Next, Krissy woke up and found Jace standing over January’s body. She thought that Jace had killed January because he was jealous of all the attention she got. To protect Jace, Krissy staged the scene. She used a hammer to smash the basement window from outside and spray paint threats on the wall and make it look like an intruder took January.

And yet, I have to evaluate the dementia as the plot device that it is. Amnesia and memory loss in books is not my favorite trope. Luke reminded me a little of a character in The Survivors. U fantastičnom debitantskom romanu voditeljice popularnog true crime podcasta Crime Junkie, jedna će novinarka, godinama progonjena neriješenim umorstvom svoje prijateljice iz djetinjstva, na površinu izvući mračne tajne svog rodnog grada. Svi se u gradiću Wakarusi, u američkoj saveznoj državi Indiani, sjećaju zloglasnog slučaja January Jacobs, čije je tijelo otkriveno u jarku tek nekoliko sati nakon što je prijavljen njezin nestanak. Margot Davies tada je bilo šest godina, koliko i January, i živjela je preko puta žrtve. U dvadeset i pet godina koliko je otad proteklo, Margot je odrasla, odselila se i postala novinarka. No, cijelo je to vrijeme progoni osjećaj kako je to mogla biti ona, kako je ubojica pukim slučajem odabrao njezinu prijateljicu. Kada se Margot prisiljena vratiti kući kako bi se brinula o svom stricu koji boluje od demencije, shvatit će kako se našla u mjestu koje se nimalo nije promijenilo: uskogrudnom, zatvorenom i brzom kad treba nekoga osuditi. A tada će poput bombe odjeknuti vijest kako se u susjednom gradu dogodio zločin koji neodoljivo podsjeća na onaj otprije dva desetljeća. Story wise, it’s fun. Character wise, it’s meh. There was no character development, maybe Krissy a bit. I wanted to know more about some characters like la Jace but overall, none were memorable. Honestly, in this genre I care more about the plot than the characters because it’s the mystery elements that interest me the most but a little more depth to the MCs would’ve been appreciated, I have a lot of respect for the author’s accomplishments and success, and it gives me no pleasure to hand out a 2-star review. I didn’t enjoy this, but I would love to see the author write a nonfiction book on true crime.

Luke (Dave) Davies: Margot’s uncle. He is his fifties, a widower suffering from early onset dementia. Biological father of January and Jase Jacobs. 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.

The residents of Wakarusa, Indiana, could spin gossip faster than a spider spins its web. [...] [T]he Wakarusa gossip chain would flap their jaws, chewing the tidbit over so thoroughly that by the time they’d finally spat it out again, the Truth was misshapen and unrecognizable, warped into the Story.” This tension between appearances and the sometimes ugly truth behind them is the driving force of this thriller. As the plot unfolds, we see just how much the tragic events of the past and present are influenced by this need to conform to an unspoken community standard. On the flip side, Wakarusa’s commitment to knowing their neighbour’s business also means that everyone knows something — a fact that is helpful for Margot’s mission to uncover the truth. A Compelling Main CharacterThe writing was adequate, but with too much telling, not enough showing, I grew bored and found myself speed reading. Then that ending! Is the final chapter missing from my e-copy? I don’t mind an ending that leaves a bit to the imagination or one that is slightly ambiguous, but this just ends at a pivotal moment. Although it IS NOT written in a podcast format, it unfortunately still mostly READS like one-with the exception of the sub-plot with Margot’s Uncle. If like me, you are from a small town, All Good People Here will feel familiar in some ways. Wakarusa is a close-knit community, but it’s also a judgmental one. Appearances and reputations matter above all else. The devil works fast but the small town rumour mill works faster.

But here’s the thing. After dropping his little 2009 truth bomb on Billy, and then learning that January was dead, Dave/Luke must have wondered if the two things were connected! Is poor Margot dead? We have to assume that Margot finds a way to get away. Reasons Why Margot is NOT a Crime Junkie The day has FINALLY arrived, Crime Junkies!! Ashley Flowers’ debut novel ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE is officially available NOW! I am never a fan of a plot with an elaborate cover-up for an accident, something that happens in many books. Tragic accidents happen and unless it’s something like a DUI, people rarely get thrown in prison for them. Especially with an epilogue in past tense, and well, I can’t tell you how the chapter prior to the epilogue ended because that would be giving it away.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?