Summary
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers is a thriller unraveling dark secrets and murders in a small midwestern town. The story centers on Margot Davies, a journalist who returns to Wakarusa, Indiana, to care for her uncle, who is grappling with dementia. Her hometown is also where the unsolved murder of her childhood friend January Jacobs still looms. When the disappearance of a local girl chillingly mirrors January’s cold case, Margot is determined to stop history from repeating itself. Her investigation reveals shocking truths hidden within this seemingly close-knit community.
Plot
All Good People Here opens in 2019 with Margot Davies, a journalist, returning to her hometown of Wakarusa, Indiana, to care for her uncle, Luke, who is suffering from dementia. She remains haunted by the 1994 murder of her childhood friend, January Jacobs. Her curiosity reignites with the disappearance of Natalie Clark, a new case resembling January’s.
Margot investigates parallels between January’s unsolved murder and Natalie's disappearance. Flashbacks to 1994 show January's murder and the media frenzy affecting her family, especially her mother, Krissy. Margot discovers links involving January's imaginary friend, Elephant Wallace, leading to Elliott Wallace, a suspect in another unsolved case.
As the plot unfolds, Margot uncovers hidden family secrets and, as these revelations emerge, faces danger. Culminating with a shocking confession from January’s killer, All Good People Here leaves the identity of Natalie’s killer—and the certainty of Margot’s fate—unknown.
Characters
Margot Davies: A journalist who returns to her hometown to care for her uncle and becomes immersed in investigating the long unsolved murder of her childhood friend, January Jacobs, and its parallels to the recent disappearance of another local girl.
Krissy Jacobs: January’s mother, whose search for answers leads to tragedy.
Billy Jacobs: January's father, who struggles with grief and fears old secrets resurfacing.
Jace Jacobs: January’s twin brother, who remains haunted by his sister's death and the weight of unknown aspects of that night, living an isolated life.
