The BBC adaptation of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is finally out! Here are some differences I noticed on my first watch through. There will be spoilers for both the show and the book in this.
Stanley Forbes doesn’t exist
Yet! In the first book, Stanley Forbes is introduced as a racist journalist who covered the Andie Bell case as it was happening. He only had a minor role in the first book but he becomes a major character in later books.
I couldn’t help but notice that they appeared to make Dan da Silva more like Stanley. He mentioned his parents were bad people and he kind of made racist remarks about Pip’s family.
However, you’re just going to have to take my word for this, but at the official screening of the first episode of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I asked Holly Jackson about Stanley Forbes and she said he would be included if we get a season 2. However, I’m not sure that would be the best choice as it would probably be kind of obvious.
Nat da Silva
Nat da Silva is introduced as one of Andie’s best friends. In the book, Andie’s best friends were 2 girls called Emma and Chloe. Chloe is still included, but Emma has been omitted.
This is a change I actually kind of like. It makes Andie’s betrayal of Nat so much worse and makes her more credible as a suspect!
Pip saw Andie and Sal the day Andie disappeared
In the book, Pip wanted to prove Sal was innocent just because she met him when she was younger and she believed he couldn’t have done it because he was kind. People like this can commit horrific crimes!
But in the show, she has another reason to want to solve the murder. She saw Andie crying on the day she died. Andie was crying and asked her to keep quiet about where she was, but when Sal asked if she’d seen Andie, Pip immediately told him. She felt slightly guilty which is part of the reason she became so fixated on the case.
Ant Lowe
Ant Lowe isn’t part of Pip’s friendship group like he is in the books. It was originally thought he wasn’t going to be in it at all but turns out he is! He’s a guy that asks Lauren out in the first episode.
Later in the series, Lauren and Ant turn on Pip and people were concerned that this wouldn’t happen. I honestly believe it makes more sense if Lauren turns on Pip because of a new boyfriend.
Andie and Sal
We didn’t really see any of Andie and Sal together in the book. The show gives us a lot of flashback scenes of the 2 of them which gives us a better understanding of them as characters and as a couple. The final flashback scene between the 2 is heartbreaking and made me cry!
