation to turn A Good Girls Guide book into the TV show, with all the big set piece scenes readers will recognize from the book, and new scenes or existing scenes envisioned in a new way to fit the visual medium.”
She continued: “I know readers are very protective and want to see a faithful adaptation. I have made sure — wherever I was able — that the show stays true to the books, because I owe my readers everything and want them to love this adaptation as much as the books.”
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Who Makes Up the Cast?
In addition to Myers, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks, Raiko Gohara, Jude Morgan-Collie, Yali, Topol Margalith, Yasmin Al-Khudhairi and Henry Ashton star in the series. Carla Woodcock, Mathew Baynton, Gary Beadle and Anna Maxwell Martin round out the cast.
According to Jackson, casting Pip and Ravi (Iqbal) was the most difficult part of the process.
“Casting the two lead roles was our most high-pressure task because we knew from the start that we had to find the perfect Pip and Ravi. The show would not work if we didn’t find the right actors,” the author told BBC. “I always knew that when we announced the casting for Pip and Ravi that there was going to be a strong reaction and a lot of noise on the internet, because this is such an engaged fanbase.”
What Is the Synopsis?
The show follows an investigation carried out by a teenage sleuth who is determined to solve a five-year-old murder-suicide case. Pip is focused on exonerating Sal (Rahul Pattni), who she thinks was falsely accused, and hopes to find the actual person behind the murders.
Is There Potential for More Seasons?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the first in a series of novels: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Good Girl, Bad Blood, As Good As Dead and Kill Joy. Executive producer Frith Tiplady previously noted that the first season has an actual ending. However, no one involved with the production of the show has ruled out more seasons based on the rest of the series.
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How Did the Cast Find Connections to Their Characters?
Myers discussed what fans can expect from the series, telling NME in June 2024, “It keeps you on your toes the whole time. I remember feeling stressed reading the series of books. My heart was racing and Holly Jackson’s really good at leaving you on cliffhangers and thinking you have it figured out but you actually don’t and the adaptation keeps the same suspense the whole way through.”
The actress also reflected on how she saw herself in Pip.
“I felt like I have more in common with Pip than I do Enid,” she said in reference to her fan-favorite character on Netflix’s Wednesday. “I’m not as smart as Pip is, but our personalities are somewhat similar, so I felt a connection with her when I read the books.”
Were There Concerns About Keeping the Book Fans Happy?
Iqbal admitted he had a lot to learn when he booked the role of Ravi.
“I hadn’t ever heard of [the book], which seems strange looking back now — given there is such a strong fanbase there around the books. I treated it like any other audition, where you make the most of the material you are given, do the self tape or audition and then try to put it to the back of your mind,” the actor told Wonderland Magazine in July 2024. “Looking back, I’m happy that I didn’t know of the book or the popularity of it, as I would have put too much pressure on myself.”
He continued: “The audition process was really thorough, I had quite a few auditions including two chemistry reads with Emma. Ravi is such a popular character from the book and so I think the casting really wanted to get him right. I was able to work with Dolly Wells, our wonderful director, on developing Ravi as a character and it was a great process.”
