We Are All The Same In The Dark

Author: Julia Heaberlin
Genre: Crime Fiction
352 pages
Publisher: Ballentine, 2020

Synopsis
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.

In this twisty psychological thriller, Julia Heaberlin paints unforgettable portraits of a woman and a girl who redefine perceptions of physical beauty and strength.

My review
We Are All The Same In The Dark by Julia Heaberlin is an unforgettable crime fiction novel that completely pulled me in. It’s a chilling, slow-burn mystery centered around three women – one who’s been missing for a decade, one who’s found on the side of the road, mute, and surrounded by dandelions, and one who is obsessed with uncovering the truth. The characters feel vivid and real, and while the writing is more lyrical than what I’d typically expect from a suspense novel, I was completely engrossed. What really stood out to me was Heaberlin’s ability to peel back the layers of her characters, exposing the raw, vulnerable parts that make us human. She has a remarkable talent for exploring the things we try to hide, both physical scars and emotional wounds.

We Are All The Same In The Dark is a novel that demands patience. I’ll admit, I was a bit confused at first, but once the story found its rhythm and I adjusted to Heaberlin’s vivid, almost poetic prose, everything fell into place and I flew through the chapters.

Heaberlin crafts deeply flawed, yet compelling characters. Far from perfect, many carry traumatic pasts and perceived disabilities that they learn to navigate and even use to their advantage. This adds weight to the novel’s title in a profound way. Each character feels authentic, facing danger head-on with a rawness that makes them unforgettable.

The novel unfolds through three points of view across multiple timelines. Wyatt, a young man once suspected of a horrific crime a decade ago, lives as a recluse in his Texas hometown, shunned by all except young police officer Odette. Odette, who lost her leg in an accident fleeing Wyatt’s home that night, returns with her husband to uncover the truth, though her determination comes at a steep price. Five years later, Angel’s perspective emerges—a girl named by Wyatt after he found her by the roadside, surrounded by dandelions.

We Are All The Same In The Dark is a mystery within a mystery, wrapped in layers of secrets, lies, and biases, all clouded by assumptions, judgment, and obsession. It’s an emotionally complex story that dives into resilience, strength, survival, trauma, and healing. This novel took me on a remarkable journey – gripping, beautifully written, and one that stayed with me long after I finished. Highly recommend!

My recommendation: definitely worth the read!