Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Bantam (2022), 313 pages
Description
"In this 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, become a big-city journalist. But she's always been haunted by the fear 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 a diagnosis of early-onset dementia, it all feels like walking into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembered-genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who's gone missing under eerily similar circumstances. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and solve January's murder once and for all. But the police, the 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 the killer still be out there? Could it be the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night? Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale that asks: What are your neighbors really capable of when they think no one is watching?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Carol420
Shifting between the time around January’s murder and the present, we are thrown back and forth. Though this should in all reality be confusing, Ashley Flowers does it masterfully. A good thriller for me is how much can the author give away and yet allow us to guess along and be surprised. The
Show More
dual timeline definitely helps here as we are always thinking about January’s case from two different perspectives, gathering different insights from both the past and present. Ultimately, this made for a really interesting reading experience. It also helped to peel back the many layers bit by bit. A picture of the events surrounding January’s death slowly starts to form. If you think you figured out the truth...think again. There’s a twist that will send your brain spinning in a totally different direction. I felt all the twists and turns made sense within the storyline actually showing how complicated real crime investigations usually are. The truth is rarely as simple as we think it should be or would like it to be. This book portrays this beautifully. It's not a "true crime" thriller...but it could be with very little effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member CandyH
This is quite a thriller. So many twists and turns keep the reader guessing what’s next.
LibraryThing member pennsylady
It took me a bit to enter into this story but when it finally began
to move, I was in.
One reviewer called it semi-satisfying.
Thank you, I was at loss for a descriptive word.
I'm wondering if ending the story in such an inconclusive manner
is a literary devise to encourage my imagination.
For me it was
The author created them.
I wish she had anticipated reader reaction and finished her thoughts.
to move, I was in.
One reviewer called it semi-satisfying.
Thank you, I was at loss for a descriptive word.
I'm wondering if ending the story in such an inconclusive manner
is a literary devise to encourage my imagination.
For me it was
Show More
simply unresolved and I don't care to speculate on the future of the characters.The author created them.
I wish she had anticipated reader reaction and finished her thoughts.
Show Less
LibraryThing member blbooks
First sentence: The residents of Wakarusa, Indiana, could spin gossip faster than a spider spins its web.
Premise/plot: Dual timelines. Multiple murder victims. That is the shortest way to sum up this one.
Margot Davies (our 2019 heroine) is a crime reporter for a newspaper. When she was a child,
Krissy Jacobs (our 1994 heroine, though we progress through the years with this one) is January Jacobs' mother. She has MANY, many secrets...but is being a murderer one of them????
My thoughts: There are about three thousand red herrings in this murder mystery. For better or worse. I don't know if it's more annoying or less annoying to have so many. Maybe I exaggerate slightly. I do think the author is purposefully trying to trick/fool readers into making wrong guesses with every page or two. And I'm not sure a second reading would work. (Though maybe I'm wrong about that).
I don't expect mystery novels to automatically be 'clean' in terms of content--language, sex, etc. So don't expect it to be squeaky clean, it isn't.
My first thought is that Margot isn't the brightest amateur detective. In that she puts herself into situations that seem risky--at least to me. She's so determined to tell the whole story and to uncover/discover new facts that will help solve the murder(s), that she doesn't really ever think am I risking myself trying to unmask this murderer? If the murderer is still in town, still living in the midst of us, still active as a serial offender, then am I going to be his NEXT victim? Is she trusting the wrong people?
I personally HATED the ending. I don't know how others feel about it. It has two endings--in a way. The epilogue from the murderer...and Margot's ending that comes right before. With that ending, it is almost impossible for me not to have my impression changed...on if it's something I'd recommend.
Premise/plot: Dual timelines. Multiple murder victims. That is the shortest way to sum up this one.
Margot Davies (our 2019 heroine) is a crime reporter for a newspaper. When she was a child,
Show More
her next door playmate, January Jacobs, was murdered. Police suspect it was the mom. But there's no conclusive evidence--enough to bring a case--because the crime scene was handled so messily. The murder has haunted her for decades. Haunted the whole town really. Everyone has thoughts, ideas, opinions about the crime. Margot can't help making mental connections between January's tragic death and every other kidnapping/murder case in the surrounding areas. For better or worse, she can't help thinking that January's murderer is still out harming children. She returns to her hometown to care for her uncle with dementia. She arrives around the time of a new kidnapping/murder in a small town just eight or ten miles away. Once again, she's snapped back to January's case. But are the cases connected? Margot goes into full detective mode without thought or consideration to her own safety. Krissy Jacobs (our 1994 heroine, though we progress through the years with this one) is January Jacobs' mother. She has MANY, many secrets...but is being a murderer one of them????
My thoughts: There are about three thousand red herrings in this murder mystery. For better or worse. I don't know if it's more annoying or less annoying to have so many. Maybe I exaggerate slightly. I do think the author is purposefully trying to trick/fool readers into making wrong guesses with every page or two. And I'm not sure a second reading would work. (Though maybe I'm wrong about that).
I don't expect mystery novels to automatically be 'clean' in terms of content--language, sex, etc. So don't expect it to be squeaky clean, it isn't.
My first thought is that Margot isn't the brightest amateur detective. In that she puts herself into situations that seem risky--at least to me. She's so determined to tell the whole story and to uncover/discover new facts that will help solve the murder(s), that she doesn't really ever think am I risking myself trying to unmask this murderer? If the murderer is still in town, still living in the midst of us, still active as a serial offender, then am I going to be his NEXT victim? Is she trusting the wrong people?
I personally HATED the ending. I don't know how others feel about it. It has two endings--in a way. The epilogue from the murderer...and Margot's ending that comes right before. With that ending, it is almost impossible for me not to have my impression changed...on if it's something I'd recommend.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Micareads
Margot Davies grew up in the small town of Wakarusa, Indiana, and moved away to become a journalist, now she finds herself returning to that community in order to take care of her uncle who is in the beginning stages of dementia. The day she arrives there is news that a young girl named Natalie
One day graffiti appears on the Jacobs family's barn, proving to Margot that the two cases are connected. Determined to find the truth, Margot begins to talk to those people who were involved in the original Jacobs investigation. It is widely thought that January's mother killed her but Margot decides to speak to one other person who could possibly know what happened - January's twin brother, Jace. The deeper Margot gets into this investigation the stronger she feels that she knows who murdered her friend but finds that things are not always what they appear.
This is the first novel by Ashley Flowers, host of the widely popular Crime Junkies podcast. This story is not so loosely based on the yet unsolved JonBenet Ramsey case. There are very obvious similarities at the beginning of the book and I was glad when the story moved on from that background. With Flower's background as a journalist, I had no doubt that she would be able to write a good book and that she will so in the future. While this was a very good read, I hope Ashley does not depend so heavily on a well-known case to base her story on.
Show More
Clark and the case reminds her of her friend, January Jacobs, who was murdered in her own home when she was six. The problem is no one else thinks there is a connection.One day graffiti appears on the Jacobs family's barn, proving to Margot that the two cases are connected. Determined to find the truth, Margot begins to talk to those people who were involved in the original Jacobs investigation. It is widely thought that January's mother killed her but Margot decides to speak to one other person who could possibly know what happened - January's twin brother, Jace. The deeper Margot gets into this investigation the stronger she feels that she knows who murdered her friend but finds that things are not always what they appear.
This is the first novel by Ashley Flowers, host of the widely popular Crime Junkies podcast. This story is not so loosely based on the yet unsolved JonBenet Ramsey case. There are very obvious similarities at the beginning of the book and I was glad when the story moved on from that background. With Flower's background as a journalist, I had no doubt that she would be able to write a good book and that she will so in the future. While this was a very good read, I hope Ashley does not depend so heavily on a well-known case to base her story on.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the complimentary audiobook!
I did like this book. I admit that I was a little torn about how to rate this book. I am old enough that I clearly remember when the JonBenet Ramsey case was all over the news and media. It is a heartbreaking case that has never
This book is told from two points of view. Margot has come back to the small town of Wakarusa to care for her uncle with dementia. She is a reporter and hopes to be able to work remotely. When a young girl is killed, she is brought back to the murder of her childhood best friend, January. We also see things from January’s mother’s perspective during the time surrounding the murder. The more things that I learned about this murder the more questions I had. The story did hold my interest and I found myself often wondering what might happen next.
I thought that the narrators did a fantastic job with this story. I am certain that the narration is the reason that I still found this story enjoyable despite my annoyance that the book used the basic details of a well-known murder. I thought that both of the main narrators were able to bring the characters to life with just the right amount of emotion. I would definitely recommend the audiobook to anyone wanting to read this book.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable listen. I did have some issues with the story and the ending was more open-ended than I would have liked, but I always found myself wanting to listen to just a little more.
I did like this book. I admit that I was a little torn about how to rate this book. I am old enough that I clearly remember when the JonBenet Ramsey case was all over the news and media. It is a heartbreaking case that has never
Show More
been solved. I did not like that the crime in this book so closely resembled that case. I don’t mind it when an author is inspired by real-life events but I hate it when the crime in a book so closely resembles an event from real life that it is identifiable to basically everyone. I think that it was an unfortunate decision to so closely mirror a well-known case but I did still find the audiobook engaging and enjoyable.This book is told from two points of view. Margot has come back to the small town of Wakarusa to care for her uncle with dementia. She is a reporter and hopes to be able to work remotely. When a young girl is killed, she is brought back to the murder of her childhood best friend, January. We also see things from January’s mother’s perspective during the time surrounding the murder. The more things that I learned about this murder the more questions I had. The story did hold my interest and I found myself often wondering what might happen next.
I thought that the narrators did a fantastic job with this story. I am certain that the narration is the reason that I still found this story enjoyable despite my annoyance that the book used the basic details of a well-known murder. I thought that both of the main narrators were able to bring the characters to life with just the right amount of emotion. I would definitely recommend the audiobook to anyone wanting to read this book.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable listen. I did have some issues with the story and the ending was more open-ended than I would have liked, but I always found myself wanting to listen to just a little more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member indygo88
Margot, a journalist for an Indianapolis newspaper, has returned to her small Indiana hometown to take care of her uncle. Shortly after arriving, a young girl is kidnapped and murdered in a nearby town. The circumstances seem eerily similar to another disappearance and murder 25 years earlier, that
This is Ashley Flowers' debut novel. Some people are familiar with her as the host of her true crime podcast "Crime Junkie", which seems to be pretty popular, based on what I've read. I'm not a podcast listener, so I'm not one of those people. But regardless, this novel seems to have gotten mixed reviews, and its similarities to the JonBenet Ramsey case has turned some people off. I can give or take that aspect -- it doesn't really affect my opinion of the story one way or the other. As far as the story itself goes, I liked it well enough. There were plenty of red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing as to whodunnit. While the ending was satisfying in some ways, it was very open-ended in others, and it's almost as if a chapter was missing. At its core, this was a good story, but I felt the writing was somehow....unpolished, for lack of a better word. Hard to put my finger on why exactly. I don't think the writing will win any awards, but the story will keep the reader engaged.
Show More
of Margot's neighbor and friend, January Jacobs. Though no one else seems to think there's a connection, Margot is convinced there must be, and she sets out on her own to try to link the two murders.This is Ashley Flowers' debut novel. Some people are familiar with her as the host of her true crime podcast "Crime Junkie", which seems to be pretty popular, based on what I've read. I'm not a podcast listener, so I'm not one of those people. But regardless, this novel seems to have gotten mixed reviews, and its similarities to the JonBenet Ramsey case has turned some people off. I can give or take that aspect -- it doesn't really affect my opinion of the story one way or the other. As far as the story itself goes, I liked it well enough. There were plenty of red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing as to whodunnit. While the ending was satisfying in some ways, it was very open-ended in others, and it's almost as if a chapter was missing. At its core, this was a good story, but I felt the writing was somehow....unpolished, for lack of a better word. Hard to put my finger on why exactly. I don't think the writing will win any awards, but the story will keep the reader engaged.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
Margot, a journalist, returns to her hometown of Wakarusa, IN to care for her uncle Luke who is losing his memory. When she overhears a story of a missing girl, Natalie, she can't help but compare it to the death of her best friend, January, 20 years earlier. As she tries to piece the murders
This reads like a true crime novel. It leaves you with an uneasy feeling at the end, when the truth is revealed.
Show More
together, she begins to find out information about her family and the small town community, and the secrets they have held for years. This reads like a true crime novel. It leaves you with an uneasy feeling at the end, when the truth is revealed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member huntersun9
I've been listening to the Crime Junkies podcast so I was happy to learn that Ashley Flowers had written a mystery. And it's very good. Margot, a journalist already stressed by her uncle's worsening dementia, takes on the investigation of a little girl's disappearance. When the child is found dead,
Show More
the circumstances remind Margot of the murder of her best friend 25 years earlier. People in the small town long ago decided the girl's family was to blame, but Margot wants to get to the truth. I liked the characters and the twists of people's secrets being uncovered little by little. I also appreciated that this did not turn into a romance! This was a fast-paced story, well-told and I would read Flowers again. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
I don't like true crime but that doesn't matter because there are almost no elements of the true crime genre in this novel. Likewise, there are no elements of podcasting despite Flowers' background in successful podcasting. This is a run-of-the mill domestic murder mystery full of plot holes but
Show More
devoid of character development. I have never listened to Crime Junkies but I assume Flowers' podcast does a better job of building suspense and storytelling. I abandoned the audiobook when the narrator kept over-dramatizing mediocre moments but, after reading the book, I realized there are no dramatic moments to emphasize. I hate when authors give their characters pointless quirks - Margot clenches her hands into fists, leaving fingernail marks in her flesh. Sure, okay. Who cares? She has a remarkable sense of hearing, except when the plot needs her to be deaf. The ending of the 2019 plot is a sanctimonious cheat and the Epilogue is an embarrassingly stupid "explanation" of what happened in 1994. But don't forget the 2009 plot! Actually, go ahead. Forget it all. Show Less
LibraryThing member admiralfinnegan
While I found much of the book to be fairly middling, I will say the end was very effective. A lot of the characterizations were lacking and the plot was fine, but I was annoyed by some of the attempts at narrative trickery in the beginning and feel that they are disingenuous. I like the focus on
Show More
women and the LGBTQ elements but I feel that this is just barely up to snuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member terran
I was all set to give this 4 stars until the ending. Big letdown.
LibraryThing member delphimo
Ashley Flowers enters my scene as a new author, and I totally enjoy her writing style. All Good People Here bears a little suggestion into the characters of the story. Careless events shape the destiny of each individual as with the death of six-year-old January Jacobs. The story jumps back and
Show More
forth from the 1994 death of January to the 2019 investigation by Margot Davies. Ashley Flowers plants numerous clues throughout the story as to what might have happened, but like Agatha Christie, she inserts many red herrings. At times, the story dragged with all the explanations and detail given the good old Uncle Luke. Small town America peeks through the haze of simple life and a killer hides from the curiosity of the townspeople. An interesting view of humanity. Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
Interesting twists and story, but the ending had me wondering if she forgot something! Kind of a nonending.
LibraryThing member mojomomma
Margo moved back to her small Indiana home town to care for her uncle who is suffering from early-onset dementia. Her intention is to work remotely, but she in unable to work and care for her uncle. She becomes immersed in the death of her friend, January Jacobs from 25 years earlier when another
Show More
girl is taken from a near-by playground. Is January's killer still out there? Show Less
LibraryThing member tamidale
My youngest daughter told me about the Crime Junkie podcast several years ago and I have been listening to it since. So, I was both interested and pleased to hear Ashley Flowers had written a mystery/thriller set in a small town.
Margot, the main character returns to the town where she grew up to
As she investigates, Margot learns many small-town secrets. I was hooked on the story and loved the twists and turns along the way, but the ending had me blindsided! I’m hoping Ashley Flowers is planning to add to the story. I would certainly be interested in reading a sequel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.
Margot, the main character returns to the town where she grew up to
Show More
take care of her Uncle Luke, who has early-onset dementia. As a journalist, Margot has agreed to work from his home and cover a recent kidnapping. Early on, Margot begins to believe there are similarities to her childhood friend’s murder many years ago.As she investigates, Margot learns many small-town secrets. I was hooked on the story and loved the twists and turns along the way, but the ending had me blindsided! I’m hoping Ashley Flowers is planning to add to the story. I would certainly be interested in reading a sequel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member seongeona
Loved this! I came to this novel not knowing the author at all. It seems to me alot of readers didn't like the story because they don't like the author. I thought it was awesome, a real page-turner, hard to put down. Great character development and I loved how it twisted and turned, making me think
Show More
this person was the murderer, then, no, it must be that person, then no again. I loved the ending, too. Not every story has to be neatly wrapped up. It's delicious not having a tidy ending. The ending is menacingly perfect. Reminded me of the first Law & Order: SVU episode I ever watched - we didn't find out the verdict. I screamed at my TV. Delicious, agonizing, perfection. What our brains can imagine is sometimes better than someone else telling us what happened. For certain, I'll be thinking about this story for a long time, and watching for another book by this author. Show Less