Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Blurb:
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?
Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale that asks: What are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is watching?
My Review:
So few books actually take place in Indiana that when I saw this did, I bit. Also, because it is mystery, thriller. And, the premise sounded good. Liked the cover. Did the book deliver?
Gees, it’s a debut novel by a true crime podcaster. Gotta be good, right? Some people thought so—many others did not.
Not to beat a dead horse, but it does sound strikingly familiar with another (real life) story that refuses to leave the hearts and minds of the people of another beautiful little girl. In this case, the stories of two little girls, twenty years apart and Margot Davies, the former little girl’s neighbor.
Margot returns to help take care of her uncle in Wakarusa. She is now a journalist and soon after her return another little girl goes missing—found days later under similar circumstances to January Jacobs, twenty years before. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
Naturally, Margot feels compelled to solve the mystery, find the perp, possibly put an end to it happening again. And, of course, it would appear her career could very well depend on the story she would reap from the reveal.
It’s amazing the doors and info Margot can glean from those who would not normally speak with a journalist. She goes about it step by step, after all, she’s done this before, crime beat reporting. Only this time it’s much more personal.
There are twists, a build-up of suspense with the story of the girls and their family circumstances as well as her own struggle with her uncle, diagnosed with dementia. I enjoyed the deep dive into the people and the rural countryside creating a depth to the bucolic nature of the area.
What I didn’t enjoy, as so many others noted, was that abrupt ending and multi-tasking as I generally do with an audiobook, thought I’d missed something. Apparently not. So yes, strongly suspected the who—but then what went down? I guess it’s up to you.
Did you read this one? I thought the audiobook was well done, kept my interest, with the author herself participating in narration. Still…
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Murder Thrillers, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B09QQVLPJC
Listening Length: 10 hrs 35 mins
Narrators: Ashley Flowers, Brittany Pressley, Karissa Vacker
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: All Good People Here [Amazon]
Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars 
The Author: Ashley Flowers is the Founder and Chief Creative 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, documentary, fiction, comedy, and more. Ashley is the author of New York Times Bestseller, All Good People Here, a fiction crime thriller released in August, 2022.
As CCO, Flowers 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 podcasts, including Apple Podcast’s #1 show of 2022, Crime Junkie, The Deck, and The Deck Investigates. At the core of the company and all its podcasts, Ashley and her team are committed to developing responsible true crime content.
Through her work at audiochuck, Ashley is passionate about advocacy work and established the nonprofit Season of Justice to provide financial resources to both law enforcement agencies and families in order to help solve cold cases.
Ashley Flowers was born and raised in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and their beloved dog, Chuck. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University.
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