My favorite mystery of 2020

 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑  I have read loads of whodunit mysteries this year but We Are All the Same in the Dark has to be my favorite for 2020 thus far. It's not scary, not gripped by tension but, rather, darkly thoughtful and introspective as we work toward solving the cold case mystery of what happened to Trumanell Branson. Trumanell was a popular teen who simply disappeared one night, leaving a bloody hand print behind, a mystery that has kept a Texas town wondering for years. Fingers and blame have always pointed to Wyatt, her brother, though the evidence doesn't seem to support that view. So what really happened? Where is Trumanell?

In this novel Julia Heaberlin does for Texas what Jane Harper and Chris Hammer do so well for Australia. Each author is peerless at making the location a key ingredient of the story. As we bounce back and forth between the past and current day from the perspectives of Wyatt, Odette and Angel, Texas plays as big a role as any of the characters with its state pride, dangerous weather and conservative religious values. Possibly a gentle indictment of this volatile blend or a love story to a place like no other? Regardless, Texas plays its part well as the drama twists and turns yet reluctantly unfurls to share its secrets.

It's difficult to say what I like best about the story. The three points of view give more depth to the story than a single narrator could provide. Ms. Heaberlin is masterful at constructing complex stories that touch the heart - five stars here, especially. The twists are pitch perfect and caused me to gasp but it is the tiniest details from a child's view and the warmth of highly polished memory, no matter how vague, that hit me most. No matter how broken and difficult life may be for some, there is always a ray of sunshine, a reason to hope and strive on. It's that ingrained sense of positive determination that carries this story with a desperate grip on memories, and the legends that spring from them, we hold tight as talismans. Reflections on old memories are true gold here making the story heavily reflective but also more meaningful, too. I just felt it all and was swept up in the story as desperate as everyone else to know what happened that night. An exceptional story well told and full of heart.