A murder mystery party, a house in the dark, and a roaring 20s theme, serves as Pips origin story before life went “as good as bad”. Before she started solving the cases and injustices, she must first solve a fictional case. It’s (Killjoy) is the discovery of how residents ‘good girl’ Pip got the idea to for her school project, starting her “good girl’s guide to murder’. The idea planted in Pips head by a fictional murder at her best friend’s birthday party – a murder mystery party.
Pip has no idea, that a roaring twenties themed murder mystery party, hosted by her friend Connor for his birthday, hosted at his house, would set her on a real true crime path for the project that’ll change her life forever.
Killjoy is a nostalgia and fun yet ominous novella. It allows reader to give an early innermost glimpse into Pop, not as a scholar, detective or vigilante of justice, but as a person, simply Pop. This novella reveals how Pop ended up on the enlightening yet increasingly dark path that Sal Singh and Andie Bell’s would set her on, in the “a good girls guide to murder” trilogy.
It’s Pip’s mind, how her unique always puzzle solving intelligence, morality and thirst to reach a satisfying solution to complex feelings or problems, just like the 1920s foundling spy character Celia she embodies to solve the murder of a patriarch at the murder mystery party. This leads Pip to actively put her out of the box thinking and abilities into action, despite the delightfully validating suspended or bone chilling discoveries she’ll make along the way.
The novella is an incredibly expertly crafted instance of irony, that Pips first attempt at solving a mystery is a fictional one. A fictional murder that sets her on the path to solving the dark, gritty and bloody secrets and mysteries embodied in her small town. At the party, Pip embodies the role of a suspect as opposed to playing the detective herself. Holly Jackson foreshadows Pips unravelling in “as good as bad”, if you know you know. Killjoy lets readers investigate further into how Pip is subconsciously or unknowingly preparing to solve the murders of the trilogy. Pip often commits the least wanted, most overlooked or life risking actions, leading her to find unique clues and notice things. Often things people missed or couldn’t connect into the curated web of clues, in a mystery; like she can.
The roaring 20s theme of Connor’s murder mystery party, the chaotic rebellion and thrills lurking underneath a turbulent society, foreshadows and represents the emergence of Pip getting bitten by the ‘detective bug’. It marks the calm before the storm, before Pip starts solving real mysteries with real people, emotions and impact on the small town of Little Kilton.
Being someone who would love to attend a murder mystery party; I loved seeing Pip take part in something like this. Seeing Pip unburdened and solving mysteries for fun and reward, with all her friends along her. Before she becomes ‘Sarge’ and befriends and falls for the brother of Sal Signh: Ravi “real men wear floral when trespassing” Signh.
Pips origin story is a wholesome yet complexity thrilling novella. An origin story of a young future detective, ignorant of the darkness to running headfirst into solving crimes and getting justice.
It’s a notable yet bittersweet story, seeing a different Pop, unburdened by the villains, secrets and darkness, of her little town and its inhabitants, including those around her. Jackson allows readers to see how the events of the trilogy, were always going to happen. pip’s inquisitive and morally greying mind and methods would never have allowed her to chose any other case. It was always going to be the cold case of the Bells’ and Singhs’ for her project, sparked by the results of the murder mystery party.
The constant quips at the ‘presumed murderer’ Sal Singh and getting the muster of the party wrong, despite reaching the most logical conclusion sets the scene. Pip didn’t succeed at the party, but she will do in her crime solving subject matter of her school project. Most importantly she will solve the crime for herself, for better or worse. For the fictional murder sparked something inside of Pip.
“The whole world outside this house had disappeared; it had been just her and her mind, and a problem to solve. Exactly the way she liked it. Exactly when she was most herself.“
– Pip Fitz-Amboi in Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
So if you’re feeling hungover from the grit, thrills and hopeful sorrow of the trilogy, Killjoy is perfect for fans of Pop, who aren’t ready to ponder what happens next after the fateful text message, between Pip and Ravi at the trilogy’s end.
the girl and the city of books 
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