We Are All the Same in the Dark

A Novel

By: Julia Heaberlin

Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Catherine Taber, MacLeod Andrews, Kirby Heyborne

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

National Best Seller • People Pick • Optioned by Sister Pictures for Television • 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 best-selling 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, number-one New York Times best-selling 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)

©2020 Julia Heaberllin (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“I’m not sure I can put into words how much I loved this book: gorgeous writing, interesting characters, a unique setting, and an unsettling, surprising mystery. At one point, I actually gasped out loud from both the beauty of the writing and the shock of the story. We Are All the Same in the Dark has it all. Everyone needs to put this book on their to-be-read list right now! You can thank me later.” (Amy Engel, best-selling author of The Familiar Dark)

“Exceptional ... After a devastating twist halfway through, the intense plot builds to an emotional finale. Heaberlin sensitively addresses issues of survival and vulnerability in this heart-wrenching gothic tale.” (Publishers Weekly [starred review])

"One of my favorite reads of the year ... [Heaberlin’s] beautiful prose propelled me through this spine-chilling novel.... The book is absolutely mesmerizing." (Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times best-selling author of The Weight of Silence)

Best Book!

it is only mid-April 2021 as I write this, but I can honestly say that it is the best book I have listened to so far this year. As I listen to more books than I read due to eye issues, the narration is extremely important to me. I have returned books that I probably would have enjoyed otherwise due to narrators that I simply could not abide. That being said, these narrators were some of the best I have heard. Excellent choices, especially the narration of Odette. The storyline was both involved and involving, keeping my interest throughout. I had my ideas of who WASN'T guilty, but I truly did not figure out the ending. That's my idea of a good mystery! Next on my list is "Black Eyed Susans". Hopefully it will be as good. The only "con" for me was the language. I believe that excellent books can and have been written without what I would term foul language. This isn't one of them unfortunately.

WOW! Highly Recommended Read!

I usually listen to audiobooks while reading emails, cleaning and just about everything throughout my day. While listening to We Are All the Same in the Dark, I had to rewind and listen again to 10 minutes when I heard the narrator say 5 years later. This is rarity for me. This is not a book you can listen to should your mind wonder nor will you want to. It’s full of surprises, twists and turns and is well written. I true gem.

Loved this novel

I really enjoyed everything about this story. The characters were lovely and the narration was excellent. I kind of wished for something a little “more” with the ending but I can’t think what that would be. I am choosing another title from the same author for my next listen.

Thumbs up!

A well written book with a very satisfying conclusion, narrators did good job as well!

Fantastic, engaging, worthwhile

This is an engaging whodunnit with an interesting story, wonderful empathetic characters. It was hard to stop listening because the story was so enjoyable and the narration, especially that of one-eyed Angie, so pitch perfect.

really good book I will try another book by Julia

she has an excellent use of words and descriptions. she describes characters very well

Six stars

It is stingy to only award five stars. Although you can hear most of the “twist” fairly early on, the reading is excellent and the story captures one’s attention throughout. I must add that I listen to a few books each month; and this one was simply one of the best. It is particularly good because each narrator is excellent and perfectly cast. The interstices of character and plot lock you in. Please don’t misunderstand my comment about the twist, the book is an excellent, thoughtful and thought provoking entertainment. Prior to purchase, I read no reviews; and thus there were no spoilers. I recommend that any reader/listener simply should get into the story after setting aside a night and those precious early morning hours.

I have mixed feelings

I think this story was ok. The plot was predictable. The characters were difficult to relate to and pretty flat. The constant references to the loss of limb and eye got old fast. I think the author’s prose were pretty good. But there wasn’t any “evidence” or twists really in the story to keep me interested. I think I would have liked it a lot more except I really didn’t like the extreme accents of the narrators. I get that it’s in Texas but it took me out of the story and I found it really annoying. But that’s a personal preference. I think this story had a lot of promos and I think the writing was pretty good. But the plot needed a little more content and the characters needed more development.

outstanding!!

this book is one of the best listens yet.. and I own over 200 audible books. highly recommended. the story is riveting, the characters are full, and the narration is superb. do yourself a favor and give this one a listen!

Excellent selection 👌

I could not put this book down. This is one of the best books I have listened to in Audible. Story was riveting and the performance stellar. Two thumbs up 👍 👍.