Julia Heaberlin

When Tommie McCloud receives a mysterious letter from the wife of a convicted mob boss serving life in prison for multiple murders, life as she knows it becomes a question mark. Am I the kidnapped little girl from this letter? Were my parents really NOT my parents? Could the mob be after me and my family?

Coming home from her psychology position at a camp that helps traumatized youths, Tommie steps into a heap of troubling discoveries that take her form Texas to Chicago to Oklahoma as she searches for her true identity while dodging mob hits and sorting out who to trust and who wants her and her mother’s secrets buried.

A well-paced story that will keep you turning the pages. There is no jaw-dropping revelations in this one, but there doesn’t need to be to hold your attention. Written in the engaging way Julia Heaberlin has, you will find many reasons to sneak under the covers with a flashlight to finish this one.

I’m a fan of Heaberlin, and finding this older gem (published in 2012) shows me she has always had the power of the pen.

*Note: I listened to this on audio and was often distracted by the narration. If I could do it over, I would pick up the old-fashioned paper book.… (mehr)

Sometimes I shake my head at how good people write - this is one of those times.

We are All the Same in the Dark is a wonderfully crafted murder mystery about a small town in Texas where their beauty, Trumanell Branson, and her father go missing, and 16-year-old Wyatt Branson is the only one who knows their story. On this same night, Wyatt's high school sweetheart, Odett Tucker, loses a leg in an auto accident.

Ten years later, Odett is a deputy in her hometown, Wyatt is still considered for suspicion of murder, and a one-eye girl is found in a field of dandelions, clinging to life.

The twists and turns take shape through the next five years, with another person going missing and several more mysteries cropping up. When Angel, a Trumanell groupie, comes to town, all bets are off as she works to solve not only the missing person cases but the mysteries of this town.

Fabulously written from multiple points of view, there isn't a dull moment or page throughout. I was even pleasantly surprised by whodunnit.

Well done, Julia Heaberlin!… (mehr)

I typically spend half my time reading a thriller trying to guess who the antagonist is. The author did such a great job pointing the finger at so many possible culprits in this story that I just gave up and enjoyed the ride! I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job drawing me into the characters. A very engaging story with interesting subplots and multi-layered characters. This author is new to me and I will be checking out her other books. Highly recommend this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this audiobook.… (mehr)