All Good People Here: A Novel by Ashley Flowers

I bought this book as I know the author though her podcasts and it did not dissapoint me.
I strongly recommend it and I would read any second part she would write or other books.

This is an overall great book! It was a quick read, but it also helped that I couldn’t put it down at times. The plot starts out slow and I almost had a hard time getting into it, but I’m glad I kept reading. The story became more captivating as the book went on and really kept you guessing.

Overall I’d give this book around 4.8 because I think some of the editing could have been a bit better to enhance readability in some chapters but the storyline, characters, and overall plot of this book were awesome. For Ashley’s first book, I’m insanely impressed. That ending though… Mind-blowing. I’m really hoping it leads to a sequel? And maybe a bit of small-town romance for Margot?? Either way, I was hooked from the beginning.

I loved this book. As a true crime junkie since the beginning, I knew Ashley wouldn’t let us down. So well written, the story was amazing. I’ve seen reviews that people don’t like the ending, however I loved it. I hope the ending of this book opens up to a crime series with Margot.

This mystery novel tells the story of Margot Davies, a reporter that has returned to the small town where she grew up to take care of her uncle. Years ago, when Margot was 6, the town was devastated when her neighbor January Jacobs, also 6, was kidnapped and murdered. That murder was never solved, and now there is another similar case in a nearby town that Margot thinks might be related to January’s death. She feels compelled to search for clues that might connect these two cases, despite resistance from everyone else in the community. The book has 33 main chapters and an Epilogue, for a total of about 309 pages.

The chapters mostly alternate between the third person perspectives of Krissy Jacobs (mother of January Jacobs) in 1994, and Margot Davies in 2019. We get pieces of the mystery from the past and present this way, in alternating chapters as the story comes together. (There seem to be some obvious similarities to another well-known real-life case in the 90s, you might be able to guess which one if you are old enough to remember.)

After some initial action the pacing is a little slow, as bits and pieces of the story are revealed. Personally, I found some of the middle chapters to be a bit boring, and there were several clichés that made the story seem less creative or surprising. I felt like I had read this basic plot before, and maybe a more exciting version. Perhaps more chapters in the first person would’ve been more compelling?

The most frustrating part of this book for me though, was the ending. This ending seemed super rushed; it was very abrupt, and I didn’t find it to be satisfying at all. I’m not sure if the author just couldn’t think of a good way to end the story, or if she was trying to set it up for a sequel, but either way I was left feeling like there should be at least another chapter to wrap everything up.

Overall, I think I’d give this book about a 3.4 / 5. I’ll have to round down to a 3, mostly because of how disappointed I was by the ending. Something about spending hours reading a mystery novel only to end in disappointment leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, but really other than that the book was decent. Also, if you are a big fan of the author’s podcast, maybe you like her so much that you are willing to overlook some flaws, and you’ll enjoy this book more than I did.

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers is the perfect small-town mystery. I was insanely invested in this story and wanted so bad for there to be some kind of big revelation so when I got to the end, I was a little let down. Too much is left open for speculation. HOWEVER, I sat on my thoughts for a few hours before writing up my review and I have to say I LOVE how this book ended. All the buildup from the story still weighs heavily on me but when I put it in perspective, it comes off as REAL. Not every case will be wrapped up in a pretty bow with answers to all the questions we have. Perhaps more things will come to light later down the road (and maybe even another book?) and perhaps not. But that is REAL crime so this book, while frustrating in that aspect, really made it stand out to me over other mysteries I’ve read.

All in all, I loved this one! I can see why it’s been so popular among thriller fans, and I can also see why people may not have loved it. The book is extremely detail oriented, suspenseful, and intriguing for those who enjoy a book that deals with true crime cases. However, it doesn’t have a perfect ending which will leave some readers feeling annoyed. Either way, I do recommend and am crossing my fingers that the author continues to write because I’m a fan!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Small Town Mysteries
❥ Murder Mysteries
❥ Cold case type books with shocking twists and turns

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐