Published by Crown Publishing Genres: Crime, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, suspense, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
Chris Whitaker first came on my radar when I read We Begin at the End and I was excited when I saw he had another book coming out! All the Colors of the Darkis a gripping book about friendship, trauma, love, obsession, and loss.
Saint and Patch meet and become friends in the mid 1970’s in a small town where they are outsiders, far from being popular, but unique and loyal. Patch has only one eye, hence his nickname. Saint is smart, keeps bees, and is devoted to her friend Patch. When Patch saves a local girl, he finds himself in a horrible situation. Saint is despondent without her friend. This incident will shape their lives and their friendship for years to come. Both will see their lives and relationship with each other irrevocably changed. Patch will go on an unrelenting search for the truth while Saint will go on to forge a career.
This was a dark and gritty look at how trauma shapes lives, how hope endures, how friendship changes, how love remains present, and how the search for the truth often leads the seeker down dark paths. This is a BIG book and at times I felt it’s length. But that did not affect my enjoyment of it. Chris Whitaker is a gifted writer and he set the stage for this gritty and gripping book. Speaking of this book, it has many things: a mystery, a coming of age, a thriller, and a literary tale. There is search for a serial killer, a story of love, a story of life, and a story of trauma.
The writing is impeccable, the plot is well thought out, and this book evokes emotion.
Atmospheric, mysterious, dark, and gripping.
