A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3
As Good As Dead
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Three
Overview
Pip shares a warm, teasing evening with Ravi and her brother, revealing her anxiety-driven preparation to meet Ravi’s extended family. After Ravi leaves, her insomnia and intrusive thoughts resurface. Pip secretly retrieves hidden burner phones and messages an unnamed male contact to meet; he agrees, signaling a relapse into risky behavior.
Summary
At home in the evening, Pip watches Ravi, grounding herself in his warmth as they banter with her younger brother Josh. The family clears dinner while Ravi jokes about Pip’s new nickname and his early starts at a legal apprenticeship.
The tone deepens when Ravi discovers Pip made a spreadsheet of details about his extended family to prepare for meeting them. Ravi is amused and affectionate, then says goodbye to Pip and Josh, leaving Pip momentarily buoyed.
Alone in her room, the smile fades as night closes in. Pip’s headache and insomnia return, and she battles intrusive thoughts. Despite promises to stop, she closes her door, reveals a false-bottom drawer, and retrieves one of six hidden prepaid burner phones.
Pip powers on an old Nokia and texts the sole contact: “Can I come over now?” After tense waiting, the unnamed man replies “Yes.” This confirms Pip’s secret, risky pattern continues, despite her resolve to quit.
Who Appears
- Pip Fitz-AmobiProtagonist; enjoys a tender evening with Ravi, then secretly relapses into contacting an unnamed man via burner phone.
- Ravi SinghPip’s boyfriend; playful and supportive, starting a legal apprenticeship, learns of Pip’s family-prep spreadsheet, then leaves.
- Josh Fitz-AmobiPip’s younger brother; injects comic questions and banter, misinterprets ‘perve,’ and teases the couple.
- Unnamed male contactRecipient of Pip’s burner-phone message; agrees to a late-night visit, signaling Pip’s secret, risky behavior.
- Pip’s mumHeard clearing dinner; offstage presence anchoring the family setting.
- Pip’s dadHeard clearing dinner; background parental presence during the evening at home.