As Good As Dead (January 2022) Buddy Read Discussion - Mina & HeatherH, Darcey

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the As Good As Dead Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on January 15th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 01/15
January 15: Chapters 1-14
January 16: Chapters 15-28

Week of 01/17
January 17: Chapters 29-42
January 18: Chapters 43-end


PARTICIPANTS
~ Mina
~ HeatherH
~ Darcey

[Darcey]

Can’t wait to read this with you guys! Today is the 15th for me, so I’ll try and start today :))

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I almost forgot what was happening with Max Hastings and that she posted the audio on her podcast.

I like that we got told the stages the body goes through after death. I'm sure I've heard it a lot of times in TV shows, however I never paid that much attention to actually remember it, I'm not saying I'll remember it now either, but it made me pay more attention to it.

I read the first 10 chapters. I have to say I'm not as hooked to the story as with the previous books, but there's still time since things are just starting to get suspenseful.

[HeatherH]

Got through the first nine chapters. Really enjoying being back in this world. One of my favorite things is how the author hasn't shied away from the trauma and after affects of it with Pip.

[Darcey]

I finished the first 10 chapters as well! I also really appreciated all the information on the stages of death, Mina, as I found it interesting, and yes I’m sure it will progress and continue to get more suspenseful. And poor Pip, she’s really falling apart and she badly needs help❤️ I hope by the end of the book she’s doing a little better with her PTSD, it breaks my heart to see her like this! But yes Heather, I also love seeing how the author has shied away from the affects of trauma. It makes it much more realistic!

[HeatherH]

Got through ch 20 yesterday.. it's picking up a bit more now. This whole serial killer thing... having the potential wrong guy is believable, but a serial killer who has stopped killing for several years picking Pip as the next target feels far stretched.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I'm behind on this, I'll try later to catch up a bit. But I'm glad it's picking up

[HeatherH]

Through ch 29
(view spoiler)[ Was not at all surprised that it was Bell. Was, however, surprised that she got taken by him so early in the book. There is still a lot of book left and I'm worried it will be a lot of filler...

One thing bothering me here... she didn't want to go to the cops when she got away because she felt they wouldn't believe her (totally justifiable for her) but she chose to go back and bludgeon him with the hammer? Like, you still don't have proof so now it just looks like you went crazy and beat the hell out of him.... (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Through 32
(view spoiler)[Anyone else annoyed as f about how stupid this plan is????? Like, I get her concern of not being believed after the first two cases... but her DNA is in his trunk, its gonna be all over the duct tape she tore off of her, etc. There is actual proof here... instead we are going with this insane plan, framing someone else (even if he is total shit as a human), and letting an innocent guy rot in prison.. wtf?! (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Gosh, I hate And and Lauren so much.

So I didn't make much progress.. read only 4 chapters which just results in me finishing day 1.

[HeatherH]

Finished.. I'll wait for everyone to catch up but eh..

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I'm slowly making progress. My next chapter is the 21st. I'll just go have a shower first before continuing.

Things have progressed and became more dangerous. Like in the first book we had a cold case and the damage level was low, then the disappearance that was happening parallel with Pip's investigation to end with death.. and now Pip's death is a possibility since serial killers is the next level.

However I do have something to comment on that, and on what I had already read. If it ends being important or one of these persons being the serial killer then okay, I'll understand it but for now it's just annoyance.

First, for Little Kilton a small palce, because I see it as a small place, it has A LOT of stuff happening killings, disappearances, people under witness protection, serial killers.

Second, Jason Bell and Daniel de Silva are mentioned in every book, and if not suspects we are hinted at them, they had some connection, they could've done this or that. So if one of them, or maybe both, end up being the serial killer(s) I would take it as a hint.. otherwise, it annoys me that they are always the guilty ones because they were guilty of something in book 1.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Chapter 28 (view spoiler)[Okay, it's Jason Bell. I mean when she spoke with him she told him that someone told her that he got a call that someone broke in and that he had to go to his firm that night the 5th victim died.. so we have that. And also later when we read Andie's draft, it's told that she has to find a place so that no one can find her and Becca. Why would she take Becca with her if their father isn't the thread.. I mean, yes, she's her sister, but we didn't really see a great relationship. (hide spoiler)]

Edit: Finished the first part of the book.
(view spoiler)[I agree that her move was stupid.. also what the hell is going to happen in the rest 44%, that's a lot of pages. (hide spoiler)]

[Darcey]

... sorry guys, i got super behind! i'm glad you guys have been able to make more progress and i hope you're enjoying it, i'll try and catch up soon :))

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

No worries, you'll catch up. I'm probably not going to finish it today.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I know I said the books went from chill YA mystery to the super extreme.. and boy I was not aware how much I was right.

Thoughts I had during and after ch 30
(view spoiler)[ On one hand I understand why she didn't want to go to the police, with their track record they would put her in prison and not look for anything else. So okay the police is incompetent which okaaaay, but also feels a bit too much, like they failed at so many things we saw through out the books they can't be that bad at their work, right? So, okay, I understand it.. but damn, are we really going to have a "how to get away with murder"? I don't know how I feel about it.

Also, I can see Pip getting a new identity and moving to a new place, and years later in her 30+ someone starts blackmailing her because they know who she is and what she did. It just feels like material for a mystery/thriller 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

mina wrote: "I know I said the books went from chill YA mystery to the super extreme.. and boy I was not aware how much I was right.

Thoughts I had during and after ch 30."

(view spoiler)[I didn't love the how to get away spin the author went with. First of all, murdering someone so brutally and then framing someone else (no matter how much he deserves to be in prison) felt so wrong for Pip's character thus far. Secondly, it just was so extreme and out there on believability compared to the first two books. (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

HeatherH wrote: "Through 32
[spoilers removed]"

I agree (view spoiler)[ Stupid and I don't like it, at all. I don't give a shit about Max, but about the guy in prison, that's what I was thinking ???? like you just going to let him stay in prison? the hell.

At this point I'm just going to push through only to finish this but disappointment. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

mina wrote: "HeatherH wrote: "Through 32
[spoilers removed]"



Yeahhh I was pissed about that getting ignored for so long as well

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

39-end
(view spoiler)[ She makes so many plans what to do and what not, and I understand but also... you gonna screw something up.. like there's no chance you don't mess something up.. Although with the splendid police force your town has high chances they won't even notice it.

Oh, and another thing that annoys me is how she pulled Ravi into all of it. I get that he's her person, and that he would do anything for her and she for him. But he's such a nice guy.

She supposedly cleaned all items she touched.. but what about the screw or whatever it was she dropped when she tired to escape from Jason.

I finished it.. I didn't like much the second part, and it felt rushed? So yeah... it was a fun series, not a fun ending. (hide spoiler)]

[Darcey]

omg i'm so sorry guys, i promise i'll try and finish soon and join in your discussion! i'm going to try and read a chunk tonight, and if not tonight then i'll definitely finish this weekend :))

[HeatherH]

mina wrote: "39-end


(view spoiler)[ Pulling Ravi in was total bs but then to tell him they can't talk for however long the trial takes to "protect" him and break his heart after all he did putting himself at risk for her? Ticked me off. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Darcey wrote: "omg i'm so sorry guys, i promise i'll try and finish soon and join in your discussion! i'm going to try and read a chunk tonight, and if not tonight then i'll definitely finish this weekend :))"

Take your time! We'll be around :)

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

HeatherH wrote: "mina wrote: "39-end


[spoilers removed]"

Yeeeea, I wasn't much of her fan there

[Darcey]

Ok yep finished! I agree with you both that the whole “how to get away with murder” plotline was unexpected, and I definitely didn’t anticipate Pip getting kidnapped so early on, given I thought that would be the main plotline. I wasn’t in any way surprised by it being Jason Bell (I figured it was him from the unsent email of Andie’s). But I was surprised by Pip’s murder of him… and I’m honestly not sure I loved the ending. Yes, I believe that both Jason and Max definitely deserved serious punishment (jail for life at least) but I’m not one for capital punishment, and I didn’t love that Pip actually got away with it. I loved the PTSD rep, which is so rare in mystery books but very realistic, and I did appreciate the call out for failures of the judicial system, but hell, if Pip can get away with murder then half the people in prison might be wrongly charged. I just don’t think that was the correct call-out for the judicial system, and also very different to Pip’s character though she did change a lot by book #3.
Ahh i don’t know, overall I did enjoy it and I was definitely very addicted and invested in the storyline, hence the 3.5 stars, but it was just very unexpected and not entirely welcomed!
Sorry for the essay haha

[HeatherH]

yeah I was still definitely intrigued and it was easy to stay glued to the story through to the ending, so I will give it credit for that.