You know those rare moments, when everything is so absolutely perfect—so utterly right—that you wouldn’t change one solitary thing?

That, for me, is literally every single page of Julia Heaberlin’s We Are All the Same in the Dark… and no matter what I else I read this year, this is gonna be my favorite book of 2020, without question.
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A trucker spies something near the edge of the road on one of those endless stretches of you-can’t-see-anything-for-way-too-many-miles flat Texas highway. The man, Wyatt, thinks it could be a dog, and he likes dogs, so he stops to check. Instead, it turns out to be an injured young girl, barely a teen—bruised, bloodied, and missing an eye—lying in the parched grass, a ring of dandelions circling her. Seeing as how he’s always taken dandelions as a sign—and heaven knows you don’t leave a wounded creature out in that kind of brutal heat, anyhow—Wyatt grudgingly puts her in the truck with him, and heads for home.

The same evening, a police officer—Odette Tucker—stops by to do a wellness check… on her old friend, Wyatt Branson. (It’s the tenth anniversary of his elder sister Trumanell going missing, something which Wyatt—along with the rest of the town—hasn’t exactly come to grips with, yet.) What Odette finds in the old Branson homestead, though—a strange girl, in dreadful shape, who refuses to speak—is somehow more troubling than even she was expecting.

Knowing full well that the townsfolk—many of whom are still convinced that Wyatt killed his sister and buried her body somewhere (despite the police having cleared him, years ago)—would view the girl’s presence as further evidence of his “guilty ways”, Odette takes the silent teen with her, stowing her at a sort of secret way station for runaways. Until the girl feels safe enough to tell her story, so that Odette can help, she needs to be protected.

But helping her is only part of what’s on Odette’s plate. That fateful night when Trumanell went missing, ten years before, was the same night that caused a teenage Odette to decide to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a police officer, a few short years later…vowing to someday solve the mystery of Trumanell’s disappearance (and hopefully to ease some of Wyatt’s agony).

Odette has no idea how very much someone is determined to keep the truth of Trumanell’s whereabouts a secret, though… nor of how far they’re willing to go to ensure ancient history stays buried and forgotten.
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If We Are All the Same in the Dark were merely that story, the one I’ve just laid out, it would be a good—albeit fairly standard—one. The thing is, it isn’t only that story… but I can’t tell you any more; you have to read it for yourself, to get there.

I could go on and on about how cleverly Heaberlin structured her story (it’s ingenious), how spot-on her characterizations are (I feel like at some point I’ve met everyone in this book), or how brilliantly she jacks up the tension and suspense… but again, such could also be said about plenty of other worthy thrillers.

What I will say is this: the real magic of We Are All the Same in the Dark is in the nuances… in the sheer perfection of Heaberlin’s prose; in the all-enveloping sense of time and place; in the aching poignancy of memories; in the subtleties of friendship, love, and everything in between; and in the devastating heartbreak of realizations.

We Are All the Same in the Dark is full of such incredible beauty, and of so much heart-wrenching pain, that it's a bit like gazing in rapturous wonder at a crazy, green-tinged sky... then reeling when the tornado hits. Like all such experiences, this one will stay with me for a long time.
~GlamKitty

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark, atmospheric mystery/thriller and am delighted to have discovered a new author. It is so well-written and, although it took a few pages to grab me, as I figured out what was going on, it grabbed me hard. For days I could hardly bear to put it down. And when I did, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again.

Set in rough west-Texas country, the author gradually reveals events from ten years before as we meet the characters: Wyatt, kind of off in the head, who is considered by everyone in town the prime suspect in the disappearance of his father and sister; Trumanell, his missing sister who talks to him now all the time; Odette, whose first boyfriend was Wyatt, and who, at age sixteen, lost a leg in a car wreck the same night of the disappearance of Wyatt’s sister and father; Odette had returned to town five years before, despite vowing never to return, to follow in her law enforcement father's and grandfather's footsteps; and, finally, Angel, a young one-eyed lost girl who is found lying in a field, surrounded by dandelions, and whom both Wyatt and Odette want to help.

About halfway through the book, there is a huge unexpected twist and the reader then follows Angel upon her return to the town five years later. Mesmerizing, totally unpredictable, and a joy to read: I highly recommend this book. Although I am trying to not buy books these days that I cannot get from my library, I just had to order two of Ms. Heaberlin’s previous novels, couldn’t help it. And I even shelled out a few more dollars to get them from the independent Powell’s Books in Portland. I’d much rather help support them than Amazon.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher,Random House/Ballantine, and the author for providing me with an eArc of this amazing mystery/thriller novel. It goes on sale on August 11, 2020 and you are going to want to grab a copy.

WOW! Best thriller I've read in a while. A masterful narrative, with twists and turns that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

I was not expecting to loved this book so much and yet it turned out to be one of my favorites of this year!

Mini synopsis: 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.

Two years ago, I read a mystery/thriller that absolutely knocked my socks off. Julia Heaberlin’s Paper Ghosts did brilliant, unexpected things to the genre, things that had me reflecting on how powerful the court of public opinion can be. Since reading that novel, I’ve kept my eye open for Heaberlin’s name. When I saw We Are All the Same in the Dark on NetGalley, I leapt at the chance to read it. It was everything I hoped it would be. To be honest, Heaberlin’s books are so amazing I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about her.

The Texas town at the heart of We Are All the Same in the Dark never recovered from the disappearance of Trumanell Branson. Trumanell was one of those rare souls who is beautiful, inside and out, the kind that surprises the dusty, rural community that produces that kind of soul. When she and her notorious father went missing—ten years before the book opens—blame attached to Trumanell’s brother, Wyatt. Wyatt has lived in a dangerous limbo ever since. Everyone in town believes that Wyatt killed his sister and father, but there’s no evidence to condemn or exonerate him. Wyatt’s former girlfriend (now cop), Odette Tucker, is one of the few people who believes in Wyatt’s innocence. But Odette has her own troubles to deal with, since she lost her leg on the same night that Trumanell went missing.

We Are All the Same in the Dark is the kind of book that begins with a bang and never lets up. The plot get so intense that I had to take a couple of breaks because I kept forgetting to breath as Odette and, later, Angel, the girl Wyatt and Odette rescue at the beginning of the novel, turn up clues that finally resolve the mystery of what happened to the two missing Bransons. Odette uses a makeshift murder book (disguised as a Betty Crocker cookbook) and her deceased father’s belongings to work on the case during most of her free time. Five years later, Angel returns to the town to find out what happened to Trumanell and Odette, once and for all.

Thriller fans and readers who like mysteries that don’t follow the usual patterns will enjoy the highly atmospheric and almost unbearably tense We Are All the Same in the Dark. Heaberlin’s already outstanding plot is deepened by her research on how people physically and psychologically adapt to the loss of a limb or an eye. The characterization in this book is top-notch. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This was a well written, slow burning mystery. It is a dark book with an interesting story and characters. It is divided into three parts, each told from a different perspective - Wyatt, Odette and Angel. I definitely didn't see the twist at the end coming. I received an ARC from NetGalley.

I received a complimentary copy of We Are All the Same in the Dark from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great novel! With changing character perspectives at irregular intervals, this was a very unique novel. Several plot twists really caught me off guard. I became invested in the Trumanell's disappearance, rooting for Odette to unravel the mystery. Fantastically written! Definitely worth the read!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. I've read all of Heaberlin's books and was so excited to read this ARC.

The beginning is a little confusing with Wyatt's point of view, as he continues to deal with the fallout of his sister's disappearance. He finds a young girl and takes her home.

The second part is his ex girlfriend from high school, who lost a leg in a terrible accident the same night Wyatt's sister Trumanell was disappeared/presumed dead. Odette takes over the story, brings the girl to her cousin Maggie who helps her. The girl nicknamed Angel is 13, and missing an eye, won't talk. Odette gets her fitted with a really good fake eye to protect her. Odette is a cop and wants to find out what happened to Trumanell. But will her search put her in peril?

Shocking turn of events with "Angel" taking over the last part of the book 5 years later. She is now 18 years old and has found a foster mother and gotten into college on a full ride. She is determined to find the truth. Well written and haunting.

I love a book written around a small town with a dark history. Julia Heaberlin takes you to that small Texas town, puts you in the midst of the danger and lies, then quietly walks away, leaving you to figure out who is good, and who is not.
Odette Tucker, born and raised in this town, is now the youngest police officer. She has a history with the town’s bad boy, Wyatt, both romantically and tragically. When Wyatt shows up with a damaged young mute girl he claims to have found by the side of the road, all of Odette’s alarms go off. Is Wyatt once again under suspicion of a grisly crime?
Wyatt does nothing to defend himself throughout this story, which is frustrating but understandable. He’s been found innocent in the disappearance of his sister and father by the courts, but the court of public opinion is ready to string him up.
Odette digs deeper into what really happened years ago on the night her best friend Trumanelle (Wyatt’s sister) disappeared and Odette had a terrible accident, losing her leg. The twists, the turns, the sadness of seeing what the home life was like for Trumanelle and Wyatt, all seem to lead to nothing but loose ends. Then a shocking thing happens (no spoilers here), and the townspeople return to living under a rock, denying the obvious but continuing to hate Wyatt and everything he stands for.
Spanning years and involving people who desire the truth at all costs, this is a mesmerizing and intricate story full of believable and detestable people all living on the crowded stage of this scarred and desolate Texas town.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House- Ballantine and NetGalley for making it available.)

I enjoyed the story line of this book. I like good thriller/mystery and I did not guess the ending. That being said, the writing is hard to follow at times. There were many times while reading that I had to stop and reread to try to make sense of it. There were spots I never quite figured out. The writing style jumps around from descriptive to short and terse. Because of that, I had to give this 3 stars. The story is probably a 4 for me but the writing is a 2.

The slowest of slow burns. And it burns so damn good.

Man. What the hell just happened? This may have been slow, containing a long build up, but it was worth it.

Not gonna lie here, at first I wasn’t sure. It didn’t seem like any kind of big deal mystery or unsolvable thriller. I wasn’t sure about Wyatt. I wasn’t a huge fan of his POV.

But I loved Odette’s. I loved her spirit. Her fire. Her unending drive to find the truth. And that was where the first twist came into play.

With Angel’s POV, I was completely sucked and in glued to the pages. I wanted it all to end. I wanted to finally find out just what happened.

I did have some guesses. A big one in the back of my mind early on. Then I figured I was being crazy. But once I hit that 95% mark, I yelled! Not in excitement, really. Just that I knew and couldn’t quite believe it.

This was really well told and relayed. I loved trying to put the pieces together. A few things made me sad. Others completely pissed me off. But, a good book will do that.

I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre. Even when it feels like you’re never going to get answers...keep going. You will and I promise it’s worth it.

This is the kind of book you get sucked into immediately. A bonus is the beautiful writing! I genuinely cared about the main characters because I felt like I knew them and understood them.

This one kept me guessing until the very end.

I feel like this is a trend, but, again, I was not able to finish this book. The timing was impossible to follow and the plot just had too many holes for me. The switching of character perspectives felt awkward for me and really just contributed to my lack of desire to finish this book.

C*R*E*E*P*Y! Others have described this as goth and while I don’t necessarily agree with that, its definitely dark. I was very confused at first and almost DNFed but I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. The last half of the book was very fast paced. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Three points of view at times left me a little confused, needing to reread for clarification more than once. Wyatt is the first narrator. I was immediately hooked in by his description of finding Angel. His back story was more fully fleshed out by Angel, years later. The middle narrator was Odette, a police officer with ties to both Wyatt and Angel. The main character running through all three narrations was Trumanell, who disappeared tragically before the story begins. Mysteries run rampant throughout this satisfying read. The ending brought the loose ends, other than Trumanell, together for me. Many thanks to Julia Heaberlin, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this thriller, to be published on August 11th. My rating would be 3 1/2 stars.

This is my second Julia Haberlin novel and I’m completely sold. I’ll read anything she writes. We Are All The Same In The Dark is a slow burn mystery/thriller. Haberlin excels at creating atmospheric work that pulls you in. I loved this creepy book and was surprised by the end.

This raw and compelling tale of three young women -- the first immortalized by her mysterious death that's pinned on her brother, the second found muted by trauma while wishing on dandelions, the third dead set on learning what's happened to the first two -- is a thriller that's best consumed in the heat of summer. Each character in this story of a small Texas town, both living and dead, carries dark secrets that are carefully peeled away as the story unfolds. It's so masterfully written that the ending truly blindsided me.

If I had to draw a comparison to another work of fiction, I would say this one reminds me a lot of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects because of its creepy, jarring narrative.

This is the perfect Summer read- part Gothic mystery, part psychological thriller, this story shows how the past can still influence the present, even when it shouldn't be. And do we really want to dog up the past, when we think you've solved the riddle of what happened years and years ago?Is it worth it to those still living with the grief, to have to face a different reality? Or is it better to let the proverbial dead be 'dead'? This page turner will keep you up LONG into the night, rapidly turning the pages, so don't start this book unless you have the time to devote to it! But it's one not to be missed!

I really wanted to read this book when is discovered that it was set in Texas.

We Are All the Same in the Dark is a multiple point of view thriller. A mystery that is quickly introduced in the story is who is the girl that was found on the side of the road. However, the main mystery is what happened to a missing local girl from a small town in Texas.

This is a creepy high stakes story. Everyone has a gun, and everyone seems eager to use it. Honestly, the first chapter had me terrified because it was so full of suspense.

This book was provided to me as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

The setting ended up being my least favorite part of the book. The Texans all opened their doors with guns raised. What small town in Texas is like that? Plus, the text mentioned that missing girls often came through this tiny town, like it was on a sex trafficking circuit. Not super believable for a tiny town.

An atmospheric and emotional addition to the crime genre. Fans of Bryn Greenwood will enjoy this one. A recommended purchase for all fiction collections.

Wow! What a beautifully written novel! I really enjoyed this book and was a quick read for me, I was fully invested that I breezed right through. It had so much mystery elements in it that kept me hooked.

The novel is sectioned out into different perspectives. First, we meet Wyatt, whom at this time is in his 20’s, he is deeply disturbed and troubled. He ends up finding a 13 year old girl on the side of the road, who only has one eye and knows if he takes her this could lead to trouble. When he does bring her home, we are introduced to his sister, Trumanell. She speaks to him that it’s a bad idea he brought her home. So you start off with the mystery of who is this little girl Wyatt finds? Next, you meet Odette, who is a police officer, following in her fathers footsteps, who used to date Wyatt when they were children. You follow her in trying to uncover what happened to Trumanell. Trumanell and her father, Wyatt’s sister and father, both vanished and were never found, this troubled and haunted Odette deeply. She moved back home to try and uncover what really happened that night. But finding out the truth may cost her her own life. Lastly, the story is told through Angel’s perspective, the 13 year old, one eyed girl, now 18 and decides she needs to uncover what happened to both Trumanell and Odette. Her obsession to uncover the truth might take her life as well. Will she be the one to uncover the dark secrets in this town or will she be killed off too?

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for this amazing novel!!!