Kirkus Style Review - All Good People Here

 

Big city journalist who returns home and seeks to bring a killer to justice after twenty years, only to discover the deeper she digs, the more twists and turns there are to be discovered.

All Good People Here, written by Crime Junkie podcast founder and hostess, Ashley Flowers, focuses on the lives of two women: Margot Davies, a struggling journalist who returns to her hometown of Wakarusa, Indiana after twenty years to care for her ailing uncle, suffering from onset dementia, and Krissy Jacobs, a wild child, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, who falls in love with the golden boy, Billy Jacobs, football player turned farmer, and becomes a mother of two before she’s even had a chance to live. Upon Margot’s return, she stumbles upon the abduction of a five-year-old girl in Ohio whose disappearance eerily resembles the abduction and murder of a young girl from 1994. The victim? Krissy’s five-year-old daughter, January. Margot’s neighbor and friend. A beloved young beauty pageant queen and the light of her parents’ lives, taken too soon. Haunted by the past, Margot seeks to discover what really happened the night January was murdered. Was it a tragic accident? Or has a killer reemerged? As Margot digs further into the case of the past, she discovers secrets hidden by those closest to her in the present. 

In this writer’s opinion, though, Flower’s debut novel falls a bit flat despite its anticipation and cult like following. While it is indeed a page turner, with a surprise ending that will leave readers wanting to hurl the book across the room as they ponder the fate of the protagonist for days on end and wonder why the author chose to end the book that way, readers will also feel as if they’ve heard this story before. 

Publication date: August 16, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

ISBN: 9780593496473

Number of pages: 320


Comments

  1. Claire LeoFebruary 11, 2023 at 1:32 PM

    Oh, interesting review! I like reading ones that aren't shiningly positive or completely negative - I feel like most books are going to be kind of middling for most readers, and that feels realistic and honest to me. It's always a bummer when a thriller/mystery type novel feels a little generic or same-y.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bre WeeksFebruary 11, 2023 at 5:32 PM

    To think that a book taking place where my parents live, already makes my interest high. Your review as a whole is something I actually would find in Kirkus. I am not sure about you, but I struggled with writing mine because I wanted to make sure I wanted to get my point across and show people that my book choice was for a positive reason. Its disappointing when something that gets a huge hype and then it falls flat for readers. It makes you really look at the book as whole and not all reviews or reviewers would think the same way.
    Nice Work,
    Bre

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Book Worm and Her BooksFebruary 14, 2023 at 6:54 PM

      Thank you, Bre! Yes, I definitely struggled with writing my review, primarily in not giving away any spoilers. I was trying to include as much detail as possible but also not give away too much.

      Unfortunately what happened for me with this book was that it was over-hyped and because I listen to the podcast religiously every single Monday morning when I get to work, I had high expectations and then upon reading, was left very disappointed and frustrated.

      Delete
  3. Sydney WebbFebruary 12, 2023 at 2:52 PM

    Hi Gabrielle -
    I have had my eye on this book for a long time, and your review definitely made me more curious! I love your writing style with this one, and I appreciate how clearly you describe the characters. Sometimes I read a review and am not sure what characters the review is mentioning at certain points, but I didn’t have that issue with your review. Nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Erin CataldiFebruary 16, 2023 at 8:13 AM

    Fantastic Kirkus review! Concise, professional, and a great conclusion!

    ReplyDelete

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