15 Biggest Changes A Good Girl's Guide To Murder Makes To The Book

Aug. 3, 2024, 4:50 p.m.

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15 Biggest Changes A Good Girl's Guide To Murder Makes To The Book

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Summary The show setting changes the timeline to 2019 and 2024 from the book's 2012 and 2017, altering character dynamics and platforms used for investigation.

Pippa's motivation shifts from loyalty to Sal in the book to a more self-centered approach in the show, changing character dynamics and story depth.

Andie Bell's personality transformation in the show from a flawed character to a more sympathetic figure alters the underlying message of the story.

The adaptation of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder was finally released on Netflix a month after its distribution in the UK, and the book-to-screen changes are staggering. A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is a special case because the book has two versions—the US version, which takes place in Connecticut, and the UK version, which takes place in Little Kilton, just like the show. However, the adaptation's actual changes are far more significant, including eliminating characters and changing personalities—even the ending for A Good Girl's Guide To Murder somewhat differs from its book counterpart.

Some of these modifications are good, such as the removal of Stanley Forbes, but not all of them are. Additionally, many of the changes that are not so great are remedied by A Good Girl's Guide To Murder's terrific cast of characters. While some fans might find the alterations controversial, the adaptation still serves as a reminder of why the book is so good to begin with. That said, there are certainly examples of more faithful literary retellings.

15 The Show Takes Place In 2019 And 2024 Instead of 2012 And 2017

Instagram Is The Main Platform Pippa Uses, Not Facebook

Although it is not a very significant change, the show takes place in a timeline different from the book. On the show, Andie Bell's death occurs in 2019, and the story picks up in 2024, five years later. The book's timeline is seven years earlier—Andie Bell died in 2012, and the story was in 2017.

The timeline change is most noticeable during 17-year-old Pippa's investigation. In the show, she uses Instagram to look for clues on social media. However, in the book, Facebook is the platform everyone uses – primarily because of the time period.

14 The Show Teases What Happens To Andie At The Very Beginning

Andie Bell Stumbles Through The Night With A Head Injury

The opening scene in A Good Girl's Guide To Murder involves Andie on the night she dies. Andie walks down the street, and just before she walks into the forest, she turns her head, showing a nasty gash. However, in the book, Andie's head injury is undiscovered until Pippa learns the truth from Elliot.

The show took a bolder route by revealing Andie's head injury early on. This decision takes some of the mystery away, but it poses some new questions. It's not clear, for instance, why she is stumbling around with a severe head injury, nor how Andie Bell got injured in the first place.

13 Secret Older Guy Is Pippa's First Real Suspect

Jason Bell And Naomi Ward Make Her List, But They Are Not Significant

In the book A Good Girl's Guide To Murder, Pippa has a significant list of suspects that she thoroughly investigates, beginning with Andie's father, Jason Bell. Naomi Ward is also one of Pippa's biggest suspects before she includes others, such as Nat Da Silva, Dan Sa Silva, Howie, and Secret Older Guy.

While the show provides a brief glimpse of Pippa's persons of interest list, Pippa's first real suspect is Secret Older Guy. Jason and Naomi appear on the list, but Pippa does not seriously consider anyone until she learns about Secret Older Guy. This paints both Secret Older Guy, and the other characters, in a very different light.

12 Pippa Meets Howie At The Calamity

Howie Only Appears Briefly In The Show, And It Is At The Calamity Party

In the book, the drug dealer, Howie, who partnered with Andie, has a much more significant role than he does in the show. Howie does not even appear at the calamity in the book. Pippa only learns of his existence at the party and meets him later.

In the show, Howie's drug den is conveniently in the same caves as the calamity, so Pippa immediately meets him. She asks him questions about Andie Bell, but other than the reveal of her burner phone and the kind of drugs Andie sold, Howie is less important to the overall narrative.

11 Pippa Learns The Truth About Andie's And Sal's Deaths Differently

A Different Sequence Of Events Leads Pippa To The Killers

In the book, Pippa only discovers a scratched-out phone number in Andie's diary. When she discovers Naomi's burner phone matches most of the scratched-out phone number, Pippa figures out the rest of the digits and determines that Elliot is Secret Older Guy. When Pippa goes to confront Elliot, she ropes in Ravi in case something were to go wrong. In the show, Pippa finds Secret Older Guy's phone number from the hotel guestbook, and when Naomi calls her from the same phone number, Pippa wastes no time and confronts Elliot without telling anyone. This difference creates a very different tone for the confrontation.

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Once Elliot is arrested, Pippa cannot stop thinking about his genuine shock over Pippa believing he killed Barney, which leads Pippa to study her murder board one last time. Pippa figures out by herself that Max sexually assaulted Becca with drugs that he bought from Andie. In the show, Pippa realizes Elliot could not have killed Barney after finding a photo of him and his daughters in a different location on the same day Barney died. Pippa also learns about Becca's assault from Becca's old best friend, Jesse, which leads Pippa to discover the truth.

10 Sal's Alibi Is Hinted At In The First Episode

Naomi Briefly Tells Pippa About Sal's Alibi In Episode 1

Sal's alibi being legitimate is a twist that occurs halfway through the book. There is no indication his alibi was real until Pippa figures it out by sneaking onto Naomi's laptop to find an incriminating photo on Max's Facebook profile. However, Naomi tries to confess to Pippa in the first episode that Sal's alibi is legitimate.

Although Elliot interrupts their conversation, Naomi still reveals enough to eliminate Sal's alibi's twist entirely. It is no longer a shock when Pippa discovers the truth in the fourth episode, removing a dramatic moment from the original story.

9 Pippa And Ravi Are Caught During Their Break-In At The Bell House

Pippa Goes In Alone And Dan Da Silva Sees Pippa And Ravi Running Away

Pippa and Ravi's break-in at the Bell House also has different outcomes in the show and the book. In the book, Pip and Ravi sneak in together, and while Becca returns to the house, she leaves shortly after. However, Pippa breaks in alone in the show, while Ravi decides to be on the lookout.

When he notices Becca coming back, Ravi bolts upstairs, and they hide in the closet. When they attempt to flee, they realize the police officer, Dan Da Silva, is with Becca in the house. Pippa and Ravi bolt toward Pippa's car, but not before Dan discovers them.

8 The Hotel Scene Is More Exciting On The Show

Pippa And Ravi Pull Off A Mischievous Scheme And Grow Closer

Pippa and Ravi's hotel visit is a more positive change in the show. In the book, they find an elderly lady with Alzheimer's at the desk, leading to another dead end. However, Pippa connects the dots between Max's picture of Andie and the hotel floor.

The show included Pippa's discovery and made the outing more exciting. The hotel manager does not allow Pip and Ravi to see the guestbook, so they create a diversion to steal it. They manage to escape, but Pip and Ravi have an excellent time together and grow closer because of it.

7 Nat Da Silva Is One Of Andie Bell's Best Friends

Nat And Andie Were Bitter Enemies In The Book

One of the most shocking changes in A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is Nat Da Silva's role. In the book, Nat and Andie are bitter enemies. Andie felt threatened by Nat, so she ruined Nat's life by sending a topless video of Nat to the whole school, completely humiliating her.

In the show, Nat is one of Andie's best friends, and although they fight, they genuinely love each other. Nat's topless video still exists, but it is unknown who leaked the footage. Pip and Ravi briefly suspect Andie, but Nat shoots down the theory – a major difference between the stories.

6 Andie and Sal's Relationship Is Much More Serious On The Show

Andie And Sal Are In Love And Devoted To Each Other

Andie Bell and Sal Singh's relationship was extremely superficial in the book. It is quite clear they only dated each other because they found each other attractive. Andie even cheated on Sal. The show's narrative, by contrast, reveals that Andie and Sal were secretly in love and planned to run away together.

Sal is just as furious about Andie selling drugs, but given that Andie did it to make money for their escape, Sal forgives her. Andie never cheated on Sal; their love was genuine. This narrative decision certainly makes Andie and Sal's outcome much more tragic.

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5 Pippa Fitz-Amobi's Motivation For Solving Andie Bell's Case Is Different

Pippa's Motivation Is More Self-Centered In The Show

One of the more disappointing changes in the adaptation involves Pippa's motivation for investigating Andie Bell's death. In the book, her motivation is straightforward—Pippa genuinely believes in Sal. Sal was her hero who saved her from bullies and went out of his way to be a kind and good person. She refused to believe that Sal would brutally murder Andie Bell and wanted to clear his name. However, in the show, Pippa's motivation is much more self-centered. Just before Andie disappears, Pippa notices Andie attempting to hide.

Changing Pip's motivation diminishes Sal's importance and makes Pippa more selfish.

Sal comes along and asks Pippa where Andie went, and Pippa tells him. When Andie ends up dead, and the police believe Sal killed her, Pippa carries the guilt for the next five years. She believes Andie might still be alive if she had not told Sal where Andie went. Pippa did not realize that Andie told her to be quiet as a whole; she was not necessarily hiding from Sal. This narrative decision might make Pippa more complex, but her book counterpart is already compelling. Changing Pip's motivation diminishes Sal's importance and makes Pippa more selfish.

4 The Context For Pippa's Extended Project Qualification Sidelines Ravi In The Show

Diminishing Pippa's EPQ And Her Final Presentation Sidelines Ravi's Importance

The context for Pippa's extended project qualification differs in the book and the show. In the book, Pippa's teacher warns her to stay away from the Bell and Singh families, but in the show, her mother, Leanne, orders Pippa to stay away from them. As time progresses, Leanne disapproves of where Pippa's EPQ is going and pushes her to change the topic altogether. The narrative skips over Pippa's EPQ presentation, possibly suggesting that Pippa did change her EPQ after all. However, this change hurts Ravi's character.

The EPQ presentation is essential, serving as a reminder that, despite the messy outcome of Andie's death, Sal was truly the only innocent party. Andie was not a good person; Max was a rapist; Elliot and Becca were killers. The town of Little Kilton accused Sal of a heinous crime and dragged his name through the mud, but he did nothing wrong. Pippa also gives Ravi the stage to speak about his brother, which he has wanted to do since Sal died. Eliminating this scene in the show effectively diminishes Ravi and Sal's bond and Ravi's character arc.

3 Pippa's Investigation On The Show Minimizes Her Intelligence

Pippa's Investigation In The Books Is More Thorough And Assertive

Most of Pippa's discoveries regarding the Andie Bell case fall into her lap in the show. Naomi directs Pippa to Sal's alibi; Dan Da Silva shows Pippa Sal's police interview; Ravi catfishes Emma; Jesse tells Pippa about Becca's assault. Pippa's big breaks in the case happen to her; she does not search for them.

In the book, her investigation is far more thorough. Pippa chases every reporter, lead, and connection. She is clever and thoughtful; she knows how not to get caught. While Pippa is still phenomenal, it is disappointing that the adaptation made her more of a passive character.

2 Max Hastings Gets Away With His Crime (For Now)

He Gets Immediately Arrested For Sexual Assault In The Book

The final episode of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder shows that Max Hastings does not get arrested for his crimes, although he is charged with four counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape in the book. It seems that he gets away with it in the show. However, Pippa does not plan to let the issue go.

Pippa promises to find all of Max's victims and ensure they get the justice they deserve. Max Hastings might have gotten away for now, but that could very much change if the show is renewed for future seasons.

1 Andie Bell's Entire Personality Is Different

Andie Bell's Personality Change Defeats The Message Of The Story

Perhaps the biggest change from book to screen in A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is Andie Bell's personality. In the book, Andie is not a good person. She treats her friends terribly, and she humiliates anybody who threatens her. Andie lies, cheats, and steals— she does everything she wants simply because she can and not for any deeper reason. The show portrays a different Andie Bell—she has devoted friends, and her relationship with Becca is good until the end. Andie only sold drugs because she felt like she had to; she was desperate to get away from her father's abuse.

Although Andie and Sal's newfound romance makes the situation more tragic, the message of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is lost.

Once Andie started dating Sal, she broke things off with Elliot Ward. Andie is still not perfect, but the show portrays her as decent. Changing Andie Bell's personality defeats the purpose of the book: Andie being a horrible person does not mean she deserves to die, and her death does excuse the pain and damage she caused. If the victim is decent, there would not be a significant point to the story. Unfortunately, the show did change Andie. Although Andie and Sal's newfound romance makes the situation more tragic, the message of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is lost.