Behold all lovers of crime fiction and thriller. There is a new BBC whodunnit starring Emma Myers on the television block. It has been adapted from a young-adult bestseller and Holly Jackson’s 2019 debut novel, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”.
The book has been translated to the small screen by Poppy Cogan and is directed by Dolly Wells.
From books to television series to podcasts, most of us appreciate a good murder mystery. All the episodes for “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” aired on BBC iPlayer on July 1.
Each one being 45 minutes long, the first season consists of only 6 episodes. But makers have hinted at the possibility of a second and even a third season based on the other two books, if the first installment is commercially successful and apt to people’s taste.
‘A Quiet Place: Day One’: Aliens invade, but pizza must be acquired!The task of adapting a book to screen is always tricky as depending on how true it remains to the original script, the viewers share their response. It must include all the important plot points of the book without skipping over any essential details but must also present something new that has not been shown in the book. It must preserve the authenticity of the author’s primary work as well as remain somewhat original on its own.
The lead actor Emma Myers, was previously seen on Netflix’s rendition of the fictional Addams’ family, on the show “Wednesday” as her trusted companion Enid. She has confirmed in an interview with Stan that the directorial team and the cast have tried their best to keep the show true to its book.
The show follows a case that was solved five years ago as believed by the police and the people of the fictional town of Little Kilton. Pip chooses to reinvestigate the case as she is not convinced that the culprit of Andie Bell’s murder five years ago was her boyfriend Sal Singh. She enlists the help of Sal’s brother Ravi, who takes the role of Watson to her Holmes.
Unlike a typical whodunnit, which opens with a fresh murder before following the investigating party as they trace the breadcrumbs to reveal who was behind it, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” adopts a slightly different approach.
Whilst being murder-lite, the show has a simple premise with just enough grit and twists, that are executed perfectly throughout the course of six episodes. The setting, though being primary based on a fictional town, has a real sense of timing and place and is the right amount of cozy and jarring.
The cast is considerably young and full of newcomers, but they bring a lot to the table. The female lead manages to portray a character who is intelligent and self-sufficient and proceeds to do everything on her own without requiring much external help. Often times she seems to view the case as a jigsaw puzzle to be solved or an intellectual exercise rather than for what it is, an awful tragedy. But as the show progresses, she manages to step out of her mindset and stops looking at it through her black and white lens.
The dynamic of the whole friend circle feels very refreshing and pushes you to believe that this bunch of nonconformists has actually grown up together. The interactions between the girls also pave the way for a lovely portrayal of on-screen female friendships.
As of now, you can watch the show on selective sites such as BBC iPlayer or Stan, which are streaming the show for free for viewers residing in the UK as well as from outside.
Or you could wait until it is eventually picked up by Netflix and released next month. In that case, you must make haste and read the actual book penned by Holly Jackson. Regardless of whether you enjoy a good murder mystery or not, Holly Jackson’s writing is sure to keep you hooked and make it hard for you to put the book down.
