By: Ashley Flowers
ISBN: 978-0593496473
Publisher: Bantam| Random House
Narrators: Ashley Flowers (Author, Narrator), Brittany Pressley, Karissa Vacker
Random House Audio
Publication Date: 08/16/2022
Format: Audiobook 🎧
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie, a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.
You can’t ever know for sure what happens behind closed doors.
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
Fans of Ashley Flowers' podcast, Crime Junkie, the JonBenet Ramsey case, true-crime, or audiobooks narrated by the fabulous Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker, then WE ARE ALL GOOD PEOPLE is for YOU!
I just realized I failed to post my review after reading/listening.
Ashley Flowers' delivers a winner out of the gate with her smashing debut crime thriller—WE ARE ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE. A journalist uncovers her hometown's dark secrets of an unsolved murder of a childhood neighbor and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.
Set in Wakarusa, Indiana, a young girl, January Jacobs, was murdered and found later in a ditch after her family found her missing.
Margot Davies happened to be six at the time when January, her childhood friend, and next-door neighbor, was murdered. She always wondered why January. It could have been her. Her killer was never found, and the case remains a cold case. The case still haunts her.
Margot has moved away and is a successful journalist. She returns home to care for her uncle, Luke, diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
Upon her arrival, the news comes of a five-year-old girl, Natalie, from a nearby town who has gone missing which sounds similar to January.
Told from two timelines, past and present, from Margo Davie. Luke is sometimes lucid, but he is often unaware of his surroundings.
They thought January's mom did it or January's twin, Jace, but they never had enough to convict. The small town was devastated.
When Natalie is found dead, Margot wonders if the cases are connected even though twenty years apart.
Margot starts her investigation and notices someone is following her. Someone is leaving notes. Also, does she know her uncle?
What secrets is everyone hiding in this town?
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have always been intrigued by the JonBenét Ramsey case since they lived down the street from me (their Atlanta house), and every day, riding past the house, I always wondered what went on in this house.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and purchased the audiobook. As always LOVED Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker's narration of the audiobook (two favorites) for a highly entertaining performance.
Suspense-packed, the twists and turns will keep readers guessing right up to the conclusion. Friends and neighbors in tightly knit neighborhoods can sometimes turn so unexpectedly and terrifyingly deadly.
In this smart and chilling thriller, the author brings domestic small-town secrets to the surface from behind closed doors— some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
The author knows her way around crime thrillers! I cannot wait to see what is coming next.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)
Pub Date: Aug 16, 2022
Praise
“Ashley Flowers has a knack for writing twisty plots and believable characters. All Good People Here is a stunning debut from a fresh new voice in the thriller space.”
—Karin Slaughter
“All Good People Here has enough twists and layers for three novels. Ashley Flowers has taken a premise familiar to true-crime fans and created a story that’s compelling and psychologically rich, with an ending that’s as unnerving as it is satisfying.”
—Lou Berney
“While some aspects of the fictional plot may remind true crime aficionados of real cases, the twist at the end is wholly original.”
—Good Housekeeping
“Intense.”
—PopSugar
“Ashley Flowers has taken her passion for true crime to new dimensions. . . . Flowers’s strong debut [is the] perfect summer mystery.”
—People
“Flowers has uncanny insight into the types of stories many Americans want right now.”
—Elle
“Crime Junkie fans and readers alike will be ready to settle in for what can only be described as a hair-raising, thrilling, twisty and chilling read that is every bit what we would expect from our favorite hostess.”
—BookTrib
“This intricate, intriguing puzzler should surprise even those readers certain they know where the plot’s heading. Flowers is off to a promising start.”
—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
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. Most recently, Ashley is the author of All Good People Here.
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 Crime Junkie, Red Ball, Full Body Chills, and The Deck. 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 recently established the nonprofit Season of Justice to provide financial resources to both law enforcement agencies and families in order to help solve cold cases. She sits on the organization’s board of directors.
Flowers was born and raised in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and their beloved dog, Charlie. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University. WEBSITE
