Kylie’s Book Nook
My name is Kylie Sebert. I'm a native of Spirit Lake and just recently moved back to West Des Moines! I have Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, with an emphasis in fiction. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook as @litwithkyiejo. As with most writers, one of my passions is discovering and reading great books. I hope my reviews will spark an excitement for literature in people around the Great Lakes area!
A Good Girl Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder — 5 STARS
Good Girl, Bad Blood — 5 STARS
As Good As Dead — 5 STARS
I’m so sad Pip’s detective adventures are over. I was hooked on this series. I listened to all three books on audio and it was so well done. The interview-style recordings were amazing and the experience of listening to them was just next level.
As Good As Dead is the finale and it’s always tough to conclude such a strong series.
"Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?"
I thought Jackson did a great job of wrapping up loose ends and tying everything together. The paranoia and struggles Pip endures in this final book are intense and feel so inevitable with everything she has gone through. Her relationship with Ravi felt consistent, adorable, and had me rooting for them all over again. There were so many intense moments, I couldn’t stop listening.
Overall I will recommend this series to everyone! I’m not huge on re-reads but I would love to go back to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and begin again.
He Started It by Samantha Downing
Samantha Downing strikes again! I was a huge fan of Downing’s My Lovely Wife and I couldn’t wait for another dose of her craziness from her. Yet another fantastic thriller audiobook.
Synopsis: “Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.”
There was so much to love here, the wild road trip, the super dysfunctional family, the secrets, the lies, the bizarre museums, the unexpected twists, and that ending! Downing knows how to write a fresh thriller that feels wholly original and she’s a pro at writing the most insane characters. Beth is our narrator and her head was so much fun to get into.
4.25 STARS — There was one small part of the story that didn’t work for me. I can’t reveal anything but I feel like most people that have read it will know what I’m talking about. I couldn’t get on board no matter how hard I tried to dissect it. Other than that, this is another must-read thriller for your list.