Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Always tell someone where you’re going, especially if you’re going to meet up with ANYONE who could be a suspect in a murder case. Like the father of one victim and the husband of another. Margot! Again, these are SPECULATIVE, UNSUBSTANTIATED theories about the case and no family member was ever charged. Initially when I started this review I was going to give it 2 stars but in good faith I cannot - clearly there were too many things I disliked - I am going to downgrade to a 1.5 rounded down to 1. Sorry, I really wanted to like this one, it was my first NetGalley read for a while and I was pretty pumped - completely let down though. 😪 Another girl has disappeared and only reporter Margot Davies sees a connection. 20 years prior, her childhood friend January was taken and murdered. Now - another girl taken, a new haunting message on a wall, clandestine warnings - all pulling Margot deeper into the story. But Margot has problems - she’s losing everything, including her uncle with early dementia and she keeps seeing a strange red-haired woman everywhere, all while Margot is side-eyeing everyone she knows from this small town, including those closest to her.
All Good People Here is a debut thriller written by podcast host Ashley Flowers. Her experience with true crime shines through in this book of fiction. Written in a dual timeline narrative, it gives us the 1994 disappearance of a six year old girl and a similar disappearance twenty years later. What. Is. This. Ending? The point of true crime podcasts is to SOLVE mysteries, not leave them open-ended. Yes, this aspect feels very similar to January’s case. This same person continued to write disturbing, threatening notes to young girls for almost fifteen years, until he was caught using forensic genealogy. Can you think of other true crime cases that Ashley references in the book? Tell me in comments!WHAT did Krissy mean in her letter to Jace when she said “I learned something about your father. He isn’t who you think he is.” Does “your father” mean Billy, the only father Jace ever knew? Or does it mean Dave/Luke, Jace’s biological father? DID Krissy figure out that Billy killed January? Natalie Clark may have been the catalyst for Margot’s investigation but HER story is never explored, making this a journalist’s quest to solve a COLD CASE.
I won’t waste time going into the plot, but apparently, writing podcast episodes is very different from writing a novel, because this story never got off the ground. The author did capture the small town atmosphere, but the mystery itself was a replay of the Jon Benet Ramsey case. I had high expectations that someone who works in true crime could come up with something a bit more original and compelling. Jesus, you got a lot of stuff, kid,” Luke said, his arms laden with bags. “It’s like you think you’re moving in.” The storyline was clearly inspired by real-life events of at least one real-life crime, that of JonBenét Patricia Ramsey. Maybe mixed in with Madeleine McCann and Caylee Anthony. I do not think it is far-fetched to assume that, taking into account who the author, Ashley Flowers is.After a moment, Margot heard the plunk of a dead bolt, then the door creaked slowly, barely, open. Her pasted-on smile faltered. Ashley Flowers is the CEO of her own company and hosts the popular true crime podcast, Crime Junkie, which I’ve often enjoyed. I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of her book. 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 I hope you will join the Spoiler Discussion for All Good People Here! Talk to me in comments! What did you think of the book, the ending, all of it? Do you listen to podcasts? Let’s discuss this! You can also read my review of All Good People Here!
Great Deal 
New Comment