As a big Crime Junkie fan ofcourse I wanted to read the debut novel by the podcasts host Ashely Flowers. I was super curious to see how her storytelling would translate to a book. As soon as the book released I got the audiobook and flew through it. Today I finally want to share my thoughts on the book with you all. So let’s take a look!
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.
Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the case of January Jacobs, who was found dead 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 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 sick uncle, it 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 kidnapped Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night?
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
Published by Bantam on 16/08/2022
Pages: 320
Goodreads
The premise of the book isn’t super unique, we follow a journalist, Margot, going back to her home town. In present day a girl has disappeared and that brings back memories from the unsolved murder of a girl twenty years earlier. We get both timelines and slowly get more insight in both cases.
I enjoy Ashley Flower’s storytelling and that was definitely present here as well. But the twists weren’t that shocking, I saw most of them coming a mile away. Like I said the premise wasn’t that unique and I guess the overall story wasn’t super unique either.
Usually the characters aren’t really the most important part of a mystery story in my opinion. I read it for the case, trying to figure out what happens with hopefully a very satisfying ending. So the characters were fine, they had some interesting storylines. I especially liked reading about Margot’s relationship with her uncle. It brought back memories about my grandmother and I thought it was really well done.
Talking about the ending though. That was something haha. It was very abrupt and I had to go back and check if that was actually the end. I was hoping there was more because I just couldn’t believe it was ending like that. It was not what I would call satisfying and I’m still not completely sure what happened. I guess that was the point, and maybe ties in with all the podcast stories that don’t have a satisfying ending since the cases are unsolved.
Even though this wasn’t my favorite mystery novel and I was disappointed by the end, I did enjoy it. I like Ashley’s voice and writing style and I would definitely pick up another book by her. Hopefully she’ll write more, I would love to see her develop over time. If you’re looking for an easy read, this might be one for you. And if you haven’t read a lot of mystery novels yet, I think the twists might still surprise you! I would love to know if there are any more Crime Junkie fans here and if you enjoyed the novel. Let me know in the comments!
Nope, I can enjoy a lot of different styles in a thriller, but I need a satisfying ending! Gotta have that conclusion!
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Sounds like this story reflects real life with its ending — perhaps too much? Thanks for the review!