
Description:
Editorial Reviews
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars A honey-slow, menacing descent
Wow, what a honey-slow, menacing descent into the edges of one town's humanity. This book had a unique flow and a different kind of storytelling.I am utterly and entirely entranced by this story. From the reading experience to the well-crafted mystery to the ominous and never-ending undertone of death, We Are All the Same in the Dark is a mystery/thriller that I will remember.Trumanell Branson disappeared from the Branson home in rural Texas ten years ago. A bloody handprint was found on the doorframe, but no body was ever recovered. Her father, the unpopular and abusive Frank Branson, also disappeared that fateful night. The only Branson who made it out of that night alive was Wyatt, the younger brother whose mind cracked that night and no one could ever prove fully innocent (or guilty).Odette Tucker's past is tied up in that bloody night like a bundle of chicken wire—one that she refuses to forget and yet can never fully solve. Her father was the policeman first on the scene at the Branson home. Odette herself was dating Wyatt Branson. And Odette's alibi for the night of Trumanell's disappearance is bloody—she was in a rollover car crash a few miles from the Branson property.Now a partial leg amputee and haunted by that night for personal and professional reasons, Odette's turned into the Tucker legacy: a cop for the local community. And she's never let go of the Trumanell case.Tangled up with guilt, a personal pressure to solve the unsolvable, and the sense that what's happened in the past might be happening again, Odette's not as surprised as she should be when Wyatt—now an unstable adult still living in the fateful home—discovers a young woman on the side of road with a dangerous past.They call her Angel, and she's unknowingly brought everything crashing down in this tiny town.I really, really can't say more of the plot without ruining some of the magic. Let's stop there.I thought this novel did a few things brilliantly. One: the narrative voice. It's a spoiler to say WHY I am calling out the narrative voice as the best part of this novel, but just trust me on the fact that there are some unique surprises in just who is telling the story (and mystery fans, it's not that unreliable narrator nonsense).Two: the almost hypnotic sense of reality vs. storytelling at play, and the constant sense that we have, as the reader, that there's elements of the story that we should know (but don't) and that there are things being told to us via these characters that they feel is obvious (but we can't really tell what that is). This is hard to describe, but I've seen it as a negative in other people's reviews when, for me, it was a huge positive. I like a level of confusion, especially when it's done as spectacularly as this.Fans of intelligent mystery/thrillers with a dash of the gothic, pick this up.
4.0 out of 5 stars A good book pick.
There was something about the writing style that sometimes made it difficult to understand or had me going back to reread. I'm kind of a grammer nerd, but maybe not as much as a I thought because I can't put a finger on what made the wording sometimes difficult for me. That said, I was increasingly drawn in to the book as I continued reading. It was suspenseful and had a lot of twists and turns. Lots of suspense in this novel, and you were rooting for the main characters despite some of their flaws.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Texas tragedy, with levity
I have lived in Austin, Texas for decades but I plead innocent to previous knowledge of Texas author, Julia Haeberlin. Now that I have read this latest novel of hers, I’ve ordered three more of her books! That is how impressed I am her latest psychological suspense thriller. If you’re hankering for a mystery studded in rural Texas grit with an urban savvy and snaky plot, you’ve come to the right book.There’s desert and desert mythology, the wide and starry sky, Texas wildflowers, small town suspicions, and the unsolved ten year disappearance of a nineteen-year-old girl, Trumanell Branson, and her father. Her brother, Wyatt, is a Boo Radleyesque character who has always been the primary (but unproven) suspect. There’s a lot more in here to compel the reader; I was hooked from page one.Haeberlin captured my interest with her palpable humanity and atmospheric writing. This may be a police procedural, but it is also a character-driven portrait of a community still in pain. Odette, a police officer, is the protagonist with a personal stake in finding Trumanell, as she was her friend, and Wyatt was her first and longterm boyfriend and lover. They grew up together. Odette’s father was the town’s top cop at the time, but he’s dead now for five years.At the moment of Trumanell’s disappearance, Odette was trapped under her car after an accident, losing a leg in the process. Much is focused on the symbolism of her prosthesis and her missing leg becomes a kind of motif of loss, pain, and strength. Odette is married now to a successful Chicago attorney, but made a mistake by returning to Texas with him and falling backward into Wyatt again in a weak moment. Can you love two men? Finn, her husband, and a dead ringer for “Emily Blunt’s husband,” isn’t going to tolerate that.There are several mysteries in this small town. Wyatt finds a young, mute girl with a missing eye outside on the baked ground in the hot sun, barefoot. He names her Angel. A runaway? Abandoned? Odette has a covert group with her cousin, Maggie, daughter of the town preacher. They help these unmoored children by arranging escape from whatever danger they are in. And she relates to Angel’s loss—Odette’s leg, Angel’s eye. It is reminiscent of some of John Irving’s themes (Haeberlin even includes a nod to Irving within the story)--abandoned children, missing body parts, and a touch of a dreamlike quality at times within the narrative.Told in first person from various characters’ perspectives, the story advances with a thrum and well-paced rhythm, misted with levity and pop culture references. I was turning the pages with anticipation and suspense, but at intervals I enjoyed slowing down to enjoy interior moments, the characters’ imaginations and poetic observations. These emotionally tortured characters are relatable and sympathetic, often with a warm and mordant wit. Carefully mapped and executed, it would take a really sullen and cynical reader to not embrace this southern, tragic, and hopeful story. It may leave dust in your mouth but it’s also a breath of fresh air.
Lyrically beautiful and emotionally astute
Lyrically beautiful and emotionally astute, We Are All The Same In The Dark is raw, stunning, and darkly twisted. Rather than being a frenetic page turner, it is one of those books you want to sip rather than gulp; you want to enjoy curled up with your cat while relaxing with a cup of tea at your side.We have three POVs, all of which are equally wonderful, and a midpoint that genuinely shocked me. The story is at once a slow-burn mystery and a mystery wound so incredibly taut you won’t be able to put the book down.Absorbingly atmospheric with a brooding presence, I highly recommend.
book
husband read it said it was alright
Didn't Finish
I hate to say it but I didn't read this book. I bought it as a thriller novel reader and I felt it was quite boring. I got about half way through and gave up to move onto something I would enjoy.
Meandering Storyline
The story never reached it's climax. It seemed to meander from one character to the next and none of them were explored in enough depth to feel any connection to them. I didn't care at all what had happened to Trumanell, and in fact, the repeated use of her name was irritating. The story didn't let us get to know her, or understand her and her brother's intense relationship. Odette's obsession with Trumanell was inexplicable and the whole story was confused and lacking pace. Disappointing read.
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We Are All the Same in the Dark: A Novel
AED8667
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Imported From: United States
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Visit the Ballantine Books Store
We Are All the Same in the Dark: A Novel

AED8667
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Editorial Reviews
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars A honey-slow, menacing descent
Wow, what a honey-slow, menacing descent into the edges of one town's humanity. This book had a unique flow and a different kind of storytelling.I am utterly and entirely entranced by this story. From the reading experience to the well-crafted mystery to the ominous and never-ending undertone of death, We Are All the Same in the Dark is a mystery/thriller that I will remember.Trumanell Branson disappeared from the Branson home in rural Texas ten years ago. A bloody handprint was found on the doorframe, but no body was ever recovered. Her father, the unpopular and abusive Frank Branson, also disappeared that fateful night. The only Branson who made it out of that night alive was Wyatt, the younger brother whose mind cracked that night and no one could ever prove fully innocent (or guilty).Odette Tucker's past is tied up in that bloody night like a bundle of chicken wire—one that she refuses to forget and yet can never fully solve. Her father was the policeman first on the scene at the Branson home. Odette herself was dating Wyatt Branson. And Odette's alibi for the night of Trumanell's disappearance is bloody—she was in a rollover car crash a few miles from the Branson property.Now a partial leg amputee and haunted by that night for personal and professional reasons, Odette's turned into the Tucker legacy: a cop for the local community. And she's never let go of the Trumanell case.Tangled up with guilt, a personal pressure to solve the unsolvable, and the sense that what's happened in the past might be happening again, Odette's not as surprised as she should be when Wyatt—now an unstable adult still living in the fateful home—discovers a young woman on the side of road with a dangerous past.They call her Angel, and she's unknowingly brought everything crashing down in this tiny town.I really, really can't say more of the plot without ruining some of the magic. Let's stop there.I thought this novel did a few things brilliantly. One: the narrative voice. It's a spoiler to say WHY I am calling out the narrative voice as the best part of this novel, but just trust me on the fact that there are some unique surprises in just who is telling the story (and mystery fans, it's not that unreliable narrator nonsense).Two: the almost hypnotic sense of reality vs. storytelling at play, and the constant sense that we have, as the reader, that there's elements of the story that we should know (but don't) and that there are things being told to us via these characters that they feel is obvious (but we can't really tell what that is). This is hard to describe, but I've seen it as a negative in other people's reviews when, for me, it was a huge positive. I like a level of confusion, especially when it's done as spectacularly as this.Fans of intelligent mystery/thrillers with a dash of the gothic, pick this up.
4.0 out of 5 stars A good book pick.
There was something about the writing style that sometimes made it difficult to understand or had me going back to reread. I'm kind of a grammer nerd, but maybe not as much as a I thought because I can't put a finger on what made the wording sometimes difficult for me. That said, I was increasingly drawn in to the book as I continued reading. It was suspenseful and had a lot of twists and turns. Lots of suspense in this novel, and you were rooting for the main characters despite some of their flaws.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Texas tragedy, with levity
I have lived in Austin, Texas for decades but I plead innocent to previous knowledge of Texas author, Julia Haeberlin. Now that I have read this latest novel of hers, I’ve ordered three more of her books! That is how impressed I am her latest psychological suspense thriller. If you’re hankering for a mystery studded in rural Texas grit with an urban savvy and snaky plot, you’ve come to the right book.There’s desert and desert mythology, the wide and starry sky, Texas wildflowers, small town suspicions, and the unsolved ten year disappearance of a nineteen-year-old girl, Trumanell Branson, and her father. Her brother, Wyatt, is a Boo Radleyesque character who has always been the primary (but unproven) suspect. There’s a lot more in here to compel the reader; I was hooked from page one.Haeberlin captured my interest with her palpable humanity and atmospheric writing. This may be a police procedural, but it is also a character-driven portrait of a community still in pain. Odette, a police officer, is the protagonist with a personal stake in finding Trumanell, as she was her friend, and Wyatt was her first and longterm boyfriend and lover. They grew up together. Odette’s father was the town’s top cop at the time, but he’s dead now for five years.At the moment of Trumanell’s disappearance, Odette was trapped under her car after an accident, losing a leg in the process. Much is focused on the symbolism of her prosthesis and her missing leg becomes a kind of motif of loss, pain, and strength. Odette is married now to a successful Chicago attorney, but made a mistake by returning to Texas with him and falling backward into Wyatt again in a weak moment. Can you love two men? Finn, her husband, and a dead ringer for “Emily Blunt’s husband,” isn’t going to tolerate that.There are several mysteries in this small town. Wyatt finds a young, mute girl with a missing eye outside on the baked ground in the hot sun, barefoot. He names her Angel. A runaway? Abandoned? Odette has a covert group with her cousin, Maggie, daughter of the town preacher. They help these unmoored children by arranging escape from whatever danger they are in. And she relates to Angel’s loss—Odette’s leg, Angel’s eye. It is reminiscent of some of John Irving’s themes (Haeberlin even includes a nod to Irving within the story)--abandoned children, missing body parts, and a touch of a dreamlike quality at times within the narrative.Told in first person from various characters’ perspectives, the story advances with a thrum and well-paced rhythm, misted with levity and pop culture references. I was turning the pages with anticipation and suspense, but at intervals I enjoyed slowing down to enjoy interior moments, the characters’ imaginations and poetic observations. These emotionally tortured characters are relatable and sympathetic, often with a warm and mordant wit. Carefully mapped and executed, it would take a really sullen and cynical reader to not embrace this southern, tragic, and hopeful story. It may leave dust in your mouth but it’s also a breath of fresh air.
Lyrically beautiful and emotionally astute
Lyrically beautiful and emotionally astute, We Are All The Same In The Dark is raw, stunning, and darkly twisted. Rather than being a frenetic page turner, it is one of those books you want to sip rather than gulp; you want to enjoy curled up with your cat while relaxing with a cup of tea at your side.We have three POVs, all of which are equally wonderful, and a midpoint that genuinely shocked me. The story is at once a slow-burn mystery and a mystery wound so incredibly taut you won’t be able to put the book down.Absorbingly atmospheric with a brooding presence, I highly recommend.
book
husband read it said it was alright
Didn't Finish
I hate to say it but I didn't read this book. I bought it as a thriller novel reader and I felt it was quite boring. I got about half way through and gave up to move onto something I would enjoy.
Meandering Storyline
The story never reached it's climax. It seemed to meander from one character to the next and none of them were explored in enough depth to feel any connection to them. I didn't care at all what had happened to Trumanell, and in fact, the repeated use of her name was irritating. The story didn't let us get to know her, or understand her and her brother's intense relationship. Odette's obsession with Trumanell was inexplicable and the whole story was confused and lacking pace. Disappointing read.
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More from this brand
Similar items from “Psychological”
Share with
Or share with link
https://www.bolo.ae/products/U0525621695