A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder left an impression with its Netflix debut — but how does the TV adaptation compare to the original book series?
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 girl 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.
While the TV show sticks closely to story lines introduced in the books, there were a few changes that ranged from subtle to very noticeable.
Social media played a huge role, with Facebook being switched to Instagram on screen. Pip’s dog Barnie shifted from a golden retriever to a white English sheep dog on the show, and the nicknames Pip’s stepfather calls her were changed from the book’s “Pickle” and “Pipsicle” to “Chicken” on the show.
Keep scrolling for the main differences that took place on Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder compared to the book series:
The Depth of Pip’s Investigation
The benefit of telling a mystery on the page means more time to make mistakes and dig deeper for answers. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder still has Pip reaching the same conclusions on screen, but at times, it is noticeable how certain answers coincidentally find their way to her.
In the first book, however, Pip interviewed people more than once before piecing details together. The destination is ultimately the same, but the onscreen journey looked quite different for those familiar with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Pip’s Closer Connection to Andie
A key change in the show was making Pip more invested in Andie’s (India Lillie Davies) disappearance because they crossed paths in the past. When Pip was younger, she saw Andie in distress before her disappearance and was even asked to keep the missing girl’s location a secret. Pip, however, told Sal (Rahul Pattni) immediately where Andie went, which made her feel guilty and more determined to clear Sal’s name.
The book kept it more simple by just having Pip think Sal was innocent because of how kind he was to her.
Offering a Larger Glimpse Into Andie and Sal’s Story
Jackson didn’t explore Andie and Sal’s connection too much in the book series, while the TV show utilized flashback scenes to make the audience care about their relationship more.
Blink-and-You-Miss-It Change
Book fans remember Elliot Ward (Mathew Baynton) being a history teacher, so the switch to English professor seemingly came out of nowhere. Some viewers have pointed out that the swap could have been a way to acknowledge Baynton’s character in Ghosts, who is a poet.
The Friendship Dynamics
Pip’s inner circle featured Ant Lowe in the book, while the series introduced him simply as Lauren’s (Yali Topol Margalith) new boyfriend — for now. Andie was close to Emma (Georgia Arron) and Chloe in the book, but the show opted to make Nat (Jessica Webber) one of her best friends instead. The shakeup seems to be a strategic move that makes Andie betraying Nat hurt more, which later leads to Nat becoming a suspect in her disappearance.
Making an Update
While the book introduced calamity parties as a key setting for a major reveal, the TV version of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder instead used illegal raves with secret parties in underground caves in the woods.
The Final Showdown
Final warning about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder spoilers ahead. The big reveal that Andie’s sister Becca (Carla Woodcock) is responsible for her death is included both on the page and on screen. However, Becca confesses to Pip in the book before drugging her. Pip then runs away, but Becca catches up to her and tries to strangle her before changing her mind. Pip’s dad and Ravi (Zain Iqbal) eventually appear and help in the aftermath.
Netflix’s version has most of the same beats, but Becca offers to take Pip to where she hid Andie’s body (in a septic tank located in an underground tunnel). Becca tries to get rid of Pip in the same way but is scared off by Ravi and Cara (Asha Banks) tracking them down.
