All Good People Here

by Ashley Flowers

Overall: All Good People here is a solid thriller written by the host of a very popular true crime podcast. I do enjoy the occasional foray into true crime, and I was curious about how the author’s experience podcasting might inform the story.  Margot Davies a successful journalist, has returned to her small midwestern hometown of Wakarusa to take care of the uncle who raised her.  Struggling with a form of dementia, Uncle Luke only sometimes recognizes Margot, and his memories of the past resurface in odd ways.  When a young girl goes missing in a neighboring town, Margot’s memories also begin to lead her in strange directions, as the case resembles the disappearance of her childhood best friend, January.  Margot’s attempt to find out what happened to both girls takes her down a rabbit hole of town secrets and lies, leaving her questioning everything.

Likes: Margot is a sympathetic main character, and her struggles with money and her career while trying to care for her uncle felt realistic.  The small town of Wakarusa, with its almost claustrophobic sense of everyone watching everyone else, made for a perfect thriller setting.  There were lots of good twists and turns, some of which I anticipated and a few I didn’t.  The book highlights the tunnel vision that amateur investigators suffer from, which can obscure the true perpetrator of a crime. 

Dislikes: The pace on this one was uneven, with some chapters racing forward and others dragging a bit.  And while some thriller endings are dark or a little ambiguous, they are rarely both quite as pitch-black and as open as this one.  I wanted more closure on the main story, and the final explanation of one plotline felt like a bit of a stretch to me. 

FYI: murder, violence, death of a child, kidnapping, parental abandonment, marital infidelity. Questionable parenting choices abound.