A review by bradurdaynightlive
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
4.0
Although I've listened to Crime Junkie, and I think Ashley Flowers and her team do really excellent research, I was a little hesitant to pick up her foray into fiction (especially since another true crime podcaster came out with a thriller last year and everybody said it's terrible--[b:The Butcher and the Wren|60672388|The Butcher and the Wren|Alaina Urquhart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1647971124l/60672388._SY75_.jpg|95643068] *cough cough*). But the mostly very positive reviews I've seen of All Good People Here convinced me to give it a shot.
And I liked it. It's a pretty solid mystery-thriller, and relatively competent first novel, even if the author occasionally falls into some lightly amateurish pitfalls ("she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding"--c'mon Flowers! Get your head in the game!). But overall, I thought this was really fun story of smalltown tragedy, turned smalltown intrigue, and how that effects people's lives for years and years on end. The ending--which I've heard a lot of people say they were blown away by--wasn't the most satisfying for me, but I do think it's unique when compared to other contemporary thrillers, and that at least sets it apart.
Overall, highly readable; I would be interested in reading from the author again.
And I liked it. It's a pretty solid mystery-thriller, and relatively competent first novel, even if the author occasionally falls into some lightly amateurish pitfalls ("she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding"--c'mon Flowers! Get your head in the game!). But overall, I thought this was really fun story of smalltown tragedy, turned smalltown intrigue, and how that effects people's lives for years and years on end. The ending--which I've heard a lot of people say they were blown away by--wasn't the most satisfying for me, but I do think it's unique when compared to other contemporary thrillers, and that at least sets it apart.
Overall, highly readable; I would be interested in reading from the author again.