A long ago murder missing person of the town sweetheart. A runaway found on the side of the road in a circle of dandelions. A strong female cop with one leg searching for answers. A creepy slow drawl of who done it with a great story turn that leads you to answers that may or may not be wanted by the town's residents. A good story that just didn't go quite far enough. Some holes just didn't get filled.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

This was a super atmospheric, southern gothic slow burn thriller. Part ode to Texas, part police procedural, part whodunit. It was somewhat slow for me, but enjoyable nonetheless. I think being from Texas contributed to part of the book's appeal, Heaberlin's descriptions are spot on.

3.5 stars

I have to say I don't find myself liking slow burn books that often but man was this enjoyable. Julia's writing style is wonderful.

I will be recommending this to friends as well as my library. I would read more by this author.

Tough female cop in Texas tries to solve disappearances that seem to happen at regular intervals. When a body is discovered, Odette’s investigation reopens the town’s thoughts of the legendary cold case involving Wyatt’s sister. Wyatt has become a pariah, because even though he was declared innocent of involvement in his sister’s disappearance, the townspeople had convicted him in their minds. Odette has to deal with that old case, a new body, and a young girl who may be the keay to both. Very strong psychological thriller that is worth reading.

PEOPLE PICK • The discovery of a girl abandoned by the side of the road threatens to unearth the long-buried secrets of a Texas town’s legendary cold case in this superb, atmospheric novel from the internationally bestselling author of Black-Eyed Susans.

“If you only read one thriller this year, let it be this one. Psychologically absorbing, original and atmospheric. I could not turn the pages fast enough.”—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers

This book was very interesting. It held my interest all the way through. It was a bit wordy and I felt like a lot of it could have been left out. That being said, it was a good story. I wanted to keep reading it and find out who the bad guy was. I did figure it out and that was a bit of a letdown but it happens when you read a lot of thrillers I guess. Though still it was very good. I had a couple of unanswered questions but that's ok too.

This story is told from three people's POV. Odette, Wyatt, and Angel. Most is from Odette and Angel with a little of Wyatt's words in the beginning.

Wyatt and Odette dated when they were young. Teens. When his sister, Trumanelle, goes missing things take a drastic turn for them. The same night she goes missing Odette is in a wreck and loses part of her leg. Her life is not the same ever. She grows up and becomes a cop like her late daddy. There are many secrets in this story about what happened the night Trumanelle and her daddy, Frank, went missing. Most of the town think Wyatt killed them and he's not talking. He's been silent for so many years and even though he has been treated horribly he refuses to say what happened on that fateful night.

Angel is a little girl who Wyatt found on the side of the highway. She was dehydrated and only has one eye. She couldn't or wouldn't talk. She's a mystery to Wyatt who takes her to his home to try and help her. Odette ends up helping and Angel ends up going with her. She's got a lot of secrets of her own and lives in fear of being found. She's running from something/someone and won't tell who. She's a very smart little girl, thirteen years of age but refusing to talk when all Odette wants to do is help her. You'll understand her fear as you read her story.

Wyatt is a trouble man. He's seen lots of bad things. Had lots of bad things happen to him. He won't talk about what happened the night his sister and dad went missing. He wants to protect someone. Is it himself or someone else he's really protecting. Possibly someone he loves.

This is a somewhat complex book that takes you in a few different directions. It's told from three different POVs and has four parts. The story is told in very great detail and you will find that interesting. The way this author choose her words. To me it was a bit wordy and went into to much detail but it was also a very good book. I honestly loved the storyline. From Odette to Angel. To who did what and why. It's like maybe a few stories in one yet they all intertwine to make for one long book that will keep you wanting more. You will want to know what happened on that fateful night. You will find out. You may or may not understand why this person did what they did, but it was very important to this story. Without it there would be no story.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JuliaHeaberlin, #RandomHousePublishing for this ARC. My own words and thoughts of this book.

I gave it 4/5 stars. I do highly recommend you read this one. It is very good.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House and Julia Heaberlin for this ARC. This is one of my favorite authors, and so I was anxious to read this new book. And it did not disappoint! I’ve loved all this authors books, and this one is probably the best one yet. Loved the characters , loved the story , and definitely one for the book clubs. 5 star for sure

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wyatt, Odette, and Trumanell have a huge history. Poor Wyatt has been shamed through his own town and the effects have really changed his heart. Poor Trumanell is missing and Odette is the new sheriff in town to find out what happened to her little friend. There are so many twists and turns and secrets unfolded. Odette is so focused on this town and her missing friend, she forgets to work on her marriage and the promises she has made to her husband. Together, Wyatt and Odette, even this frightened teenager work "together" to get to the bottom of this mystery. Very entertaining and suspenseful.

How have I not heard more about this book? I loved it! The darkness that surrounds each character and the small town just draws you in.
Ten years ago the town is shocked when the beautiful Trumanell Branson disappears, along with her shady father who made quiet a few enemies in the small Texas town and was also abusive towards his family . The town cannot forget the horrible night, and it’s the beautiful and spirited Trumanell they remember, and everyone hopes that one day they will finally get answers. No arrests were ever made, except they blame her brother Wyatt and he’s is hated by everyone he still lives in his families old home. Wyatt is a trucker and he’s still haunted by his sisters disappearance he talks to her ghost as if she’s alive and right next to him , and when he finds a one eyed girl on the side of the road in a field of dandelions he takes it as a sign from God. Local cop Odette who lost her leg in a horrible car accident, and is the daughter of a late police officer, she also happens to be the ex girlfriend of Wyatt from high school, fears that if the town discovers that Wyatt is found with this mystery girl, they will turn against him especially with the suspicion that surrounds his father and sisters disappearance. When Odette meets the girl she’s immediately drawn to her and feels a connection . Odette has never gotten over Trumanells disappearance she’s determined to uncover what happened, and now with this mystery girl appearing, she’s decides to dig into the past and also try to figure out why this girl was laying by the road, what she uncovers is a town filled with secrets, and her own father may have played a bigger role than she realizes and not just as a police officer. When Odettes investigation upsets a dangerous person everyone’s life is turned upside down! The book was amazing the grittiness and it appears everyone is hiding something. It’s told in three point of views Wyatt, Odette and the one eyed girl. I cannot rave about this book enough five stars!!

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) - Author Julia Heaberlin (https://juliaheaberlin.com) published the novel “We Are All the Same in the Dark” in 2020. Ms. Heaberlin has published six novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in a small rural town in Texas. The primary characters are the young policewoman Odette Tucker and Angelica Odette Dunn.

Tucker comes from a law enforcement family. When her father dies she returns home and joins the police. She has been quietly working on a Cold Case. A decade before she was in an auto accident where she lost her foot. That was the same night that her friend Trumanell Branson went missing. Branson's father also disappeared. Everyone thought her younger brother Wyatt was responsible, but there was no evidence.

After years of searching Tucker thinks she may have the answer, but then . . .

Five years pass. Eighteen-year-old Angelica Dunn, shows up in town. Tucker had helped her years ago when she needed it the most. Now Dunn hopes to find out what happened to her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 332-page mystery. I liked this novel. The plot started a little slow, but it ended up with a great twist. I'm not crazy about the cover art, but is is OK. I give this novel a 4.6 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

A disappearance years ago fuels speculation the a young man got away with a crime. A documentary only fuels fire of suspicion and gossip. Into this a young women an amputee now on the police force works to get to the truth of the incident that sparks the accident that took her leg. The detail of an amputee’s adjustment and everyday life colors the impact of a young mutes appearance in town . A twisty story that may not answer all the questions but surely sheds light on the events of long ago.

We Are All The Same In The Dark was a title I requested based solely on buzz. I went in knowing very little of the story and am glad that I did. The premise: a one-eyed girl is discovered in a field by the town outcast. His sister has been missing for years and one cop in town has a vested interest in solving that mystery, and how it could relate to this newly found young woman. This was an intense psychological thriller covering a decade of traumas between two families, and the small town that tried to keep secrets buried. Excellent! I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Heaberlin's book Black-Eyed Susans was one of those glorious surprise books for me-a book where it sounded like one I would really like, and ended up being one I loved enough that I purchased my own copy so I could have it on my shelves.

We Are All the Same In The Dark had that same kind of magic for me.

Heaberlin tells the story of lost girls and the places and men that surround them. Trumanell disappeared a decade ago, and her unsolved mystery is almost worshipped by people in town and online. Odette is a police officer reconciling how well she truly knew and knows those she has let into her life, while laser focused on being the one who finally finds Trumanell. And Angel, the one-eyed girl found in a field of dandelions, may not want to be found at all.

This is a highly suspenseful story full of secrets, where you never quite feel like you know what is coming next, which I love. About halfway through the book a huge twist happens, that was so perfectly executed. Heaberlin is absolutely incredible at keeping readers guessing, but also keeping all her twists in character and perfectly aligned with what has come before. The ending twist was absolutely incredible as well and completely shocked me. I absolutely recommend this book and this author.

Julia Heaberlin’s books are always deep character studies wrapped in compelling mysteries. She deserves a wider readership and I hope that this is the novel that will take her to those heights. Here she weaves multiple mysteries across the years into a meditation on beauty.

When Wyatt finds a girl spread out in a field, surrounded by a circle of dandelions, he can feel it in his bones that this is a bad omen. Tiny and mute, Wyatt calls the girl Angel and takes her with him back to his house where he’s sure his sister will know what to do. If only his sister were alive. Trumanell has been (presumed) dead, body still missing, for a decade.

In this small Texas town, nothing goes unnoticed, so when the lead suspect of his sister and father’s murders (disappearances?) is seen driving through with a little girl in his truck, Odette is glad she’s the cop that intercepts the call. Odette might be the youngest on the force, but she’s the daughter of the man who died trying to solve Trumanell’s case, and maybe the only one who isn’t convinced Wyatt had anything to do with the murder. This sparks a catalyst of events that Odette is sure will lead her to be able to solve the case. All consuming, Odette risks everything to protect this little girl -- this little mute Angel -- Wyatt found and finally solve Tru’s case. Some wounds are too deep to ever heal for Odette, but the least she can give herself, her town, her father’s ghost, is an answer. Closure after a decade’s worth of waiting.

The thing is, We Are All the Same in the Dark ended up consuming me as much as the case consumed Odette. The style of Heaberlin’s writing is reminiscent of Tana French and Gillian Flynn, in that you know the character -- not some distant observer, not the author -- is telling you the story. There’s a depth to Heaberlin’s writing that I haven’t been able to find in a lot of American thrillers. There are so many twists and turns to this story I genuinely didn’t see coming, but in the aftermath of I could see all of the pieces I missed. A beautiful, broken puzzle, Trumanell’s case became as important to me as it was to Odette.

Hands down, Julia Heaberlin’s We Are All the Same in the Dark was one of the best books I’ve read this year.

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
Publication Date: August 11, 2020 - Available Now!
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Description from NetGalley...
“It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls of the town’s Baptist church, the police station, and in the high school. They all promise the same thing: We will find you. Meanwhile, her brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah in the desolation of the old family house, cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and in a new documentary about the crime.

When Wyatt finds a lost girl dumped in a field of dandelions, making silent wishes, he believes she is a sign. The town’s youngest cop, Odette Tucker, believes she is a catalyst that will ignite a seething town still waiting for its own missing girl to come home. But Odette can’t look away. She shares a wound that won’t close with the mute, one-eyed mystery girl. And she is haunted by her own history with the missing Tru.

Desperate to solve both cases, Odette fights to save the lost girl in the present and to dig up the shocking truth about a fateful night in the past—the night her friend disappeared, the night that inspired her to become a cop, the night that wrote them all a role in the town’s dark, violent mythology.”
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Thank you to @juliaheaberlin @NetGalley @randomhouse #ballantinebooks for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This is my first book from Julia Heaberlin and it will not be my last. I could not stop turning the pages. This cold-case psychological thriller brought chills. Heaberlin gave a different meaning to physical beauty and physical strength. This story was so absorbing and engrossing that the twisted ending caught me by surprised. I’ve got book hangover now.

A twisty psychological thriller told from three perspectives. It's a slow-burn mystery about a girl that has been missing for a decade and a second girl is found but we don't know her identity. Her secret past is slowly uncovered as a small town cop in Texas investigates the mystery girl with only one eye that was found in the middle of the road.

The story moves a bit slowly for my taste, but the payoff makes this a worthwhile thriller that is dark and intense with characters steeped in mystery and secrets.

This was an amazing book, one of those books that are so atmospheric that the story stays with your for days after. And you can almost feel like you are in the setting described.

A small town in West Texas is haunted by the disappearance of a teenage girl named Trumanell 10 years earlier. The story follows Odette, a young cop who and her journey to solve a mystery of a young girl dumped in a field of dandelions at the beginning of the book. Odette struggles to balance her investigation of the young girl as well as the disappearance of Trumanell years before.

I usually don't love slow-burn, atmospheric suspense but this one really stood out for me. I really, really enjoyed it - the grit of the characters and setting were what attracted it to me.

This book was amazing! It was such an exciting thriller! It was twisted and unexpected! I couldn’t put it down!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
3.75 Stars! This one was definitely a slow burner for me. Suspenseful but also a bit confusing at times. When they skipped ahead 5 years, I felt like I had missed something along the way? I otherwise enjoyed it and was surprised by the ending!