I’d like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. It was thanks to morbidmamareads over on Insta and Twitter that I requested this book. I’m new to the insta world but I’m learning quickly that when Morbs says you need this book, you really do!

Well I’m pleased to say that I shall definitely be taking recommendations from Morbs in the future because she was right. This debut is fantastic! It’s gripping, twisty and I found myself engrossed in the story from start to finish.

As with most mystery and thriller style books it’s quite difficult to review this one without giving too much away but what I can tell you is I changed my mind so many times on what I thought was happening. There was a moment when a big reveal had happened and I seriously contemplated staying up till the early hours to finish this one. Unfortunately I had work the next day so I couldn’t stay up but I quickly popped my headphones back on in the morning because I had to know how it finished!

The dual timeline paired with Margot’s obsession with January’s case made for a compelling read. Whilst this story started with another girls disappearance it was clearly Margot’s excuse to dive back into the cold case and play detective.

I shall be getting myself a copy for my bookcase and adding Ashley Flowers onto my authors to watch list!

3.5 stars
I wasn't aware of who Ashley Flowers was, in terms of being a popular podcaster, before I started reading this book so that has not influenced my thoughts on the story or my eventual review.
This book didn't keep my attention, with me having to almost force myself to pick it up time and time again to keep reading it.
It was also rather slow and I didn't feel like the characters were as developed as they could have been, which was a shame.
Because this appears to be based on a case that many of us are already well familiar with, the twists or surprises weren't either of those things for me. It was quite easy to guess where things were going, given what it is seemingly based on.
But what really ruined this book and story for me was the ending.
Without revealing too much, there was zero resolution but not in a realistic way.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the story of Margot, a reporter who investigates an old murder case of her childhood friend in connection with a recent disappearance of another little girl.

This was an interesting mystery with some thriller elements. It took me a moment to get used to the author's writing style - you can tell it's a debut novel, but it didn't bother me too much once I got into the flow of the story. What's more, the characters weren't developed past a few superficial features and the focus of this book was mainly on the plot and uncovering the truth about January's murder, so if you're a character driven reader, this may not work for you. It didn't bother me too much, again, but I think it would have enriched the story if we found out more about Margot as a person.
Additionally, I enjoyed that the details of the case were gradually revealed to us, even though I guessed the main points ahead of time.
It was a well thought out and engaging mystery, focused more on the investigation, not so much on thrills.

As a big fan of the Crime Junkie podcast, I couldn’t wait to read the debut novel by Ashley Flowers. All Good People Here is a cold case mystery set in the small town of Wakarusa. A great plot and a suspenseful read with plenty of twists that will keep you guessing. I really enjoyed it overall however was left a bit disappointed with the abrupt ending.

A great debut novel and really hope this is the first of many by Ashley Flowers as I can only see her getting better!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Ok, I feel like it is tough to just review the book and not to mention the other bits that come to my mind when reading this, so I will use this opportunity to include that.

I used to be a big fan of the podcast in its early days, but since the plagiarism came to light, I have not felt right to keep supporting the author and the co-host. A simple acknowledgement and apology would have been all that's needed for retribution, but none came. Very disappointing actions by one of the biggest true crime podcasts, not to mention the complete lack of personal ethics and morals.

So now, here comes this book. The book itself read fast, was intriguing and I did enjoy it.
However, I feel like as a host of a true crime podcast, you do write about what you know, right? Then why not mention it?

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.
My biggest problem is that this is basically a fictionalisation of a theory about a real-life child that has not only lost her life tragically but also been made into a media spectacle and now this book does even mention that?! How is that not disrespectful? I just cannot fathom the balls to do that. Can't. Nope.
This has clearly been inspired by and based on a real-life crime including a child (!), so we are not going to even mention that and basically create a theory about that and profit off of it and not even disclose it. Is this history repeating itself again? And is the "author" getting away with it again? Doesn't sit right with me.

I have a real problem with the lack of disclosure here, and skating on thin ice with ethics and morals as a human being. I simply cannot get over it and I don't think I should.

Therefore, the rating is 2 stars, being generous, as the book itself was an alright read.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

If you’ve ever involuntarily blurted out ‘And I’m Britt’, this is the book for you. If you’ve pounced on this book before reading the blurb, allow me to enlighten you: this is a novel, not a super long episode of Crime Junkie in book form. Not that I’d ever open a book, see A Novel after the title and question every assumption I’ve ever made.

All Good People Here (A Novel) primarily takes place in Wakarusa, Indiana, where Ashley and Britt grew up. It’s also somewhere I need to visit because of two really important words: Pumpkin Tree!

In 1994, six year old January Jacobs died. Everyone in town knew Krissy, January’s mother, murdered her but the case has officially remained unsolved.

“You don’t want to go back to that sad little town where that terrible thing happened.”

Margot hasn’t lived in Wakarusa for twenty years but has returned to care for her beloved Uncle Luke. When a young girl is reported missing in a nearby town, Margot believes the person who killed her childhood friend has struck again. Margot is determined to use her crime reporting skills to solve the cases but she seems to be the only one seeing their similarities.

This may be a small town but many of its residents are living with secrets.

“What did you do?”

Hearing the story from Krissy and Margot’s perspectives, you learn about the dynamics of the Jacobs’ family, how the investigation into January’s death unfolded and the impact it has had on everyone close to the case in the subsequent years. A few key details about January and her death made me think of JonBenét Ramsey. Once I made that connection, I had trouble seeing anything else.

I enjoyed tagging along as Margot followed up leads, although I did get a bit bogged down at times with what was happening with Luke. I guessed some of the reveals but, rather than being disappointed by this as I usually would be, it made me feel like I was being a good Crime Junkie.

It’s taken me two weeks since finishing this book to attempt writing a review and that’s mostly due to the last time we see Margot in this book. Readers will likely either love or hate this scene. I loved it but, because I don’t want to get all spoilery, I can’t tell you why I loved it and that’s what I really want to talk about.

I’m looking forward to reading future books by Ashley. Until then, I’ll keep getting my Crime Junkie fix whenever I can and remembering to always “Be weird. Be rude. Stay alive.”

Content warnings include mention of death by suicide, domestic abuse, kidnapping, miscarriage, murder and sexual assault.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read this book.

In the interests of full disclosure, let me first state that I’m a HUGE fan of Crime Junkie, Ashley Flowers’ award-winning true crime podcast. She’s got a knack of telling you about a crime in such a way that you feel right at the centre of it. I went into this book knowing that she’s an amazing storyteller and that she’d include lots of totally believable details in this, her first novel. Whilst I’m already a fan of her other work, I had no idea what to expect from Flowers’ first foray into writing fiction. My conclusion… damn, she’s good at this too!

We begin in 1994. Kristy Jacobs tries her best to fit into the tightknit, judgemental community of her Indiana town. She goes to church every Sunday, dresses her family in line with the town’s expectations, and keeps her house in pristine condition. But none of this protects her from every mother’s worst fear – in the middle of the night, her house is broken into and her six-year-old daughter, January, becomes a victim.

Twenty years later, Margot has returned to her home town to look after her uncle. A childhood friend and neighbour of January Jacobs, she is still haunted by the crime. On the day of her return, another girl – five-year-old Natalie Clark – is abducted from a playground in a nearby town. Old wounds are opened and Margot, a journalist, finds herself right in the middle of this modern case with disturbing links to the past.

Ashley Flowers knows the kind of details that keep people’s attention in cases like this one, and provides us with them in bucketfulls: multiple victims, crimes spanning decades, family secrets and a small-town full of gossip and speculation are just the start of it, and this novel keeps delivering the twists all the way to the end.

I could clearly hear Flowers’ voice narrating this tale as I read and followers of her podcast will enjoy the way that she writes as she speaks. There’s nothing forced here, and she’s a master storyteller and writer of crime.

I very much hope that Ashley Flowers will write many more novels like ‘All Good People Here’ – there’s certainly space in the market for a whole series with Margot as the central character, and I’d love to read more.

First up, big thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions

Taking place in small-town America, where town gossip is rife, Margot returns to solve the case of what happened to her best friend, 25 years ago

There was plot twist after plot twist, making me second guess who I thought it was - I got it right, but I wasn't prepared for how it happened 😱😭

For a debut novel, AGPH is amazing! I was hooked from the beginning wanting to know who was the bad guy!

The only thing I didn't like was how the final chapter (not the epilogue) ended, it was open to interpretation, and given the rollercoaster, the book took me on, I just wanted Ashley to tell me!

All Good People Here is out now and you should read it!

There's a lot of potential in this story and the characters are well developed. Unfortunately the story was a bit too slow for me and didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have only recently discovered and enjoyed Ashley Flowers podcast and so was interested to read this, her debut novel. 25 years ago 6 year old January Jacobs was murdered and as her childhood friend, journalist, Margot Davies returns to their small town another child goes missing from a nearby town. Margot is convinced that the two cases are linked and in her search for the truth she begins to uncover the secrets of the past. I loved this dual timeline thriller and the focus on the points of view of Margot and Krissy, January's mother 25 years before. It's a compelling, well written and well paced thriller with lots of twists and turns that really kept me gripped over the course of 24 hours. I loved the characters of Margot and the flawed Krissy and the way the novel flowed so well between past and present. A recommended read and I'm really looking forward to what the author writes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

2.5 stars
I am big fan of Ashley Flowers multiple podcasts and everything she does in the crime community so when I heard she had written a book I was intrigued and wanted to get my hands on it asap.
Unfortunately this book never really connected with me.
The plot never drew me in and you could definitely tell this is her first novel. The writing is simple, easy and light so whilst there is nothing wrong with it, it seemed to be lacking a spark.
The story is very obviously inspired by the Jon Benet Ramsey case and with multiple red herrings it does keep you reading, even though I thought all the twists/reveals were quite obvious, because of this there was never any surprise for me.
I found the pacing to be too slow and at times I found it dull and a bit boring. It also seemed to lack a bit of originality. I would be interested to read another book by this author (if she writes one) as I think she will get better the more she writes.

Yes yes yes! This was everything I want in a thriller and more! There were so many twists and turns I didn’t know what was going on, the pace was fantastic and I loved that the ending wasn’t necessarily tied up in a perfect bow! This is a phenomenal debut from Ashley Flowers and I can’t wait to read more!

Trust me when I tell you that this thriller will blow your mind 🤯
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All Good People Here is quite frankly phenomenal debut from Ashley Flowers. Gripping from start to finish, it's well and truly helped me break my reading slump which is the ultimate sign of a good book!
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Told with two POV's on a dual timeline (Krissy, 1994 and Margot, 2019) we are lured into the darkest of tales as a young girl, Natalie goes missing. With lots of similarities to the murder of Margot's childhood best friend, January, she can't help but go on a one woman mission to attempt to link the two incidents together.
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With flashbacks to Krissy, January's mother, we learn what really happened that fateful night in 1994.
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I LOVED THIS!! THAT ENDING 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 I had ALL the theories and not a single one of them was right #standard. I went on a real journey with this one and couldn't put it down. I loved seeing the world through Margot's eyes who is so likeable and I loved the small town vibe it had.
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Basically, EVERYBODY is lying in this book but who's lying to protect others, and who's lying to protect themselves? 🤔
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Thriller fans : read this book!

Margot is a crime writer who has returned to her home town to see family. There a girl has gone missing that opens up old wounds on the case years before of young January Jacobs whose killer was never brought to justice.
This started slow for me but then it starts to roll along at breakneck speed but then I found the ending very abrupt. This was a superb read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

An easy and quick read, enjoyable but not groundbreaking.

I think it was well written with a good flow. The setting was alluring, though heavy in cliches. Overall the story tied up nicely however, I don’t get the decision to leave the ending this way (possibly another book? otherwise very random - to be so open after everything came together).

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.
There are some good characters and interesting twists, but sadly what could have been really good ended up leaving me frustrated and unsatisfied with how it ended! 2.5 stars.

I loved this twisty thriller in the veins of a true crime murder mystery from Ashley Powers. It kept me up for a whole night and had me guessing till the end, which is a rare feat considering I read a lot of thrillers and I am almost always able to predict the twist before it happens these days. But this one managed to surprise a good deal. I can’t really say I loved the various characters much but I did like Margot and Krissy and their individual plot lines were well written. My only real gripe would be about the unnecessary open ending which just left me feeling dissatisfied even though the rest of the book kept me well entertained. On the whole I would definitely recommend this one but watch out for that ending.

Where to start? ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!
I read this book in a day, in two sittings, I was hooked.
I suspected everyone, there were twists and turns everywhere. The ending made me shiver and incredibly sad at the same time.
There is something about small towns that give you the creeps and this one does.
I am going to shout to the rooftops about this book.

All Good People Here has hints of true crime that makes for a gripping debut.

In 1994, 6-year-old January Jacobs was taken from her bed and later found dead in a ditch. Her murder was never solved.

In 2019, journalist Margot moves back to her hometown to care for her uncle Luke, who has early onset dementia. As more of a parent to her than her own family, she tries to juggle his care and her career. Not long after she returns, a five-year-old girl in a neighbouring town disappears, and Margot is adamant it is linked to the death of her childhood friend January all those years ago. As Margot digs deeper, she uncovers sinister feelings lurking beneath the surface of this close-knit town…

After reading the opening few chapters of this novel, I was reminded of the true case of JonBenet Ramsey, a young girl who was taken from her bed and later found dead in her family’s basement. Her murder was never solved, much like the case of January Jacobs. In the novel the police query why such a young girl was wearing daring outfits and make up. In all the images released of JonBenet, the majority she is dressed up for pageants with full make up. This could be a coincidence but made me intrigued to read on. I’m not sure what it is about true crime that fascinates us, but the connection certainly drew me into this debut.

The narrative flits between January Jacobs’ mother Krissy in 1994 as the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance and later murder unfolds. She is uneasy around her son Jace, leading us to think he is somehow unstable or responsible for his twin sister’s death, at least in his mother’s eyes. Evidence starts piling up proving that Krissy knows more about January’s death than she originally let on.

Margot in 2019 has a lot on her plate. She is hanging onto her job by a thread and seemingly lets her obsession with January’s case cloud her judgement when dealing with other similar cases. Alongside that she is struggling with an uncle who doesn’t recognise her half the time, with little time to buy food, cook or clean, and a landlord chasing his rent. Despite that, Margot is a determined and capable journalist, and she is likeable enough to lead this striking debut story.

The story is well plotted, with several twists which made me gasp out loud! I had my theories and they were all wrong! I love and read many thrillers and you think we must have seen it all by now and yet writers keep on surprising us. Some of the end of chapter ‘mic-drop’ moments gave me chills, so needless to say I raced through this book. The ending blew my mind; I think I held my breath for the whole chapter!

A brilliant debut with all the feelings of a true crime documentary, this is not to be missed. I eagerly await Ashley Flowers’ follow up!

Overall this is a good book, and very gripping and interesting, but I did not like the ending.

It was very abrupt and open ended, not giving a satisfactory conclusion to what was otherwise a really good read