A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series 2 cast and creator Holly Jackson tease "new twists" for book fans and reveal what's next for Pip and Ravi

After solving the Andie Bell case, Pip Fitz-Amobi’s world has been transformed by her actions, and not always for the better.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series 2 sees Pip determined to fix the fallout - and stay away from any more investigations. But as Max Hastings’ trial approaches, Connor’s brother Jamie suddenly disappears, and Pip finds herself in a race against time to find him.

This new mystery takes Pip to unexpected places as she struggles with the idea of justice, straying even further from the 'good girl' she once was.

• Watch A Good Girl's Guide to Murder on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist

Based on the bestselling novels by Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is made for the BBC by Moonage Pictures, part of ITV Studios (The Gentlemen, The Famous Five) in a co-production with Netflix and ZDFneo who will air the series outside of the UK.

BBC will premiere the series exclusively on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Three in the UK. Netflix will premiere the series globally excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland where it will be available exclusively on ZDFneo. In Australia it will be exclusively on Stan. BBC Studios is handling global sales.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series Two launches on the BBC, Netflix and ZDFneo on 27 May 2026.

 agggtm@premiercomms.com

Cast and Creatives

Emma Myers (Pip Fitz-Amobi)

What are the dramatic events that open series two?

Season two opens in a very dramatic way. At the end of episode one, we find that Jamie (Eden H Davies), Connor’s (Jude Morgan-Collie) brother, has gone missing. Pip thinks it has something to do with Max’s (Henry Ashton) trial because Jamie is a witness. Pip’s a bit reluctant to help find Jamie because of what has happened in the past, where, through uncovering who killed Andie and Sal, Pip, not intentionally, ruins a few people’s lives.

How has Pip’s lifelong friendship with Cara Ward been affected by Pip revealing the truth about Cara’s dad, Elliot?

Pip is a good friend, but sometimes she has tunnel vision. Her idea of what is right and what is wrong can be skewed. At times, Pip doesn’t understand nuance. Releasing a podcast about her best friend’s dad while they are still in school, where everyone can listen and make fun of Cara (Asha Banks), wasn’t the best idea for their friendship.

Does it feel like there is even more jeopardy for Pip this series?

There is, because this time we are not dealing with somebody who is dead. We are dealing with somebody who has gone missing, and Pip's goal is to find him alive. There are more stakes, for sure. You can take your time on a dead person’s case, but with Jamie missing, time is running out. She is working against the clock.

Pip made a vow to get justice for all Max Hastings’ victims. What can you tell us about their ongoing battle and working with Henry Ashton?

That’s a very interesting dynamic because although Pip hates everything that Max (Henry Ashton) is, she can’t help herself. She is very interested and almost drawn to him in every sense. So, even if she tries to just leave it alone, she can’t because he interests her. He’s a criminal, and she loves studying those kinds of people. They have a weird dynamic because of this.

I love working with Henry. He’s fantastic and is such a sweet man. Henry is also able to play such a heinous person. It’s insane how talented Henry is that he can switch it on instantly. I love working with him. He always gives 110% in every scene.

What worries are there for Pip and Ravi’s relationship in series two? She misses part of his memorial speech for Sal…

Yes, she misses most of it. It’s interesting because in those scenes, she is leaving the man she loves to go be with the man that she hates. She can’t help herself. Anything that has to do with Max, she will immediately take it up, even if it means having to be away from Ravi (Zain Iqbal).

This puts a strain on their relationship because she lies about hearing his speech, and he can’t quite understand why she is acting so strange and so funny about it. She starts to pull away from Ravi because she knows that she is only going to hurt him. It’s also been about six months to a year, so they are trying to navigate that more mature aspect of their relationship, which is a bit hard when Pip is lying about most things.

What have been the funniest moments filming with Zain this series?

I loved our car chase scene. We had this bit where we were in a stunt car that whipped around, and Jude (Morgan-Collie), Zain, and I got to scream as we got thrown around. I thought that was fun. It was also a night shoot, and we were a bit delirious because it was coming close to 4am when we were filming. That was a good one.

What was it like to work with Asim Abbasi (lead director) on this series? Did he have some good notes?

Every note of Asim’s was good. I love that he was not afraid to tell you when something was bad. I love that in a director. He is so acting specific. It’s amazing to work with somebody who really cares about the performance alongside the look of it. I felt instantly very comfortable with him. At rehearsals, I was like, “Ok, he gets it. We’re going to get along great.” I think we both want the same thing in my performance. He was just always there to support and let us try things. But ultimately, I always felt that his vision was always correct.

Where is Pip morally by the end of the series?

I think she’s a bit checked out. I don’t want to spoil what happens, but she has definitely lost hope in every single person who said they would help her. She’s had to do everything herself again, and it hasn’t turned out the way she hoped.

Do you relate to Pip's darker side?

I find it easy to see her thoughts and see her brain because of how Holly has laid everything out. Also, I relate on a personal level as well. She comes easily to me - especially her dark side.

Zain Iqbal (Ravi Singh)

What makes Ravi a great character to play?

Ravi is quite aware. He’s a good soul. He knows what’s right and wrong. He’s a great guide for Pip (Emma Myers). He is always there and always up for a challenge. When Pip wants to do something, he always turns up. You get a bit of everything playing Ravi. There are fun scenes, emotional scenes, and there are moments of action.

What interesting discussions did you have with Holly Jackson about Ravi this series?

It was more about Ravi doing his own thing and getting out into the world. In season one, he is sort of the backbone of Pip. It is just him and Pip. But in season two, Ravi finds his own way whilst also maintaining a relationship with Pip. He is also making new bonds.

How does Ravi feel about Jamie’s disappearance, having also lost a brother?

He completely understands how Connor (Jude Morgan-Collie) is feeling with Jamie (Eden H Davies) going missing. When Pip is undecided whether to investigate and go look for Jamie, Ravi is the one who pushes her and convinces her.

What do you love about Ravi and Pip’s relationship?

Pip and Ravi’s relationship has grown this season, which is great. They know each other so much more now. I hope you’ll see that onscreen. Their understanding is a lot greater. In a way, I feel Ravi is there to sort of bring Pip back whenever she strays away. However tough it gets, he will always strive to do that. That’s how well he knows her. He knows if she is not being herself, and he knows how to get her back.

What are your favourite scenes to play with Emma?

There are so many. I like the golf course scene and the car chase. The car chase was just a massive thrill, getting to do all the action. The scenes are quite intense. It makes you bring your acting chops.

Ravi becomes more entrenched in the group of friends this series. Did you enjoy spending more time with Jude investigating Jamie’s disappearance?

With season two, it was so much fun to be able to act with other actors because they brought different energies, and that brings out the different personalities of Ravi. You see that when Ravi is with Connor. It’s different to how he is with Pip. For example, Connor and Ravi break-in to a place to help find Jamie. We were jumping over fences, breaking windows, and we had a lot more action scenes than what we normally see for Ravi. Jude also brought a lot of comedy and a lot of light-heartedness to those scenes.

Asha Banks (Cara Ward), Yali Topol Margalith (Lauren) and Jude Morgan Collie (Connor Reynolds)

What are the biggest challenges facing Cara, Connor, and Lauren this series?

Asha: Cara starts season two in a bit of a dark place. She is still very much dealing with the trauma that happened in season one and the discoveries that emerged by the end of it. This season for her is quite hard, especially the dynamic between her and Pip (Emma Myers). Cara is figuring out what their relationship is and how they move forward with that, and her overall place in the group when she feels like an outcast. Right now, Cara is just trying to get through every day.

Jude: For Connor, his older brother has gone missing. I had a long chat with Asim Abbasi, our block one director, about how Connor relies on cracking jokes. So, we see him hiding the fact that he is really hurt.

Yali: Lauren is realising that maybe her place within the group is not as crucial as she thought it was. She wants to be a main character with her own struggles. She knows that she is putting herself in some situations that are maybe not very smart, but it’s going to give her a story, and I think that is her priority at the beginning of this season.

How have the events of series one affected their friendships with Pip?

Asha: It is like an atomic bomb has gone off in the middle of their friendship group. You see them all pretending to get on with life as if it were still the same, but it’s not. Every single situation has changed.

Yali: Holly is very clever with the books she writes. I think ‘Good Girl Bad Blood’ is all about them becoming adults. A big thing about being an adult is pretending that everything is ok when it’s not. That’s what they are all doing.

Jude: Connor turns to Pip for help. I do think Connor struggles with the fact that it’s Pip who is the one who sorts everything out. Connor and Ravi (Zain Iqbal) kind of follow blindly behind her. I have a line this season that Pip is the lead singer, and we are the back-up dancers, which is completely correct.

What input have you had with your characters’ wardrobe choices in series two?

Yali: My wardrobe this season is sensational. Lauren’s gone off to summer break and come back and has decided that she is going to be “That Girl”. She’s a Bratz doll. I have never worn clothes like the clothes that I wore filming as Lauren.

Asha: Wardrobe is always interesting because it is someone else’s perspective on how your character would dress. When it aligns, it feels really cool. For Cara, this year I had the best time. I was just wearing hoodies and joggers and big jeans and trainers. She is staying comfy, for sure. I loved it.

Jude: I was very excited when I saw my costumes. I have a cowboy shirt and some extremely cool outfits that I would wear. That said, I was always in about six layers, in the middle of summer.

How did it feel playing series two’s different dynamics with Emma?

Asha: Playing a different dynamic was fun to play, but equally, any time I did a scene with Emma it was really tense. So, every time they yelled ‘cut’ I was like, ‘Emma! Come here!’ We spent a lot of time hugging between takes.

Yali: I thought I would really enjoy playing villain Lauren, but it did kind of break my heart because I don’t think she’s a bad person. I just don’t think she’s super-smart right now. She’s young, boy crazy, and she’s getting attention from boys for the first time in her life. She just feels like that is all that there is in the world. She’s wrong, but I think a lot of young people will relate to that and will relate to the shift in the dynamic in her friendships because of that.

Asha: It’s a pivotal time. Even if none of the drama was happening, there would probably be rifts in their friendship in the group. They are maturing and changing, and then they become involved in this crazy situation.

Misia Butler (Stanley Forbes) and Eden H Davies (Jamie Reynolds)

Who are Stanley and Jamie?

Eden: Jamie is the older brother of Connor (Jude Morgan-Collie). He’s known everyone since they were very young but in season one, Jamie was always on the fringe of what was going on. This time, he’s at the heart of Pip’s (Emma Myers) investigation.

Misia: Stanley is a sweet character. He’s a security guard who we meet in the golf club. We see him doing his job, being pushed about a little bit, but Stanley is becoming a bit more relevant to the investigation.

How do your characters interact with Pip?

Misia: Stanley is very much a stranger to Pip but there are a lot of suss things going on at the golf club, and she wants to find out if Max (Henry Ashton) might be involved. She dupes Stanley at his work and then he is left to deal with the fallout from that.

Eden: Jamie and Pip have got a lovely relationship, which is almost like an older brother / younger sister dynamic. Jamie had previously lent Pip his microphone and headphones for her podcast. I think the places where Pip and Jamie start this season are weirdly similar. The two of them have an understanding that is quite a deep one. Holly Jackson has written some very beautiful scenes to explore that.

What’s it been like joining the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder gang for series two?

Misia: They have all been so warm and welcoming. The read-through was great.. It was emotional. There is this established cast who have already done a season and know each other, and they set the tone so we could just go for it.

Eden: This is my first experience of coming into a job that is already in its second season, so I suppose I was expecting to go in, do my job and be out again, but it is such a fantastic cast and crew that I have made some great friends. Because everyone already knew each other the read-through was a little bit daunting, but everyone was very accommodating. I had worked with casting director Catherine Willis before on ‘Tell Me Everything’, so my audition felt very comfortable.

What are the themes explored this series that have resonated with you the most?

Misia: There is a lot about identity that is specific to this season. What is built into the whole detective setup is how you can categorise people - and that’s what anyone watching this show is doing. They are meeting the new characters and deciding whether that person is involved, or if this person is suss. Breaking down why we go to those places and what we feel about people based on surface-level encounters is what I find fascinating.

Eden: When I read the scenes that Jamie has with Pip, I knew this was a project I was very excited to do. There is a maturity. Nothing is black and white. Everything is nuanced. The audience can make their own moral judgements at any and every point.

What’s Jamie’s relationship like with his brother Connor?

Eden: We start off with a relationship that seems a little bit rocky and a little bit tense. But as we go through the story, it unfolds just how deep that relationship is. Jude does a fantastic job of that as Connor. It was lovely to see the depth of that brotherly connection and to play that.

What does Stanley make of Pip?

Misia: Stanley is exactly how I would be. He is just trying to keep his head down and do a good job. Pip is this very intense girl who is a million-miles-a-minute in terms of how her brain works. She is putting all the puzzle pieces and chess pieces in the right place. It’s kind of scary for him to have this whirlwind of a person come into his life and mix it all up. There is a lot of anxiety there, but he is quite impressed by her. There is a whole medley of intense new emotions.

Henry Ashton (Max Hastings)

How is Max feeling about Pip as series two begins?

I think Max has never met anyone like Pip (Emma Myers). They really do bring a side to each other that no one else does. Max equally hates Pip as much as he is intrigued by her. He enjoys their interactions as much as he is terrified of them. She is one of the few people he can’t manipulate. Due to Pip besting Max at the end of season one a lot of what is on Max’s mind this season is getting his revenge.

What’s it like playing intense scenes with Emma Myers?

They’re the best. I absolutely love working with Emma. There is a dance that Pip and Max do around each other where the power dynamic is always changing, and that is interesting. At the beginning of season two in that first meet, Max is holding all the cards, but then in typical Pip fashion she flips it on him and then he flips it on her. It’s just a constant game of trying to get the upper hand between them. That always makes for great, interesting, electric, hopefully enjoyable-to-watch scenes.

We get a lot more access to Max and his machinations this series. What surprised you when you read the scripts?

Good surprises. I was very surprised by how much more there was of Max and his family because that’s not in the book, his parents play a bigger part in the story... Reading the scripts, I thought, “This is awesome. There is so much to do.” All the stuff that we talked about behind the scenes in season one is being brought to life. And the fact that we get to show the trial is amazing because it acts as this sort of background energy throughout the whole season. It’s like an ominous hum. That was a very wonderful surprise.

How is Max feeling about his trial?

He won’t allow himself to think that he is guilty of anything, and therefore, he can’t see himself being found guilty. Coming into season two, that sense of, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong. I can explain it’ carries on through the trial. He genuinely thinks that he can beat it.

Tell us about Max’s relationship with his mum, Rosie…

The journey for Max and his mum Rosie (Annabel Mullion) this season was so helpful for me to really understand Max a bit more. The only person’s opinion he really cares for is his mum’s. It bothers Max that his mum could think of him as anything but her amazing, perfect son. When he starts to see her thoughts and feelings change towards him, I think that is one of the few things that really shakes his foundations. He cares so much about her that he might almost be ready to admit to himself who he really is and own up to what he has done. His mum is a huge, powerful part of the show. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to play across from than Annabel as Rosie.

What do you think is at the heart of why Max behaves the way he does?

Max comes from privilege. It’s true that privilege doesn’t necessarily make someone like Max, and there are plenty of privileged people who are lovely people. But what privilege can do is create a sense of entitlement, and I think with Max, he is just entitled. That for him means, ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ He doesn’t believe what he is doing is wrong. Truly, he fears rejection. It is so dark and awful, but it’s also about power, and this fear of rejection is just another way of saying he wants to take control and power.

Holly Jackson - Creator and writer of books and series co-writer and executive producer

When adapting Good Girl Bad Blood for series two of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder what did you feel was important to honour for the fans and what changes did you decide to make?

I didn’t write season one, but I went into the process for season two with a very strong idea about what I myself would look for in an adaptation of book I loved. So I always kept that idea of the reader in mind as I turned to breaking down the series and the ways it would be absolutely 100% faithful to what was on the page, and the ways I could introduce new elements which would only serve to elevate the story, never to deviate.

I now always approach my books like a screenwriter would, breaking them down into acts and focusing on character journey alongside those fun plot twists and scenes. The challenge is to re-imagine a scene so that it works for the audio-visual medium, while still keeping the DNA and the dynamic of the corresponding book scene.

One of the most fun parts is coming up with new perspectives that feel like they were there all along, in the background of the book, between the pages. I think fans will appreciate those new twists as well as all the preserved moments from the book, and even some moments from the first book that weren't in season one, which we've included in this season for them!

What character discussions have you had with Emma Myers about Pip?

Emma and I are very much on the same page about Pip and are very protective of her. We both feel that Pip is a unique character in this YA space. She starts as an archetype of the ‘good girl’ and then progressively descends into a place that people wouldn’t expect, making the sort of morally grey complex choices that are normally left to older male fictional characters. I think we both see a lot of ourselves in Pip in many ways and we always fully support Pip’s ‘wrongs.’

Beyond that, I think both Emma and I see Pip as a very cool opportunity. For me, it has been the chance to write such a unique character and bring her full circle, from the page to the screen. Similarly, for Emma, Pip presents an opportunity for her to really, really go there with her performance. Pip is a challenging character to play – mentally and physically I would assume. Some days, Emma has to spend the entire day in Pip’s dark head space or covered in blood, screaming, crying, running (a lot of running – sorry Emma!).

Just when I think I know how great her performance is going to be on a given day, Emma blows my already high expectations way out of the water. I genuinely think she is one of the greatest actors of her generation. And the fact that she can do all these emotive scenes while doing an accent that doesn’t belong to her, I am just endlessly impressed by her.

What are the challenges for Pip and Ravi’s relationship in series two?

Pip and Ravi do face some challenges and some new obstacles in season two. Ravi (Zain Iqbal) is working at a legal internship which he loves. In theory, that means he has some new skills that might be helpful in crime solving, but that internship itself is turned into a weapon against Pip by someone with nefarious aims and becomes a hurdle the two must somehow overcome.

We start the season with Pip and Ravi now officially together. They have a very healthy, supportive relationship, but something happens before the end of episode one where Ravi tries to progress his feelings for Pip, and because she is off again with machinations with Max, she misses it. There is a simmering tension throughout that is layered on top of Pip’s guilt about everything else. She is just a tortured soul. It builds to a very explosive place by the end of the season, but it’s one that will ultimately bring them closer together. I’m excited for people to see all their favourite Pip and Ravi moments this season.

Can you tell us about the key change that you’ve made from ‘book Jamie’ to ‘TV Jamie’?

The main change with Jamie – which I was very happy with and was actually kicking myself that I hadn’t thought of it years ago for the book – is the fact that Jamie is a key witness in Max’s trial. There are two story strands throughout Good Girl Bad Blood: Jamie’s disappearance, and Max’s trial. In the book, the trial plays more second fiddle. This is largely because Pip has already given her evidence and Pip can’t be there because she is at school and she’s a witness. So, given that I am limited to her perspective in the book, the only way I could tell you what was going on in the trial is that Ravi was there watching and delivering it back to her.

When you have a TV show that has two plot strands, you want to try to tie them together because otherwise the drama will feel a bit less focused. The fact that Jamie is a witness in Max’s trial forces those stories together and it means that Pip and Max can have more scenes and interactions, which I love because their scenes together are just electric. I also think we get to know Jamie a little better than the book, as we spend some more time with him in episode 1, before he disappears.

Series two includes more of Max than the book – what inspired that change?

I knew from season one that Emma and Henry (Pip and Max) were electric as opponents onscreen. They sort of take on this Batman vs Joker vibe, although I’m not sure which one is which. One of my goals for season two was to add more scenes than just the ones where they meet in the book, which is always a lot of fun given the dynamic that Pip and Max have and that they are well-suited opponents. A big difference from the book is that we now follow Max and get a glimpse into his life too.

Again this feels like a story strand that could have been going on in the book, but we never saw it, because we were only inside Pip’s head. It was a really fun challenge to broaden the Little Kilton universe and to get to know Max better. But this also represented challenges: I never want to make people sympathize with Max – he doesn’t deserve that. But at the same time, it is quite boring to have a character who feels like one note, even if it is your villain. For me, the challenge was how do you bring nuance to Max, layers, take him on his own journey where he is also presented with choices between right and wrong, alongside Pip.

Which crime mystery writers do you admire?

I read Harlan Coben books when I was far too young to do so. I think I was nine years old. I remember discovering my dad’s Harlan Coben collection and reading my way through them, which was vastly inappropriate. Bad parental supervision! It is quite likely that Harlan Coben did have an influence on me. But he’s not the only one to blame. We also must blame Stephen King who again I read when I was nine or ten years old. I think Stephen King is such an accomplished writer. There are tricks that I know as a writer rather than as a reader that he is constantly doing that are so clever, so technically difficult. I think that is why people connect to his books so much. He is the king.

Assim Abassi - Director

How did you approach directing series two, especially with a much darker tone compared to the first series?

It was clear to me that we wanted the show to progress visually and have an arc from what season one established. Holly’s writing naturally becomes darker so we were following her lead. The writing dictated what the visual language should become.

I worked with cinematographer Mo Azmi, who I have collaborated with on similar worlds before. That familiarity gave us the confidence to evolve the show’s visual language while keeping it cohesive within the established world. That was really the genesis of it.

The show mixes a coming-of-age story with elements of a thriller. How do you balance these aspects?

It connects back to the first question. The coming-of-age element is more present in season one and book one. As the trilogy progresses, the story leans further into thriller territory. I love mixing genres, combining friendship and camaraderie between teens with darker elements, and then finding a visual balance for that.

For example, in my episodes, we didn’t use many eye-level shots. Instead, we used high and low angles, reframing even simple scenes to create the feeling that something sinister might be lurking. We played with composition, colour tonality and momentum. Mo and I love to keep the camera moving, revealing things and travelling from one point to another, and there is a lot of that in season two.

How did you work with Emma Myers to develop Pip’s darker evolution this series, and with Henry Ashton on his role as the villainous Max?

I was lucky to have a few days with the actors to go through the scripts and their arcs. I do not like intensive pre-blocking rehearsals, but I do think it is important to understand motivations and thematic needs ahead of time. Those conversations help build trust, which is essential when actors have to go to dark places and time on set is limited.

Emma is a brilliant and very open actor. She has strong opinions but is also incredibly flexible. She is very aware of the camera and of how the production fits together, yet she always finds the motivation behind any movement or adjustment I suggest. We developed a great shorthand where we barely needed to speak.

With Henry, this season gives us much more of Max’s perspective, which was not the case in season one. We explored the idea of Pip and Max as opposites, but also as two sides of the same coin. We used mirroring in the visuals, with similar angles and shot styles, such as the graveyard scene. It suggests that although they are on opposing sides, there is light and dark within both of them.

Little Kilton is an incredibly picturesque village. What is Bristol like as a backdrop, and did you have a favourite location to shoot this series?

We filmed Little Kilton in the town of Axbridge, which is lovely but small, so you get the challenges of a tight-knit community curious about filming. But it is wonderfully quaint and perfect for Little Kilton.

My favourite location this season is the abandoned manor. It was originally meant to be something else, but I pushed for it to be a manor, so I am personally attached to it. It ended up being a phenomenal location and, to me, captures the essence of season two.

There is quite a lot of action in this series, including intense night shoots. Which scene or sequence was the most challenging, technically or emotionally?

Emotionally, and probably technically too, the climax of episode six was the most challenging. It was a night shoot with props, special effects and VFX elements, all of which add complexity. It is also a hugely emotional moment, particularly for Emma as Pip.

Creating a safe space for actors to reach those emotional depths while technical chaos is happening around them is always demanding. Credit goes to the crew for managing the technical side without disrupting the actors, and to the actors for staying centred and emotionally true to the moment.

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