‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ series review: Irregular pacing, unidimensional characters peril Netflix’s Holly Jackson adaptation

Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi in ‘A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide’
| Photograph Credit score: Netflix

So far as small-town fictions go, the successful order of genres is romance over homicide thriller. However every so often, a Nancy Drew look-alike comes throughout our screens, out of the books, and tries to order the order. The restricted sequence A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide is exhibit A.

Primarily based on Holly Jackson’s e-book of the identical identify, the sequence is customized by Poppy Cogan and directed by Dolly Wells and Tom Vaughan. The six-episode sequence flows easily with out giving a lot area so that you can dwell on the irregular tempo of occasions.

The story opens on a darkish street within the small English city of Little Kilton in 2019. In a short flashback, Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies), is seen strolling down the road with a wound on the again of her head. That was the final time she was seen earlier than she went lacking. When her boyfriend Sal Singh’s (Rahul Pattni) corpse is discovered within the woods together with a cryptic confession of homicide, it turns into an open shut case of a murder-suicide scenario.

Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi and Zain Iqbal as Ravi Singh in ‘A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide’
| Photograph Credit score:
NETFLIX

5 years later, 17-year-old Pippa Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) decides to mud off the cobwebs and tackle the duty of discovering the actual fact as part of her EPQ (Prolonged Venture Qualification). The residents of Little Kilton have moved on from the occasions of the previous — constructed a reminiscence wall for Andie, ostracized the Singh household, slung racist insults at them, and imagine that the lacking corpse of Andie is the work of Sal, who they dub a mastermind killer.

The sequence examines rage, obsession, friendship, drug use, assault and extra from a teen one thing’s perspective, as quite a few titles like Fairly Little Liars, Stranger Issues, and 13 Causes Why have performed earlier than. A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide tries to stroll of their footsteps and succeeds, however doesn’t essentially surpass.

Pippa groups up with a reluctant Ravi Singh (Zain Iqbal), Sal’s youthful brother, and begins the investigation by reverse engineering the night time Andie had gone lacking. She interviews the common suspects — family and friends of the victims — and no one questions her motive; most are wanting to reply all her questions honestly and instantly, similar to in each different tween thriller.

Whereas the sequence of occasions isn’t precisely predictable, the primary couple of episodes are spent establishing the early levels of the investigation; the sequence then rushes by means of the climax within the finale, virtually as if the writers wished to tie up the sequence with a clear conclusion like a college essay. From the fifth episode, through which a seemingly huge twist is unveiled, the story picks up tempo and from then on, it’s a race in opposition to time.

The titular “good lady” earns her tag by being a teen who doesn’t take pleasure in any vices, but additionally by taking an ethical excessive floor of making an attempt to repair the city’s wrongs (as she suspects, solely as a result of Sal was a “good man”). Her greatest pal, Cara Ward (Asha Banks) stands by with out including a lot to the story, however being a continuing presence on her conscience. Other than Emma and Zain’s characters, the supporting solid are mere hangers for his or her roles and lack dimension.

Zain Iqbal as Ravi Singh and Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi in ‘A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide’
| Photograph Credit score:
Sally Mais/Netflix

Cara’s sister Naomi (Yasmin Al-Khudhairi), who was one among Sal’s greatest pals, and wealthy child Max Hastings (Henry Ashton) have loads of secrets and techniques to cover, which Pippa uncovers, not by logic, however by probability. Clues fall into her lap, and her topics are loose-tongued round her, as a result of “no one goes to trouble with a college lady doing her venture.” Nonetheless, as she stumbles upon multiple darkish secret, she begins receiving nameless threats asking her to cease digging. In order teenagers do, she does the other and foolishly places herself and her family members in hurt’s approach.

She performs silly video games and wins silly prizes, however comes out with flying colors as she uncovers secrets and techniques, and even manages to be taught a factor or two about herself.

Barring a few minute particulars, the sequence follows the storyline from the unique e-book fairly intently. That being mentioned, the tempo and stream of the story are higher learn than watched.

A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide is at present streaming on Netflix