We Are All the Same in the Dark: A Novel
“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
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, Tru’s 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.
Praise for We Are All the Same in the Dark
“This chilling tale of buried sins is relentlessly unpredictable.”—The Times (South Africa)
“[Julia] Heaberlin knows how to build to a truly shocking twist, how to break a reader’s heart and then begin mending it. ‘What’s coming is always unimaginable,’ Odette’s one-time therapist tells her, ‘and by that, I mean just that. It cannot be imagined. What’s coming never acts or behaves the way we think it will.’ That’s true for this novel, too.”—The Dallas Morning News
In Julia Heaberlin's gripping and atmospheric novel, "We Are All the Same in the Dark," readers are taken on a chilling journey of suspense and intrigue. Set in a remote coastal town surrounded by the mysteries of the sea, the story centers around Trumanell Branson, a troubled young woman haunted by her past and struggling to connect with her family.
As Trumanell delves deeper into the unsolved disappearance of a local girl, she finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and deceptions. Unnerving incidents start to occur, leaving Trumanell questioning her sanity and the line between reality and illusion. Her relentless pursuit of the truth leads her down a treacherous path, where she must confront her own fears and the darkness that lurks within.
With each page, Heaberlin masterfully weaves together the haunting past and the unsettling present, creating a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty. Readers are kept on the edge of their seats as they follow Trumanell's quest to uncover the truth, while also delving into the complex relationships and strained family dynamics that shape her life.
The novel explores themes of identity, family bonds, and the search for connection in a world shadowed by trauma. Heaberlin's vivid descriptions of the coastal setting and the shifting weather conditions add depth and atmosphere to the story, creating an immersive experience for readers.
"We Are All the Same in the Dark" is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that delves into the hidden corners of the human psyche and the consequences of past actions. Julia Heaberlin's skillful storytelling and evocative writing style will keep readers enthralled from beginning to end, leaving them with a lingering sense of unease long after the final page is turned.
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