We Are all the Same in the Dark is one TENSE read and I was gripping the pages for hours! Julia Heaberlin is an excellent writer and has brought out the best of her writing ability with this one! I can't wait for me!

This book is about multiple women, who all share a history and story beyond just words and personal limitations.

The characters perspectives range: Angel who was found on the side of the road, to Wyatt's sister who went missing decades earlier in which both women share a history of physical impairments, to Odette the detective who helps the story come full circle. The twist and turns that weave in and out of strong character points of view, makes this book so worth reading!

[I will be posting my review on my social media handles on the day its published]
Thank you to NetGalley, Pub, and Julia!

“We are all the same in the dark...in the dark, all that’s left is our souls.”

This one got to me. I can’t often say that about a mystery, but this slow-burning story sucked me in and spit me out.

This wasn’t a book that you read because you just want to know whodunnit, but a book you read because its captivating, suspenseful, and heart-wrenching. The characters grab you and don’t let you go as the author weaves their stories together to create something equally beautiful and devastating. The author’s poetic writing draws you in, and her intricate character building with the different POVs keeps you invested until the end.

A young one-eyed girl is found lying in a bed of dandelions by an unstable man Wyatt Branson. Wyatt suspects the girl is a sign, one that will reopen old wounds and reignite the town’s desire for justice in an unsolved case. 10 years prior the town sweetheart, Trumanell Branson, disappeared leaving a bloody handprint behind. Most of the residents suspected murder, and although cleared of all charges, her brother Wyatt was a primary suspect. Police officer Odette Tucker resolves to save this girl something she was unable to do for her friend Tru that fateful night. Determined to solve both cases, Odette soon discovers some secrets are intended to stay buried.

All the stars!! We Are All the Same in the Dark is a fantastic psychological thriller set in a small town where three women touched by tragedy find themselves connected in fate. I absolutely love Julia Heaberlin's novels and was so excited to get my wish granted for this ARC. She knows how to write disturbing characters that will have you questioning their motives and capabilities right up until the end. This novel was no exception and I constantly found myself questioning Wyatt's sanity and capability to commit murder. I also enjoyed Odette's character as she is constantly torn between duty and desire. Angel, the one-eyed girl also plays a pivotal role in connecting the past and present. I could not put this novel down and had to find out how it ended. I will say that I had an idea about how events would play out but there were also some really great twists I didn't see coming. Julia Heaberlin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this one is a must read for 2020!

This was a pretty good mystery, although a little bizarre at times. I definitely was not expecting the way things turned out, to say the least! I've only read one other book by Ms Heaberlin but will be keeping an eye out for others!

This author always has a gothic twist to her books and this one does too . She has a way of crafting a twist and turn plot that keeps you going

A creepy, nerve bending, slow-burn mystery about two girls: one is missing for a decade and the other one is found but we don’t know her identity, her secret past and why she is found in the middle of the road.

Three POVED narration, dark, cryptic, intense, high tensioned small town mystery reminds you of tango between True Detective and Fargo (a little Twin Peaks vibes included). Quirky, traumatized characters, slow dramatic story building and surprising, heart wrenching ending.

The main characters and narrators: Wyatt who is still prime suspect of her sister Trumanell Branson’s disappearance a decade ago. Most of the town’s people already convicted him as guilty in their minds which put him isolated life at his parent’s house for years. His forced quarantined life completely changes when he finds a mute young girl, Angel dumped in a field of dandelions. Wyatt believes that is the sign he has been waiting for a long time. He connects with the younger member of the police department Odette Tucker who is also friend of his lost sister and she is the only person still believes in his innocence about the case.

Odette is our third POV, already obsessed with the sudden disappearance of her friend by leaving a bloody fingertip behind. And she also shares a close connection and sacred bound with the mute girl. So she gets volunteered to solve both cases at the same time which means opening town’s Pandora box ( or can of worms) bringing out dirty secrets which may threaten people’s lives consisted of lies and pretending. And when it comes to the secrets about the mute girl’s story, things are getting more complicated and shocking at each chapter. I have to stop here not to give any spoilers but her part of the story was the juiciest part of the book.

Overall: This book needs your patience and attention. I had really hard time to get into the story and fully focus on the writing. And slowness made me lose interest. I gave some breaks and tried reading again and before reaching the middle, I was already hooked and connected with characters. I recommend you to keep your patience and not to give up on this book. It takes a little time and the beginning was a little rough patch for me but later you’d get used to the pacing, characterization and the mystery blows your mind so you don’t want to leave it and keep reading.
I’m giving my four stars and adding other books of the author because her dark, depressive but also skilled slow building story-telling technique and detailed, well-depicted characterization already won my die hard thriller lover mind!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for sharing this splendid ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Very well-crafted, a bit Gothic for my test, but that’s to be expected with this author. The female protagonist is multifaceted and well-rounded and the prose is lyrically beautiful. The Texas troops are also a bit worn thin, but that’s also to be expected with this writer. Basically, if you like her, you’ll love this book. 3.5 rounded up

Heaberlin is one of my favorite suspense authors. She takes me with her down the dark gritty path of despair in Texas. Very suspenseful! Very twisted!

Wyatt Branson finds a young girl on the side of the road, lying in the grass, surrounded by dandelions. As he pulls his rig to the side of the highway, he worries that he is making a mistake. After all, he is living in a town that surreptitiously accuses him of his sister’s disappearance ten years before. Trumanell’s body has never been found. But he cannot leave the girl lying there! He brings her to his home where he calls Odette Tucker, the cop who has been trying to solve the mystery of his sister’s disappearance. Odette hurries over to help. Now, she is eager to solve the case of Wyatt’s foundling, as well. It doesn’t help that the mysterious girl does not talk.

I love Julia Heaberlin’s books, so my expectations were very high when I received this book to review. Nonetheless, it certainly lived up to my expectations. The moment I opened Ms. Heaberlin’s book, the mystery and excitement were there, and it didn’t stop! The characters are strong and realistic, and, I found it a very effective tool that the author changed the narrator throughout the progression of the story line. In that way, the reader got to know, more intimately, the main characters. This is another winner for Julia Heaberlin!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the sort of book that is the reason I don't give 5 stars on Goodreads willy nilly. What a phenomenal book. This is the sort of mystery/thriller/novel I've been waiting to read, where the author doesn't just give you a mystery to solve but gives you a mesmerizing story with people who get into your soul. It was poetic, gut-wrenching, suspenseful, interesting, devastating and just easy to get sucked into. This lady can write. I will happily read anything she writes from now on.

I read a digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

My full review for We Are All The Same In The Dark by Julia Heaberlin was published on Goodreads.com on April 9, 2020

Love Love Julia Heaberlin. While this wasn't one of my favorite books she has written, I did enjoy the story and the characters. It started out a bit slow for me but overall an good read. Cannot wait to recommend this book.

WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK is a riveting tale of childhood's friendships and traumas and how they shape us. Heaberlin gives us extraordinary characters full of flaws and virtues. It is creepy, it is heartbreaking, it is redemptive and it will make you want to read everything Heaberlin ever writes. I just loved it.

This was a highly enjoyable, slow-burn suspense novel with a lot to unpack. The beginning of the story is told from the POV of Wyatt, a social pariah and suspected murderer who discovers a young girl on the side of the road in a small Texan town. Odette, a police officer and Wyatt’s former girlfriend narrates the second portion of the book as she helps find Angel a safe place to stay and attempts to solve the long ago disappearance of Wyatt’s father, Frank, and sister, Trumanell. Although Angel is selectively mute, Odette feels a strong connection with her because of their dark pasts. The final portion of the book is told from the perspective of Angel, who returns to the small Texan town to pay tribute to Odette and uncover secrets related to the long ago disappearance of Trumanell and her father. The story quickly drew me in and kept me engaged until the very end. The twists were unexpected and made for an excellent read. Some of the transitions were a little jumpy so I found myself having to reread a few passages to figure out what was going on; however, I felt like this style actually fit with and added to the tense atmosphere of the setting. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5 stars

I admit that I wondered if I was going to like this book or not when I began reading this. Told with 3 pov's: Wyatt, Odette, and Angel. I struggled a little with Wyatt, the brother of Trumanell, who went missing a decade ago. He's always been under suspicion of her possible death, so when he finds an abandoned girl on the side of the road he hesitates to turn her over to the police. Odette is a police officer that has always believed in Wyatt's innocence, so she helps rescue this young girl. While trying to figure out the mystery of this girl, she's constantly obsessing over Trumanell's disappearance. Then Angel--she's a mystery and I'll leave that alone. I didn't really care for Wyatt's pov, so the start of the book was a little rocky for me. I liked Odette a little better but it wasn't until Angel's pov that I really became invested. The ending was pretty darn good and for that I gave this book an extra star.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wyatt Branson, the town pariah, comes across a young mute girl, abandoned on the side of the road. His Texas community continues to feel the devastating aftermath of his sister's disappearance a decade earlier, with Wyatt still the prime suspect. Along with the assistance of his childhood friend, police officer Odette Tucker, they desperately seek to solve both cases. Hearberlin orchestrates a slow gothic mystery, taking her time peeling back the years of distain, secrecy, and betrayal reminiscent of HBO's True Detective.

I was a huge fan of the last book, and was greatly entertained by this one. It was a fun read, and certainly a good beach read. And I had no idea of whodunit, which made the end so satisfying. Happy to promote!

Dark and twisty, this is a fast paced thriller that is sure to satisfy!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a compelling, amazing read. You are ensnared from the beginning and the book never loosens its hold on you. Such a deep, dark story, you feel at one with Odette as she sets out to solve the mystery. There are several angles that keep you guessing until the very end. The author does a fantastic job with her character and plot development, weaving detail and emotion into her tale that you can't put down. I read it in one sitting! A fantastic thriller, full of suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.