All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
Published: August 16, 2022
Bantam
Pages: 313
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Ashley Flowers is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of audiochuck, the award-winning independent media and podcast production company known for its standout content and storytelling across different genres, including true crime, fiction, comedy, and more. As CEO, she works with her team to create an overarching content strategy and vision for the network of shows and company growth. She also hosts several audiochuck shows, including top-rated podcasts like Crime Junkie, Red Ball, Full Body Chills, and The Deck. Ashley was born and raised in Indiana, where she continues to live with her husband, daughter, and their beloved dog, Chuck. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University.
Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.
When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all.
But the police, Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?
“What will the neighbors say?”
Margot is returning to her small hometown to take care of her beloved uncle, Luke, who is in the beginning stages of dementia. Margot, a reporter, has been struggling since her aunt Rebecca died; seeing her uncle struggle with his grief and forgetfulness, she knows this move is the best thing for her uncle. And when a story falls into her lap, Margot has one last chance to uncover the past, reveal the present, and hope for her future.
I liked that this was a story within a story and that the alternating timelines and narrators brought a story to life. I also enjoyed that the town was a character, just as vivid as the citizens.
The character development was well done. Margot was a great leading lady. She is compassionate, ambitious, intelligent, and loyal. I liked Luke and found his memory issues well represented and done with care and respect.
I also enjoyed the various side character who helped bring the town to life. The various personalities helped create the funnel we needed to see.
The plot was intense. I enjoyed the pacing and the build-up. I found the journey through the novel well developed, and there were several edge-of-my-seat moments where I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
The twist is well done, and the final scenes are well executed. For a debut thriller, this novel is well done without being too obvious. I will definitely read Ashley Flowers’ next book.